It tries to do too much, it’s not really cohesive, definitely could have used a strong editor and a couple more drafts…..BUT if you have scuba diving and dramatic teen nonsense, I am fully invested. The first 25% of this was a heart-pounding thrilling exploration of an underwater cave that had me on the edge of my seat. I can forgive a little meandering after that.

The quick cut: A group of friends who enjoy diving discover a few gold coins together and find their lives changed.

A real review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

Hobbies are important for expressing yourself in a unique way that is fun to you. For some though, these hobbies also create a sense of adventure or danger. For a group of friends enjoying their last summer together after high school, that is definitely an element when they dive together.

Six months ago, Phibs and her four closest friends found some gold coins while on a dive. It's a discovery that launched them into social media fame. Now, they're spending their summer together after high school going on a diving trip to a remote Australian island. It all starts normal until two of them discover an underwater cave rumored to have treasure. They also start to experience unusual changes, like whispers and oozing wounds. What is happening to them?

This book attempts to create a sense of danger and intensity, but for me this was overused. Everything happened with so much panic and anxiety that I felt drained by the end. You need a proper balance in order to truly feel the stress of the important moments. Without those relaxation points included, it all feels the same level of importance.

Phibs as the protagonist here isn't as likeable as I hoped she would be. Again, this is because everything is done in a panic. Too overused and you never really organically feel like you know the characters any other way.

The one thing I did enjoy was the ending. I don't want to say too much, but it's dark and appropriate.

A diving adventure that is all angst.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Fans of outer banks will enjoy out of air. I wasn’t sure what to expect when i started the story, but it definitely turned into an adventure fast.

Told from two different times in the characters’ lives, out of air is about adventure, friendship, and the unknown of the ocean. Phibs is a well designed character. She’s realistic and won’t give up on those she cares about. She isn’t the kind of character that breaks down when things get hard. The heroine of the story you want.

Hands down a great young adult novel for those who like a little horror and mystery with their adventure and want a story focused on the ocean and what could be in it. I recommend those to those 14 and up.

Out of Air is the second book I’ve read in recent days that features a poor protagonist that somehow finds themself in a friend group consisting of wealthy teens. While this convention is key to both stories, it’s starting to feel a little bit overplayed.

In the case of Out of Air, the protagonist is Phibs, a smart, low-income girl who never met her father and was abandoned by her mother. Phibs lives with her grandmother, who is fading quickly. And while her diving buddies have big plans for their own lives, Phibs has deferred her education to care for her grandmother.

Phibs is the best developed of the diving crew, with the others don’t feel one-note, but are lacking the bits that would truly make them shine.

There’s a lot of mystery tied into Out of Air, and it spans a lot of time. The narrative bounces back and forth between “now” and the events leading up to now. Author Rachel Reiss does this through alternating chapters, providing “past” details when pertinent to what’s going on now. It works well with the storyline, and helps suck you in as a reader.

Reiss does an excellent job with transporting you to magical worlds beneath the sea. And it’s the cave and power it holds that really holds attention. It’s both breathtaking and hair-raising, setting the stakes for what will be a life-or-death dive.

Out of Air is a fast-moving YA read perfect for the summer.

4.5 stars!

This was a really fast-paced, tense story, following a diving group of teens who call themselves the 'Salt Squad'. It takes place over the course of like 2 or 3 days, (with a few flashbacks to when the gang all first met 2 years ago, along with multiple flashes to events from 5 months ago that created some pretty strong cracks in the foundations of the "group). The pacing was solid, and the short timeframe of the story made it feel a lot more tense to me.

You can tell that Rachel has incredible amounts of experience diving - she was able to write about it in a way that was entertaining (and educational!) without having it bog down the flow of the story.
The story was adventurous, with a dash of some magical realism and heaps of creepy ocean/what is happening to me vibes, as well as a sprinking of romance and a core of found family.

I don't read a ton of YA these days, but I was very impressed by this one! I thought it was very maturely written and tightly paced.

Out of Air is a novel that takes the depth, darkness, and mystery of the ocean, and weaves into a tale with a bit of everything you want in a novel.

From the very beginning this book had me hooked. Underwater, mysteries, romance, a friendship so strong they're bound together by invisible strings. The writing was descriptive and I often found myself having to remember that I was not underwater with the characters so I could breathe deeply. Books that immerse you like that are some of the best, and Out of Air does not disappoint.

I couldn't predict the ending and that made me love the book even more. I also appreciated the lingering feeling of unease we're left with at the end of the book. It feels like the author wrapped the story up, but not really.

Big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc!

Do I think I have claustrophobia? No? I mean I think have a healthy fear of being trapped, but I’ve never considered it one of my top fears. Until… I read this book. I caught myself holding my breath and feeling so incredibly freaked out.

I did enjoy it, but again, I’m 35 so when I read about 18 year olds or high school students, I feel pretty distant from them. That being said, I feel like the author wrote them in ways I didn’t mind reading.

If you’re into movies like Fall or 47 Meters Down with an Outer Banks vibe/atmosphere, I think this book will be a hit with you. If you’re like me and are already anxious enough, maybe pick something different.

Out of Air is a thrilling YA dive into mystery and the supernatural. Phoebe “Phibs” Ray and her friends, known as the Salt Squad, embark on a final summer trip to Australia, aiming to explore the ocean they love. But their discovery of a hidden sea cave leads to strange changes—unhealing wounds and eerie whispers. As treasure hunters close in, Phibs must protect her friends and confront a terrifying new reality. With its blend of suspense, supernatural elements, and deep-sea adventure, this book keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're into atmospheric thrillers with a touch of the unknown, this one's a must-read.

Out of Air by Rachel Reiss

This book caught me off guard in the best way. I picked it up expecting something quiet and YA —and while it definitely delivers on that—it also took me on an unexpectedly layered journey. Out of Air balances emotion with moments of reflection and adventure, making it a surprisingly refreshing read for such a deep story.

One of the most compelling parts of this book is how scuba diving is woven into the emotional arc. The dive scenes aren’t just adventurous scene in the book— I felt them! There’s something haunting and beautiful about descending into the deep, quiet world underwater while carrying emotional weight you haven’t quite unpacked. Reiss captures both the thrill and vulnerability of being submerged, the physical risk mirroring the internal one. It adds a whole new dimension to the story and makes the journey feel even more immersive.

If you’re looking for something introspective, honest, and emotionally resonant—with a dash of underwater adventure—Out of Air is one of those reads that lingers long after the final page.

I loved this book. It was atmospheric, chilling, and twisty.

I really enjoyed reading it. I did not want to put it down. What Phibs and her friends experienced was so hair-raising, I couldn't stop thinking about it when I had to put the book down. When they dove, I felt like I was in the water with them. I gasped when they screamed. I gulped when their pulses started racing. I loved the friendship and how issues kept resurfacing. (eh, get it? heh) It felt authentic because there are a lot of personalities in this friend group, and it added to the tension and twistiness of the book.

I loved the answers we got, and I loved that I'm still left with so many questions.

Thank you netGalley for early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A group of high school graduates who are spending their last summer before college go scuba diving and get more than they bargained for. I enjoyed this as a YA sci-fi/ thriller. I love a good ocean book especially when it involved the unknown that lurks the deeper you go. However, some of the characters and their decisions grated on my nerves, but overall not a bad read.

This book is such a change of pace when it comes to YA thrillers, and I adore that! The setting is evocative, obviously written by an author who has spent hours immersed in the waves. I just wish this book had embraced the horror aspects it presents. It felt too timid once it veered into body horror, and you really can't do body horror halfway. It's an all-or-nothing deal, and this book didn't give its all.


PROS
Watery Depths: Though this book didn't come together like I would have wanted, Rachel Reiss nonetheless creates a very vivid world here. Reading this book is like going on vacation, sinking your feet into the sand and enjoying the waves. It feels tangible, this seaside life, and I loved that! It's the perfect beachy, watery read.

Inside-Outside: This book quickly veers into a body horror territory, and one of the things Reiss gets really right is the sense of fate, unavoidable and set in stone. Without spoiling two much, two of the main cast find themselves... infected. And they get to watch each other slowly change for the worse. Readers get to see what's happening from the outside and the inside, from the narrator watching herself change just a bit behind another Salt Squad member. And that lag in transformation, that dawning horror, really does a lot of heavy lifting here. In a good way. It feels very much like when a character is bit in a zombie movie and running now on borrowed time. It can't last. The change is inevitable.

Generational: Since YA books are so focused on characters growing and coming into their own, family members are often left on the periphery to give those younger characters room to shine. That's just the nature of the beast. But in reality, family plays a big part in the lives of teens, and this book really highlights Phoebe's life with her grandmother. Her grandmother is on her mind, a part of her past, her present, and her future, too. Phoebe knows her fellow squad members will be off to college in the fall, but she's facing an immediate future as a caretaker now that her grandmother is facing mental decline. This felt very real and very important, and it fleshed out a character who might otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill YA thriller protagonist. Phoebe adores her grandmother. She was raised by this woman, and her future is being shaped by her, too.


CONS
Snail Pace: This book really does move at a snail's pace. By halfway through the books, things are really only just starting to get started. There are stakes in this book, but you don't ever feel them since everything's just creeping along. And that's unfortunate, in a book that's meant to fall into the realm of thriller/horror.

Familiar Setup: The setup to this book feels a little too tried-and-tried-again for anyone who has read any recent YA thrillers. Do we have a group of bougie friends? Yes, we do. Is our protagonist part of the group but also not (i.e. she isn't part of this rich-rich upper class)? Also yes. And are all of these friends supposedly really close but actually just kind of catty and mean to each other? Absolutely yes. So all said and done, these characters slot into familiar roles and don't really stand on their own. Which is a disappointment.

Anti-Climax: For as slow as this book was, it does start to come together... only to fall pretty flat at the ending. I wanted this book to lean into its thriller aspects. I would have adored this book embracing the horror is presents. I would have liked this book to be much of anything, but it doesn't really escalate. It doesn't really go anywhere. It doesn't really reach a climax, aside from some mild (and thrown-in-just-because) external threats at the eleventh hour. This book just doesn't do much, and that was sad. Especially because the potential was really, really here.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10
Fans of Lauren Muñoz's Suddenly a Murder will adore following these well-to-do friends as their beach vacation takes a sharp nosedive toward life-or-death stakes. Those who loved Courtney Gould's What the Woods Took will love diving (literally) into a long-untouched wild space that should have been left well alone.

This book was really good! The story is full of suspense and mystery and drama and secrets. I really liked the use of dual timelines to tell the story. I did get Outer Banks vibes…but then the story takes a turn into something completely different. I think this would be a great beach/summer read!

A group of scuba diving friends (they call themselves The Salt Squad) head to an island in Australia to do something diving and they discover a hidden cave that might have buried treasure in it…but is there something more sinister lurking in the cave?

There are some really good twists and I loved how we see their friendships develop and possibly grow into something more. The paranormal elements were done really well - we get this almost creepy sense of tension and unease.

As a scuba diver myself, the details and experience felt so authentic to me. I would definitely recommend giving this a read!

✨What To Expect:
🔱YA Paranormal Thriller
🩸YA Horror Vibes
🌊Ocean Setting
🫧Suspense
🪄Curse
🐬Action & Adventure
🤿Scuba Diving Friends
🪙Buried Treasure
🧜🏻‍♀️Found Family
💋Sprinkle of Romance
⏰Dual Timelines

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC of "Out of Air" in exchange for an honest review.

Now here's the very definition of a breathless adventure.......breathless in the sense that it kept me worried that our five 18 year old, scuba diving aficionados would run out of oxygen during their dangerous underwater explorations.

Phoebe (or 'Phibs') and her Scuba-Doo gang (Lani, Isobel, Will and Gabe) actually do find some rare ancient coins during one of their many dives in those wondrous waters off the Florida Keys. But that discovery comes back to put them in no end of danger while on their 'final-farewell-before-college) diving adventure near an island off the Australian coast.

There, their discovery of a long hidden underwater cave, (and its potential huge buried treasure) touches off not only internal strife and external threats for the group but brings them in contact with something unknowable.....and horrific.

I can't think of a better summer action-adventure beach read than this one (or also perfect for those cold winter nights, too) It's filled with all the beauties, mysteries and terrors of the deep along with some startling twists and turns for its characters. Some readers may not get on board with the story's rather fantastical turn in its final pages, but I myself embraced it fully and enjoyed a vicarious, refreshing blue water armchair vacation. So wipe off your diving masks, check your air supply and sign up with this crew real soon.

First of all, this cover is amazing! It’s one of the first things that captivated me about this book. The other is scuba diving, especially in a secret cave with lost treasure.

I’ve never scuba dived but I am so intrigued by findings of lost treasure or sunken ships. You never know what the ocean is hiding.

Phoebe (Phibs) Ray and her group of friends aka “the salt squad” found ancient coins diving in the Florida Keys six months ago. The story took off on social media. Fast forward six months, after high school graduation, the salt squad decides to spend their last summer together diving off a distant Australian island.

Phibs and her best friend Gabe find an underwater cave as they surface, so do strange & horrific physical changes.

Out Of Air reminds me a bit of the movie, The Ruins. Full of mystery and suspense, this young adult book does not disappoint.

Rachel Reiss’ stunning descriptive writing puts you in the depths of the ocean surrounded by coral reef and stalactites.

This was so good & the ending was satisfying.

I’ve always been fascinated by the mysteries of the ocean and the idea that there’s still so much we don’t know about what lurks beneath those fathomless depths. If there’s a book about an underwater adventure, especially if it involves diving, I’m going to read it!! Despite my love for the ocean, I’ve never been brave enough to try diving because it feels so claustrophobic and unsettling being in an entirely different world - but it turns out Rachel Reiss can make me feel ALL of those things without me ever having to leave the couch!

🌊 Phoebe, “Phibs”, is taking a graduation trip with her friends - the Salt Squad - to a remote island off the coast of Australia where they will dive some of the most spectacular sights in the world. Phibs has always had a knack for finding hidden things, and on one of their dives, she’s drawn to a crack in a sea wall that leads them to a mysterious underwater cave. But some secrets are meant to stay hidden, and when strange things start happening once they surface, the Squad realizes the cave may have given them something terrifying they may never be able to escape.

🤿 My favorite parts of the book were the vivid, immersive underwater scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. From the intriguing mechanics of diving to the beautiful and terrifying ocean life that surrounded them, I was completely captivated. The Salt Squad themselves had interesting relationship dynamics which added layers of emotional depth. We get a few different mysteries rolled into one, and each of the friends had their own vulnerabilities and motivations, which made me doubt who I could trust.

The tension in 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗶𝗿 crests and crashes like a giant wave into a satisfying conclusion, leaving behind a fantastic message about staying true to yourself and protecting the people you love. Highly recommend this one to teens and adults alike for a thrilling, escapist summer read!!

Thank you Wednesday Books, St Martins Press and NetGalley for the physical ARC and eARC!

This was a well done thriller for a Ya audience. There was enough plot to keep me intrigued, but as some points I did feel it drag just a tad. that ending was SOMETHING though.

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. The characters were wonderful and the story kept me on the edge of my seat!! I loved the found family they created. The author wrote so beautifully that I felt like I was there in the story with the characters. I hope to read more from this author in the future!!

Thank you NetGalley and Rachel Reiss for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: YA horror/thriller
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🚫
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: fast
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: Outer Banks but darker

Ooooh boy I love a little bit of ocean horror. Make it YA and it's even more fun. It has the vibes of Outer Banks, but with cave diving and some slight atmospheric body horror/sea monster themes. You've got the unbalanced friend group, a little bit of romantic drama, secrets, and a ton of suspense.

The audio is REALLY good. Thr narrator sets a great pace so listen at 1.75 or 2x to get the full experience. I binged this.

You'll never catch me cave diving or scuba diving but I am obsessed with everything beneath the surface.