There were several elements of this story I could have loved if they had been delivered differently. The themes of forgiveness and redemption, the visions that were mysterious and dreamlike.
But...the plot was too weak for me. Up until the last few chapters, it didn't consist of much more than Alicen seeing/hearing things, rejecting them, and having either a breakdown or a flashback. I kept waiting for something new to happen, and was usually disappointed.
There was also a scene with Victoria that I almost skipped. I'm a little squeamish when it comes to descriptions of blood. That, combined with the fact that it was self-harm, made it really hard to read. I'm not sure why it was even necessary for the plot. (But that might just be my squeamishness talking.)
There were some nice quotes, though. I'll end this review with my favorite:

"You are the light of the world. The rest is just shadows."

When Through Deep Waters is Rachelle Dekker's fourth book, the first three a dystopian trilogy. I was excited to see what other stories she had for us. Fortunately, this one does not disappoint.



Alicen has suffered a tragic loss and is trying to find her way through the grief. She lands in the family vacation home of her childhood friend. The idyllic location reminds her of all the hope she had for her life as a child and forces her to deal with many different disappointments in her life including the life and death of her beloved grandmother.



Here's what I love about the book, one, it's an old-school Frank Peretti style spiritual warfare book in that Alicen is an ordinary person that is struggling with spiritual forces. Two, it's a fiction book that made me want to get out my journal and explore some thoughts that bubbled up about myself! Third, God wins in the end and it doesn't look like the normal everyone desires. Fourth, straight up scripture usage that doesn't come from a character reading the Bible aloud.



I would highly recommend this if you're interested in spiritual warfare or even looking to explore your own inner conversation.



A copy of this book was given to me by Tyndale House Publisher for the purpose of review. I'm never required to give a good review, but always thankful when I can.

This book had a theme of mental health and spiritual warefare. The combination of the two throughout the book made for an interesting story. 

It was unlike any book that I have ever read before. 

Before I began reading this book, another blogger told me the following, "This book was definitely cerebral (so much going on in the heads of the characters)" and it is so true. It is hard to explain until you read it and then you understand. 

This book definitely had my attention throughout the entirety. 

I loved the themes of forgiveness and hope that comes from the Lord. 

Although this book is considered Christian Fiction, you don't really know the theme or motive behind it until you get to the end. 

The book is well written with well-rounded characters who had problems and shadows. 

I loved some of the double meanings in this book. 

If you enjoy reading Christian Fiction with some mystery than this book is for you! Even if you don't enjoy reading Christian Fiction, I would still recommend this book for you because it will definitely take you on a journey!

Thank you to Tyndale Publishers for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Thanks for stopping by and reading this book review! I received this book in exchange for an honest review on my blog. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

An excellent book. It took a chapter or so to get into it, and it was repetitive, but overall it drew me in. The story was heartfelt, and Rachelle essentially writes on similar topics as her father Ted, but does so with a brighter tone. Worth the time to read! I hope that there will be a tie-in eventually to check up on a few of the characters!

3.5⭐️

This is a difficult book to review because I have many mixed feelings about it. I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading it, based on the synopsis and it was definitely different than anything I’ve read before.

It almost felt like the author was adding elements of magical realism to the story and trying to fit them into the story of salvation but to me, it didn’t quite work. The theology behind some of the things said and seen in the story just didn’t make sense. I’m not a fan of magical realism/paranormal aspects so this probably had a lot to do with my feelings towards the book.

I liked the character of Alicen and felt that her grieving process seemed very realistic. I also found the descriptions of how depression felt as very accurate. I also loved the friendship she shared with Louise and the support she received from her.

The story moved very fast and I found myself flying through the pages. Unfortunately, I just felt like some elements of the story were confusing and a bit strange. It wasn’t the book for me.

My Rating: 2.5 stars
I received this book from the publisher to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.