Jill Tew wrote yet another romantic, suspenseful dystopian! I adored this story about a girl in the not-so-distant future struggling to survive in "The Marshes" what is left of Miami, after multiple climate disasters. The concept of the Cruisers is incredible and sadly realistic, and I adored the premise of Eden having to go on a dating show in order to make the money to help her family survive. The romantic tension was incredibly well done, to the point where I found myself not sure which boy I was rooting for. 5 stars!

AN OCEAN APART by Jill Tew is a standalone Young Adult Dystopian novel set in the Miami area after it's been ravaged by environmental collapse brought on by greedy corporations. This book had so many tropes I adore, and kept me guessing about what would happen next. The characters were relatable, complicated, and so, so well-crafted in this excellent read. Before I gush on more, let me tell you what AN OCEAN APART is about.

Eden lives with her found family in the Marshes where they all barely earn enough to survive. Together with her best friend (and maybe more), Henry, she hunts drones to sell for parts to pay for the overly expensive rations of water. Wanting to fight back against the evil corporation who is threatening the Marshes, Eden partners with the mysterious rebel the Ringmaster to enter a Bachelorette-esque contest to win the hand of Theo, the son of the woman whose corporation is threatening the Marshes. Eden's plan: Win Theo's heart, win the money that goes along with winning Theo, then break said heart and take the money for the Marshes. Things don't exactly go according to plan.

What I loved most about this book:
- The dystopian setting was both beautiful and chilling since environmental threats to our Earth are very real
- Eden was so easy to cheer for. She's suffered so much, and it makes sense she'd want to exact revenge and make the Cruisers pay
- The romance sizzled, and while love triangles sometimes frustrate me, this one didn't. The relationships felt genuine and the evolution of how the characters related to each other really worked for me.
- Tropes that I inwardly squealed about: competition for a boy's heart, ball gowns, dystopian setting, found family, twisty ending
- The secondary characters: I'm looking at you, Turner family, and you, Ramón and Remmy, and you, Natalia.
- The well-written villain(s) with clear motivations, and seeing them eventually get their comeuppance, but not necessarily how I expected
- The world-building was top notch. Expressions like "Dusting", and the forced watching of propaganda for compensation

What didn't work:
- I honestly can't think of anything that didn't work. I had a little trouble keeping track of the other contestants, but I think that's a me thing.

AN OCEAN APART is an enjoyable read with twists, romance, and tension with a well-crafted dystopian world and fantastic characters you can't help but cheer for. I highly recommend it. Run, don't walk, to pre-order!

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Revolution, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

An Ocean Apart is described as a dystopian romance, which is an apt label. The book takes place in Florida and the Caribbean after catastrophic flooding and climate change have wiped out most of the land. The Marshers are surviving on what's left and the Cruisers are tucked safely away on giant cruise ships. Eden is a Marshers who manages to sneak onto a Cruiser's ship and join a Bachelor-style competition for the heart of the son of the woman who controls the world's fresh water supply. Her goal is to steal his heart and all the prize money.

The writing in this book is so vivid--I found myself thinking how easily it could translate to the movie screen on almost every page. The characters are definitely ones you will love or hate and while I don't find the comparisons of the book to The Hunger Games (in reviews) to be accurate at all, it does definitely make the reader think about the impacts of climate change and how resources will be handled in the future. There are competitions once the dating "show" gets going, but they are not dangerous or intense at all like The Hunger Games.

This is one I will definitely be adding to my classroom shelves and I am not off to find my copy of The Dividing Sky to read that!

Current rating: can't decide on 3.75 or just 4 stars ngl

Firstly, I loved the premise. The way the dating-show-on-a-cruise plot was interwoven with important issues such as capitalism, greed, and classism was well done, and I liked how the book explored the layers of it in this dystopian world. The writing style also made it easy to get invested into the book, especially with the setting and nature descriptions. Though there weren't enough pages for the side characters to get more fleshed out, I was fine with the little we knew of them and generally thought that they did feel like real people.

Romance section has some spoilers so quick overview I knew who she would choose but there was one part where I was a little unsure! I'm happy with who she ended up with since that was also the connection I preferred. Spoilers below:

The romance/love triangle reminded me a lot of the one from The Selection. It's been forever since I read that series, but I do remember not rlly caring for the first love, and the same goes here (sorry), despite me understanding where Henry was coming from. Fortunately, I did like the sweet romance that grew between Eden and Theo, even as Eden started out pretending to be someone else. It was just so cute and I loved them together.

While reading, I was a little worried that the ending would be super rushed, but I would say I was satisfied with how it concluded! That epilogue will rlly hit different if you've read The Dividing Sky. No spoilers, but after reading, I rushed to grab my copy of TDS and just sat with the realization that I had become aware of. I already do this on the daily, but this book made me think (even more) about the state of our world and how scary + real the effects of climate change and capitalism are.

Thank you to Jill Tew, the publisher, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jill Tew does it again! From page one of AN OCEAN APART, her beautifully immersive writing pulls you into the world. Eden was a strong, voicey character that felt incredibly real. The dystopian world, the bachelor-esque reality show, the tech-infused ballgowns, the love triangle, not to mention The Dividing Sky Easter eggs…I loved it all!

A fun ride from start to finish! The setting is innovative and smart, and the character dynamics are fun and complicated. I hoped to dig a bit deeper with some of the characters, but the well-paced and engaging plot made up for it.

Jill Tew has proven again how wonderful an author she is. An Ocean Apart is a breath of fresh air when it comes to dystopian novels with a beautiful setting that makes you want to travel the world just to find something like it. Her book is incredibly engaging and had me reading through the night and in my classes. Her characters are written well and make you feel like you truly know them; even the supporting characters feel full and alive. I recommend this book to anyone in a slump, just getting started, or just looking for their new favorite read.

I enjoyed reading The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew and knew I had to read An Ocean Apart. An Ocean Apart did not disappoint. The book is the Bachelor/the Selection meets Hunger Games. The world building in the book was great. There were some twists in the book. Eden, Henry and Theo...the tension who will she choose. I enjoyed all of the other female characters in the book during the competition of the book. The ballgowns in the book were amazing. Jill Tew will be an auto read for me. If you are looking for a YA dystopian book with diverse characters this is the book for you.

Jill Tew is quickly establishing herself as a FORCE in dystopian YA storytelling. AN OCEAN APART grabs you from the very first chapter and never lets you go. It's giving THE HUNGER GAMES on the high seas, and I loved EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Not only is the plot compelling and FUN, but Jill also hits when it comes to delivering poignant social commentary that reflects our current times. Also, Eden, Theo and Henry present a love triangle for the ages! Like she did with THE DIVIDING SKY, Jill Tew swung big on a sweeping dystopian romance, and she DID. NOT. MISS.

She will be a YA Queen in just a few years. Mark my words!

An Ocean Apart is reminiscent of The Selection series; however, it's a stand-alone book that adds in an eco-warrior element. Eden, the protagonist, is a Marsher who is trying to survive the harsh climate left behind in Miami after a devastating hurricane ravages the already savaged area. After a devastating accident threatens her adopted family's existence, Eden decides to join with The Ringleader, a mysterious rebel, to take on the Cruisers, the rich business people who live on cruise ships as a way to avoid the harsh mainland environments caused by the Cruisers' own mishandling of the land. Eden joins seven other young women who are all vying for the hand of Theo Desjardins, the son of one of the most powerful business people. As a Floridian who has endured multiple hurricane strikes, I felt the authenticity in the descriptions of the area and the ravages of the hurricane on the environment. I thought that this book did a good job with the enemies to lovers trope and that there were unexpected twists and turns. I look forward to adding this title to my high school library.

This was a solid story! Eden was a very likable MC and I found myself rooting for her instantly. The pacing of the story was fast paced and nice, although I think some of the characters could have been fleshed out more.

This story covers such important topics like billionaires causing harm to communities and the environment, obsession with social media, and selling yourself for corporations out of necessity (like with the ad watching).

I think two points that made me wanting more/something different is 1) I wish Henry was just Eden’s best friend and not a love interest. I felt the love triangle cheapened the plot and the characters. That leads me to 2) Eden became trusting of Theo and the cruisers way too quickly in my opinion. She has suffered because of them for most of her life and it just takes a month for her to think they’re “not all bad” ? I can appreciate the nuance but it wasn’t very believable to me. I also don’t like how Henry and the marshers were villainized for fighting back. Henry was treated as more in the wrong than Theo and his mother, by Eden. That perspective makes me uncomfortable when the marshers are being exploited and oppressed by the cruisers.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that dystopian concept that I was looking for and enjoyed about that type of book. It had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to know Eden and her world in this book. It was so well done and had love triangle element that I wanted. Jill Tew wrote this so well and was able to make a world that was engaging and kept the reader interested. I hope there is more in this world as I really enjoyed the whole package and Jill Tew's writing.

This book!! I loved every minute of reading this. There were scenes that had me giggling and others literally had my mouth agape. Jill Tew wrote a story that speaks to the harm of greed and the cost paid by the lower class. It's a story of Vengeance, love, hope, and retaliation.

The only drawback I have is some of the communication was too good to be true (could be my trauma kicking in lol). Which is a personal problem of mine and because of that I rate this book a 4.75.

I ended up really enjoying An Ocean Apart even though I don’t really like dystopian or love triangles, and therefore don’t read them all that often. I received the E-ARC, thank you to Jill Tew and Lyssa Mia Smith, and Netgalley.
Eden was a well written, great main character who didn’t complain about every small thing! She was resourceful and independent, had great development throughout the story, and at the end of it all had a good heart! Slightly more likeable than the typical dystopian FMC. The world building and descriptions of everything, especially the settings and outfits, which I very much appreciated, were fantastic! I wouldn’t have minded a little bit more character development, but none of them felt under developed in any way.
This is also an incredibly relevant story for our time- the parallels from our world to this future are startling. Even when the world is falling apart people are still way too obsessed with social media rankings and popularity. Celebrities and influential figures pretend to care about the environment and people in worse conditions then them, telling the world they do all these good things, but in reality, they aren’t doing anything at all except making the problem way worse. We live in an awfully materialistic world. And humanity seemed doomed to alway live like this.
On a more positive note, it was a very happily ever after, love conquers all ending, which again, I’m not complaining about, especially as dystopians can be very doom and gloom.
I have not read The Dividing Sky but definitely will, I’m very interested to see how the world in An Ocean Apart, particularly how it becomes at the end, transfers into that of The Dividing Sky, and pick up on all the Easter eggs!

Somebody give Jill Tew a crown because she is the rising queen of dystopian fiction. This book is phenomenal! It's so well written, from the characters to the descriptions to the world to the messaging. The love triangle, the ballgowns, the world building, the plot twists--this book is absolutely begging for a screen adaptation.

Highly, highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

All her life, Eden has experienced the struggle of a dystopian future where water is scarce and price is determined by the wealthy in their far off cruise ships. So when she gets a chance to humiliate the elite under the guise of wooing their favorite son, she jumps in eagerly.

I loved the characters and the setting, and would very happily read more set in this world!

n a climate-distressed future, a teenage girl joins a Bachelor-esque competition for an elite boy's love, hoping to stick it to the corporations that keep her community oppressed. She accepts help from a mysterious rebel figure to catapult her into the running and the world of the elite Cruisers, who wander the world free from the devastating consequences of their actions. But she risks more than she first bargained when her feelings for the heir set sail.

A nice inheritance of the legacy left by The Selection and The Hunger Games, with significantly more diversity! Jill Tew's novels excel as contributions to the YA dystopian canon. We'll never be done with swoony, tropey stories retold for readers who haven't had opportunities to see themselves reflected in a future that includes them, despite all its trials and tribulations. Fast paced plot, and some Capitol-worthy fashion to boot!

✨Book Review✨

Title: An Ocean Apart
Author: Jill Tew
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 352
5⭐️

Released October 14, 2025

An Ocean Apart is one of those feel good but gritty kind of stories!

With Black love and love triangles… and if you don’t like either, are you even trustworthy?!

The competition element gave red rising and The hunger games vibes, with its core dystopian sci-fi setting focusing on action or revolution, not romance-driven stakes.

If you liked…
✨The Parable series
✨Legendborn
✨Long Live
✨The Serpent and the Wings of Night
✨The Hunger Games series
✨Red Rising series


…You’ll love An Ocean Apart!

#UrbanFiction #historicalfiction #Sportsromance #Fantasy#suspense #romance #Thriller #Fantasy #SciFi #Dystopian #Romantasy #fiction #indie #indieread #readthistoday #readwithKC #ebook #boox #kindle #MoodReader #BOTM #bookreviewer #BookClub #ImmersionReading

What do you get if you take— the climate change ravaged world, massive floating cities (in cruise ships form) and fresh water as the rarest commodity— aspects of Waterworld. Add in a Bachelor-style competition to win the hand of the heir to the corporation-government-frankenstein, that controls all water. Plus, a love triangle for those of us heartbroken about Gale. And a rebellion led by a political agitator know only as the Ringmaster?

A dystopian romance masterpiece aka An Ocean Apart.

Here are some things you should know about me.
1. I’ve never left my dystopian era. You can catch me rereading my 2010s favorites on the regular — so this resurgence of dystopian romance? I’m sat ! (Did I use that right?)
2. Waterworld played on repeat in my house in the 90s.
3. I’m from Florida, previously studied Environmental Science, and am probably a little too excited about what happens when our sea levels rise (bc it’s going to happen).

Essentially I’m telling you this was the perfect book for me.

What’s to love…
- gorgeous setting & stunning prose
- WATERWORLD vibes
- Bachelor-style dating competition
- a love triangle, that will have you unable to pick a team!
- political intrigue
- TWISTY, binge-able, on the edge of your seat plot
- Grade A banter
- Realistic, yet hopeful portrayal of capitalism, greed, and corruption that mirrors our society with tummy aching accuracy.
- BIPOC cast of characters

What’s not to love…
- I actually can’t remember anything I didn’t love, I’m kind of obsessed.

I would like to thank Jill Tew, the publisher and NetGalley for sharing this advanced reader copy with me. It was an incredible ride, one I will not forget anytime soon! Love triangle on a cruise in a dystopian flooded world? Amazing!

Eden lives in Miami's flooded marshes, trying to survive alongside her best friend Henry. When Eden is entangled in the scheme of a rebellious mastermind, she ends up on the cruise of a lifetime, where socialites must compete in a televised dating competition and vye for Theo's attention, the dashing heir of a filthy rich corporation. Eden's plan is simple: win the prize money and Theo's heart, only to crush it. But her own heart deceives her, and she is faced with the only choice there ever was: Henry or Theo?

Gosh I loved this one so much!! From the rugged beauty of nature in the Marshes to the dazzling luxury of the Cruisers on the open sea, Tew knows how to deliver amazingly vivid and intricate worlds to us lucky readers!! I also loved all the main characters, they all have so much heart! The only thing I'd say is that Eden is one undecided person, which serves its purpose in a love triangle! Usually I can tell where it's going, but it took me a long time to figure that one out, which kept me turning pages nonstop!! So you can guess that the story was riveting to say the least! And of course the pace was electric!!

Now I'm sitting here waiting for the next Tew dystopian romance, and I swear I will go into withdrawal after reading The Dividing Sky and An Ocean Apart back-to-back! Also I'm sending this into the Universe but please, please make a movie out of this!!