Great fast paced thriller that kept me on my toes! As a scuba diver myself it brought me back to how I feel every time I dive. Not predictable at all. 5/5 stars!

I enjoyed how immersive this book felt. It made me feel like I was in the ocean with them and I could easily picture the beauty of the ocean. Overall I did expect more from the book based on the blurb. I did not feel like we got to know her friends very well and the pacing of the story felt off at times. While it did take me awhile to get into it I enjoyed the ending with its twist. I also think that the cover is absolutely breathtaking.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I must have misread the description for this one because I didn't realize it was a horror novel when I started it. It wasn't super scary from a horror perspective, but the diving and cave definitely provided a lot of suspense. Although it has been many years since I've been scuba diving, the author made me feel like I was actually diving with Phoebe. A great read - even if horror isn't your normal go to genre.

By far the best part of this audiobook was the narrator - holy smokes!! The suspense was ramped up through the audio and I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking to immerse themselves into a dangerous situation. Incredible performance!

Something to know about me is that I'm not a big swimmer, and I am also not very confident in the water, so when it comes to reading stories about diving and swimming, I'm already a little scared even if they aren't a horror novel like this one.  So this premise already had me a little scared, but I'm not going to lie, I don't think that I actually read the blurb too closely so I didn't fully expect the supernatural elements of this one.

Phibs was a really interesting character.  Her trying to fit in with her friends was a really interesting premise to me.  I liked how diving had brought them together and given them an excuse to be friends when they might not have normally.  I also found her backstory interesting, and how she felt that she had to take care of her grandmother, who was quite ill, at the expense of her own future.  She seemed like she was a really good person, which I appreciated.

The writing style was engaging.  I liked the way we switched between the past and the present to understand further how the characters came to be in the situation they were.  There were a lot of good moments of tension that had nothing to do with the supernatural, and so I found that quite engaging.  The author did a great job at balancing those elements.

The supernatural elements were a little bit more hard to follow, but I did find them really intriguing nonetheless.  I liked the whole secret spot aspect.  It was interesting that things seemed to affect Gabe a fair bit faster than they affected Phibs.  I think I would have liked some more development of that part, but it was still a really interesting twist to the story.

On the whole, this was a really engaging story.  If you like horror stories with supernatural elements, you should definitely check this one out.

I'm not a diver (too claustrophobic), but I enjoy reading books about divers, so I knew when I saw this cover I'd be requesting this from NetGalley. Add in treasure and secret underwater caves? Yes, please.

The author states in her notes that she's an experienced diver, so I appreciated the details regarding equipment, diving rules, etc. interwoven into the story. It offers descriptions to readers unfamiliar with the sport and adds an element of reality. Those underwater scenes are exhilarating, occasionally dangerous, and had me holding my breath. I also learned about new sea creatures that made me think maybe having claustrophobia isn't such a bad thing if these are things I could meet up close and personal in the water.

If found family is your vibe, you'll find it with these five friends. Their bonds are strong, but Phibs dreads losing them when summer is over and they head off to various colleges. Phibs isn't in a financial position to afford college. When she's fortunate enough to be offered a full ride scholarship to a university, she defers it due to her grandmother's (her sole remaining family member) declining health and mental status.

I'd hoped for thrilling underwater sequences and interactions with the treasure hunters who accost these characters, but they're actually a very small percentage of the story that was resolved fairly quickly. The largest portion focuses on Phibs's backstory with her family and Gabe (best friend hoping to be more), and the drama between the friends. My favorite part was when she and Gabe discover the underwater cave then the unsettling body horror descriptions that follow and lead to an unexpected twist.

This is a standalone I'd recommend to fans of found family/friend dynamics, the friends to lovers trope, and underwater thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a great YA debut that kept me engaged from start to finish! The underwater setting was incredibly vivid, and the eerie, atmospheric tension built beautifully throughout the story. I loved the blend of mystery, friendship, and creeping horror—plus, the unique twist on transformation was a standout element. Phibs was a compelling main character, and the dynamics among the group felt authentic and emotional. The pacing was strong, and the story never lost momentum. A solid and suspenseful read for fans of dark YA thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Even though it is probably the last place you should read this, this book was a perfect beach read.

The Wilder Girls comp is PERFECT for this. This was a speculative body/ocean horror that has incredible vibes alongside a story I could not tear myself away from. Inhaled this like I was on the bottom of the ocean with an emptying tank, what can I say.

This was so unbelievably compelling though, which is why it felt like a really good read for a day at the beach. It's surprisingly short but keeps you riveted with every page. I loved the characters. With so many personalities in the Salt Squad, I was impressed by how easy they were to differentiate from each other. Phoebe is a great narrator, and her backstory made her the most interesting character. I do think some of the mystery elements came a little late in the book, especially considering how short this was, but it didn't make me love the book any less.

For some reason, I received an audio ARC, an e-ARC, and a paperback ARC from the publisher, and I must thank them profusely because if they were trying to tell me I needed this book in my life, they were very right. I continue to be terrified and fascinated by the ocean in equal measures.

i tired so hard to listen to this but just couldn't push myself to suffer through this.

thankful i got the audio arc

The attractive cover and the premise sharing some similarities to Wilder Girls drew me straight into the depths of Out of Air, a debut Young Adult Horror. In the end, I was engaged by the fast paced and tense plot, the intriguing characters, and haunting visuals that I won’t forget anytime soon.

In short, five teen diving friends, the Salt Squad, from Key West, are spending their graduation trip at a haunted cave, which begins a chain of events that will bring big changes and uncover old secrets.

The Salt Squad was a well developed friend group, bonding over dives, and their relations leapt off the page from page one, and we get to know each member of the group fairly well throughout the story. Though we get to know Phoebe (Phibs), our main protagonist, the most as she’s the POV character, and the one poor member among the other four, who are upper class. It’s obvious from early on that conflict is bubbling just beneath the surface of this group, and I was intrigued to find out how deep it went and how the Salt Squad’s bonds would be tested. While the friend group takes priority, there are two romances, a F/M and F/F, but mainly play a secondary role to the friendship bonds of the entire group, but the F/M has more focus as it involves Phoebe. No spice, just kissing.

This is a fast paced and intense book (in more ways than one) that hooked me with it’s end of chapter cliffhangers to read another chapter, and eventually finishing the story in two days (ironically as most of the story takes place over two days). The tension never let up, with enough information to keep me intrigued, but leaving more questions, answering almost all of them by the end. The story has a dual timeline, with most of the chapters taking place during the trip, and a few flashing back to a few key moments of the Salt Squad’s history, with both lining up for an intriguing narrative.

The diving procedures were detailed and fairly accurate, which is always a plus.

The world building and setting were highly immersive with clear and descriptive writing. It gave the book a creepy and atmospheric vibe throughout, mostly as the ocean is never too far away, even on land. The ocean itself felt like a character all its own, holding its own secrets, and added to the horror vibe of the whole book.

This book has plenty of body horror and imagery, and does get a bit intense, but still suitable for a teenage audience. It creeped me out in more ways than one, and it fit with the character development and brought the horror elements into full force. There’s also some violence and some occasional swearing.

One nitpick I do have is that I sorta wished the characters were in their early 20’s, mainly due to their voices and actions, but I believe this is mainly personal taste.

The narrator, Gail Shalan, did an excellent job with her performance. She had great vocal range, and the desperation and panic was full in her voice in several scenes throughout, especially one scene early on that was very intense.

If you love some fast paced thrillers with horror and a more hopeful vibe and underwater adventures, Out of Air is a can’t miss adventure into the deep.

Rachel Reiss takes readers on a unique thrill ride with her upcoming YA thriller, Out of Air! This eerie, deep sea adventure had me holding my breath as a group of teen divers stumble upon a hidden underwater cave, and possibly something far more magical and mysterious than they could have ever imagined! The ocean’s breathtaking beauty and chilling dangers collide in a story filled with suspense, discoveries, and a creeping sense that something just isn’t quite right!

I loved how vivid Rachel’s writing was! It completely took me into the ocean’s depths (and only increased my desire to one day go scuba diving myself!). This book is an addictive blend of mystery, friendship, and a touch of magic… or maybe more like a curse…?

If you love stories with adventure, intrigue, and just the right amount of eerie, Out of Air is definitely one you should add to your TBR! Especially if you liked movies like Fool’s Gold, Into the Blue, and maybe even Luca 😝

Overall this book was very clean with very minimal swearing (one use of the f-word).

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook, all thoughts and opinions are mine

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟
Umm, I really had to gather my thoughts for this review because I wasn't sure if I wanted to rate it 3 stars or 4 stars. This book was a little confusing because of its dual timeline, past and present. The book cover is gorgeous and totally caught my eye, but the storyline was all over the place and confusing. Phoebe and her friends, in their final summer together after high school, are taking one last trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most—scuba dive. While diving a local reef, Phoebe discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with buried treasure. But when Phoebe and her best friend Gabe surface from the cave, they notice that they are undergoing strange changes. While the book describes the changes Phoebe and Gabe go through, it doesn't give a clear understanding of what they turn into. Maybe it's for your imagination and to come up with your own thoughts, but it just didn't work for me.

The audiobook was good; the narrator did a good job telling the story. It was easy to understand and listen to. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Nope. I didn't enjoy this one. I felt like it had very little storytelling for the desperate feeling the audiobook gave. Not my jam.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Out of Air releases May 13, 2025

2.5

A group of five adventure-seeking teens known as “The Salt Squad,” embark on one last diving trip together before they go off to college and head their separate ways.

Located off the coast of Australia is an archipelago that is infamously known for its cursed cave.
When Gabe and Phoebe are magnetically pulled towards it, they unknowingly welcome a force that unexplainably changes them from the inside out.

This had such a compelling premise, and yet… it never really hooked me.
Despite the shark encounters, elements of body horror, flashback chapters, and the mystery surrounding lost treasure, it felt like very little transpired, and I needed more substance from the characters.

Though Reiss’ debut didn’t quite work for me, I’d probably still recommend it for fans of the Netflix series Outer Banks.

The main character in Out of Air is Phoebe (sometimes known as Phibs to her friends, a group collectively known as "The Salt Squad." A scuba diving book, much of the action takes place in and around the water. Six months ago Phoebe found a handful of ancient gold coins. It seems that the treasure find may not be 100% positive as she and her friends notice some sinister changes--oozing silver gashes and a strange something lingering over them. When treasure hunters come after them can The Salt Squad survive?

I am of two minds about the narrator. While she imbues each character with their own voices and personalities, I found her choices for the protagonist turned me off at times. When the protagonist Phoebe was calm, it was fine, it was the over the top hysteria that I was not a fan of. Since the author did such a good job on each character too, I mostly enjoyed it.

The pacing was good, though I think I would have done better with the jumps between past and present, I did get a bit confused as a result of listening to the audio copy. For a YA horror novel it was above average so I am rating it 3.5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I requested "Out of Air" while still riding the high of "Sunrise on the Reaping", thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to ease back into YA fiction. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. While the premise intrigued me, I found the story to be overly juvenile—even more so than a typical YA book.

I realize now that my enjoyment of "Sunrise on the Reaping" came not just from its world but also from Suzanne Collins’ polished writing, which made a stark contrast to "Out of Air". That said, Gail Shalan’s narration was a standout. She captured Phib’s panic so well that it felt like I, too, was gasping for breath alongside her.

Thank you to Rachel Reiss, Gail Shalan, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Salt Squad are a group of friends who bonded over their love of diving. Living in the Florida Keys, they have plenty of opportunity to dive and on one of these dives, Phibs finds some ancient Spanish coins. The group post about their findings online, quickly turning them into diving celebrities, but also inviting darker characters into their lives. Now that they've graduated from high school, they're going on one last trip together to scuba dive in Australia. On this trip, Phibs finds the entrance to a mysterious underwater cave that she explores with some of the Salt Squad. After resurfacing, Phibs and her crush Gabe begin to experience disturbing changes: unexplainable gashes in their skin, personality changes, and mysterious whispering voices that call them to the sea. Then, rival treasure hunters arrive, forcing the group to return to the cave as Phibs and Gabe are undergoing their mysterious transformations.

The story is told through alternating time periods with parts of the book taking place in the past, exploring how Phibs met the Salt Squad and her family relationships, and the present on their trip to Australia. There were a lot of things going on in this book, which really kept the pace up. I do think that the narrator of the audiobook was overdoing the intensity of the narration to match the pacing, as it seemed like a lot of the time she was close to tears or on the edge of a breakdown, which I found to be grating. I also felt like the conversations were oddly one-sided at times, like Phibs would keep asking question after question without getting any responses or getting the same response over and over again. These conversations felt like they were stalling the story out in an attempt to try to create some mystery. That being said, I do think that this was an action-packed read with a lot of different elements going for it. I would recommend this book to readers looking for ocean-related horror or mystery.

For starters I found the concept of this book fascinating! Scuba diving frightens me so I came out of my comfort zone with this one but I enough it. Oh it made me confirmed in my fear but still fun to read!!

My biggest challenge was the audio narration. On one hand for short spurts Gail Shalan did a good job. On the other hand to me, it was too much. As an audio reader I enjoy when narrators give enough acting to draw you in and feel the moods in the work but not cross the line to take away the readers ability to create the story in their own mind. This is where I had trouble as it felt like the narrator was going hard on the emotional impact of what was happening. It was certainly appropriate in many places but it was like the energy started at a 10 the entire book instead of ebbing and flowing.

So do I recommend the book? Absolutely. However do I caution folks that would have trouble with the level of constant state of excitement, absolutely.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

First off I absolutely loved the narrator
Now, for the book, each chapter would alternate between the present and the past sometimes it was hard to keep the storyline straight. But towards the end, the storylines weaved together very nicely. I do wish it was longer, though I wish that we knew what happened to Caleb and Phoebe did they eventually recover or did their powers continue to get stronger and they turn into something else? It did seem that they were going to be turned into something else, but I would’ve liked more on that. I do wish we actually knew what happens to Phoebe’s mother. It would’ve been nice for Phoebe to find evidence of her mother either passing were also turning into a sea creature of sorts.
Overall, it was very good very unique

Eh, no. This tries to be too many things at once and ends up failing.

The beginning truly had me hooked but the poor pacing, excessive plot threads and lack of suspense made this thriller shudder and die. The character is an outcast of her own making, she makes people out to be enemies in her head constantly and it’s exhausting.

Anyway, I got really excited about this because cave diving is one of the most terrifying things I can think of - but alas, the only thing scary about this book was how bad it was.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! And I thought the narrator, Gail Shalan, was perfect for this book.

Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. On a dive six months ago, she and her four closest friends discovered a handful of ancient gold coins, rocketing them into social media fame. Now, their final summer together after high school, they’re taking one last trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most – scuba dive. While diving a local reef, Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But when Phibs and her best friend Gabe surface from the cave, they notice that they're undergoing strange changes. Oozing gashes that don’t heal. Haunting whispers in their heads... Something has latched onto them, lurking beneath their skin, transforming them from the inside out.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery of this book and I think others will enjoy the characters, and the darkness this book delivers.