Buddy Read - From Below by Darcy Coates on October 24th

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Terry wrote: "Marie wrote: "78% into the book

My Goodness!..."

Absolutely [spoilers removed]"

It is a good thing that I was not munching on oreos or I would have been choking and swallowing! LOL

[Michael]

Nov. 14: At Page 350, Chapter 48, 75% complete. That third dive is nerve-wracking. Those explorers must feel like they've entered the gauntlet from hell and are running for their lives.

[Ginger]

That's exactly what I was experiencing while in that third dive. A feeling (view spoiler)[of complete isolation and despair. (hide spoiler)]
Marie, I think I started to hyperventilate too when that part happened when (view spoiler)[Cove's mask being ripped off her face! I had to put the book down for a bit after that part once I knew she was okay again. LOL!! (hide spoiler)]

[Ginger]

Michael wrote: "Nov. 14: At Page 350, Chapter 48, 75% complete. That third dive is nerve-wracking. Those explorers must feel like they've entered the gauntlet from hell and are running for their lives."

I'll take "Gauntlet from Hell" for 400 Alex. LOL
Yes, that's the perfect description for it Michael!

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Ginger wrote: "That's exactly what I was experiencing while in that third dive. A feeling [spoilers removed]
Marie, I think I started to hyperventilate too when that part happened when [spoilers removed]"

That whole third dive - I was almost in a state of panic! lol

Read my next spoiler about the third dive. :)

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

93% into the book

(view spoiler)[ The third dive:

Dang! All the ghosts came alive in the bowels of the ship! All the dive crew having their own personal experiences with the ghosts and Cove with Roy getting stuck in that room thinking there was no way out. When Cove was talking with Sean saying they didn't think they would be back up - I was thinking uh-oh Darcy Coates better not kill off this crew or I was going to be pissed! lol

But thankfully they all made it back up.

Now I am to the part where Aiden has abandoned ship to go back down into the Arcadia and the team has gone down to get him on the final dive.

Just reached the point a little while ago where Aiden is woven in with the ghost bones and the crew are going to see what they can do to help him.

But I was tired so I had to lay the book down for some sleep. (hide spoiler)]

Going to read the rest of the book tonight and finish it off. I love this book - probably one of the best so far by Coates. I have read a lot of her books and I do not remember any of them causing so much intense anxiety that I was almost in a state of panic reading the story like this book has done to me.

[Terry]

Glad you are enjoying so much, Marie. It really is good!

[Michael]

I finished this morning. Whew!
My final notes . . . .
Nov. 15: As some things are better left unexplained and are often even scarier that way, I found the ending to be very satisfactory - especially the final resolution. Those last two dives are edge-of-your-seat. I won't forget those images for a long time.

[Ginger]

Marie wrote: "I love this book - probably one of the best so far by Coates. I have read a lot of her books and I do not remember any of them causing so much intense anxiety that I was almost in a state of panic reading the story like this book has done to me."

Felt the same Marie. I've read about 2-3 other books by her and this is by far my favorite!

[Ginger]

Michael wrote: "I finished this morning. Whew!
My final notes . . . .
Nov. 15: As some things are better left unexplained and are often even scarier that way, I found the ending to be very satisfactory - especial..."

So what's your thoughts Michael on (view spoiler)[on what brought all the dead back to live? Do you think the ship was already cursed before the neurological chemical made everyone insane? (hide spoiler)]

Hope you can do a spoiler for this just in case others aren't finished.

[Michael]

Ginger wrote: "Michael wrote: "I finished this morning. Whew!
My final notes . . . .
Nov. 15: As some things are better left unexplained and are often even scarier that way, I found the ending to be very satisfa..."

Hi Ginger . . . Thanks for providing me a forum to express my thoughts. I was going to include it in my review but it's a major spoiler, so nobody should look here that hasn't finished the book yet . . . . (view spoiler)[I think the fabric/chemical exposure is there for those who want some kind of rational explanation for what happened. Almost as if the combination of chemicals and lack of oxygen preserved the bodies for all that time, and then the released oxygen bubbles from the divers created the right mix to revive them. They were in the equivalent of a cryogenic sleep, if you will.
I think Coates left it open-ended on purpose for those of us (like me) who prefer the supernatural explanation: a ghostly, misty presence invaded the ship - spread like a virus with some bizarre side effects. That presence never left the ship and the addition of new bodies re-activated it. It could no longer spread through a mist but it could use the mist inside the bodies to reanimate them and pursue the divers. Readers choice! (hide spoiler)]

[Michael]

Here's my review, mostly spoiler free . . . . .

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I finished the book too - still letting it all sink in and will do a review when I get a chance. Also I agree with Michael on his spoiler as that totally makes sense to me but I also think that (view spoiler)[ the ship could have been cursed too. With anything haunted whether it be on a ship or in a house - people that die tragically could haunt wherever they died and anyone disturbing their ghostly presence - they will make themselves known to the living in one form or another. (hide spoiler)]

[Ginger]

I love both of your thoughts about the (view spoiler)[ship zombies! By having the ship already haunted/cursed, it just keeps that agenda going with each person that dies.

Can you imagine being so out of your mind that you would choose to burrow into a wardrobe cabinet and just die?
Good grief, that’s also a fear of mine. A tight space, can’t move and running out of air as you die. (hide spoiler)] No thank you! 😂🤣

This really was a great horror book for me because the plot went into fears that I really struggle with. Bravo Darcy Coates!