Aqueous
Jade Shyback
This is the debut novel written by author Jade Shyback. I believe this is the first book in the new young adult series. While the focus may be young adult, I am a senior fan and will definitely be watching for the next book in this series.
Earth is in trouble. It has become impossible for life to live on the surface of the planet. Marisol Blaise and her family were struggling to survive. One after the other of her family was succumbing to extreme conditions. Her mother begged a couple to take her with them to Aqueous, the underwater community. The couple had no children and treated her as their own.
Like all the children in the community, Marisol spent years training for the future. There are trials and tests to evaluate their capabilities, strengths and limitations of each candidate. Marisol dreams of joining the Cuviers, an all-male elite diving team. She works tirelessly in an effort to destroy the prejudice against women, so that she can prove she is worthy of joining the Cuvlers. At 16 Marisol and her fellow candidates begin their trials. While Marisol thought the Cuvlers were against her because she was female there was another standing in her way.
I could not turn off this audiobook. The author did the narration herself; she did an amazing job. Marisol is an incredible character; she is a strong female lead. There were 2 male characters that stand out. Both were fond of Marisol however, one seemed arrogant while the other seemed sincere. I did not want this book to end. Now I have to wait until the next book comes out.

Aqueous by Jade Shyback is an impressive debut that delivers an imaginative post-apocalyptic world with genuine heart. Set in a fascinating premise where humanity has retreated beneath the sea after some unnamed collapse, this YA novel succeeds in creating both an engaging coming-of-age story and a richly developed underwater civilization.

What Works:
The strongest element is Marisol's character development and the complex friendship dynamics she navigates with her fellow trainees. Shyback captures the intensity of teenage relationships beautifully - supportive and loyal one moment, fiercely competitive the next. Even as someone outside the target YA demographic, I found myself genuinely invested in Marisol's journey.

Equally compelling is the nuanced portrayal of her adoptive parents. Their struggle between wanting to protect Marisol and their deep-seated fear of losing her after everything they've sacrificed feels authentic and emotionally resonant. These family dynamics add real depth beyond the typical YA fare.

The world-building is another standout. Shyback has clearly put thought into how this underwater society functions, and the details feel both creative and believable. The pacing moves along briskly, making this an engaging page-turner.

Room for Improvement:
Some plot developments felt telegraphed from early on, and occasionally the dialogue doesn't quite ring true - a common growing pain for debut novelists. The ending also feels somewhat rushed, as if the author was eager to wrap things up rather than letting the conclusion breathe.

Bottom Line:
Despite its minor flaws, Aqueous is a solid debut that shows real promise. Shyback has created an intriguing world and characters worth caring about.

Recommended for: YA fantasy fans, readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic settings, and anyone looking for a coming-of-age story with strong friendship themes and solid world-building.

Reading this book I tried I truly did try to get through it but I made it 30% through it and I couldn’t do it anymore. For me the language used was an odd mix that wasn’t cohesive and I found that even almost half way through I had no idea where the plot was going. I’m sure that this book is for someone but it just wasn’t for me.

Well.  Color me surprised.  The premise of dystopian society rebuilding underwater was gold, but I don't think the author landed it.  With the understanding that this is YA and a planned series, it was missing some critical elements that setting your story underwater requires.  Not nearly enough detail or brilliance to justify the mysterious deep, for me.  That being said, I found myself shocked by the cliffhanger and eager for more! Will look forward to the next installment.  

Blurb doesn't fit the plot and is a bit misleading, and I recommend an eyeball read versus earball 👌 I unfortunately could not stand the author's largely monotone and robotic delivery of her own text.  There's no kinder way for me to say it, unfortunately.  The audio ARC I received was missing chapter 4 entirely.  And, while the original songs were a nice addition and spoke to the author's desire to immerse her audio readers, it felt like it was trying to be GraphicAudio without the budget.  

Thank you to NetGalley and XenoBooks for the Advanced Reader's Copy (audiobook)!

4.75 🌟 Aqueous | 5 🌟 Audiobook
This story begins with a young girl, Maracil, who lives deep beneath the ocean in a fully submerged world. She’s been adopted by two high-ranking officials and is preparing to compete, alongside other students, for her future career placement. Her dream? To become a diver.
The world-building in this book is phenomenal. The author does an incredible job explaining the society, rules, and structure of this underwater civilization without just info dumping. It gave me Hunger Games vibes, but set entirely under the sea, with intense, well-described challenges that Marcila must face along the way.
The audiobook is a standout! Each chapter starts with a rhythmic drumbeat and includes embedded music, making the listening experience truly immersive and creative. It’s a clever and unique touch that I haven’t seen in many audiobooks.
I will say, I hate where it ended—not because it was bad, but because I have a million questions and need the next book now! There were a few moments where transitions felt a bit abrupt, but I could quickly catch on and wasn’t lost for long.
This is a great pick for both middle and high schoolers. Teachers can use it for vocabulary development, plot structure, sequencing, and even climate change themes. It definitely leans dystopian in tone, with a strong environmental undercurrent.
Wonderful and highly recommended!
Million thanks to @NetGalley for this Arc!

I was super excited to read this one, but it unfortunately just felt really stiff and unnatural to me. I think there was a lot in this world that felt forced and I have to say I am so disappointed because the premise of this book seems so exciting and intriguing!

I will say though, I did love the narrator for the audiobook she did a great job.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the audio arc of this book.

I really loved listening to this book. I’ve never heard or read anything like this. But it was absolutely amazing. I must admit I shed a few tears, both because of what happened in the book, but also because something like this could happen in the future. I have nothing bad to say, except now I have to wait for a second book to come out. I need a book 2, very very soon.

If you’re in your “under the sea “ phase like I have been, this is DEFINITELY a “must add” to your TBR. Beautiful writing will have you hooked from page 1 and the rest of the story makes you never want to leave

Aqueous is a post apocalyptic story taking place mainly under an Earth being scorched by the sun. This intriguing premise is supported by an interesting protagonist in Marisol, as well as well thought out world building and great prose, though some elements brought the story slightly down for me.

Marisol lives in Aqueous, an underwater city and one of the last places on Earth that humanity is able to live. She’s on the cusp of graduating from her schooling and is about to take her exams to determine her career. She hopes to be a Diver, the first female one, and is doing her best in order to grab that job thanks to her top scores and enduring the grueling exams. Throughout the story (mostly in the early sections), we get flashbacks of Marisol with her birth family back on the surface and how she was able to live in Aqueous, and how she became a survivor through the experiences. She was rather interesting and we see a lot of her anger and grief, which is strong in the last sections of the book. Though we get a lot of her range of emotions throughout the story.

The supporting cast was fleshed out well through various interactions, mainly through teen drama. Not my favorite thing in the world, but it made the underwater city feel alive. Marisol’s parents are also portrayed in a positive light for the most part. I felt for the people in this city and wanted to see them succeed in keeping humanity alive.

I did enjoy the world building, showing how there’s three active underwater cities able to operate on their own and the ways they are able to stay functioning for so long. The eco-based technology was explained a little bit, and made the place feel like it could possibly function in our world.

The prose was descriptive and vivid and I felt like I was in this world, as well as in Marisol’s emotions throughout the story. The pacing was decent, with the start being a bit slow, but things ramping up as we move along. It’s clear from the start that all of humanity might die with one wrong mistake. However, for the high stakes this book presents with the fate of humanity in the balance, I was disappointed that most of the book was focused on passing a series of low-risk exams. Maybe it’s because it took away from the looming higher stakes and after the exams are over, the reveals and high stakes aren’t given the proper breathing room to develop before we’re hit with yet another twist in the final moments of the story. The open ending leaves many questions unanswered, plausibly to be answered in a follow-up.

The narration by Jade Shyback herself was fitting for the story and brought everything to life. Some of the characters did sound a bit too similar, but it wasn’t that jarring. I did enjoy the two songs in the book itself, the Aqueous theme song and a song in a presentation given late in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and looking forward to future installments, especially after that ending. If you’re a fan of competition books and a post apocalyptic setting with a determined female lead, you’ll enjoy this one.

Review posted on Goodreads
4.5/5 Stars, very fun and reasonably realistic YA dystopia. Would love to finish the series.

YA Dystopian world under the sea!

Liked friendships, a tough protagonist, a coming of age story, and school/career trials. I also liked the flow of everyday life and the unusual food descriptions.

Had some problems whit marine vocabulary at the beginning, but story was stronger. I was surprised how much I liked the book without romance.

The twists at the end raised the book to 4 stars for me. I hope there will be a romantic subplot in the sequels.

Aqueous is a richly imagined speculative tale set in a near-future world where climate collapse has forced humanity to explore alternative paths for survival—including life under the sea. The novel follows a young protagonist selected for a high-stakes mission at an underwater facility, one that tests the boundaries of human resilience, loyalty, and belonging. Shyback’s premise is both timely and inventive, posing compelling ethical questions within a vividly built world.

The opening chapters pulled me in immediately—Shyback’s imaginative vision and descriptive prowess were on full display, creating a cinematic experience in my mind. As someone who reads and listens extensively, I found the setting especially vivid and original; the narrative world could easily translate to the screen.

Midway through the book, the pacing became uneven. The chapters centered around the trials—intended to develop character and raise the stakes—felt overly drawn out. While conceptually strong, they added less to the plot than the time devoted to them warranted. In contrast, the conclusion arrived too quickly and left me with unanswered questions. It had the distinct feel of a setup for a sequel, which I hope is indeed on the way, as I’m invested in this world and these characters.

As an audiobook, I appreciated the author’s commitment to narrating her own work, which offered an intimate connection to the material. However, the narration leaned more toward reading than performing. A professional voice cast could have elevated the emotional depth and dramatic tension embedded in the story. Given how cinematic the book felt, the production value of the audiobook didn’t quite match the ambition of the narrative.

Overall, I’d give Aqueous a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a creative and thought-provoking debut with strong visual storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

#Aqueous #NetGalley #AudiobookReview

I really wanted to like this because the premise was so interesting. Somehow it manages to be both over-explained and underdeveloped. The world building feels limited, yet bloated at the same time? I love some good trials in a fantasy/dystopian/sci fi, but the trials here weren’t very intense or interesting, and the stakes felt nonexistent until it was too late to care.

The main character is apparently irresistible to every person she meets—though she’s of course painfully unaware of it—and the story leans into that without ever giving her enough depth (or social skills) to make sense.

The audiobook was okay but had noticeable issues (can hear the mic connecting/disconnecting between chapters. The songs on the audiobook made me cringe (sorry!). It just wasn’t for me. Bummer, because it had so much potential. I feel like this would have worked better as a novella origin story instead of book one of a series - not enough happens to keep me intrigued enough to pick up another book in this world.

I love this fresh take on a dystopian world! The details and development throughout the entire book are phenomenal and while there are a few times the narration got a little confusing between different characters conversations, it was overall done exceptionally well. This is a great Y a story that adults will enjoy as well and I cannot wait to see where style author takes us in this new world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately had a lot of issues with this one. The dialogue was unnatural, the main character was seemingly brilliant and perfect while her classmates were presented as incompetent and obnoxious, and the love triangle felt forced. On the positive side, the world building was very interesting and after that ending I would read a sequel to see where things go.

AQUEOUS by Jade Shyback

Pub date: July 29th, 2025
Publisher: Xeno Books
Rating: 3 / 5

***AQUEOUS was originally published in 2023. The audiobook releases at the end of July.***


10 years ago, Marisol was saved from an uninhabitable life on Earth's surface and taken to Aqueous, an underwater haven for the survivors of humanity. Now, Marisol must undergo tests to determine her future within Aqueous. Marisol has always wanted to become the first female Cuvier, a highly selective position, and is determined to prove herself. With every passing test, Marisol thinks more of her life before Aqueous. If she does not become a Cuvier, how can she search for the mother she left on the surface?

AQUEOUS is the first book of a debut YA dystopian series. The story is reminiscent of popular 2010s titles, with a topical focus on environmental disasters causing the end of surface life. While the focus on environmental concerns and ecological facts add an informative angle to the story, the world building, plot, and Marisol's character development was underwhelming and generic. The world building especially felt unbalanced with multiple contemporary references (like songs) that took away from a clearly established, futuristic setting. The story does pick up in the last few chapters, and the cliffhanger ending generates intrigue for the sequel. Considering the overall writing and themes of the story, a younger YA reader or someone newer to the dystopian genre would likely enjoy this story.

As far as the audiobook goes, the listening experience was enjoyable. The novel is narrated by the author, which added a more personal element to the story and the author's note. There are not major distinctions between character voices, which could be confusing for some listeners, but it was not too distracting. The audiobook also includes two short, original songs. These are from lyrics written into the book, and the production quality and inclusion of the songs was a fun addition.


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.
This is a Young Adult Debut novel, and I enjoyed it! We follow Marisol through the final weeks of her last year in school, when she will be assigned to a permanent assignment in her undersea settlement. Marisol has been underwater on the Aqueous campus for 10 years; she's happy and well-adjusted, and dreams of becoming an elite diver, a dangerous position. Before this, she was adopted in the chaos of a dying Earth above the ocean. She's always felt that her mother gave her up so she would have a better life. As she adjusts to her new adult role, Marisol learns some information about the above world that changes everything. She's unsure of what's to come, but she won't keep quiet.

The novel's greatest strength lies in its rich and imaginative worldbuilding. I was fascinated and enjoyed all of the descriptions of the sea-steading pods created to survive a climate disaster. If there's a weakness, it lies in the dialogue. Please keep in mind that this is YA book No spice.

A heart wrenching YA dystopian novel that will stick with you long after you have read it, maybe even changing the way you view certain things. It is incredibly relevant.

The story follows Marisol’s journey on earth, which is no longer hospitable for human life to her journey living in the deep part of the sea. Aqueous dives into the science and the social workings of the underwater world. The limited resources, conformity and cold sea rules are an important part of the new life but the human spirit aways finds a way to shine through, just like nature always finds a way to survive.

The narrator for the audiobook did a great job as the voice of the story. It has been awhile since I have listened to an audiobook and listening to this one reminded me of how enjoyable audiobooks can be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Xeno Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Life on Earth is unbearable and a group moves to an underwater colony. Marisol Blaise was adopted as a young child to move to Aqueous. Marisol and her friends are the first class to graduate from the training program. I enjoyed learning about how life under the sea would work. There was a lot of set up for the world building.

The author read the book. To be fair I listen at 1.75x speed but while she spoke well I appreciate different voices for the characters to differentiate them.

First off, thank you for the opportunity to review this book. This is such a a fresh take on a dystopian society; I love that. I really appreciate how this book set up for the next one. I do have to say it was a bit hard to follow when flipping back and forth between past and present; it would have been helpful to mention what time period it was in the chapter titles. I was able to eventually deduce as the chapter went on, but it would have been helpful.

As far as the story itself, I wish there was more depth in the background as well as the characters. For example, it was a bit unbelievable that Marisol just simply accepted her fate of being a professor immediately after being told when it was her life long dream to be a diver. No questions or challenges just okey dokey.

As far as the narration of the audio book, I wish there was more emotion when you read it. The same tone that was used to discuss the scientific aspect of the books (which the science nerd in me loved) was the same used for the angst between the characters. It made everything fall flat. I feel like the audiobook in its current state does a disservice to your book. I think a professional narrator could have brought more life to your book.

Thank being said, the last twenty minutes of the book did suck me in and I am very interested in reading what happens next.

Congrats on writing this book!