*2018LosAngelesTimesBookPrizeFinalist*LonglistedforTheCrook’sCornerBookPrize*Longlistedforthe2019VCUCabellFirstNovelistAward*Shortlistedforthe2020WilliamSaroyanInternationalPrizeforWritingforFiction*ABestBookof2018--KirkusReviews,BuzzFeedNews,Entropy,LitReactor,LitHub*35Over35Award2018*OneoftheMostAnticipatedBooksoftheFall--Vulture,Harper’sBAZAAR,BuzzFeedNews,PublishersWeekly,TheMillions,Bustle,FastCompanyIt’s16-year-oldEdiewhofindstheirmotherMariannedanglinginthelivingroomfromanoldjumprope,puddleofurineonthefloor,barelyalive.Upstairs,14-year-oldMaehadfallenintooneofhertrances,oftenaresultoffeelingtoocloselyattunedtohermother’sdarkmoods.AfterMarianneisunwillinglyadmittedtoamentalhospital,EdieandMaeareforcedtomovefromtheirchildhoodhomeinLouisianatoNewYorktolivewiththeirestrangedfather,Dennis,aformercivilrightsactivistandliteraryfigureontheothersideofsuccess.Thegirls,grievingandhomesick,areatfirstwaryoftheirfather’saffection,butsoonMaeandEdie’scloserelationshipbeginstofallapart--EdieremainsfiercelyloyaltoMarianne,convincedthatDennisisresponsibleforhermother’sdownfall,whileMae,suffocatedbyherstrikingresemblancestohermother,feelspulledtowardtheirfather.Thegirlsmoveinincreasinglyopposinganddestructivedirectionsastheystruggletocopewithoutsizedpain,andasthehistoryofDennisandMarianne’sromanticpastclicksintofocus,thefamilyfracturesfurther.Movingthroughaselectionoffirst-personaccountsandwrittenwithasinistersenseofhumor,TheDeepertheWatertheUgliertheFishpowerfullycapturesthequiettormentoftwosisterscravingtheattentionofaparenttheycan’t,andshouldn’t,havetothemselves.Inthiscaptivatingdebut,KatyaApekinadisquietinglycrooksthelinesbetweenfactandfantasy,betweenescapeandfreedom,andbetweenloveandobsession.“Thestructure,charactersandstorylineareallrefreshinglyoriginal,andthewritingisnothingshortofgorgeous.It’sastunninglyaccomplishedbook,andApekinaisn’tafraidtograbherreadersbythehandandtakethemtosomeverydarkandverybeautifulplaces.“--MichaelSchaub,NPR
WATER NPR HARPER FISH DEEPER VULTURE YEAR
