Had to DNF. Not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for it or it didn't catch my attention but unfortunately I DNF'd

This was such a fun read for over the summer. It defiantly gives YA which I find fun and easy to read when im reaching a slump or need to get out of one,

the book started strong because we start off with obviously something has gone wrong onboard the ship. our main character jumps on the ship to attend collage classes on the boat and obviously we follow her as she works her way through the mystery. The book really caught my interest from the start and kept it throughout the book. I found the college aged students to be refreshing from the normal highschooler/Middle school aged kids in Ya thrillers.

I loved this book throughout and definitely recommend as a perfect and fun summer read!

Ḷÿïṅġ ïṅ ẗḧë Ḋëëṗ by Diana Urban is a well-written YA whodunnit and I enjoyed reading it. I love the cover of this book and its goal of grabbing a reader's attention works perfectly. I enjoyed the setting and thought the author did a great job of setting the crime scene on a ship at sea. I was excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. There were twists and turns that I couldn't help but enjoy. The pacing was well done too.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNF'ing this title. I think it was more of a not the right time for me to read this book situation, combined with the language and syntax. It just didn't vibe with me, so sadly, I had to put it down.

In return for an honest review, I received an ARC.

Think the game of Clue on a Semester at Sea ship. College students ready to learn the world and one goes missing presumed to be dead. Who dunnit? Yep, that's the question and why do others keep dying?

The story is strong but the very end fizzled out for me.

Lying in the Deep is a YA thriller by Diana Urban.

After her ex-boyfriend and best friend betray her, Jade plans to forget the people who hurt her and enjoy herself on the ship Campus On Board (CoB), a university program she has dreamed about for years. But when both Lainey and Silas show up to board the ship as well, Jade is determined to get the answers she deserves. Her hunt for the truth becomes an obsession with each day on the ship, and everyone can see that. So when a shocking murder happens, she's among the main suspects. But one death isn't enough, and other students suddenly die too... Jade and her new crush, Felix, must find the killer before more of their classmates turn up dead too. Who could it be? Why did someone kill their classmates? Only one thing is for sure - the killer is on the ship with them, and there is nowhere to hide or escape...

The idea of a campus on the ship is why I wanted to read this. And the sudden murder? That's a perfect twist. The story is like a roller coaster, it builds up slowly at first (the first half of the book is exploring the cities, and getting to know the characters). But once you get to the murder? It is a ride down a steep hill. By that point, it's hard to put the book down. You just need the answers. Chapters are short enough and end with cliffhangers that make you turn the page to the next chapter.

The characters were interesting enough. Each of them has issues to deal with, and some have a motive for the murder. But what bothered me was that the characters acted more like teenagers than adults from a university. Jade, probably most of them, and her obsession with Lainey and Siles got on my nerves. Felix, on the other hand, made it all better for me, and he was the character I was interested in the most.

Themes we deal with in this book: misunderstanding, jealousy, blackmail, drugs, alcohol, slander, and of course, murder.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked the quick pace in the second half and how the suspect changed almost every chapter. The ending was satisfying as well as shocking for more than one reason.

When I read some other reviews, I found out this book is supposed to be a YA thriller version of Murder on the Nile... Well, I can't compare it since I haven't read that book. But it's an interesting fact.

I can definitely recommend this to fans of Karen McManus. So if you like her books, this should be right up your alley.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for granting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lying in the Deep is a YA Thriller set ON A BOAT. I love books on boats and boarding school books. So this was like a mashup.
I enjoyed the plot and storyline and thought it was very suspenseful. It was a trust no one locked door type of mystery. A thrilling read and look forward to more from the author.

Had a blast reading this YA mystery/thriller. It had me guessing until the end. Urban created a true teenage character in a crazy situation. Give it a read.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

what a precious and fun read!! i am always so thankful to netgalley for giving me access to books before they come out. this was such an enjoying read! you should definitely check it out when it comes out!!!

I really loved this one? It’s weird because for half the book you’re like why am I so invested in why her ex boyfriend doesn’t like her and why is that the only aspect making this a mystery/thriller so far and why am I okay with that. But you ARE okay with it and then the second half REALLY picks up. I actually loved the end too.

I definitely flew through this one and didn’t want to put it down. I loved the main character and just wanted her to get answers (s/o to everyone who wants to know why someone’s mad at them just so they can apologize 🥺🫶🏻), she was too sweet. She was also naive but not in a horror movie esque way where you’re like I’m about to shatter my TV and hop in, see ya in 10. More in an endearing can we be besties way.

Honestly this book was just alot of fun, I’m a big fan.

Fans of Karen McManus-type thrillers will be attracted to this YA title. That creepy cover typifies the genre. Not being familiar with the author, I don’t want to be too harsh, but the plot and characters didn’t grab and keep my attention.in places the dialogue and description seemed forced or overwritten. But then, some will probably really enjoy it.

While it took a little bit to get into this book once I got in to it I could not put it down at all. The way the mysteries kept building on each other was so interesting and I could not see anything come at all. I felt like the characters really felt like college students in how they handled their emotions and how they behaved. One of the better mystery thrillers I have read.

LYING IN DEEP - DIANA URBAN
3.5⭐
Jade is all set to get an experience of a lifetime aboard a cruise ship but she meets her ex boyfriend who is now ith her ex best friend. Trying to figure out how that happened she finds herself in the middle of a murder.
MY THOUGHTS -
This was my first book by this author. It was a fast paced YA thriller from Jades POV with short chapters. All characters were insufferable and I had guessed the culprit . The writing at quite a few places felt haywire. With such an interesting plot it could hv been really good but may be I had more expectations.

I had such high hopes for this book (I'm fascinated by semester at sea because it is unfathomable why someone would want to to that in my opinion) but it just wasn't clicking for me when I read it. I've enjoyed Diana Urban's books in the past and was excited to dig into this one, unfortunately I found every single character insufferable and it was hard to get through the book at times. If you're someone looking to get into YA thrillers or if you don't mind flawed main characters, I would definitely recommend this.

This was a great YA mystery/suspense novel! The plot and characters were well written. Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

When I saw the premise of this book and knew that Diana Urban wrote it, it made me really excited! I enjoyed Diana's previous works and this one still has that same vibe to them. If you loved the past ones, give this one a chance too!

Diana Urban's books just speak to me! They are always gripping quick paced reads that involve some kind of mystery. Lying in the deep is a young adult thriller centering around a murder on the Campus on board program. This book has a death on the nile feel, I would have enjoyed more time actually on the ship. The main character was likeable and I honestly enjoyed the angsty college students. Jade was my favorite character and this book kept me guessing until the very end. Overall I enjoyed it even with plot holes and all.

This book was not it and I'm disappointed. It had such a pretty interesting premise but the MC was so whiny and annoying that it made the book a drag for me.

🩸Book Review 🛳
Lying in the Deep
By: Diana Urban
Published by: Penguin
Rating: ⭐️⭐️

#qotd : What was the last book that disappointed you?

Thank you to @penguinteen and @netgalley for my digital copy of the book. All opinions are my own. (Swipe for synopsis.)

Y'all. I was very close to DNFing this one, but I try not to do that when I'm doing a review. I slogged through and I'm not sure it was worth it.
The premise seemed cool. A cruise ship that travels the world as part of your schooling (think Suite Life on Deck) but a murder happens in the middle of the ocean. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it just felt like there wasn't enough plot or back story. I didn't feel like I could sympathize with any of the characters and I didn't even feel like the story picked up until literally halfway through.
Anyway. Maybe I'm being too harsh? I just really did not enjoy this book.

#lyinginthedeep #netgalley #review #yamystery #cruiseship #murder #murdermystery #ya #youngadult #bummed #disappointed #penguinteen #picsart #canva #bookart #bookpictures

I received an ARC copy from Penguin Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This book right here! I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the suspense. It is the story of Jade a poor Stanford student who goes on a study abroad . This study abroad is amazing, it goes for 4 months on a cruise ship. Jade is so ready to set sail on her life, after her boyfriend left her for her best friend in a text message. However, when she finds out the backstabbing couple is also joining the cruise her obsession grows. Then her friends begin to drop like flies, Jade most clear her name and figure out who the killer is with her new found crush. Can they do it before they themselves get killed?

Read if you enjoy:
Suspense
Thriller
Whodunnit
Cruise
Traveling