In "Those We Drown" by Amy Goldsmith, the author delivers a chilling debut that immerses readers in an ocean-drenched atmosphere of horror with a modern twist. With a mix of body horror and psychological terror, the book captures the fear of isolation and the mysteries lurking beneath the water's surface.

The strength of the horror elements in this book cannot be denied. The sense of unease and isolation on the cruise ship, The Eos, is palpable, and the author skillfully utilizes the fear of the unknown to create a suspenseful atmosphere. The incorporation of mild body horror adds an extra layer of discomfort, intensifying the sense of dread. The main character, Liv, finds herself caught in a web of uncertainty and distrust as she tries to uncover the truth behind the disappearances aboard the ship. The author effectively portrays Liv's struggle with self-doubt and the gaslighting she experiences, which adds to the psychological tension. The open ending leaves readers with a lingering sense of unease, a classic horror touch that works well in this context.

While the doubt and hesitation of the main character can be frustrating at times, it aligns with the horror genre's tradition of characters disregarding obvious evidence. However, there are instances when Liv's trust in untrustworthy individuals feels unrealistic, and her vocal confrontation instead of discreet investigation can be annoying.

The supporting characters in the story lack depth and development, as the focus leans heavily on the suspenseful narrative. Although this is acceptable for a horror-focused novel, readers seeking well-rounded characters may find themselves wanting more. One aspect that may leave readers wanting is the lack of satisfactory explanations for certain elements. Some threads are left dangling, which can be both intriguing and frustrating depending on personal preferences.

Overall, this debut delivers a compelling horror experience and utilizes the setting and atmosphere to create a sense of dread that is difficult to get in most YA horror. While some character decisions may test readers' patience, the well-executed horror elements make up for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Publishing for the eARC. This is an honest review.

4⭐️

Liv isn’t sure why she applied for the semester at Sea considering she hates the water. But when she receives a full scholar ship and her best friend is also selected, she knows she has to go. Her and Will have been friends since they were kids and the trip is falling just when there has been some upheaval in their relationship. Liv feels like six weeks on a cruise ship is just what they need to get their relationship. She wasn’t expecting for everyone else in the program to be from wealthy families and definitely wasn’t expecting the three influencers known as “The Sirens” to be on board as well.

After a bit too much alcohol on the first night, Will embassies Liv in front of everyone and she quickly returns to her room. The next morning, Will is nowhere to be seen and the leader of their program informs Liv that Will was sick and was being quarantined in the medical bay. But the messages that Liv receives from Will don’t sound like they come from him and there’s something off with the crew. The only one that seems concerned is Liv and she has to find out how to rescue Will while in the middle of the ocean.

A book about the ocean seemed appropriate given current events. This book did nothing to dissuade my fears of the ocean and I think anyone that would willing get on a cruise ship is crazy. I think that this book perfectly captured the normal creepiness of the ocean and perfectly wound in supernatural aspects.

I know that everyone other than Liv was supposed to be unlikeable as part of the plot, but some of them were infuriating. Specifically Will; he goes missing almost immediately after hurting Liv and the concern she has for him does not seem to match the care he had for her. It was almost painful the lengths Liv would go to to convince everyone they should care. There were also many times that Liv just seemed so naive to me that I couldn’t believe was real. Most of the characters did feel a bit like a caricatures of a Gen Z influencer, which was painful.

Thanks NetGalley for providing this ARC to me!

During the Summer months I love reading campy-feeling, trope-filled Horror and Thriller stories. I call them Summer Screams, Summer Scares or Summer Chillers. I'm sure you get what I mean by that type of story. It's a vibe. A bonus is a setting near, in, or around a body of water.

With this in mind, you can probably guess my excitement level when I first hear about Those We Drown. All I needed to read was the first sentence of the synopsis, 'an ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut', and I was sold. Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to love and connect with this story, it didn't work for me.

In this one we follow Liv, who is setting out with her somewhat estranged-best friend, Will, for a semester-at-sea aboard a luxury cruise ship, the Eos.

Liv is in attendance after being awarded a scholarship. She didn't think much about that at first, but once she arrives at the ship, it's clear that the other students in the program are all very, very wealthy. Of particular note are a trio of stunning influencers. Basically, the Plastics of the sea. Liv feels self-conscious now about her scholarship. She feels like she stands out because of it; like everyone knows her financial situation and is talking about it.

At least she has Will though. He doesn't care about such things. That is until they have a big blowout fight in front of everyone opening night. How embarrassing! The next day, after several attempts to reach Will, Liv finds out he has taken ill and is now in quarantine. She tries desperately to get the powers-that-be to let her see him, but she gets shot down at every try.

From there we follow Liv as she tries to figure out what has really happened to Will. Is he actually sick, or is something more sinister going on? After reading 400-pages of Liv, perhaps he is just hiding from her? Something to think about...

This started out slow and in my opinion, stayed that way. It never took off. It went from nothing happening, to the MC floundering around repeating the same concerns over and over for 300-pages. As a main character, I found Liv to be, honestly, really annoying. Her whole character was one note, desperation, but not in a way that made you feel desperate too. More in a way that you just wanted to get away from her.

Additionally, I am an atmosphere-girlie. You could give me nothing else, but if a book has a dark, eerie, ominous atmosphere, I am going to like it. I don't need to like characters, I don't need to believe your plot, but I need to have a strong atmosphere. Sadly, I did not get what I was looking for here in that regard. They could have been anywhere. I never felt that eerie sort of vibe I wanted. It just wasn't there.

Overall, the story felt very repetitive and I didn't enjoy the direction the plot went, as far as the reveals and the truth behind the Eos. It didn't hit like I expected.

With all of this being said, this is 100% my personal opinion. I am by no means the end-all, know-all of YA Horror novels. If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. Just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you won't. After all, there's a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader.

Even though this one didn't quite fit my tastes, I am glad I picked it up and I would consider reading future work from this author. Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know a lot of Readers will have fun with this.

Let me start off by saying the cover, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Those We Drown, however, is straight murderous. It has a chilling spine that honestly leaves you feeling slickly horrified throughout the whole story.

This book had a really interesting premise. A set of young adults are all chooses to take part of a semester at sea aboard a cruise ship. The book quickly turns frightening and jumps right into uncovering the eerie mysteries of the ship and it’s so easy to get lost in the mystery of what Liv & co. are going through.

With Liv, I found myself having trouble connecting to her and I also felt like she didn’t truly connect with any of the characters, even when she showed interest in Con. With that, I really felt for Con (one of our MMCs) during a lot of this book. At first he comes off rich and arrogant, but honestly he seems truly lost the more you get to know him. Once everything comes to light for Liv and Con, it’s honestly quite horrific and devastating and I felt like I was spiraling into the depths with them.

Also, the ending was a little abrupt and you don’t necessarily get answers to all of your questions. Although maybe that’s part of the thriller of Amy’s story. I just felt myself wanting a little more or a little more clarity. Overall though, this book is wonderfully creeptastic. If you want a book that will lure you to sea, this is it!

What the heck did I just read?! My mind is literally reeling, like if I were sitting on the boat with Con and Liv while the rough seas rolled us. This was such an incredible, creepy, exquisite debut YA Horror novel.

This was the best kind of mashup between Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and a creepy Greek Mythology obsessed Cult. The twists kept me on my toes, and the writing kept me wondering if Liv was right or truly going crazy. I cannot sing enough praise for this fantastic story!!

Amy Goldsmith’s Those We Drown has to be the seventh or eighth book I’ve read in the last year and half that take place on a cruise ship and maybe the third that also has the backdrop of a semester at sea. I don’t know if this is a new trend or what, but I’m really enjoying them.
Olivia (Liv) is both excited and nervous to be spending a semester at sea aboard the luxurious Eos cruise ship. No pun intended, but there’s no denying that aboard this luxury cruise ship she’s a fish out of water. A vast majority of the passengers are older, the other students are all filthy rich, and there is a group of ‘glamorous’ influencers aboard that all only too happy to look down their noses at her. But at least Will, a friend of hers since childhood, is also one the students and is in the cabin right next door.

It should be the trip of a lifetime. Unfortunately, problems start almost immediately. She really doesn’t fit in with the other students and almost immediately gets on the wrong side of the influencers. But worse than that, after the first night Will falls ‘ill’ and is moved out of his room. And from there things just get weirder and creepier. There is something so not right on this ship!

This is a stellar debut. 4.5 stars! Goldsmith weaves a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric tale. And I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. Horror/thriller fans will want to check this one out. I’d like to thank Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Those We Drown.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3CHFLXG9CICHX/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

A creepy read from start to finish and I was picking up on the hints the author was putting down. I wasn't sure how I felt about Liv at first and until about halfway through I wasn't really rooting for her to win against what was going on, but she kept pushing even when no one believed her. Though there were times where I wished I could shake her and tell her to hush up and stop showing her cards early. I was definitely more invested in the overall mystery than I was the characters but the characters, even the antagonists, grew on me. The ending was perfect and poetic for the overall story but I was distraught all the same. I can't wait to read future works from Goldsmith.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. I absolutely loved the general plot, setting, mythology, and mystery. However, I found the characters both flat and unlikeable. I can tell there was a lot of time spent on all other aspects of this novel and wanted the characters to be given that same attention to detail.

I found the pacing of this book to be just right; it never felt rushed or bogged down by exposition. The characters all played a part, Poor Liv, poor, poor sweet baby Liv. The level of gaslighting in this story is epic. I mean, the author had me questioning if I was losing it.

I fell like Mel B on Goodreads says this part best: "Ok, hear me out. If R.L. Stine and Agatha Christie had a baby who was then raised by one of the Brontë sisters, it would be this book."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/ Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. Review will be posted on Insta by end of publication date (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

Twisted, claustrophobic, dark story to lose yourself in this summer!
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Olivia is a senior in high school and is offered a scholarship to spend six weeks on a ship called the Eon. She goes with her best friend Will and they meet some interesting rich kids also attending the Seamester program. Basically Will gets drunk and calls Olivia out on being a clingy friend and having a crush on him several years ago. He then gets sick or so Olivia is told and she begins to suspect the ship of lying to her. Other people go missing and everyone acts like nothing happened. Leaving Olivia to figure out what is going on for herself.

This wasn’t my favorite mystery read. The characters were developed but the plot seemed a bit all over the place but it was still fun to read!

A cruise vacation is my favorite type of vacation, but a cruise ship also makes for the best kind of horror setting. Floating in the middle of the ocean with a forced proximity to the terror does create a sense of unease and Goldsmith uses that unease in the best ways possible.

Our protagonist Liv is looking to use SeaMester as a way to make herself stand out on university applications. Her best friend Will appears to be just along for the ride. Right away we are introduced to Liv's fear of the ocean, of ships, and of swimming. We also get Liv's perspective on what she thought a cruise ship would be. This is where Goldsmith lost me a little. Liv struck me as the type to really research this trip before applying, but her first impressions show that Google was nowhere in her search history and I just found it to be really odd. And if Liv didn't do her research, why didn't her parents check it out?

The book does start off a little slowly, but once the disappearances and the weird occurrences start occurring, the pages fly by and I read 90% of the book in one day. Liv's relationships with the other students of SeaMester feel artificial and I didn't feel the sense of urgency at first when she starts her psychological downfall. Those We Drown does rely on Liv making connections as the horror unfolds around her, but while she's undeniably concerned and completely gaslit by the other characters, there are times where she just accepts an explanation that on the surface should have been a clue. Other times she's TSTL and these changes in characterization were jarring.

The horror is well done at times and at other times the descriptions don't really convey anything too scary. This is not a jump out and scare them slasher book, but rather a psychological terror book. Those looking for slashers won't get their fix here, but I would recommend Those We Drown to those that like their horror to be more cosmic in nature.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the arc for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was drawn to this book by the cover and synopsis. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was for me. The whole time I was hoping Liv would stop being frustrating and it just never happened. I think I smacked myself in the head like a cartoon character 5 or 6 times over here. It actually just kept getting worse. Something obviously very suspicious would happen and she’d just turn around and hang out with that person again the next day. Literally everyone on the ship was trying to lie and gaslight her and she would blurt out everything to them and then be surprised when they acted like they didn’t believe her. Con was a jerk the whole time but she kept making out with him when he didn’t act at all like he deserved the time of day from her and was the most suspicious person in the book! I also thought the conclusion with Will and the others would be more climatic and it wasn’t. I really liked the plot and it just felt like it was missing something for me. Definitely check it out yourself when it comes out June 27th!

As a former Greek myth obsessed child, I loved this book. The idea of being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean while sinister things take place that you are the sole witness to sounds like a truly chilling nightmare to me. Not to mention being stuck there with influencers/sirens. I do have to say Liv often annoyed me with her waffling between absolute surety and desperate rationalization. Plus it's left as a bit of a loophole that Livs parents would expect an explanation as to where their daughter went as they had not offered her up. Over all though, it was a quick read with an interesting plot and a compelling mystery.

This was a terrifying read, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

2⭐️

This absolutely GORGEOUS cover and ambiguous description of a suspicious cruise where people are going missing immediately drew me into this one. Dark secrets, suspicious characters and all of this while being stuck on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean - count me in!

But once I started reading ... the plot started to fall off for me...

Granted, this is a debut book - but I felt like it had SOOO much potential to be a creepy, paranormal YA book and then was let down massively. First off, the MC Liv is incredibly annoying. Her friend Will was rude AF to her and yet she's running all over this ship trying to find him. Everyone, literally EVERYONE in this book seems to be hiding something and yet Liv is trusting everyone and telling them what she suspects. I feel like this incredibly smart girl who won a literal scholarship to be on this boat would be smarter than to include everyone in her theories when they could all be involved. Then it was the whole delusional conspiracy theories and making her seem crazy over and over and over again... we get it.

There was such strong potential for all the Greek references and mythology. I would have loved if that would have been included more than just brief references in passing. The Sirens were interesting characters but I also felt like this wasn't developed enough and was way too obvious at what was really going on with them. I did enjoy all of the little secrets that were revealed piece by piece and how some of the characters evolved from friends to being suspicious.

The biggest thing that irked me was that there was all these little pieces that NEVER got fully explained. The book literally felt like it was missing the last few chapters where everything came together. No spoilers - but I am still unsure of WTF actually happened in the end... but maybe this is all setup for a sequel. The first half of the book was promising, then we had the same scenario of Liv looking crazy and being so back and forth with Con for the whole middle. Once things started heating up in the end I was completely invested and then it just ended??

This was a 2-star book for me... maybe YA readers will enjoy it more than I did. But there was just something about how it ended and nothing got fully explained that ruined it for me. I loved the culty, paranormal vibes it was giving off and just wished it would have been a bit more developed.

This book felt like I was reading a movie. There were so many good plot twists and it was very hard to guess what was going to happen next. I thought the main character, Liv, was a little unrelatable at times with how over the top she was, but I could understand why she was doing it. I really enjoyed all of the character's personalities and how even some of the staff members had interesting personalities when they didn't necessarily need to. I thought the writing was very interesting and there were times when I had to look up what words meant, which is very unusual for me when I read a book. I wish we would have gotten to see more of Will before he disappeared, maybe I would have been able to relate to Liv a bit more. I cannot believe that it ended on a cliff hanger and I really hope there is a second book in the future.
I would highly recommend this book to my friends as really enjoyed it.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this story, but I struggled to connect with Liv and empathize with her — which makes it hard when she’s the main driver of the story. Combined with slower pacing, it didn’t work for me. However, this might be a good fit for some teens who are really into Siren mythology, rich / elite crowds, and a MC who has to try to convince everyone that what she sees is real.

"The sea provides, but only if you feed it."

Another very creepy read! Liv is on a cruise for a Seamester with her best friend Will. Surrounded by some quite ridiculous people, rich kids and influencers, this trip isn't going great for her. When her friend Will goes missing, Liv starts down the rabbit hole to figure out what is going on with this ship.

I really liked this, but a lot of the side characters got on my nerves at times. This book has great atmosphere and spooky vibes, and it definitely serves as a reminder to always question everything.

Out June 27, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I'm fascinated by any ocean horror so when I heard about this book I was excited to see where it went. Overall I wasn't disappointed. It's an interesting take on the genre and adds a few new things to the mix that I appreciated. The sense of "wrongness" that permeates the pages was done well, and I found myself torn more than once trying to decide if our main character was actually in the middle of something fishy (pardon my pun) or if she was just losing her mind to the stress of things, so bravo to Goldsmith for that. I think the thing I cared for the least was the romantic subplot. I know that it's almost unheard of to have a YA novel without a romance element, and I think there are some ways it could have been done that would have caused me to like it more, but as it stood the love interest just made me want to bang my head against a wall. Not only is he shallow he borders on gaslighting, and my GOD is he dense. I honestly feel like making him any other kind of character would have improved the story, but it is what it is. Love interest aside I did still have fun with this book, and will be more than happy to suggest it to anyone looking for a reason to distrust cruise ships, because let's be honest, there are a few. The ending was open enough that I would be interested to see where Goldsmith might take the story if she had the opportunity for a sequel, but even if that doesn't happen I'll keep an eye on her to see what she comes up with next.

I have a low threshold for horror and am terrified of cruises, so I'm not sure why I thought I should pick up this book, but I'm really glad I did!

Liv was chosen for SeaMester--a term aboard a cruise ship. Her best friend Will was chosen as well, and she's hopeful they'll have a chance to mend the awkwardness between them. But the first night, they have a fight--and then Will disappears. Supposedly, he's in the infirmary, having come down with some highly infectious illness. But Liv thinks the story just doesn't add up. Besides, that's not the only strange thing happening aboard the Eos.
As the days go on, she becomes more and more sure that something horrible has happened to Will, and that nothing aboard the ship is at it seems. Most of her group brushes her off, but she finds solace in Con, whose connection to another missing person intrigues her, and Cintia.

Those We Drown is unsettling and creepy, playing with the horrors of sea--both what lies below and how it affects those who sail on it. I never knew quite who to trust--including Liv's own experiences. The vibes were immaculate, and I couldn't put this book down. It made me want to read more horror, which is huge!