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Member Reviews

I tried so hard to get into this! I love Diana’s other 2 books so much.

Unfortunately this fell flat for me. I read up to 100 pages and so much was happening. The plot was moving slow and it didn’t keep my attention. I ended up skipping ahead a bit and the ending was pretty good with twists I wasn’t expecting!

Overall, giving this 2 ⭐️. I’m so disappointed, I really wanted to love it!

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Welcome aboard!! There’s truly something about a thrilling read set in a location where the main characters can’t leave. Like being trapped with a killer has to be the scariest thing to be honest.

What a twisty ride Lying in the Deep was! I truly didn’t suspect the turn of events at all and was completely shocked in most aspects… but not all 😉.

If you like remote locations with twists and turns, some blood and disloyalty.. Lying in the Deep is sure to delight!

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I really enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would! I read it entirely in one go. And even though some of the twists were predictable, I still liked the story and the setting of a murder mystery on a cruise ship (semester at sea). I liked Felix and I hope that he and Jade reconnect at Stanford. I liked Jade’s roommates, even though they had their own issues as sisters and couldn’t get along.

It was just a really entertaining read for me and definitely felt like mature YA. The characters felt pretty developed.

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As a big fan of Diana Urban's previous books, I was so excited to read this! Lying in the Deep is accurately described as having "Knives Out" vibes. I enjoyed the cruise ship setting and of course, all the twists! I don't know if I would describe this as an "edge of your seat" book, but rather one that leaves a steady hum in your brain of not knowing who to trust. The best friend/boyfriend betrayal was a great setup to the chaos onboard the ship and resulting in Jade appearing to be a potentially unreliable narrator for much of the story, which added to the intrigue and suspense. I've already preordered this and can't wait to recommend it to students!

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I was INVESTED in this book oh my god. the romance, the mystery, the pure THRILL of it all was incredible I literally never wanted to put it down I absolutely loved how Diana added a bit of a romance subplot in it (my weakness) I never expected it (prob because I just went in blind) but it was so incredibly good and added so much to the overall plot of the book. I had so many questions throughout the book and received the most insane and shocking answers at the end. this is definitely a must-read for those who love a good whodunit mystery (on a cruise ship!!!) with such a cute lil romance subplot

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<b>Quick Stats</b>
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 1.75 stars
Plot: 1.5/5
Characters: 2/5
Setting: 2/5
Writing: 2/5

<i>Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>

Suite Life on Deck meets One of Us Is Lying in Diana Urban’s newest YA mystery.
That premise was so interesting to me. I loved the idea of it, but the execution did not work. There is no murder in this murder mystery until page 170, 45% of the way through. And almost everything before that point does not matter. It was painful to get through.
I went in here expecting a high stakes twisty murder mystery and I got 20 year old acting like they’re 14 fighting over boys and petty relationship and friendship drama that was way too dramatic. It’s 170 pages of woe is me my best friend and boyfriend betrayed me for each other boohoo. Until—finally—a murder! Except I was so sick of the main character at this point that I would not have cared if she ended up going down for it. I also did not care about the murdered girl. Or any of the subsequent murdered people. Actually, I did not care about a single character in this book.
This entire book was painful to read, the investigation was so stupid and pointless. “Obviously it wasn’t x character.” With no reason other than “because it couldn’t have been”.
The last 50 pages were kind of interesting to read, but honestly that’s the extent of it.

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Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with the eARC! I really enjoyed Diana's These Deadly Games so I was intrigued by her next book, even more so when I got to read an excerpt from it(thank you BookishFirst).
I have second degree hate for Laniey already omg. Usually it's the best friend dates my bf trope is a cliche but it works here in a very good way, I can already tell. Jade's interaction with Miguel is giving me strangers on a train vibes but ofc they're on a cruise. And the prologue with the opening scene...I love that Jade has no qualms about finding her ex bestie dead, she just like "welp, its what she deserves' it's cold but I love it because ofc she feels that way. I like her murderous imagination. Also the shirt thing with the twins(how are you gonna buy someone a shirt, give them it, and you expect them to pay it back?) When I read it I thought "ohhh, so they're like that. Ok". Also the way Lainey acts whenever Jade tries to talk to her and Silas as if she's a psycho ex makes me question if she told badmouth Jade around Silas, cause she's definitely mindfucking with everyone on the cruise. Made me wonder what she's setting the stage up for because it seemed manipulative to me. I kept on wondering how Jade had enough time to wander about a ship( whenever there's a teen sleuth you have to give them the benefit of the doubt and throwaway some logic), cause there was 18 hours until they docked at the next port and she never really got tired or seemed hungry, I understand she was on adrenaline probably but for the entirety of the 18 hours, never resting or eating at least a little bit? She shouldn't have been able to function imo. I did still enjoy reading the book, I liked her and Felix's banter and ofc with Diana Urban the love interest is not what they seem which seems to be a pattern in her books. I like the shock of that. I also did enjoy how all the side characters and their situation got a complete beginning and an ending, that they weren't forgotten or pushed aside due to the main story line..

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Solid thriller that kept my interest. I was annoyed with the main character, as she just seemed to flounder whenever something difficult happened. She did find her strength as the story went on, so that was encouraging. The ending had me scratching my head, haven’t decided if it was a brilliant ending or just overkill. Overall an enjoyable read.

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Lying in the Deep is a fun and twisty locked room whodunit. The fact that the victims and suspects are confined to a cruise ship helps heighten the suspense.

The various characters all have unique personalities that makes it so no body is above suspicion.

The story kept me riveted the whole time and as an avid cruiser, added an extra level of excitement to think about the fear the passengers must have felt.

The ending was unexpected and kept me guessing until the very last page.

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Thank you to netgalley for my e-arc copy!

I really enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would! I read it entirely in one go. And even though some of the twists were predictable, I still liked the story and the setting of a murder mystery on a cruise ship (semester at sea). I liked Felix and I hope that he and Jade reconnect at Stanford. I liked Jade’s roommates, even though they had their own issues as sisters and couldn’t get along.

It was just a really entertaining read for me and definitely felt like mature YA. The characters felt pretty developed.

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The YA factor is high with this one so if YA isn't your thing I'd probably steer clear. Overall this was an OK read but not one I'd recommend to an adult audience. Younger readers probably will like it though, so keep it in mind for teen audiences.

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I cannot tell you the last time I sat down and read a book in less than 24 hours. Out May 2nd, 2023, if you are a YA & thriller fan, you need to add this to your TBR immediately!

Jade is the main character who is ready to move on with her life after getting her heart broken into a million pieces.

She's heading out on an adventure of a lifetime - 11 countries while studying abroad on a "Campus on Broad" ship (CoB as referenced in the book). When she sees that her ex-boyfriend and her ex-best friend who are now a couple show up to set sail, things take a crazy turn. A shocking murder takes place on the ship, and their group of friends try to figure out who did it, more people begin to die. Jade is a primary suspect, and she tries to clear her name while trying to figure out who is the murderer!

There were so many twists in this book, I lost count. This was such a "Knives Out" vibe, that I had no idea where it was going. Even up until the very last few pages, I was gasping out loud at some things!

I loved the character development throughout this book too! Every single character mentioned had their own story and by the end, I feel like everyone had wrapped nicely and I had no questions left! There was a lot of drama to keep up with, but Diana Urban wrote it nicely so there wasn't nothing left at the end and it wasn't rushed.

This states "perfect for readers of Natalie D.
Richards & Karen McManus" which are two of my favorite YA mystery writers and I was so not disappointed!

Five amazing stars & adding Diana Urban's entire backlog to my TBR!!

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This was such a fun ya thriller set on board a cruise ship. Jade is recovering from the betrayal of her best friend and bf being together but doesn’t let that stop her from studying abroad on the cruise ship. She didn’t expect Silas and Lainey to still be joining the trip but of course is faced with them at every turn and everyone is acting like she is the one in the wrong. When Lainey turns up missing there are way more questions than answers and it was a fun twisty and turning ride.

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Jade boards Campus on Board, a ship to study and cruise the world, with intents to get over a recent breakup and betrayal from her best friend. This will be hard to do since her ex and ex-best friend are both aboard… as well as a killer.

If you’re looking for a twisty, quick, and entertaining read, it’s here. I loved the setting of the ship which was a unique locked room atmosphere. This was a young adult read, so be prepared for some teenage drama and gossip. There are a lot of twists and the story keeps turning and evolving the entire time!

“What was once a boundless expanse of freedom now held us captive with a killer.”

Lying in the Deep comes out 5/2.

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finally finished this
imma just say, I kinda predicted the ending accurately

anyways Diana Urban did not disappoint

the plot was pretty good and cool
my only complaint is it didn’t feel very mystery like until half way through the book

I love felix

ugh I hate writing reviews bye

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Jade Miller has the opportunity of a lifetime. She has a semester to study abroad. On a cruise ship, no less. The Campus on Board program would take Jade through eleven countries in a span of four months. Jade needed the distraction. Especially after the nasty breakup with her ex-boyfriend, Silas. And the nerve of him to hookup with her best friend Lainey. So the cruise should do her good. New friends, new places… Everything was peachy until Jade spies two familiar faces in the sea of passengers while boarding. Silas and Lainey. Together.

As Jade begins to seethe with anger and disbelief, she can’t help but envision Lainey’s murder — a poisoning, a fall off the ship, shoving her off her dad’s penthouse… That is until Lainey has gone missing and there’s lots and lots of blood everywhere in her room. And guess who is suspect?

Lying in the Deep is a suspenseful locked room mystery. While I did enjoy the novel, I didn’t find it as engaging as the author’s previous work, These Deadly Games.

The main character, Jade was a little too over-the-top with her woe-is-me drama. So that took away from the suspense. The other characters rounded out the story and balanced the instability of the main character. I did like a few of the other characters for their spunk and quirkiness.

The plot is a whodunit mystery with a cruise ship venue. I found this aspect of the story intriguing as I got to cruise and sightsee foreign countries vicariously through the main character.

There were a few plot twists. But nothing earth shattering. Though I did find the ending a little surprising and strange.

I don’t consider Lying in the Deep to be Urban’s worst novel, but it’s not her best in my opinion. Four stars.

I received a digital ARC from Penguin Teen through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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This was a very fun read. I enjoyed the story, although at times it read similar to Into the Drowning Deep. I think that is mostly due to the fact that it takes place on a ship, though. I found the main character to read more like a high school student than a college student, and she did get annoying at times because of that. However, the book managed to surprise me at the end and that isn't easy to do! Overall, it was a good read.

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Sadly this will most likely be a DNF. I found the beginning portion to be confusing, and I struggled to get invested in the novel despite being intrigued by the premise.

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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

okay maybe i got carried away up there but it was warrantied.
first of all holy sh*t that was WILD, don't even get me started on the romance...

the characters were very complex and every single character had some sh*t going on ngl. felix was my favorite (are we surprised though?) I trust Diana Urban with ever fiber of my being and she did NOT disappoint, not in the slightest. don't get me wrong i was a little nervous with there being romance and it being a thriller (i always am) not to mention i wasn't the biggest fan of romance when i was approved for this book. but boy how I love romance in books now... anyway the romance in this absolutely SLAYED and AHHHHHH. if the love interest takes the time to help the MC calm their breathing/breathe im d3ad, i d!ed of cuteness, felix was amazing

THE PLOT TWISTS THO, ive read every Diana Urban book and I don't know how she creates these plot twists because goddamn was it good. all her plot twists are unexpected and just so awesome. i loved the climax, it was probably my favorite part (don't judge me, I know it's uh, a little violent but idc, stop judging me)

anyway everyone needs to preorder this, i'm aware this review is chaos but so is my mind rn so just roll with it. do yourself a favor and go preorder this and read her other books because you will not be disappointed, i can promise you that

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As promised, this was a fun, twisty thriller! It is clearly inspired by Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile, and it stays true to that source material. I know it can be difficult to sort out retellings, keeping them familiar enough to those who know the original while still different enough to feel fresh. To me, this one leans a little too close to the source. But I do like that it felt like an Agatha Christie, slightly outlandish twists and all, in addition to its plot being a retelling.

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