Jade sets sail for her term on a cruise ship for Campus on Board, which is something she’s been working towards for years, and had planned to room with her best friend, Lainey until right before the term begins Lainey steals Jade’s boyfriend, Silas. Jade expects to use the time on the ship to clear her head while she travels and studies abroad, so imagine her surprise when her ex and her ex best friend turn up on the ship and soon students start dying off, including Lainey. So of course Jade is a suspect. Jade has to figure out who really did it before they strike again or they come to charge her for the murder.
If you’re a fan of locked room thrillers, you will enjoy this one. The issue I had was with the characters. They were meant to be in college but they definitely acted immaturely and the MC really made some questionable choices and I was constantly questioning her actions and her logic.
Thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Definitely my least favorite of Urban's books. It took a while to get started (like a good 40% or so) and I considered stopping many times because the main character was so whiny and was honestly OBSESSED with her ex-boyfriend and ex-bff. While there were pieces of the story that I thought were decent overall it was kind of a slog, but I can see fans of Karen McMannus or the like enjoying this. It probably also would go over better with a younger audience than me, although considering the characters are roughly 20-ish (they're all in college and the main character is a junior I think) they read like they're 14 or so (maybe even 12?). There are also copious amounts of drinking, some drug use, and talk of sex, but nothing more than a few kisses on page and no swearing (and death/murder of course). It's too tame language and romance wise to be adult, but the characters are too old for YA and the drinking/drugs seem almost excessive, so it seems a little lost. Probably best for the older teens though, because of the non-violence content. If someone asks for read-alikes I might mention this one, but I don't think I'll be going out of my way to suggest it.

"Maximally Twisty" is the Word du Jour for this engrossing YA Mystery/Psychological Thriller, new from author Diana Urban. (Release May 2)
Although the first few pages didn't compel me, in no time at all this twisted-up plot was off and running, and it was non-stop Suspense from there, and oh! What Suspense! I was constantly exclaiming "WHAT?" and "What just happened?" and "Oh no!!"
Let me give you another clue about the pace: this 384-page-book was an 8-hour read: that's all!

Lying in the Deep is a fast-paced YA whodunit mystery set onboard a fancy cruise ship. It managed to have a very diverse setting throughout the story, as the ship traveled to different countries. For the first half of the story I could live through the main character Jade and her travels in England and Portugal. But then in the second half it made a claustrophobic atmosphere with a murderer on the loose, as they’re all now stuck at the sea on this ship.

Although this book has a pretty big group of central characters, but only one POV which proved a bit annoying at times since Jade had a tendency to get caught up in her own personal drama. She’s just a bit too over-the-top. Luckily the other characters balanced her out, and I wish we could have some of them in the spotlight role instead. Could have done without the love triangle, since why bother when there's clearly just one good pick?

There were plot twists, and most of the time they had me in a constant state of trying to think up new theories in order to solve who the murderer actually was. With that said, the ending took me by a bit of surprise, and while I enjoyed it it also didn’t feel like it had been properly foreshadowed. But I still liked how the story got resolved, and part of me is sad that there wasn’t more after it.

LYING IN THE DEEP is another very fun mystery from Diana Urban.

It is, in some ways, quite different from the preceding mysteries by the author. The murder (after being revealed in the prologue) doesn't occur until halfway through the book. Instead, it begins with an exploration of Jade's jagged emotions over her friend and boyfriend's betrayal of her. It also provides a great chance to get to know the cast and their motives before it gets deadly.

The book also has an impressive body count, particularly given things only get murdery in the second half. It creates a very fast-paced, tense second half where it's impossible to know who to trust and Jade does not have a moment to slow down, given she's the suspect according to rumour.

However, the first half, despite a notable lack of murder, is still very tense. Instead of a frantic scramble for the truth, it is a slow build of feeling like something is most definitely wrong, particularly about what ever mysteriously broke up Jade and her boyfriend. They way they're treating her does not make sense with what she knows...

The ending was a lot of fun, flipping a bunch of assumptions on their head - repeatedly, in short order. I really liked the way it all came together.

This was an amazing mystery book.
It was a very interesting concept and I would never have guessed the plot twist.
This book completely hooked me and at the end of each chapter with an amazing cliff hanger I wasn’t able to put it down.
It had amazing characters and it had me suspecting some one at every turn but none of my suspicions were right which is exactly what you want in a murder mystery!

I was overjoyed when I heard Diana Urban had a new book releasing. I’ve read everything she has written and have loved each and every book. Diana Urban knows how to write YA/NA thrillers! While this one wasn’t my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, locked room mystery style story. The concept of a school at sea gave us a unique location for this murder mystery to unfold. Highly recommend this book and author. Diana Urban is an auto-buy author for me. Perfect for fans of Karen A McManus and Jennifer Preston.

Jade has been dumped by her boyfriend. He has a new girlfriend... Her best friend! She soon discovers they are also on a three month cruise for school. She wants answers. Why won't they explain things? The her ex friend, Lainey, disappears from a blood soaked room . Jade is a suspect. She was angry and everyone knows it.
The idea was good for this story was good. Jade comes across as whiny. She complains about not having money, but spends it foolishly. The end of the book was rushed. The Felix connection was not very believable.
Thanks, NetGalley for this ARC.

Rating: 4.75/5⭐️

After a bad breakup and a betrayal by her best friend, Jade is even more excited for Campus on Board. While on a luxurious cruise, she’ll get to see 11 countries in 4 months and meet tons of new people all while earning college credit, getting her one step closer to completing her degree at Stanford. But most importantly, Campus on Board will put a whole world between her and her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend….until they end up joining the trip. Not long after setting sail, a shocking death has everyone pointing fingers. As more people end up in body bags, Jade has to team up with her new crush and figure out who the murderer is…before she’s the one that ends up behind bars.

YALL!! If you love Karen M. McManus and Maureen Johnson, you have GOT to read this book. I flew through it in maybe two days. I’ve read a ton of YA mystery/thrillers that take place at schools, but never one that takes place at a school on a cruise ship. I felt totally immersed in the setting and loved the characters (even the ones I hated). The only thing preventing me from giving this 5⭐️ is the drug of choice the students used while on board. That serious of a drug didn’t feel realistic to me, and pulled me out of the story a little bit. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints about this book. I loved it!

Jade embarks on the trip of her dreams, sailing to different countries for an entire semester. It's the perfect excuse to get away from seeing her ex-best friend Lainey and ex-boyfriend Silas together on campus, until she sees them on the first day of the trip. It's even worse when her ex-best friend calls her a stalker and her ex-boyfriend seemed to find that it was all her fault that they even broke up. Steaming in anger and wanting answers, Jade follows the pair around and even finds herself in a fake relationship with the brooding Felix. When Lainey's room is found covered in blood and her body no where to be found, all signs point to Jade and Silas for the murder of the future heir to pharmacological business Sanatek. What seemed to be the trip of her dreams turns into a dark nightmare as she uncovers secrets, lies, and betrayal in order to prove herself innocent.

This book was very fun to read. The first half feels very slow, but it serves as a background and buildup for the latter scenes. I didn't really like Jade as a character, but she was a very well-written, complex character. <i>Lying in the Deep</i> will definitely be an enjoyable read for anyone with its murder meets semester at sea that makes you question whether you truly know the people that you love.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review!

Based on the description, I thought that I would love this book. Who doesn't love a fun, complex, maritime murder-mystery? It seemed right up my alley, given that summer is well on its way and I'm yearning for more adventure in my reading pursuits. Although I appreciate some of the storytelling, as well as how, ultimately, the mystery was more meaningful and intricate than expected, I had a couple of major issues with this one.

First and foremost, I could not stand the main character. I really wanted to like her, but in reality, this book feels like a how-to on implicating yourself. Jade, along with the majority of the cast of characters, is supposed to be an Ivy League student, roughly twenty years old. However, the lack of intelligence and maturity really takes you out of the mystery. Truly frustrating.

In addition to this, I saw pretty much every major twist coming, and the ones I missed were overlooked because they revolved around side characters that we got very little background on. I did appreciate the red herrings, as well as how the story itself seemed to come full-circle. However, that wasn't enough to balance it out for me.

Ultimately, without any likeable characters and a plot that was more predictable than I would have liked, I'm not sure if I would read this one again. If I came across the right person, I would probably recommend it, though.

I was so jealous of this group. Wish I had had a chance to spend a summer semester touring the Mediterranean. The story was very suspenseful and moved along. I was engaged from the first page. Great who dunnit. We need another adventure.

had potential - loved the idea and premise but poor execution and I just wanted so much more from it

This was an edge of your seat thriller which kept me guessing until the end. Jade has recently been dumped by her boyfriend for her best friend. She decides to go on her semester at sea trip even though she was supposed to room with Lainey- her ex-best friend. There is no way Jade thinks that Lainey will show up. However not only does she show up but she is with her ex-boyfriend as well. Jade has to find a way to cope so she tries to focus on a new group of friends and tries to find a way to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. Then the unthinkable happens and someone ends up murdered. Things go from bad to worse and Jade has to do all she can to try and figure out what is happening.

I really enjoyed this young adult novel. I could relate to Jade's situation at first having been betrayed by a friend as well. I loved the action and there were some great twists that I did not see coming. An excellent thriller that anyone will enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

On the paper it had everything I could like (hence why I made a request for this ARC and why it was in my anticipated list of 2023). And I do have to say I agree for the ending, the revelations, was really catching. I really liked the reasons behind everything, how some people were implicated, etc ; it could have been a really good thriller/mystery if it weren't ruined by a couple things...

First is the very slow pacing: that specific murder talked in the blurb happens only around 45-50% of the book. I just felt like I were reading a romance drama with petty reasons, jealousy and weird plots and miscommunication. Then the murder happens and everything is fast but I rolled my eyes so many times on the decisions taken by the MC as it went more and more over the top and preposterous.

That relates to the other thing : how the MC (and let's be honest all the other characters) is so STUPID and selfish while blaming the others to be selfish, Jade's stupidity ruins the story. She's supposed to be around 20 years old (seems like they're 2nd or 3rd year of college), with scholarships so she had awesome grades to be able to have a full one at Stanford, and other students are all from Stanford, Harvard, Boston U... You get it, they're supposed to be pretty smart one. But damn the stupidity level is something here, it felt like they were all 15 with how they act around each others with relationships but also with the murders!

I ended up not really liking the book, and it just made me wanna go on a cruise (yes, even if there's murders happening here, I know)....

3.5 Stars
A whodunnit mystery but on a cruise!

This was a quick and easy read. If you're a fan of YA mystery, you will most likely enjoy this.
I like the mystery aspect of the storyline and all the twists, but I didn't care for all the teen drama and angst. The characters came off like high schoolers instead of college kids.

Overall, a good YA mystery if you don't mind the high school drama.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

I love a YA mystery and this didn’t let me down. I really enjoyed the start of this book, it was a page turner that I couldn’t get enough of. However, the ending was a bit of a let down it was a weird combination of everything trying to be wrapped up too quickly but also really convoluted and hard to make sense of. Overall, I am happy I read it and enjoyed it! Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

All of my reviews can be found on Instagram at @turningpagesmm after publication day.

Lying in the Deep was a good YA read. It was fast-paced and kept me interested. I felt like the main character went from so vengeful to trying to be a good person. I understand that was about her character growth but I didn’t find it too believable. I still enjoyed Diana Urban’s writing and will read her future books.

In this YA thriller, Jade is on board a semester-at-sea program with her now-together ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, burning with murderous rage… until one of them really ends up murdered. As the prime suspect, Jade investigates with a mysterious hottie, to clear her name before she leaves the ship in handcuffs.

For fans of:

🛳️ University-age characters
🛳️ Forced proximity
🛳️ Fake dating
🛳️ Revenge

I enjoyed this fast-paced, voicey story! I kept thinking I would put it down after one more chapter, and just kept being sucked back in. I finished the last half in one sitting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think something to note is that the characters are social media savvy and speak using current slang and internet expressions, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

First of all,thanks net galley and penguin teen readers for allowing me the access to this ARC !
This is the second book I read from Diana Urban,and even tough I can say from what I've read and feel trough this book than she have improved her write,some thing in it still sounded kinda off to me. Jade and her friends,the cruise ship aesthetic and it all were cool,of course,but i cannot stand the way she depicted miguel-the only lgbt character- as someone envious and cruel. Yes,it was like she thought about writing a gay guy and went straight to the stereotype ! It really have me side-eing the course of the narrative. Plus,at the end she did practically the same she did in her first book. However,I've liked the mood of the book and the characters as well. I'll be reviewing it tomorrow,so anyone who wants more of my opinions on it,go check my profile (@anbookhunter).