🎧 ARC Review 🎧

This May, join the Salt Gang on their final trip before heading off to college. This tight knit group of friends bonded over scuba diving and that’s exactly how they plan to spend their time. Only during their first dive they find something, something that will change their lives forever. Watch the cracks spread, the distrust, the confusion, and the fear as what they found follows them back to the surface.

If you’re a fan of high adrenaline YA, friends bonded for life, exploring places that should be left alone, and light horror elements this book is meant for you!

What I liked:

🫧 The Salt Gang felt like a reverse of the Poages from Outer Banks, one where everyone but the FMC is rich. I loved getting to know them.

🫧 The author surprised me two separate times. Normally, I hold YA to a lower standard and figured I knew where it was going. Nope! Rachel Reiss you sly thing you had me genuinely and pleasantly surprised I was wrong. 👏🏻

What I didn’t like:

🫧 The high adrenaline was a bit of a double edged sword. While I loved it in the beginning, near the middle of the book it started to wear on me. Not sure if the narrator took creative liberties but in the audiobook every sentence felt like it ended with an exclamation mark. I would have preferred some changes in tone, a brief pause from the chaos to fully appreciate the action moments. Unfortunately this one just kept running the whole time never slowed.

🫧 The flashbacks also gave me mixed feelings. While I appreciated finally knowing what went down, it was a bit disorienting jumping back and forth and I found myself having to rewind to try and understand.

Overall this was a fun, action packed story with a sinister undertone and twists I didn’t see coming! 4 STARS. Thanks again to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As someone who’s scuba certified, Out of Air felt like slipping back into the water—weightless, thrilling, and full of wonder. Rachel Reiss delivers a truly immersive reading experience that blends romance, adventure, mystery, and a dash of speculative horror, all set against a vibrant underwater backdrop that had me hooked from the first dive.

The ocean setting is not just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing character. From remote islands to eerie shipwrecks and colorful reefs teeming with sea life, every scene is steeped in saltwater tension. The treasure-hunting storyline adds layers of excitement, and the found family dynamic gives the narrative emotional depth. The romantic elements were just the right touch, and the steady drip of suspense kept me flipping pages.

I’ll admit, the Stranger Things-esque horror elements weren’t my favorite part, but they didn’t detract from the overall experience. The airtight tension and sense of mystery more than made up for it.

And let’s not forget the cover—it’s absolutely stunning and perfectly captures the allure of the story beneath the surface.

If you’re looking for something unique, fast-paced, and rich with oceanic atmosphere, Out of Air is well worth the plunge.

Okay I was not sure what to expect for this one but this was really good! You have flashbacks and find everything is interconnected. This book is so atmospheric with most of it taking place in the ocean. The descriptions were top notch and I felt like I was in the deep blue with them.

Also, the narration was sooo good! The characters were expressed really well. I was getting confused and the narrator did a great job of showing the emotions in the moment.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook.

This was a weird one, that's for sure. I wasn't really sure what to expect since I kind of went in blind with this one, but I definitely got more than I came in for.

There is a lot to unpack here as this has elements of fantasy, adventure, romance, thriller, YA, and adult. There was so much in a book that is barely 300 pages. I don't think it is necessarily bad that it has all these elements; it for sure makes for a fast-paced story, but it was also just bizarre.

I think that this is one of those types of books that just needs the right kind of audience member, and I'm not sure that it is me. I was hoping for a more thriller/mystery vibe as there is a sort of treasure hunt here, but then this took a strange turn into magical realism/fantasy that I didn't enjoy and was not for me. It kinda changed the story completely and turned it into something I didn't enjoy.

It has a really good found family trope, and for the small amount of pages I felt I knew that characters decently well, but I think I either just wanted more or something different.

I did end up giving it three stars because the writing was very good, and it kept me on my toes the whole time. I just don't think the direction was for me. I would be interested to see other things this author does, however.

I'm not sure what i was expecting, but I thought it would be a little bit more whimsical and creepy and it didn't give me that.

Rachel Reiss’ <i>Out of Air</i> was actually fascinatingly creative and utterly wild story to follow. The story centersa group of teenagers as they experience their last summer after high school, taking a vacation out to what they hope will be an absolutely exciting dive spot. Readers are in for an exceptionally wild journey as, slowly, the man secrets held by the group as a whole but also for the teens as individuals slowly unravel alongside some rather horrifying changes that two of them face. Part body horror, part exciting treasure hunt thriller—I was both impressed, baffled, and shocked at the various events that unfold.

Reiss’ narrative is one that readers don’t come across every day and, for that reason, I find myself willing to excitedly recommend this book to those who appreciate thrillers and are on the hunt for something new and unique. I definitely really enjoyed this reading experience, though I don’t see this as a book I would ever reread or return to. It’s the sort of thing that I, personally, only care to experience once.

I did also feel a little like the ending was far too open ended. I don’t know that I particularly understand the purpose of involving the history of the main characters’ mom nor did I really like how the experience of entering an underwater cavern affected some of the characters. Sure, one plot thread is wrapped up, but the other is not—and I don’t know that I’m all that interested in reading any potential sequel to get the answers.

I do think that the narration of this story was fantastic, kept me engaged throughout the story and did an excellent job of bringing these characters and their experiences to life.

At first I thought the book ruined the plot in the beginning by the teens running out of air super early, but then I quickly realized it had to happen in order for the rest of the book to make sense! Silly me.

I liked a lot about this book, the mystery, the gold, and the different connections between friends. But it also had so much potential that just wasn’t tapped for me!

Read if you like: Outer Banks, Fool’s Gold, We Were Liars

The blurb for this one highly intrigued me but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. Especially the supernatural aspects of it. I unfortunately had to DNF.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Out of Air by Rachel Reiss in exchange for an honest review. Wow, this book had me on the edge of my seat. I listened to it at night, finishing in the wee hours and I had to meditate after to be able to sleep. I love the story lines and the characters. I have never wanted to scuba dive, but I love seeing movies and reading books about it. This is definitely on my recommend list.

I listened to this one in just a couple sittings—it was so compelling. The narrator did a great job, and the story had that “can’t stop listening” vibe. Full of tension, but also really emotional.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this!

I'm not sure how I got so confused about what this book was but I definitely misunderstood. I figured this was going to be more like the movie 47 Metes Down and I have no idea where I got that. Because of that i was a little put off by this book at first. That being said once I realized what exactly this was I started to enjoy it. This felt a darker take on H20 or maybe Outer Banks. I did enjoy this after I realized this was more of a slow building dread. I will say this doesn't necessarily scream horror to me but more of a paranormal mystery. This was still a solid ya thriller.

This book gave me serious Outer Banks vibes in the best way. You’ve got the ocean, a tight-knit group of best friends, romance, mystery, diving, and secrets. It’s told across dual timelines, giving us glimpses of the past and present, which just adds to the story.
Phibs, the FMC, has this incredible knack for finding lost things. Which leads the group to a hidden treasure and a mysterious cave. There’s a touch of magical realism, and sea creatures woven into the story. The cave and the mystery surrounding it completely pulled me in.
It’s an atmospheric read and it made me feel like I was alongside the group. The narrator, Gail Shalan, absolutely nails it. Her narration brings Phibs and her crew to life with the perfect tone and inflection. She kept me hooked all the way to the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Out of Air is an addictive, immersive, and haunting YA scuba thriller with a captivating cast of characters and a propulsive plot.

I had a blast with this one. The characters were intriguing and well-developed. Phoebe was a fantastic main character, and I loved her journey and personality. The romance subplot was sweet and entertaining, and the horror elements and incorporation of sea creatures and dark magical realism were incredible. Rachel’s prose was beautiful and atmospheric, presenting a fast-paced story with spectacular descriptions of the sea. The treasure-hunting aspect was terrific, and I enjoyed the action-packed ending and mystery elements. I adored the scuba diving descriptions and incorporation. I highly recommend this fantastic debut!

Gail Shalan narrated this one brilliantly. The emotion and depth she used were outstanding, and her accents and voice fit the story perfectly. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

This one definitely had moments that kept me on the edge of my seat – there were times I swear I forgot to breathe right along with the characters! 😮 The suspense is undeniably strong, and the audiobook is a solid way to experience it too, with the narrator really bringing that tension to life. 🎧

However, while the atmosphere was definitely there and had me feeling that breathless anxiety at times, I felt like the plot meandered a little in the middle. Some of the twists, while interesting, didn't quite land with the impact I was hoping for. 🤔
Overall, Out of Air is a decent read (or listen!). It definitely delivers on the suspense and that feeling of being trapped, but it didn't completely blow me away.

Writing a book about a topic you have lots of understanding and interest is the hardest job since your reader might not know how important some of the information is to the outcome of the story. This was some of my issue with the novel, written for teens, as it was dense in many areas that readers might otherwise have enjoyed the story without the details. An example was describing the water and what is being seen over several times and chapters in a way that didn't make me feel submerged in the water but really looking into the water. I did feel claustrophobic in some parts which was the emotion the story required. This was read while touring the second largest reef in the world, so felt like the right choice. I don't know that it will be on that is going to be read by as many unfortunately as it is a very specific activity that many might not have access to trying or having exposure to seeing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of this one! All opinions are my own.

A little suspenseful, very intriguing, and a bit emotional too. This book kept me on my toes with what was going to happen. I could see how the story was going to play out by the end but nevertheless, I was still captivated by the mystery of the cave and what would happen to Phibs and Gabe.

The group of friends had such a strong bond but also a sense of mistrust amongst them, they would do anything for each other but so quickly turn on each other too. The dynamic of the group made for some interesting drama to add to the story. You could tell how much they were in over their heads, just teens that wanted some adventure and got more than they bargained for.

The descriptions of the ocean and the sea creatures were so detailed - you could really imagine how it was deep under water with them. It goes to show that we don’t really know what’s in the oceans. The way the narrator sounded so frightened at times when they were diving had me STRESSED!!

4.25 rounded up!
I have always been terrified to dive, and this book solidified it even more so for me. The feeling of absolute claustrophobia was so prominent in this read, especially as they ventured into the caves. Caves in the ocean??? PASS.
I loved how adventurous and care-free these kids were though. Their zest to really go for it and not look back was enduring. It kind of reminded me of how you think you'll always be best friends with your high school friends and how nothing will ever come between that. Their bonds are truly there and air tight.
I cruised through this in two days and loved every minute of it. I had water envy all throughout my listen and really enjoyed how this one wrapped up. Thank you for my ALC!

Suspenseful and emotion, "Out of Air" kept me interested all the way through. Audiobooks that jump between two timelines are always difficult to follow, so there was some confusion, but I was able to sort it out eventually. The horror element was scary enough but not go gory as to make me stop listening. The narrator did an excellent job keeping up the tension throughout the story.

Out of Air is a fast-paced supernatural thriller that had my heart racing from beginning to end. From the beginning, you are immediately thrown into the mystery of the underwater sea cave that Phibs and her best friend Gabe finds and the strange changes that start to occur when they return to the surface. As the group tries to figure out how to reverse the changes that are starting to take over, Phibs also deals with her friends growing distant after the events that lead their group to social media fame. The events are slowly told through dual timelines throughout the book. The ending took me by surprise and although the ending did not answer all of my questions I had throughout this book, the ending left several possibilities for our main characters that left me thinking about this book for several days afterwards. Overall, this was an atmospheric debut, and I am excited to see what is next for this author.

I would highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job with the variety of characters. The description of the ocean, and their diving adventures was some of my favorite parts of this book. The author and narrator do a great job in immersing the reader with the atmosphere of the ocean and the mysterious creatures that live there.

Out of Air comes out May 13th.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review Out of Air. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

READ IT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN OR LIKED- Outer Banks- Dual timelines- The Deep 1977- Into the Blue 2005- YA thriller- Speculative mystery- Deep sea exploration- Horror elements but thriller- Large dose of romance

BRIEF REVIEWI almost DNF'ed this because I didn't know about the romance going in. There's a super cheesy scene in the beginning but after that it had some interesting elements. I love that the author has experience scuba diving. It showed in the vivid descriptions of when they are in the water. The dual timelines didn't bother me because they were both interesting.