Into the Abyss

David Marsh
Sea Chest Books (2004)
ISBN 9780974290904
Reviewed by Ian McCurley (age 13) for Reader Views (3/07)

“Into the Abyss” starts out when Ashlyn Miller, a 14-year-old boy, is standing on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  On shore he sees a boat; a small old rugged rowboat, half buried in the sand.  Digging it out, he, along with his sister Autumn, set sail.  As a storm kicks up, they are on the verge of sinking when a mysterious green light appears under their boat, shepherding them to safety at incredible speeds.  Meanwhile, a Navy ship stationed nearby picks up the curious signal and registers it as the Seabed Phantom, or a mysterious electromagnetic pulse that the Navy had been tracking for years.  The next morning, Ashlyn hears a voice in his head that keeps saying, “Assshhh…Lyyyyn.”  After trying in futility to cover his ears, he realizes the voice is in his mind.  As it starts to drive him crazy, he returns to where he found the boat the first time and finds a wonderful blue boat just as he had wanted to make but never told anyone about.  Getting on the boat with Autumn, Ashlyn is transported to a cave as rises from the water a creature not unlike a mermaid.  Ashlyn can communicate with the mermaid, but Autumn cannot.  The mermaid’s name is Ko, and she would like to show Ashlyn her home deep beneath the ocean floor.  When Ko finds a submersible sent to them by a strange old hermit, Ashlyn and Autumn run away with the help of one of their dead father’s old friends.  When Ko shows them her home, Ashlyn discovers that there are nearly a hundred of her species, and they are dying.  Upon returning to the surface world, the teens take on the quest of stopping the Navy, winning over the public and transporting the mermaid-like species away from their poisoned home.  And all before the pollution kills mysterious new species.

David Marsh uses excellent and vivid visual description to paint a realistic picture of the sub-marine world.  This book is for ages 12 and up who are interested in mermaids, the ocean and submarines. “Into the Abyss” is a wonderful marine story that shows what might happen if a new species was discovered, both politically and publicly.

Reviewed by Cathy Yanda for Reader Views (1/06)

This book is jam-packed with adventure and more information about the ocean than I could learn in a lifetime. The book begins with the two teens, Ashlyn and Autumn, going to live with their estranged grandmother in a bed and breakfast she runs because their mother died. When the grandmother leaves for an evening of bingo, she tells the kids, “There’s cold cuts and potato salad. Make sure you clean up after yourselves…and don’t leave the house! I expect you to act responsibly, as if I was here. And be sure to fluff up the cushions before you go upstairs.”

They, of course, do what most teens would do and set off for the beach. During the story, they get caught in a storm, almost drown, visit vast undersea planes in a submersible, make friends with an Iguana, find a father they thought was dead, put together a team to rescue and save some newfound friends, get the world to think about the effects of their polluting and Ashlyn discovers he has telepathic ability.

“Into The Abyss” is an incredible adventure that teens and adults will enjoy. It’s always more fun to find a book that is exciting to read and leaves you with more than you knew before. David Marsh’s book does just that. So, sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s going to be a wild one.

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