What a fascinating premise! I really enjoyed how atmospheric this book felt. The writing style was lovely and I was drawn in from the first page. I was amazed at the creativity of the story as time went on. Magic was used in such a unique manner and I genuinely had no idea where the plot was going. It was a fun read!

Thank you so much to Holiday House and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book kept me up until the early AM. Riveting prose, an intriguing mystery, well-thought-out magic system, a yearning romance, and even a bit spooky—a fantastic read. Will be snagging my own copy for sure!

Infinity stars for This Raging Sea. This comes out September 23, 2025, and you must read it when it comes out. This is my favorite read of 2025, and I need more books by De Elizabeth.

If you're looking for
✨️ Upper YA Dark Romance
✨️ Bi4Bi Pairing
✨️ Bi Rep
✨️ Physics based magic system
✨️ He is lost in time, and she has to find him

The story, the writing, the aura, the vibes are spot on, and I took my time reading it because I did want it to end!

What a stellar debut novel from De Elizabeth! With an enthralling storyline, a magically haunting atmosphere, and a love that transcends time itself, Briar and Finn’s story has stayed with me long after finishing the last page.

I loved the qualities of Finn and Briar’s determination, loyalty, and selflessness. Finn Adler is a cinnamon roll and I have found another MMC to add to my book boyfriend list.

There were plenty of twists that I didn’t see coming and the ending brings the possibility of second chances. I definitely recommend this book.

Big thank you to @holidayhousebks and @netgalley for an ARC copy for review

Within 6 hours of getting my hands on this book, I had started crying on page four (and never fully stopped), full-body-sobbed through the last thirty pages, and then needed 2-3 business days to recover enough to write this review. I was looking through some of my highlights and started crying again. This book is so incredibly beautiful and just hits so hard.

This Raging Sea is lyrical, haunting, and devastating. Set in a coastal New England town the summer after high school graduation, Briar is preparing for her friends to leave her as they go off to school and she stays behind in the town where her twin brother died. But when Finn leaves in a different way- lost in time- she must figure out how to save him with the help of her friends and enemies.

Going into it, I'd been prepared for Briar and Finn's relationship to devastate me, but I wasn't prepared for the power of the other relationships in this book. Right away, the reader isn't just introduced to Briar and Finn, but to their four person friend group on the verge of dispersing, and while the romantic focus is huge, the friendship with Kai and Astrid is just as important. The found family aspect, and the ways it's described and acknowledged, is incredible. And that isn't even touching on the complicated history and relationship between Briar and Morgan.

I also wasn't prepared for the emotional devastation that is Briar Winters. Perfect and anxious and angry, the focus of her family and her high school and her town, but also alone- but also never alone because of the voice in her head and the figure in her reflection- and, of course, her friends. I don't know that I've ever loved and immediately connected to a YA (or maybe any?) protagonist more.

Highlighting and centering the power of stories, songs, and other art forms is one of my favorite tropes but This Raging Sea romanticizes math in a way that I never would have expected to work for me the way that it did. The math and chaos theory and magic systems are all complex but simple and power the story forward and back in a really seamless and beautiful way.

And on top of all of this, the actual reading experience itself is gorgeous as well- the typesetting and chapter headings/illustrations are stunning!

This Raging Sea is easily one of my favorite books of all time and I need everyone to go read it! I will never stop thinking about this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC- all thoughts my own!

I feel like I've lived thirty lives since I started this book, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. I think this is a book that perfectly suited to the age range being marketed too, in YA, but also has crossover appeal. If this book was instead being marketed as NA, as much of this novel involved navigating the liminal post-teenhood space where you're no longer a kid but aren't quite an adult, I think that would work perfectly as well.

I really can't say much about this book without spoiling it, but the pacing and the twists and turns of the plot were brilliant. I was very impressed by De Elizabeth's grip on narrative and structure in such an unorthodox plotline. Her strong command of tone and emotion were definitely the highlights of her writing. I genuinely cringed at the body horror in this book. Her prose occasionally dipped into self-indulgence, but frankly I don't think a plain writing style would have served this book. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

This is impressively layered and nuanced for a first run at a novel, full of rich imagery and characters that the author isn't afraid to make them seem unlikable, though they remained sympathetic. Our two main characters, Briar and Finn are messy and lovable in equal measure, and I cannot believe that De Elizabeth got me invested in a romance about two blonde people. The bi4bi aspect of their relationship is a notable aspect of the marketing, and I'm happy to report its prevalence in the book. I love that De Elizabeth managed to include both a grand romance between the m/f couple, but also how their own respective sexualities influence their characters and dynamics with other people.

Reading this book really took me back to the glory days of the supernatural / paranormal television shows. The melancholic atmosphere, propulsive plot, and sheer teenage dramatics were such fun components of this book. This book felt like walking through an abandoned theme park at night, dark, surreal, nostalgic, romantic and wistful, against a backdrop of unease and decay. Full of heart, love, missed connections and second chances, This Raging Sea stands out in a beautiful way.

This Raging Sea is currently available for preorder, and will be out September 23 2025.

This Raging Sea is a beautifully raw and emotionally resonant debut from De Elizabeth that explores the depths of grief, identity, and healing with striking honesty and lyrical prose. Through the eyes of the protagonist, readers are pulled into the turbulent emotional currents of loss and self-discovery, much like the sea itself—sometimes calm, often stormy, but always moving.

Elizabeth’s writing shines with quiet intensity. Her gift lies in capturing the intimate, unspoken moments of teenage life—where trauma doesn’t always shout but lingers, where love is complicated, and where healing doesn’t follow a straight path. The characters are deeply human, shaped by the weight of their experiences, and yet they pulse with hope, resilience, and the desire for connection.

What sets This Raging Sea apart is its emotional authenticity. It doesn’t flinch from portraying pain, but it also makes space for light, friendship, and the small triumphs that come with facing one's fears. Elizabeth's storytelling is tender, poetic, and unflinchingly real.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it did not disappoint! TRS was eerie, beautiful, and haunting. The romantic and platonic relationships in this story were relatable and full of depth. De Elizabeth writes so beautifully and lyrically. Her writing reminded me a bit of Rachel Gillig. I honestly cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book because there were so many things I wanted to highlight, and I truly can’t wait to reread this book. I do wish I had more time with the villain because he was both enchanting, yet creepy. However, without giving away spoilers, the plot was rich, immersive, and interesting without being overly confusing or hard to follow. I’ve been obsessed with the idea of having physics and the concept of time intertwined in the plot of this book. I have been thinking about TRS being released since I found out about it well over a year ago. It was so worth the wait, and I’m so excited for it to be released to everyone in September. I promise you don’t want to miss out on this one!!

I have been chomping at the bit to read This Raging Sea since I first discovered De Elizabeth on Instagram over a year ago and let me tell you, it lives up to the hype and then some. I was immediately drawn in and I had trouble putting it down. I actually read the entire book in two sittings and that was purely out of necessity to sleep. The characters De creates are rich and complex and gritty, and she doesn’t shy away from exploring difficult topics and emotions such as sexuality and bone-deep grief. All of the relationships are beautifully portrayed and explored, stretched and tested within a story that questions time itself and our place within it. De is masterful at weaving in foreshadowing, shrouding bits and pieces in creepy details so I wouldn’t want to look too closely, and unveiling what was hinted at later in twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. This Raging Sea is truly a work of art and every piece feels incredibly intentional and is so well done. I believe it fits The YA genre perfectly and I wish younger me had been able to read it. It’s so thought-provoking and had my mind whirling with a million questions and possibilities. I absolutely loved this book as an adult with my adult perspective and life experience, but I know I would have also loved it as a teenager and would have benefited greatly from reading it. Overall, I definitely recommend This Raging Sea to anyone looking for a book that has a unique and twisty magic system, explores relationships and power, and has you questioning ‘what if lost doesn’t mean gone?’.

“They all chose one another. A group of people broken in different places. But together, they were somehow whole.” This Raging Sea by De Elizabeth @wordsbyde

Briar has been trapped within her own home of Loch Creek and fears she will drown in the waves that took her twin brother thirteen years ago. While still grieving her brother, her best friend and lifelong love, Finn, completely vanishes from not just Briar’s life, but almost everyone’s memories.

As she searches for Finn, she finds the dangerous secrets he uncovered weeks leading up to his disappearance. With no one else to turn to, she seeks the last person she hopes to speak to, Morgan, her enemy holding on to Briar’s darkest secret. In heart-rendering prose, we follow Briar desperate to rescue her first love before he disappears from time itself.

One of my favorite tropes is found family, and De perfectly crafts a complex group who messily support one another, showing the types of love we find in life and the importance of supporting one another. Briar creates her own family while disconnected from her own home. De beautifully balances the messy platonic, romantic, and familial forms of love while Briar explores her own ways she loves.

This Raging Sea publishes 9/23/25. Thank you to De and her team for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, and for the amazing opportunity to join the street team! Keep an eye out for exciting posts about TRS!

A salt-tinged, heart-wrenching, unforgettable story of love that spans infinite universes, This Raging Sea is an absolute triumph. Briar and Finn's relationship is one of the most touching and expertly developed I've ever read. From page one, I ached for them to be together and that desire only built as they fight their way back to each other, converging in a climax so poignantly beautiful, I'm fighting back tears as I write this.

With the emotional resonance and chilling visuals of a Mike Flanagan project, a propulsive page-turning mystery, and gorgeous prose that begs to be savored, This Raging Sea will forever haunt me in the best possible way.

Huge thank you to De Elizabeth and Holiday House for the ARC.