Ever since reading Sally Beauman’s The Visitors, I’ve been a huge sucker for the rare and tiny subgenre of “Things go wrong on an archaeological dig.”

There are very few of them, so I was excited to encounter Katya de Becerra’s Oasis, particularly because I enjoyed her first novel, What the Woods Keep, so much.

This book has an eerie supernatural element to it (don’t worry, no one is being chased by cartoonish mummies or anything like that), and I thought it worked well despite my misgivings about using a fantasy element in this setting.

It’s a relatively short book for the fantasy genre, so it feels like a lot crammed into surprisingly few pages. It’s possible the character development suffered slightly because of this, but I was impressed by how much atmosphere de Becerra conjured up so concisely. Part of me wishes the characters would have spent more of the book inside the Oasis, but I also think the full plot worked better because they didn’t.

There is a lot of sameness and repeated themes in fantasy (especially YA), but this is the second novel in which I’ve seen de Becerra conceive something truly unique.

Oasis is intense and compelling without being too demanding of the reader. It’s an engaging and worthwhile read.

Coming off the back of What The Woods Keep (which I loved) I had super high expectations for this one. Let me start out by saying, Oasis is nothing like WTWD but not in a bad way. It centres around Arif and her friends who have all travelled to an archaeological dig to spend time with Arif's father and research assistant, Stuff happens in the desert and things get weird.

So for the first 25% this kind of dragged. It was all about introductions and pining with unrequited love - it was a little contemporary romance but in the desert After a weird guy stumbles in from the desert and a sandstorm hits the camp, everything starts to take off.

When the group gets lost and stumbles on an oasis in the desert, the story really starts to pick up. There's dead bodies and intrigue, a hidden goddess and an ancient tablet. But then theres a point within the final 5-10% where its gets realllllly weird and I kind of didn't love how it ends.

Overall it was a spooky read that mostly ticks all the right boxes. Just need to get over the falter in the dismount

Note: I did not finish the book and therefore, I couldn't give this book a fair review and rating. However, since NetGalley requires its members to submit a rating, I'll use a 5-star rating for every ARC that I DNFed because I believe what didn't work for me might work wonderfully for someone else.

3 Reasons to Read Oasis by Katya de Becerra
—.:* 1. A thrilling YA Sci-Fi featuring a protagonist with passion for archaeology.
I don’t know about you, but I’m always a sucker when it comes to a story that features a strong-will and passionate main lead. In Oasis, we follow the story of Alif and her deep interest in archaeology, something that she finally got to explore along with her friends.

—.:* 2. Fun squad stays together and grows even stronger.
Becerra’s Oasis featured a group of friends consisted of Alif Scholl and her four best friends, Lori Bradford, Minh Quoc, Luke Stokowski, and Rowen Syme Jr. It was exciting to see the dynamic of this group, and of course, their efforts to survive and beat the sand storm.

—.:* 3. Pitched as a thought-provoking story, Oasis let you do the interpretation.
An open ending is probably not the most famous option to end a sci-fi story, especially since usually people demanded answers and reasons. While some might despise this decision, others might enjoy them just as much.

Thank you Imprint and The FFBC for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

As promised, here's my longer review for Oasis. I adored the archaeology aspect! I wish we had been able to take more of a gander at the actual dig site, and artefacts. My first degree was in archaeology, and it is still near and dear to my heart. I loved the descriptions of the dig site and the camp. I appreciate when books get things archaeology or paleontology right. Seeing as the author has a background in archaeology/anthropology, this makes sense. I did kinda want to smack Alif’s friends, who griped at having to help in the camp. Do you not realise how lucky you are to even just be a mud bug in a dig??? What an honour!

Okay, truth- sandstorms terrify me. I really should worry more about wildfire and earthquakes. There’s not enough sand around here for a sandstorm, and yet.... I also have an irrational fear of black holes. I got nothing there… Then there was the oasis itself, and Dup Shimati. It’s kinda left to the imagination what exactly this is, but it is powerful and dangerous. It's brought out the most base instincts and desires of the trapped kids, using this unbalanced energy as food. It can weave illusion to give you what you want, but there's always a price. Despite this, I felt bad for it. This energy/ sentience/ being seems to have been marooned here. How sad to be cut off from one's own people, and how maddening.

This book had Stargate mixed with Lord of the Flies vibes for me, and reminded me a lot of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s books. Highly recommended.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & MacMillan for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the Fantastic Flying Book Club.

This book is a bit cliche and felt rather dull. I will not be purchasing it for the library. The cover is also a bit redundant. It fades into the sea of YA very easily.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

What I liked:
The historical nature
I've mentioned this in previous reviews (I promise they exist, even if I cannot remember which) how I am a huge history and mythology nerd. So a large part of why I enjoyed the book came from the constant mythological and historical references (due to the characters being archeologists and all). It's really fun to see the references I recognize and learn new knowledge at the same time. I also really appreciate the consistency of the historical theme with this book's "fantasy" genre. The book was had a great balance between fiction basing off non-fictional historical facts/legends.

Alif and her narration (and some of the quotes)
"It would've been funny to watch him fluff up like a fighting peacock if it wasn't so disturbing".

Alif's sarcastic and brilliant remarks make me laugh out loud so many times when reading the book. So (please do) feast your eyes on the following beautiful quotes (hopefully one day you may use them for yourself). I promise they would make more sense as you read the book (which I recommend you do). All of this made the book "good" in my opinion, like good seasonings for a dish.

Tommy and Alif
For the people who care about romance - yes, this book has it (it's pretty good too). Tommy and Alif's interaction flowed naturally with the general plot so that even people like me who didn't come for the romance can still read the book and liked it.

What I didn't like as much:
The "overclimaxation" (that's not a word)
Oasis made such a big deal with this mysterious "goddess" figure in the oasis, to the point of making it seems like it's a "saving the world" scenario they were going through (that's how serious and dramatic the conflict was). But I really can't be sure if the book lived up to that. It seems like almost all of the book was just the characters discovering, describing, and going through the conflict. Usually, it's more half/half - 50% discovering going through the conflict, 50% trying to resolve it (and overlaps with the continuous conflict that is not yet resolved). Although this helps me get into the story, it left me leaving a bit disappointed (a little bit anticlimactic).

Ultimately though, I had a pleasant experience with the book. And as a history and mythology fan, I feel obliged to give it at least a 3/5 rating.

Did not go where I thought it would and that's a good thing. The story was compelling and vivid. The ending was...*chef's kiss*. Would recommend to teens at the library without hesitation!

Oasis is a young adult supernatural thriller by author Katya De Becerra. I don’t read too many supernatural thrillers, but when I saw that the setting for this one was in an archaeological dig, I was immediately all in! I love the setting and idea for magical and supernatural things to happen at ancient dig sites. It is one of my favorite story premises and one that I don’t see nearly enough. Katya De Becerra’s take on supernatural was fascinating and more than a little terrifying. This book genuinely cheeped me out at points, which is awesome!

In Oasis, we meet our main character Alif, who is very excited to be spending the summer with some of her closest friends, working on her father’s archaeological dig site in the desert. The story starts out at her father’s dig site, but pretty early on a sandstorm hits their camp and wipes everything away. The crew is pretty lost in the desert, until you guessed it…they find the Oasis. And that is when the story really started to pick up in my opinion. The setting of the desert Oasis was fantastically done. I really felt like I was there with the group of friends.

Oasis is a unique story that has a lot going for it. There are great friendships, that really get tested in some ways, and strengthened in others. There is an awesome dig site setting, and the supernatural elements were intriguing and sometimes surprising. The plot itself felt a little surface and slow at some parts, but then really picked up and was quite twisty in other parts. Overall, it balanced out to a good story. One that creeped me out and honestly surprised me at times. The writing in the story took a while to pull me in. The start of the story felt a little surface, but once I was about 25% into the story, I started to get pulled into the tale. And I ended up liking the book more and more as it went on. I think the overall plot of this story would lend itself to the tv screen quite well. I would love to see this turned into a movie or tv series for something like Netflix. If you are a fan of supernatural thrillers that feel fresh, or love dessert archaeological settings like I do, check out the Oasis when it releases on January 7th. I think you will enjoy this one.

3.5/5 stars

This book had such an interesting concept! I loved that they all want into the dessert, in an oasis, but you never really know if it is truly happening or if it is all in their heads! (‘of course it is happening inside your head Harry, but way on earth should that mean it is not real’, sorry couldn’t help myself)
I quite liked the main character, Alif, she wasn’t perfect, and didn’t always make the best decisions, but that made her more realistic. The relation between the characters was quite interesting, but I think it could have been expanded/explained a bit more!
Actually I have the same to say about the story, it was very interesting, but I think it could have been a bit more. I just didn’t feel 100% satisfied after finishing this book. After the set up, I think even more could have been done with the story! I definitely think this book could have easily been 100 pages longer, and I think I would have enjoyed it more!
The ending felt a little bit convenient, but I think that could also have been better if the story was a little bit longer!
I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author! I ended up giving this book 3 stars, mainly because I wanted a bit more from the story.

So wow, the Oasis huh. I’m not even sure where to begin because I might still be reeling from reading. I’m a big fan of Old Time Radio shows, that love instilled into me from my dad. There is a particular series called X-Minus One and this book reminded me of that so much. So I’m thinking the Oasis is a great audiobook. The story is so fast paced and so engrossing and so very much, what on Earth (or not Earth) is happening here.

So it’s one of those books you can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away. A group of friends go on a trip to Dubai to spend some time at the MC’s dad archeology dig site. What’s interesting is that this group of friends are in that phase that everyone goes through when you are getting ready to go to college. Starting to drift apart and change. Seeing one another in new ways. This is kind of their last hurrah at holding on to their closeness. Although their drifting seems to have started long before.

What they find in the desert is not only a whole bunch of weird but also how many things they don’t know about each other. I liked each character for different reasons. None of them are perfect or without blame in their scenarios.

Alif as a main character is interesting. She’s not perfect and she is kind of looking for that place to belong I think because of her complicated relationship with her parents. I think her attempt to bring her friends around to the same place again with this trip is her attempt to keep something together.

I loved the descriptions of the Oasis. The whole place is very interesting and the events that unfold after as well. The ending leaves you in a….wait what did I just read….spot but in a turn it over in your head again and again way. I don’t want to give anything away about the book so but it’s definitely a good read if you are a fan of Sci-fi thriller weirdness.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Imprint MacMillan for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

For one, this book had a little piece of my heart from the beginning because the main group of friends live in Australia. Why would that be important to me? Because one of my best friends in the entire world is from Australia, is still living there, and not only do I miss her terribly, but she is pretty close to some of the fires happening throughout the continent, and I’m extremely worried about her. Doesn’t go much with the storyline, but I had to get that out there.

Now, I know I totally started this review weird, but I did it because this book got really weird, and in a super cool way. This is marketed as a YA Science Fiction novel primarily, but also Mystery and Thriller because hello? Have you seen that synopsis? Things are going DOWN in The Oasis, and it’s not all palm trees and sunshine.


Okay sorry that was silly.

One of my favorite things about this novel though was that even though Alif’s friends weren’t as passionate about archaeology like she was, they still went with her to (well not Dubai like they thought, oops!) Tell Abrar for their final hurrah before university. And the way that their friendship worked out even though it seemed like they were too different to be able to get along? They really had a found family within themselves, and I think that even though there was some minor friction in the beginning, that friendship that the five of them had would help them survive the Oasis and all it was doing to break them apart.

Well, you’ll just have to see.

Throughout this book though, I was also thinking about how much I wanted to get more into archaeology when I was younger, and now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t remember why I never pursued that. Something about how Alif and her dad were really passionate about it, and maybe a little bit of Tommy too, but I don’t know how I feel about him right now, just really made me want to get back into some educational passions again. I love when books do that to me, and remind me of some things that I wanted to learn about, and then getting me back into it somehow. I just really rooted for Alif, her friends, Minh a lot for sure. I don’t know how to explain it. They were just a group that I wanted to see survive everything that they had to go through during this trip, especially because it wasn’t something that they were expecting.

This book also really gave me The Mummy vibes, and I love the first two movies with Rachel Weisz so that gave it a higher rating for me. Don’t @ Me. It’s just how it is.

This book was a lot of fun! I really liked the characters, but the main feature is the setting. I know nothing about archaeological sites, but I can completely understand the mystery and excitement of wanting to go visit one. It seems so simple and harmless, a collection of serious scientists doing their work, but danger can come without warning. The whole sandstorm scene is full of nothing but sheer terror. I never want to experience one!

Another standout part of this novel to me is the relationship between the group of friends. They are close, but their friendship is far from simple. It’s a turn off for me to read about friend circles in literature where everything is happy and easy all the time. Real friendships always have ups and downs, so the relationship between Alif and her friends felt very realistic, which I appreciated.

Now let’s talk about the real deal: the Oasis itself. There is nothing creepier than a thing that should be a point of salvation turning to be eerily too good to be true. While there they find a . . . thing. Artifact? Tablet? Magic item? Alien technology? Whatever it is, it seems sentient and I personally would not have tried to take it home, but they did and the power of the Oasis follows them, bending time and space and affecting all of them in different ways.

This book kept me guessing right until the end and my only real complaint was that I wanted more!

I adored Katya de Becerra’s debut What The Woods Keep so I was thrilled to hear she had a second YA novel coming out. Although this is nothing like the plot of her first novel, what I’ve come to see as her signature style is an outrageously unique and imaginative genre-bending premise featuring a smart, level-headed female protagonist who has at least one close friendship depicted as well as a minor hint of romance set against a creepy mind-blowing background.

Oasis is told from the first-person perspective of Alif, a young woman of mixed heritage with an American father and Jordanian mother, who grew up in Melbourne after her parents met in Sydney while studying. I love the casual diversity and acknowledgment of the melting pot of cultures in Australian society, and the story of Alif’s background makes me smile because my mother is Samoan and my father is Fiji-Indian, and they met in Tasmania after winning scholarships to study in Australia! One of this author’s strengths is fantastic characterization as Alif feels like a real person in just the first several pages with her wry commentary on being a ‘foreigner’ in Australia and her reflections on the dynamics within the friendship group.

When the story begins, Alif is heading to her father’s archaeological dig east of Dubai accompanied by her four best friends. I found it easy to tell each of these characters apart as they were given clear individual personalities and different dynamics with each other, which is impressive given the size of the group. It would’ve been easy to simplify matters by perfunctorily establishing the five being friends on an equal playing field, but the author puts in the effort to draw a complex web of relationships between the teenagers.

However we don’t get to know the other four as well as Alif since they aren’t given their own POV chapters and we only see them through her eyes. Normally I prefer a single narrator, but this is the rare instance where I think having at least one other narrator would’ve enhanced the story. On one hand, I suppose this way the reader feels as isolated as Alif since we can’t be certain of anyone else’s motives, but on the other, it could’ve provided us with more clarity about the other characters and upped the spook factor to see through their eyes as well.

Once the chess pieces have been set up on the board, a sandstorm wipes out the camp and Alif, her friends and a research assistant she has a crush on wind up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Things look dire until they encounter the oasis, seemingly their salvation…or rather, as you’d know from the blurb, the start of their downfall!

A quarter into Oasis, the plot takes off at a break-neck speed with one odd occurrence after another taking place, leaving the reader unsettled and questioning the nature of reality in the oasis. Our once-solid group of friends starts to unravel as paranoia and self-interest chip away at their bonds to each other, elevating the tension of this heart-pounding page-turner. It doesn’t follow any of the usual tropes and zigs when I expected it to zag, remaining unpredictable all the way through to its enigmatic open ending.

If you’re not a fan of ambiguous endings, this may not satisfy your need for closure. Personally I would’ve liked an idea of how things continued after the last page, but it still felt like a natural conclusion that made sense in retrospect.

The writing style is smoothly flowing and effortless; similar to the author’s debut, it’s also studded with fascinating trivia and esoteric scientific references. These were incorporated organically without ever feeling like a lecture, and I really liked how much research was done to be able to drop these tidbits of information in such a convincing easy-to-read manner.

This is another thoroughly enthralling and immersive story with a fast-paced addictive plot from Katya de Becerra, and I am so eager to see what mind-bending madness she concocts for us next!

The insatiable oasis will hunt down the thieves of this book and tear them
apart, limb by limb, devouring their screaming souls and spitting out bones.

The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the absolutely beautiful and brilliant cover. Elynn Cohen is listed as the book designer and I assume this also means she designed the cover but can’t be sure. Whoever the artist is, brava!

The second thing that got my attention about this book was the synopsis—there is nothing I like better than an archaeology setting in a crossgenre science fiction and mystery story and this one offers hints of horror and supernatural goings on.

The third thing that struck me about this book was the statement shown above, found on the copyright page, hilarious and very much to the point 😁

So, did Oasis and its author come through for me after so much promise? You betcha, but with a tiny bit of disappointment because I was hoping for a creepy horror show and this doesn’t quite get there. Having said that, I was intrigued by the author’s continual introduction of one strange thing after another, such as a desperate man who walks out of the desert, a mindblowing sandstorm (no pun intended), equipment that doesn’t work, an oasis that seems to mean survival but, hmm, perhaps not…

The oasis has a weird and frightening effect on the six people who have reached it and I enjoyed seeing their darker sides and how Alif, in particular, copes with unexpected personality changes in herself and others. In fact, it was refreshing to have characters whose friendships are not all sunshine and lollipops for a change.

When all is said and done, what’s real, what’s hallucination? Or is there maybe something out there?

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2020.

I received a copy of this book from Imprint Macmillan via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: On page death, Delusions, Attempted poisoning, Drunkenness

"The desert, it’ll treat you like an equal if you are prepared, if you are strong enough, but it’ll devour you whole if you display any sign of weakness."

I love tricky reads. I love reads that make you question what is reality, and what is fantasy. Oasis certainly does just that. What I also love is a story that makes the impossible, possible.

First and foremost, to save you some time wondering if you aren’t familiar with Mesopotamian mythology, (like I wasn’t before reading this), this story surrounds the Tablet of Destinies. The Tablet of Destinies a.k.a. Dup Shimati, in summation, gives the one who holds it the power to rule the universe. As you can imagine, an item containing that much power would cause some problems.

"Linguistically, these words come from Mesopotamian folklore. It has something to do with control over destiny. Or was it control over the universe?"

When Alif and her group of friends travel from Australia to Egypt to join her father on an archaeological dig, they expect to have a fun and productive summer excursion. A few days in, a man wanders into the camp from the desert. Delirious, battered, and in desperate need of medical attention, the man targets Alif in one of his rants. Mentioning something about “Dup Shimati waiting for her,” Alif begins to wonder if the local rumors are true. Is the dig sight cursed?

Shortly after, a sand storm wreaks havoc on the site. Alif and her friends find themselves lost in the middle of the desert, with no evidence of where they are, or how they got there. Desperate to find shelter from the harsh climate, an Oasis emerges from nowhere. Cool water, fruit, and shade are inviting. Yet, something sinister lurks in the underbrush. The more the group explores the Oasis, the stranger the occurrences become. Each of them dream strange dreams, which eventually put them at odds with one another. The further their journey goes, the more confusing it becomes for the reader to decipher which reality is real.

I really enjoyed the writing style in Oasis. It was surprisingly beautiful for a thriller. Upon reaching the conclusion of the story, I was left with one question: What was it all for? Oasis did not give me a sense of finality and understanding in the end. I found the story to be thought-evoking and enthralling, yet, I couldn’t make sense of what message was trying to be delivered to the reader.

Oasis certainly makes the reader ponder: What would one do if they could control their destiny? If we had the choice to choose our destiny, to change the patterns of life around us, would it really be for the better? I believe this is the general focus of the story, which led me to three hypotheses for what the actual purpose was.

1. The main character, Alif, discusses frequently the relationship between her parents, her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, and what career path she wants to pursue. Raised in a family of archaeologists, it had been assumed by most around her that she would follow in the same footsteps. However, archaeology is not the career path that she is most interested in. Point one discusses the deepest yearnings of the heart. Between her desire for her parents to get back together (a fantasy that the tablet plays on later on in the story) and her acceptance into a certain university, Alif traverses different paths that life can lead with the aid of the tablet. Of course, she cannot see into the future to see how it will play out in the end, but the ability makes her see life in a different light.

2. Alif mentions a few times that she is atheist. Is this experience her beginning to question her beliefs, and possibly changing her thoughts on what she believes?

3. Logic vs. Instincts
Who were these people? As I observed my friends, I could barely recognize them. Or maybe they were like this all along, their true natures merely were hidden by the excesses of Western civilization, only showing through now, in this extreme situation of life and death.

Seeing how this is a thriller, this element may be slightly more obvious than the others. When people are presented with crisis situations, how they act reveals some ugly truths that they perhaps didn’t even know about themselves. Is this book to show how instincts can take over any human when survival is at stake? Or, can logic prevail?

Oasis has left me with more questions than answers. I’m typically fine with having some questions at the end of a book, depending on the book. When a book ends, and leaves me high and dry with figuring out “the moral of the story,” that’s when I have real issues with it. I can’t help but think: Why go through all of that to not have a point? Certainly, to only invoke questions doesn’t give a thorough-enough idea of where the story is leading the reader. I liked this story, it’s writing, style, and content, but I just needed more answers in the end.

Vulgarity: Moderate.
Sexual content: Moderate, but nothing explicit. I would still recommend this for older young adult readers.
Violence: Moderate, including the death of a prominent character.

My Rating: ★★★1/2

t was just the right side of the curiously ambiguous against straight confusion line. Occasionally it tipped its toe over, but generally it was easy enough to follow what was happening without struggling or feeling like it was surreal to the point of distance.

There are constant twists and turns, a certain part of the oasis’ mystic power changing the world with a disconcerting jolt that felt like being shunted sideways at speed. I loved that, because it was so unsettling to fit the uneasy atmosphere.

The characters change in the oasis, or rather the cracks shown in the first section are broken even wider. I liked how the darkness seeped out, but that the characters had a choice to embrace the twisted version of their deepest desires or fight them. The need at the centre of the desires was reveled a little clumsily near the end, but it made a lot of sense.

It was also nice that it didn’t all come from a deep dark past, because it made Alif feel more like a normal character. She hadn’t tragically become an orphan (like much of YA) or had some terrible secret weighing her down. Instead she felt like any teenager between school and university, a mix of confidence in the familiar and doubt when it comes to the unfamiliar. Be that boys (and most of the tension between Luke and Tommy is her own silly fault) or the fact they’re lost in the desert in this impossible oasis. Her normality made the situation all the more eerie.

Overall, it was a good thriller that makes you question how much you can trust what you’re reading.

Oooh what a fantastical tale set on the desert of Dubai.

5 friends went to Dubai for an archeological escavation dig. A tourist lost 2 years ago reached their camp, dehydrated and malnourished, talking about a hungry queen whose sight was now on the 5 friends. A sandstorm ravaged the camp and the five along with the archeologist assistant were lost. Soon they reached their Oasis. And their deepest fears and desires came to light. The Queen was really hungry. And one of them died...

My first book by the author Katya De Becerra, the story reminded me of Michael Chrichton's Sphere, just with YA characters with their own hormones and emotions. The byplay of fear enamored me and brought out my inner desire to see the Queen try her viles on them.

I could feel the desperation and darker psyche of the characters come out when circumstances became difficult. Each chapter brought out a new mini adventure with it. At one point, I wondered if they would ever come out. I liked how the author created that kinda atmosphere.

The book was twisted where I wasn't sure which part was real and which was a mirage. The author kept me constantly guessing. I flew through the pages in my need for answers.

Being a human who has a thriller-y heart, I wanted a bit more horror to scare the socks off me. Friendship between the 5 seemed erratic. Nevertheless, the book satisfied my sadistic need to put those characters through a wringer. I am sometimes wicked, especially when these friends were mean to each other.

Overall, a fun thriller with hints of something non-human, with an open ending which left me with a single question - When is round 2?

I've been intrigued for this one since I first saw it. And overall I really enjoyed the book. In the end it had the kind of vague/not definite ending that while can be okay, and I know a lot of people like, I'm not the hugest fan of. I kind of like my endings tied up in little bows as much as possible. Or at least to know what happened. But the whole story up to that point was so good that I could barely put it down. I loved the dig site parts, and the friendships and tension between the group was well done also. There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and that is something that I do really like in a story. It was good to get the back stories of some of the characters to understand their motivation, but I do feel like we needed more about one of them, Luke, and maybe also Minh. The oasis itself was fascinating and how the author described it was very vivid and kept you guessing at what was next. The possible alien/ancient god aspect was a little iffy for me, I almost needed a little more of that. I had a hard time deciding what to rate this. I wavered between a 3.5 and 4 star rating. In the end I am giving this 4 stars, because what happened at the end may just be a personal issue that I had, and I can see that a lot of other people might enjoy that, and it was very well written, and had a lot that kept me turning pages as fast as I could hoping to find out all the answers.

This was a very strange but entertaining read. I've seen other reviews compare this book to The Twilight Zone and I think that is the perfect way to describe it, it is like an episode of The Twilight Zone. It is very weird but I still had a lot of fun reading it. The ending is very open ended which I don't usually love but it made sense for this story so in this case it didn't bother me too much.

I… think I just wasn’t the right reader for Oasis. Reading it was definitely a case of “it’s not you, it’s me,” which is a bummer because I loved the author’s debut What the Woods Keep.

I never connected with Oasis or its characters. The story itself was okay and felt like it was reliant on the Twilight Zone-esque world that Alif and her friends find themselves in. Which I think will appeal to some readers but not me. I knew this book was a bit of a risque for me based on the genre (supernatural thriller, which I generally avoid) and the synopsis despite the Indiana Jones feels it gave off. But I liked her first book so much I wanted to try it.

Oasis was one of those books I kept putting down every handful of pages. I was bored and around the halfway mark I thought quite a bit about DNF-ing and moving on. But I remembered her last book took a bit for me to warm up to so I pushed forward.

For starters, we have a group of five friends plus a student working with the protagonist’s (Alif’s) father. Alif, however, is the point-of-view character narrating the story which I felt limited the story’s impact (and my general interest in the book). She wasn’t a boring character, but I never felt like she gave much insight to catch my interest either. Her commentary throughout felt one-note.

Combined with that is the fact that it took around 100 pages for things to start picking up. All the build-up at the beginning of the book lacked any sort of suspense for me. And again, that might just be my personal view of what happened. I think I just needed something more from this book and wasn’t getting whatever it was.

It’s disappointing (to me) that this book didn’t work out but I’ll keep an eye on future books from this author! I think, in this case, others will definitely enjoy this book but it wasn’t for me.