what started as a young adult version of DEATH ON THE NILE turned into the worst characters I’ve ever come into contact with 🥴😵‍💫

every single college student on this cruise (that also teaches classes like what how can I sign up???) is an idiot - like if someone got unalived on my semester long cruise, I’d lock myself in my room and get the heck off that ship

BUT NO our MCs have to solve the mystery before the police do!!!! why? it’s still unclear to me

diana urban is a queen for fast-paced heart-pounding locked door mysteries, and I must admit, I was pretty hooked even though I was rolling my eyes and cringing at these characters and their dialogue more often than not

I just found the entire story a little unbelievable and random for my taste, but for those who love young adult mysteries, definitely give it a go!

thank you to netgalley and razorbill for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage

This one is just pure fun.

It's a little silly and a whole lot of over-the-top crazy, but I loved our main character and absolutely adored the setting - I would have loved to do a semester at sea (maybe without murder, thought).

There's a ton of teen angst and the reasons behind everything definitely stretch the imagination - turn your logic sensors off. But the book was a blast of a read.

Would read the author again!

Lying in the deep

This was one wild ride, a 5 star worthy ride. I had so many different ideas of what was going on that I had to write them down to keep track. I am somewhat proud that I figured out parts of it. There are so many plot twists and additions that are there just to throw you off.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Diana Urban, and the publisher for the opportunity to read the book.

The characters are brilliant, I really enjoyed how they all interacted. I think it was a good idea to have them be college-aged given some of the things that happen. There are hard drugs involved in one storyline, and it wasn't until that point that i realised how vital that age choice was. This is one of those books where if you didn't catch the hints while reading, you will when you're looking back. It was nice to have a little hint of romance even if it seemed to progress quite quickly.

If I had a complaint, it would be the main character is not the sharpest tool in the shed. If you're the main suspect in a crime, don't start breaking into crime scenes and having chats with other suspects. (On that point, they really should have had guards or something) Also, I knew very quickly what she'd done to upset her friend enough that she stole her boyfriend (not that I condone that). Plus, she very much was kind of stalking her cheating ex, and that's not a good look.

I already own one of the authors' other books, and i'm excited to read that one now.

This is definitely one of those murder mysteries where EVERYONE has a motive to keep you guessing! I also really enjoyed the fact that the story was set at a semester at sea (and yay for college-aged characters in YA books!!!!).

I've read a number of books in this genre, but this is the first to take place at a school on a luxury cruise ship (which is something I've never even heard of). I found it to be a fast-paced and engaging suspense. There are numerous twists to keep the reader guessing during this floating mystery.

At times, Jade was a bit annoying in her obsession with her ex-boyfriend Silas and ex-friend Lainey. Jade's relationship with Felix with okay, but it did feel a little forced. In some scenes, the characters felt like they were in high school vs. college, but this did balance out overall.

It was fun to try and figure out who the killer was, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I wish a bit more of the action had taken place off the ship so I could've enjoyed the ports a bit more, but I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to reading more by Urban in the future.

Are you ready Dive into the deep end of this chilling tale with a shocking twist?

College at Sea - Jade is spending a semester of college at sea, called Campus on Board, that she has been dreaming of through most of college.
Ex-Bestie - But when she arrives she finds her ex-bestie and her ex-boyfriend there, and they happen to be dating each other.
Found Dead - Jade is still reeling from the abrupt breakup and is even more taken aback when her ex-bestie is found missing with blood all over her cabin.
Body Count - the Body count continues to rise as someone is trying desperately to cover their tracks and potentially frame Jade.

While I had never read anything by this author before, I will absolutely be picking up more. The pacing was fast and I loved the chapters filled with life on the boat as well as some fun excursions in Europe. The twists will keep you guessing for sure. This book would be perfect for a vacation read. Grab a life vest and join the suspenseful journey

I had given up on Young Adult mysteries for a while, but this story was a fun and fast read that I enjoyed.

The story takes place on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship and features a diverse cast of characters who all have their own secrets and motives. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing what really happen until the end.

Jade, the main character, is a relatable and sympathetic protagonist who has been betrayed by her ex-boyfriend Silas and former best friend Lainey. She's excited to be embarking on an adventure of a lifetime and hoping to put some distance between herself and the people who hurt her. However, when she discovers that her ex and former friend are also on board, things quickly take a dark turn.

The murder that takes place on the ship sets off a chain reaction of events that lead to even more deaths and a race against time to catch the killer. Urban's writing is fast-paced and engaging, with well-drawn characters and plenty of suspense. The setting of the cruise ship adds an extra layer of tension to the story, as the characters are isolated and unable to escape from danger. While there is a big group of characters, it is easy to remember who is who based on the events that happened before the murder. And this also helps the reader to figure out who is the murdered.

What I loved most about Lying in the Deep was the way the story explored themes of jealousy, love, and betrayal. Urban expertly weaves these themes into the plot, making for a truly thrilling and thought-provoking read. Overall, I highly recommend Lying in the Deep to anyone who loves a good young adult mystery or thriller. It's a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Summary of review: my favorite part of the book was when I got to close it.

Welcome aboard! Let's throw character development and interesting plots in the belly of the ship and use cheesy tropes and a bad boy to lure you on deck! Hopefully, you'll have such a good time, you can ignore what is being left out.

This book is so cheesy. Generally, I find a lot of books cheesy, but that doesn't mean I can't have a good time. Lying in the Deep is heavily dependent on tropes and comical caricatures of teenagers to keep you reading.

Our characters are text-book cardboard with single-trait personalities. Felix, the bad boy; Miguel, the Instagram star; Lainey, the b*tchy ex-best friend; and Jade, our sweet but sassy main character. These are just some of the characters that made up our main cast. Since they are spending a college semester aboard, I was expecting it to be a little more mature in dialogue. Yet, no college-age kids talk like our characters do (proof of point: IM a college-age kid). The book is filled with a lot of stilted dialogue and awkward one-liners that were supposed to be funny. I do not have a problem with large casts of characters, but when not a single one of them is interesting, I get lost and confused. All of the relationships between them are so shallow you wouldn't dare to dive into them. Since meeting the characters is the first 15% of the book, I had a bad feeling just after that section alone.

The mystery is badly written. In an effort to not make the culprit obvious, the author gives a bunch of red herrings that are incredibly obvious. Jade is, unfortunately, quite dumb and doesn't pick up on any clues until the end, when she is trapped with the murderer. Instead of fighting like hell to get free, she decides to let the murderer explain themself. Absolutely ludicrous. As silly as that is, it gets even worse. The murderer twists the plot on its head in an unending dialogue that is made up of "that's what you think happened, but really I...." It was a valiant effort to save a mystery, but it just made me laugh through the pain.

Warning: do not board this book boat. There is a 90% chance of boredom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with the eARC! I really enjoyed Diana's These Deadly Games so I was intrigued by her next book, even more so when I got to read an excerpt from it(thank you BookishFirst).
I have second degree hate for Laniey already omg. Usually it's the best friend dates my bf trope is a cliche but it works here in a very good way, I can already tell. Jade's interaction with Miguel is giving me strangers on a train vibes but ofc they're on a cruise. And the prologue with the opening scene...I love that Jade has no qualms about finding her ex bestie dead, she just like "welp, its what she deserves' it's cold but I love it because ofc she feels that way. I like her murderous imagination. Also the shirt thing with the twins(how are you gonna buy someone a shirt, give them it, and you expect them to pay it back?) When I read it I thought "ohhh, so they're like that. Ok". Also the way Lainey acts whenever Jade tries to talk to her and Silas as if she's a psycho ex makes me question if she told badmouth Jade around Silas, cause she's definitely mindfucking with everyone on the cruise. Made me wonder what she's setting the stage up for because it seemed manipulative to me. I kept on wondering how Jade had enough time to wander about a ship( whenever there's a teen sleuth you have to give them the benefit of the doubt and throwaway some logic), cause there was 18 hours until they docked at the next port and she never really got tired or seemed hungry, I understand she was on adrenaline probably but for the entirety of the 18 hours, never resting or eating at least a little bit? She shouldn't have been able to function imo. I did still enjoy reading the book, I liked her and Felix's banter and ofc with Diana Urban the love interest is not what they seem which seems to be a pattern in her books. I like the shock of that.

I'm such a sucker for adaptations, and this one exceeds all expectations!

Though the story is inspired by Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie), all the modern twists and turns in the plot take it to another level.

I can't wait to see what Diana writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for providing me with an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

The +s:
- I enjoyed reading this book! I liked the setting and enjoyed the descriptions. I also did find myself wanting to pick it back up whenever I had to set it down.
- The romance was cute and fun to follow!
- It was fast paced and action packed, especially in the second half. I tend to turn off my brain when reading mysteries so I did enjoy the twists, though some were predictable.
- I was definitely waiting throughout to find out what happened between Jade, Lainey, and Silas. I found that plotline intriguing and had no way of guessing what had happened.

The -s:
- It did feel a little juvenile at times and I found myself often forgetting that the characters were college students.
- I did not feel very attached to the characters nor did I find most of them very memorable.
- Though there was plenty of action going on, it was a little frustrating to follow as the characters kept making stupid decisions that ultimately led nowhere. The discoveries they made did not really help Jade solve the mystery. Rather, they came together to form a clear picture after the answer was revealed.

Overall, an enjoyable 3-star read in a unique setting with some fun twists. Pick it up you're looking for something light and fast paced!

This was ok but I didn’t love it. The second part of the novel is more action filled and enjoyable, however the first half just sounds like teenage drama for the most part

Ahh what a blast this book was.

It’s fast-paced, high-stakes, and I LIVED for the Death on the Nile references. Diana’s descriptions of the different cities and locations were fantastic and added such a fun flare. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while the book is categorized as YA, the characters are college juniors/seniors, which made it much more plausible. I didn’t see some of the twists coming, which is always a bonus, and I LOVED Felix and Jade’s relationship.

Super grateful to Netgalley and Razorbill for the arc! Highly recommend for readers of upper YA locked-room thrillers who love a dash of romance in their stories.

I love me a locked room mystery, and generally really enjoy YA mysteries, but this one just didn’t work well for me . The first half of the book is just “teenage” whining although these are college level students and should be a bit more mature … the second half is more fast paced and a lot more interesting .

Jade has signed up for a semester at sea on a cruise ship, not realising that she'll be stuck on the vessel with none other than her ex boyfriend... And her ex best friend whom he's now dating. This may not be the exciting adventure she had hoped.

Lying in the Deep is a brilliantly twisty mystery with a murder and a juicy ending. Not the answers I was expecting, I was gripped right from the start!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review, thank you to those who sent it to me!
I loved this YA retelling of Death on the Nile! It was fast paced and the ‘whodunnit’ aspect piqued my interest from the get go.
I won’t lie, I wasn’t huge on the main characters at first, and the love triangle did make me roll my eyes quite a bit, but by the second half I was completely invested in the main characters and all the love interests that they had.
There were lots and lots of twists and turns but in the last quarter or so things were being resolved and plot holes were being filled with reasonable explanations.
Overall, this book was a fast paced and intriguing read!

I read a lot of thrillers but never before have I gone from "this is so obvious" to "OMG WHAT". While the plot twist is almost impossible to predict, it works for the book. More than just a "whodunnit", Lying in the Deep is partially a character exploration of it's protagonist, Jade. While Jade comes off as juvenile at times, it works for the book. She is, in many ways, a child playing adult games, which is precisely how many actual college students feel. Aside from the murder mystery, this book does an exquisite job of portraying the aftermath of a breakup in which you must confront the fact that the person you thought you loved never actually existed. It is an important narrative and one that will resonate with many readers. As a mystery, Lying in the Deep succeeds in weaving a complex tale of deceit and betrayal, although some parts did feel slightly rushed.

A faced paced book that's literally filled with twists and turns, you never know what's going to happen next and who's the real culprit. I was kept guessing to the end and couldn't put this down. I also loved this studying at sea theme which is really unique similar to a "locked room mystery" and I've never heard of it before so I also felt like I learned a lot. The characters are dynamic and have personalities that draw you right into the story. Overall this is a really strong mystery thriller and I really recommend.

I was hooked on this story until the last 10%. Once the reveal happened, there were so many twists that I could not keep up. I ended up more confused than amused and was just glad to be done.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I LOVED this book. I always wanted to do a Semester At Sea so this being based on that was what initially caught my eye. The twists that I didn’t see coming kept me hooked. I thought I had guessed who did it but then it wasn’t them. I gasped so many times. Due to recent events in my life, what happened to a character hit close to home and I cried. I didn’t see the ending coming AT ALL. When I say my jaw didn’t come up from the floor until about 5 minutes after I finished the books. It got crazier and crazier until the last page. I also want to know what happens to Felix and Jade. I loved them and I hope they’re happy.