I picked up "The Shallows" by Holly Craig thinking, 'Perfect beach read! A little suspense, a little sunshine, what could go wrong?' And honestly? It was...fine. Like, a solid 'meh' in the middle of the road.
The whole vibe of the town? Loved it! You could practically smell the salt air and feel the sand between your toes. Holly Craig definitely nailed the setting. It's that whole 'pretty on the outside, dark secrets on the inside' thing that I usually eat up.
But, and this is a big but, I just didn't really connect with the characters. They were all...there. I wanted to care about their drama, I really did, but they felt a little like cardboard cutouts. I kept waiting for that spark, that moment where I'd go, 'Oh, I get it!' But it never really happened.
And the plot twists? I saw most of them coming a mile away. Which, you know, is a bummer when you're hoping for a good surprise. It's not that it was bad, it was just...predictable.
It was a perfectly okay way to spend a few hours, and if you're looking for something light and breezy to read by the pool, this might be your jam. But if you're looking for a thriller that'll really stick with you, this probably isn't it. It's like that summer fling that's fun in the moment, but you forget about it by September.

A compelling mystery - Emma's worry and fear absolutely radiated through the pages. The audiobook had an amazing narrator, the pulse of the reading quick and really helped ramp up the feeling of dread. The short chapters, the abrupt sentences - short and sharp - all of it added to the story and made it all feel very real, very scary.

Emma's wonder about her neighbor, the strange notes and watched encounters were intriguing at first. But once she was pushed onto the boat with her kids and barely packed clothes, this felt like a race to stay alive. I found Emma so easy to identify with.

I shockingly relevant story and a good mystery. I highly recommend the audiobook!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Emma and Ariella are neighbours. Both living lavish lifestyles in an exclusive pocket of Sydney. Both in unhappy marriages with men who harbour dark secrets, particularly when it comes to their questionable business dealings. Not long after Emma becomes Ariella's close confidante, Ariella is murdered and suddenly Emma and her two children are forced into hiding against their will. As Emma tries to work out who murdered Ariella and why, she hatches a scheme to escape the clutches of her potentially murderous husband. But her high-risk plan becomes even more perilous when her husband discovers the secret that she has been keeping from him!

This is my summary of The Shallows, but this domestic thriller has many more layers to it that explore relationships, loyalties, the criminal underworld and the lengths we would go to for what is right and the ones we love.

There's so much I like about this book. Top of the list is the writing. Holly's descriptions are so observant and intimate, down to the smallest details, planting the reader as an invisible bystander inside the world she has created. It might be called The Shallows, but I felt like I was treading water for most of the book, waiting for the lifeboat that would save Emma, her kids and her unborn child from some terrible unknown fate.

The story is told in first person, plunging us headfirst into Emma's thoughts, feelings and circumstances. I normally prefer the broader perspective of third-person POV, but appreciate that it may not have served this intense storyline as well. The tension ratchets up with each chapter and the story heads in a direction I did not expect.

A cracking debut novel that I'm certain marks the ascent of one of Australia's fastest rising stars in the thriller genre. Congrats Holly!

Many thanks to Netgalley for this book. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

In this book we are following Emma, Ariella, Mateo, and Charles. Emma and Charles are married with two kids and a third on the way. Emma has been having an affair with Jack which resulted in her recent pregnancy. Emma and Jack decide to wait and get a house so that Emma can leave Charles and divorce him and be with Jack instead. But then Mateo and Ariella move next door and the few months that live next door starts a chain of events that leave one of them dead. Ariella is scared and has personal security that watch her everywhere. Then when Emma’s daughter catches Arielle’s murder on a YouTube video Charles takes the family and runs. Charles changes from a loving family man to someone Emma doesn’t recognize. Emma tries to escape and keep her children save. Jack comes to the island where Charles brings them because Mateo is blaming Ariella’s death on Charles. Then Mateo finds them and kills Charles. Emma, Jack, the kids, and two other women escape by swimming to another island and are saved. Emma has a daughter she names Ella who came early. Emma, Jack, and everyone else lives happily ever after and Matteo is caught and arrested.

I hate when the author don't believe that you understands what is written so everything is either explained way too detailed or everything is repeated time after time. This was not for me.

The Shallows reminded me of having whiplash. The reader is dropped into the story at a breakneck pace. The chapters are short and so fast-paced you have no time to catch your breath. There is little to no character development. I have no idea why I want to care about any of these people. It is just not that type of story. However, as a character-driven reader, this didn't work for me. I need to care about the characters. I want to understand their motivations. I want to feel their fear. None of that happened. I think this is a case of the book not being for me rather than any issue with the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of twists and turns in this one and a huge amount of tension. It moves along at a good pace, especially the now part. I didn't realise this was a debut novel until I looked up the author and that makes it even more impressive. Can't wait to read more from her based on this.

This was good read, twisty and it kept you guessing until the end. I enjoyed this one alot. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A good read
With plenty of secrets
You will want to keep turning the pages
Plenty of twists and turns
Thanks NetGalley

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - loved it!

A captivating thriller that addresses family and friendship ties, exploring the need to maintain determination and survive in the face of terrifying and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The author's writing is engaging and the book cover is stunning!

An original plot with a story as stunning as the book cover! I can't believe this was Holly Craig's debute! What a fantastic book.. Can't wait to read what she comes out with next!

A nicely twisty domestic thriller. The characters might not all be likable, the situation a little unrealistic, but it's still a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

5 STARS!!!!
I started listening to this last night and OMG I could not stop reading/listening to it as I have both the audio and the Ebook. So many twists and crazy things happened in this book my heart was in my throat more than once. So very well written and very descriptive with an ending that will give you butterflies. I highly recommend you all RUN and get this book its that good! Be warned though once you start you won't stop until you finish!!!! I read this in under 24 hours!

I saw another review comparing this to a low-budget Netflix suspense series, and I think that really sums up my thoughts on this one. While there was a lot of suspense throughout the book, it felt unrealistic and avoidable.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc! I appreciate the privilege of reading it and experiencing the world the author has created!

Wait wait wait, you are telling me this was a debut novel?? I FREAKING LOVED THIS. I had so much fun with it! A mother risks it all to escape a bad situation, but made an original concept. I LOVED IT. I cannot praise this book enough. The ending was CRAZY and BONKERS.

It is really hard to believe that this is a debut novel, this is an author that I am going to be keeping an eye on! There are so many secrets, you don't know as you are reading who to trust.

The story centers around 2 couples, Emma and Charles and Ariella and Mateo. Emma and Charles have had a rocky relationship for some time so when Ariella and Mateo move in Emma is thrilled. She looks forward to making a new friend. But, Mateo is controlling and things don't work out well. And then Ariella ends up dead.

While her head is spinning trying to figure out what is going on, Charles has their family packed up and they are on the run. But why? What really happened to Ariella? Is Charles involved?

There are all sorts of twists and turns as you read this one. It made my head spin but I didn't guess the ending, which is always a good thing.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publsihing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return or a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was an okay read. While I found the storyline interesting, I didn't really see how Emma and Ariella were best friends, it seemed like they had minimal contact if that. That bring said, I enjoyed Emma's story and thought it was a good read.