WOWZA. This was one of the most gripping books I've read in a long time! I was locked IN to this book & I just couldn't guess where the plot was going. Every time I picked up this book, the outside world just melted away & the book was my sole focus. This might be a YA thriller but it's the most intense thriller book I think I've ever read. There were literal moments in the book where I was holding my breath right along with the characters. I stayed on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it and I genuinely had no idea where the plot was going.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an early copy!

Had Rachel Reiss’s Out of Air only been about five young friends finding treasure while diving and the dangers of others wanting what they’ve found, it would have still been an enjoyable tale, but once Reiss slipped in a supernatural angle and Phoebe’s complex family history it elevated the story even further. Reiss nails the sensation of diving quite well and loved the atmospheric and eerie feeling that permeates the story once Phoebe and Gabe have to begin to deal with the effects of being exposed to the air in the curse cavern. This is an engaging YA adventure that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Out of Air.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R17PGB7VXFQOLE/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This is a truly unique debut horror novel centered around a group of young divers who call themselves the "salt squad". Right from the beginning there's tension in the group from an earlier incident that's only hinted at. The descriptions of the otherworldly setting and strange underwater creatures add a sense of doom as they discover the creepy yet beautiful cavern. Flashbacks to the past help you understand the rift in the group as things start to change and a new and terrifying danger emerges.
I've drifted away from the YA genre the older I get, but I love horror novels and this one sounded interesting (plus the beautiful cover drew me in!). It was well written, the pacing was great, and I really enjoyed it. Great debut novel!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[3.5 stars]

Phoebe and her four friends, The Salt Squad, are social media famous divers - thanks to their discovery 6 months ago. Before heading out on their current trip to Australia, their last before the majority head off to college, they focused their dives solely on the Florida Keys. Which is where they found the 5 doubloons that gave them their big break. However, things have also been tense since then and Phoebe can’t help to dwell on the past. The group tensions only intensify when Gabe and Phoebe discover a gorgeous cave. Not only are there secrets regarding the cave, but now the two teens are experiencing strange bodily changes after their dive. As their symptoms change, they face more danger around them. Will their final hurrah be ruined? How will the group ever be the same?

Although this is billed as a YA horror, it didn’t read like one - which I was thankful for! I was completely surprised by the first twist, but the second was a little more predictable. However, I read the majority of this book in one day so that tells you something! It was a faced paced read that will be great for readers high school and above. There’s very minor body horror, but nothing that will truly gross you out. I did want some more thrills rather than romance which is why I’m giving it a 3.5 instead of a 4. Overall, you should give this one a try if you’re looking for a quick, summer-ish thriller!

I really enjoyed this book! The entire way through I was interested and very rarely did I find myself getting bored. Very bingeable. As a YA thriller, it was fast-paced and easy to understand, but not too young.
I loved the setting of the novel and learning more about diving. The friendship dynamics were great and I loved the group of friends.
The overall resolution was pretty good; it was a little open-ended which I liked yet didn’t. Some parts of the resolution weren’t as smooth as they could have been. However, fantasy is also a sub-genre so it makes the mystery make more sense. (It’s more like magical realism than fantasy though.)
Overall, it was enjoyable and I would recommend. Definitely good for a reading slump too.

3.5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

What a story! I don't read all that much YA these days because I have found it's become more miss than hit for me lately, but when I saw the premise for Out of Air I knew it was one that I would have to check out, and I did not regret that decision. This was such a compelling thriller/horror, and also one that scared me quite intensely because diving and swimming deep under water is something that I never want to do. I loved following this story and our characters, and I actually really appreciated the direction the ending took, as I felt it really kept me hooked and made some bold choices that I always respect. I also really liked the writing and I thought the author brought the setting to life incredible well. I would definitely read more from Rachel Reiss in the future!

Rachel Reiss' debut novel, Out of Air, takes readers to the depths of the ocean while exploring the depths of human fortitude.

Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. She and her friends love to dive and spend time in the water of the Keys. For their final summer after high school, the five of them go to a distant Australian island with many an urban legend. Near a reef, Phibs and two of her crew discover an underwater sea cave, rumored to have buried treasure. When they surface, only Phibs and her best friend, Gabe, notice weird changes to their bodies: oozing gashes that don’t heal, fevers, and emotional changes. But before they can get to the bottom of these symptoms, a group of treasure hunters arrives. They want the treasure buried in the cave, and they aren’t beyond harming a bunch of teens to get it.

Reiss keeps the story moving by adding several dimensions to the plot. There is the mystery of Phibs parents as well as a past timeline where the diving crew finds treasure. These things culminate when the group finds the cave. If the teens only had to deal with the change in Phibs and Gabe, it would have been an interesting story. But creating a complex narrative gives the story its true heart. The family and friendship aspects of the characters motivate them in ways that are weightier than just the simplicity of greedy treasure hunters. And while I was not perfectly satisfied with the answer to one question, overall, the narrative was well thought out and written.
I was entranced by the fantasy portion of the book. The twist was beautiful. In a world of werewolves, vampires, and fey, this was a fresh take on being home somewhere else that wasn’t humanity. And this is less supernatural. The sea is something that takes up a large portion of the planet, so it makes sense that someone has found their place there. There is no lore that some would see as a negative, but for me, it would only get in the way of the ocean and of Phib’s hope. And ruining that hope would truly ruin the story.

Out of Air is a fantasy story of coming home but dealing with very real situations and emotions. I would absolutely recommend this YA book.

As a diver, this book gave me so much anxiety! It was clear from the start that the author was also a diver, which was really nice since some authors get details about diving wrong if they've never gone. But not here! I loved the details on the dive boat (how are they all the same experience every time?!).

But going back. This book gave me so much anxiety with all the bad decisions these kids made! Going to explore a new tunnel at the end of your dive, diving at night under high stakes, telling someone to dive alone... All very much things I would imagine teens would do, though.

Anyway, this book was very fun, and I loved being in the water with them, feeling the return of being at peace in the ocean. I wish we got more of a resolution at the end, but that might be just a me thing.

Don’t you just love it when you find a book on your Kindle that you completely forgot about, decide to pick it up, read it, and get so completely obsessed with it that your reading slump breaks and you finish it in two days? Out of Air was that book for me. I think I originally wanted to read it because it was compared to Outer Banks, a show that makes me want to head to the nearest beach and never leave. Out of Air does feature a group of best friends living in a vacation paradise and finding lost treasure. It has that island time irreverence that is so appealing as we sit on front of our screens, tied to time clocks and pinging emails. And there is nothing like a good pining angsty teen romance. But the plot is totally unique and creative, and I had such a good time reading it! It is a paranormal thriller, at times bordering on horror (I think, I tend to only read horror by accident). It was captivating and fast-paced and so chock full of twists and turns it felt like nearly every page had something new I did not expect. I’m not sure if my heart rate has ever accelerated so much just from reading a book. There was a lot of diving talk, which went completely over my head but did not take away from the story at all. If you’re a diver, you’d definitely appreciate it. This book was heavy on the complicated settings- underwater vistas and caves and scenery that isn’t easy to grasp because it is so foreign. I did struggle to orient myself at times, particularly imagining the cave. If you’re a wimp like me, the book was removed enough from reality that I’d still feel comfortable jumping in the ocean after reading it despite everything that goes down. Actually, now I’m dying for a swim. I highly recommend this impressive debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

3.5 - the atmosphere Reiss creates here is exactly what I have been looking for in books about the ocean! the vibes are immaculate and despite all of my fears surrounding it, a little part of me wants to know what it feels like to cave dive.

with that aside, I found most of the characters to be annoying and I had a hard time feeling connected with any of them. that might just be the YA aspect though, because a big part of my issue can be boiled down to lack of maturity lol.

otherwise, I really liked the horror here, and I think Reiss does some interesting things with that. It did not feel the same as other novels I have read in that regard and I am curious to find other media that explores those ideas like this one does. [i.e., literally becoming like the cave in the way their bodies start splitting] It came off as very inventive.

Overall, I would recommend, especially if you are in love with the ocean (or maybe even terrified of it lol). I did not find it to be particularly horror-filled, but there is some body horror, other than that though it felt like a thriller in terms of suspense and mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for granting me a free and advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow – this was a lot! And not in a good way. I get trying to build tension but this was all-out, constantly high tension, even when it didn’t need to be. If you keep the book at that tension level the whole time, it’s not really tension; it’s just bad writing (and the narration suffers as a result). When everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency. The main character, Phibs, is whiny and annoying, and when the narration didn’t work for me, I tried to read this, with the same results. This had so much promise but just wasn’t for me.

Right off the bat I can tell Reiss is a diver and really loves it, because she's included that passion in her main characters. I'll also say that this is a unique book and isn't quite like anything I've read before. That being said I think I was expecting something a little different here than what I actually ended up getting. I think I was expecting more body horror and more of a creature feature, but overall this book was a little bit of a mess? It almost seemed like two or three different books in one, and there were just too many plot strands happening at once. There was a magical cave, but also a curse, and then a kidnapping plot, as well as super powers? It was just all a little too much. Had there been just one of those things, or maybe two, I think it would have been a stronger book overall, but it was a debut, so that's understandable. I did really enjoy the writing, and there were some honestly tense scenes, so I know Reiss can write suspense. There were also some honestly gross little moments in the beginning. I think this is a book that had potential, but it just fell a little short for me. I'll be curious to see what she comes up with next though, and I certainly would love to see more books with diving as a central plot point, because they make for good atmosphere and tension.

Phoebe “Phibs” Ray and four friends discovered a handful of ancient gold coins, making a name for themselves. Now that it's their last summer after high school, they travel to an Australian island to scuba dive. Phibs discovers a sea cave that is rumored to have buried treasure. She and her best friend, Gabe, surface from the cave with disturbing changes to their bodies, and treasure hunters are desperate to find that cave. When they hold her and her friends for ransom, Phibs will do anything to keep them safe.

Phoebe is the poorest of the group of dive friends living in the Florida Keys. She works at a dive shop, and the group loves to dive in the water. The story flashes between the current Australian trip and the past events in the Keys when the coins were found. The group had been internet famous and harassed, and there's the question of who kept one of the coins that Phoebe found. The trust within the group was already fractured before this final trip, and the questions linger in Phoebe's (and our) mind. One of the group knows about the legend of the cave and what happens there, especially if someone breathes the air in its pocket. Gabe and Phoebe breathed it in and experienced odd changes to their bodies.

The fortune hunters appear later in the story than I thought they would, so that there was the question of who took the coin and what was happening to Gabe at the forefront. The supernatural element was a slow development, and didn't detract from the realistic concerns regarding the dives, family situation, and financial worries with college looming. Once the treasure hunters appear, the book rapidly moves to its conclusion, with most of Phoebe's questions answered. It's a great book to get lost in, and it kept me turning pages.

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!