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.

that was strange. I dont do well with time jumps back and forth so I'm sure that's just a me issue. i didn't enjoy that part. it was very nice descriptive wise but it was just weird storyline wise. there were like a million storylines and I didn't know what was what at some points. supernatural? super no.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Rachel Reiss for granting me early access to the audiobook Out of Air by Rachel Reiss.

The best way to describe this book is Outer Banks meets The Deep by Nick Cutter—so if body horror isn’t your thing, consider jumping ship now.

The ocean itself felt like the true main character of this novel. Every aspect of the story and plot revolves around it, and the vivid, mesmerizing descriptions completely immersed me. As someone who’s terrified of the ocean, I found myself strangely longing for experiences I would typically avoid like the plague.

While I never fully connected with the main cast, I did appreciate the depth of their relationships and the bond they shared. What I loved most was the contrast between the carefree summer adventure/drama trope and the creeping eldritch horror elements. I only wish the latter had been explored in more detail. That might just be my personal bias toward horror—I wanted more insight into what was happening and a heavier dose of gore.

I have a soft spot for horror/suspense novels set underwater, and Out of Air was no exception. Overall, I’d rate it a solid 3.5/5.

3⭐️

In regards of overall enjoyment, it's middle of the road for me. I didn't dislike it but it also not what I thought it would be either. I thought it was going to be bit scarier and thrilling than what actually turned out to be.

It's a really fast paced read, like super fast. The beginning was a bit chaotic as it just drops you right into it. Diving and right into the cave. Then you have scary moment where the characters think they may die from a lack of oxygen. This happens all within the first 5 - 10% of the book.

From there is where the book then starts focusing on the relationships and some of the weird things happening to the two characters that found the cave. However it seems so backseat of the story. The heart of the story is the main character feeling as she is being left behind by her friends going to college. Then focusing on her romantic feeling towards Gabe. This was basically the whole book.

The ending was pretty decent and made me go ooohh as a reader. Made me rethink some of the characters actions. I really appreciated that aspect.

The audio book is well done, the narrator does a good job with showing inflection of her voice and making tense moments feel tense.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

4.5 rounded up, I really enjoyed this story and especially in audio format. Just the right blend of thriller and speculative young adult horror.

Phoebe, nicknamed "Phibs", is enjoying one last summer with her four best friends on a remote island in Australia before they all split for new adventures after high school. The five of them have made a name for themselves on social media through sharing their diving adventures, most notably skyrocketing to a new level of fame after they discovered ancient gold coins on a dive six months prior.

The "Salt Squad" is on a dive when Phibs discovers the entrance to an underwater cave rumored to be the home of shipwrecked treasure, which she and twins Will and Gabe choose to explore. Phibs and Gabe share a moment in an air pocket of the cave - a moment that seems to have a greater effect outside of the cave than they imagined. Inexplicable gashes that won't heal, soft whispers that are haunting their waking hours, indicating something latched onto them down in that cave. Treasure hunters determined to find the cave arrive on the island, forcing the Salt Squad into unspeakable danger, but it turns out the most dangerous thing might be right there among them.

This story had me enraptured from start to finish, and I felt like there was never a calm moment except for the air pocket! I actually really enjoyed the story having flashbacks and giving us bits and pieces each time because the anticipation never stopped building and I was eager to know what happened. The strength of the Salt Squad's friendship through all the hardships they faced made me love this book even more because it gave me something to root for! I am also obsessed with the ending and how I have my own interpretation of what the cave actually did to Phibs and Gabe. Also huge props to the narrator Gail Shalan because she had me so ANXIOUS every time something stressful or dangerous was happening in the book. I felt like I was living the scene and freaking out!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the ALC via NetGalley!

DNF
I liked the dive details and the treasure hunting with weird body transformations premise is fantastic.
This book simply wasn't what I expected. The description sounds like a suspenseful adventure with some horror, but immediately the FMC is focused on her crush.
For me, it's too heavy on flashbacks. The first bit of suspense was interrupted by her prolonged memory of how she met her crush and his hotness. I wondered if it was a miscategorized romance. The angst and many life problems didn't interest me.
Some of my favorite 2024 books were YA. Unfortunately, Out of Air isn't a fit for me. No doubt it will entertain its target audience.
The narrator was fine and the sound production is excellent, so I rounded it up to 3 stars. I wish the author all the best with her debut.
Thanks for the ALC for consideration. These are solely my own opinions.

I was hoping that Out of Air would be similar to From Below by Darcy Coates, this seemed like the perfect set up for the kind of isolation/trapped horror that I've been enjoying.

This was not and if I'd gone in expecting how much of the plot would be focused on the romantic feelings between the main character Phoebe (Phibs) and Gabe...I think (I had a really hard time telling Gabe and Will apart, they were interchangeable unless Will was being particularly snarky or Gabe was crushing on Phoebe) then I might have been less disappointed. I wish that the story had chosen to either focus on Phoebe's mother or on the romance, rather than both. By the end of the book it seemed like there were so many moving parts and it couldn't seem to decide what to focus on or resolve. It had really great potential, it just didn't quite make it.

This wasn't really suitably scary enough to really be horror to me, the "scariest" moment being with the tiger shark and that was more thriller than horror. A lot of the tense moments were tense because Phoebe would start to panic in a way that seemed out of place for someone that was supposed to be such an experienced diver.

I was surprised by who had kept the coin *SPOILER ALERT* I was sure that it was Lonnie since Phoebe had made a specific comment about karma coming back on who had kept it and thought that was alluding to Lonnie losing her fingers.

I also really didn't care for the narration. Gail Shalan was a fine narrator for most of it, but I didn't like the the overly dramatic reading of some of the tenser scenes.

Content warning for trypophobia! It's not a common tag, but it is something I try and avoid and it had enough of a moment to warrant the warning.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!