Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
Romance novels are often discredited as a literary genre. At best, they’re seen as non-consequential escapist entertainment. At worst, they’re seen as a corrupting influence on both the reader and a commercialized publishing industry no longer dedicated to “true” works of literature.
Ali Hazelwood’s recent novel “Deep End” challenges these narratives, showing that romance novels can employ cliches and offer escapism while shedding light on important issues and being deeply emotional.
“Deep End” is Hazelwood’s eighth romance novel, and her first in the New Adult genre, which explores the lives of newly-made adults. On the surface, “Deep End” parallels many of Hazelwood’s other novels: an intelligent and driven female lead and brooding but head-over-heels male lead have instant chemistry, but experience miscommunication and a third act breakup (though in “Deep End,” it’s not between the characters you expect).
Yet “Deep End” dives deeper than these tropes to be Ali Hazelwood’s most emotionally resonant novel to date. The novel follows Scarlett Vandermeer, a diver at Stanford and her relationship with fellow Stanford student (and Olympic swimmer) Lukas Blomqvist.
“Deep End” explores a type of trauma familiar to student-athletes: Scarlett experiences an injury that prevents her from diving for months and leaves her psychologically unable to complete one of her dives.
The novel is underpinned by Scarlett’s struggle to recuperate her pre-injury level of athletic performance while maintaining strong enough academics to be accepted into medical school. Her emotional growth as she faces these challenges and learns how to reckon with imperfection is relatable and moving.
Scarlett’s growth is not just personal, but social. At the beginning of “Deep End,” she does not have any close friends and is incredibly academically focused, spending all her time at diving practice or studying. Gradually, though, she creates connections beyond her romantic bond with Lukas — in particular, she befriends another girl on the diving team named Penelope.
Scarlett and Penelope’s friendship is one of the novel’s highlights. Their relationship is especially unique considering many of Hazelwood’s other protagonists lack strong platonic or familial relationships. Throughout “Deep End,” Scarlett and Penelope slowly begin to trust and rely on one another, showcasing the importance and beauty of relationships outside of romance.
As for the connection between Lukas and Scarlett, though initially completely sexual, their relationship gradually deepens as they become more and more emotionally vulnerable. Lukas is extremely supportive towards Scarlett, encouraging her to trust herself and her abilities and pushing her towards achieving her full potential as a diver and a scholar. While the two experience rocky moments, they are able to communicate in a mutually respectful and understanding way that’s both refreshing and heartwarming.
The book is Hazelwood’s second novel set at Stanford, the first being her debut novel “The Love Hypothesis” (whose protagonists both appear in cameo scenes in “Deep End”). “Deep End” includes scenes set across Stanford’s campus, from the Avery Aquatics Center, where Scarlett and Lukas dive and swim, to Green Library, where the two meet up for a joint research project, to Coupa Cafe, where they bond over lunch and coffee.
The inclusion of these specific community spaces firmly places the book on Stanford’s campus: every time a specific Stanford location was mentioned (even if it was slightly awkward, like Scarlett mentioning “the Green Library” instead of just “Green”), I grinned, thinking about the last time I was there.
However, one major inaccuracy I drew issue with was that both main characters lived off campus, which is both expensive and unrealistic given 92% of undergraduate students live on campus all four years.
Scarlett’s personal growth amidst struggle, the supportive and loving dynamic of her diving team and Scarlett’s instant chemistry with Lukas — combined, these elements create a page-turner of a novel. As with Hazelwood’s other novels, I was reading “Deep End” late into the night (despite my early morning classes). I would highly recommend the novel to any Stanford student interested in a fun but impactful romance novel set on our incredible campus.