Someone is killing off spoiled, privileged, rich kids one by one. Oh, also, there is no way out because they’re all STRANDED in the middle of the ocean on a mega yacht!

Such gory, HIDEOUS deaths behold these young adults, inductees into an exclusive society with full-ride scholarships to any college and endless opportunities!

Who is killing everyone off and who will be the next victim in this SLASHER thriller?
🔪
My thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this TWISTY slasher fest!
It was TEETH GRITTING, jaw clenching and very entertaining! I really couldn’t put it down.

Fans of Rachel Harrison, RL Stine’s Fear Street and Lisa Unger will enjoy this read!

I liked this, but it was so weird to think about a such a beautiful cruise where there was a killer going around because I JUST WENT on a beautiful cruise ship and I think if I would have read this first I never would have went lmaooo Because this was crazy.

Ok so I don’t really know how to say this without sounding weird, but I’m going to try. I liked this, but I wasn’t all into it because the vibe was off? Does that make sense? It never felt dark or scary. And the way it was set on a boat that they were trapped on, it didn’t feel scary at all. Besides the people popping up dead, it just felt like a bunch of kids and drama. It was a bunch of telling and not showing. Normally with a thriller I might gasp or make theories or whatever, but I didn’t the entire book. I just kept waiting to feel something. Maybe it was too much of a character driven novel, but idk. I didn’t feel anything. It was so weird.

The ending itself was just ok too. If you paid attention, then you knew who it was as soon as it happened. And the sad thing was, it was ONE INCIDENT and I then I knew exactly who it was. I wasn’t even trying to guess before that lol And the reveal so was effing anti-climactic. The person just like casually walked out with a weapon and nonchalance. And that was exactly how I felt……. Non-chalant.

This character driven thriller had a bunch of spoiled ass rich people that were privileged and STILL thought they didn’t have enough. It was a hot ass mess. One of them was even stealing? And the others flew out days before just to hang out before they got on the ship. Idk, I didn’t like any of them lol

This wasn’t the wild ride I expected it to be. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for it, but I don’t think so. (I mean it was supposed to be a thriller. I will ALWAYS be in the mood for a thriller.) Whatever it was, I can’t say that this didn’t work for me, but I also can’t say that it did?

Seasick by Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn earns a solid three stars for its engaging premise and tense atmosphere, though it doesn't quite deliver the depth or originality needed to elevate it to a higher rating. This gripping thriller, set aboard a luxury yacht, follows ex-best friends Naya Morgan and Yana Bunpraserit as they navigate a deadly game of cat and mouse among their privileged classmates.

The novel kicks off with an intriguing setup: Naya and Yana, two outsiders from a small Oklahoma town, find themselves part of an exclusive society of recent graduates from Yatesville High. Their induction promises unimaginable opportunities, beginning with a lavish yacht trip to Bermuda. However, the celebration turns deadly when a classmate is brutally murdered, trapping them at sea with a killer.

One of the strengths of Seasick lies in its claustrophobic setting. The luxury yacht, with its confined spaces and opulent but isolating environment, creates a perfect backdrop for the unfolding tension. The authors effectively use this setting to build suspense, making readers feel the mounting paranoia as the body count rises.

The dynamic between Naya and Yana adds an interesting layer to the story. Their complicated history and the need to rekindle their friendship for survival provides emotional depth and keeps the narrative moving. The portrayal of their relationship, filled with past grievances and newfound solidarity, is one of the more compelling aspects of the book.

However, Seasick falters in its character development and plot execution. Many of the secondary characters feel one-dimensional, serving more as plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals. This lack of depth makes it difficult for readers to become fully invested in the fates of these characters.

Additionally, while the plot is engaging, it suffers from predictability. Experienced thriller readers may find the twists and turns somewhat telegraphed, reducing the overall impact of the revelations. The resolution, while satisfying, lacks the punch needed to leave a lasting impression.

In conclusion, Seasick is a decent thriller with a captivating premise and a well-executed setting, but it falls short in delivering memorable characters and unexpected plot developments. Fans of locked-room mysteries and YA thrillers will find enough to enjoy, but it may not stand out among the genre's best.

3.5 stars rounded up. It took me until around the 40% point to really get into this one but then I couldn't put it down. I found it a bit confusing at first with the similarly named main characters (Yana and Naya). I had to keep flipping back to make sure I had all the characters straight, even though there really weren't that many of them.

I did enjoy the book overall. It was a fun, twisty slasher kind of thriller that kept me guessing. The killer's motives were pretty typical, but that didn't really matter. It was still a fun summer read.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

A cruise for the inductees of Yatesville High’s top graduates turns deadly. Told in dual POV between ex best friends Yana and Naya, the cruise which was supposed to be filled with relaxation and luxury is anything but when one of their classmates is found murdered. With the yacht’s crew incapacitated and their cell phones confiscated, they have no way to call for help. Together, with the help of their classmates that they don’t really consider friends, can they figure out who the killer is before they’re next?

This was fast paced and had an intriguing premise. Although I felt like I’d heard this story a time or two before, I still wanted to see how it ended. None of the characters were necessarily awful, but none stood out either. I liked the background relationships and stories.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it was a tad repetitive for me. Also, the killer aspect was a tad unbelievable and not really that shocking.

This book started with a bang and the hits never stopped coming. The twists were so twist and the secrets that were exposed were so juicy. Seasick will keep you intrigued and on the edge of your seat in equal measure until the last page. I've definitely found myself enjoying locked-room mysteries more and more and this did not disappoint at all!

This book wasn’t my favorite. It was more of a YA mystery. I feel like it read too young for me. Old friendships rekindling when people start dying on a yacht and they’re trapped there with a killer. If that’s your vibe I would check it out, but I think I’d rate this a 2 stars for me.

3.5/5 ⭐️

A group of teenagers on a scholarship cruise to Bermuda find themselves getting murdered one by one. This alternates between Naya and Yana, two previous friends who must fight for their lives.

Overall, I liked this one. I thought it was pretty quick paced and easy to read. I do wish the two main characters didn’t have so similar names. I thought there had to be some sort of reason for this like a twist. But no, just straight up similar. I also wish there had been a bigger twist or less obvious twist. Despite that still an enjoyable read.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seasick is a YA closed door murder mystery, set on a luxury yacht. A number of rich teenagers are aboard to start an exclusive trip and a murderer is on the loose, picking them out one by one (for really gruesome, bloody deaths). From the two POVs of Naya and Yana, the reader gets to feel all the tension, wondering who will be next? And who's the killer?

I have mixed feelings about this one.

What did I enjoy? The pace is quite fast and the tension high, right from the first murder. I was gripped for a good while, as I genuinely didn't work out the culprit until late in the story, which I enjoyed. Also, the bond between the two protagonists is really sweet and I loved reading about its development.

What did I not enjoy? So much of what happened felt unrealistic, especially knowing who the killer is. How could they manage all that by themselves? The logistics were really off. Some of the dialogues also felt quite chunky or unrealistic, especially with the characters being teenagers.

Thank you TBR & Beyond Tours and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first I thought this was going to be a ripoff of Lying in the Deep but it wasn't. A great thriller akin to Agatha Christie. The reason for the murders was valid but nothing you would have guessed and the clues were kept minimal. I so could use a boat ride but with less drama.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Seasick coming out June 11, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was really excited to receive this book. I love that there are two authors who wrote this book and they bring their perspectives to the characters. It’s also cool that Kristin Cast is the daughter of an author as well. I thought the plot was really interesting. I enjoy friendship stories where the friends have to go through a trial together. Sea stories can be spooky with being out on the dark, vast ocean. The only part I kind of questioned was where were all the adults on the yacht? I feel like the Coast Guard or someone who’ve been called if there was a killer on board. I had to suspend some disbelief with some of the plot points. The romances didn’t feel as fleshed out. But I thought the friendship plot was done really well. Overall, I loved it. I would check out other books by these authors.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seafaring murder mysteries!

SEASICK by Kristin Cast & Pintip Dunn
⭐️ rating: 6.5/10

read if you like:
🥰 young adult thrillers
⁉️ whodunnits
🚢 boat mysteries
🤫 secret societies
💁🏻‍♀️ Gossip Girl

summary:
This book is about two girls and former best friends, Yana and Naya, who are selected to join a secret, exclusive society as graduates of Yatesville High, and as a welcome event, are selected to go on a luxury yacht trip to Bermuda. At least one of them is hiding a secret, and before long, one of them is murdered. As the night goes on, who will be the last one standing, and who needed everyone dead?

This is a classic “whodunnit”, making you guess — who is the killer, and why? The authors do a great job of keeping the mystery going, with a few red herrings and twists and turns. The book itself is wildly unrealistic, but as long as you aren’t looking for true crime, the story is still good! There is just a lot of blood and gruesome deaths for a YA book 😂

I loved Yana’s character and the depth of her as struggling with her status and financial situation compared to the others on board, but we don’t get to know the other characters nearly as well. The falling out between Yana and Naya is also pretty unrealistic (ever throw up on your best friend before?), which is disappointing given how important it is to the book’s plot. The other relationships and friendships in the book are a little cheesy and over the top, but it works if you’re reading for the mystery itself. I didn’t guess the ending, and even if you read closely, it’s still well-executed.

This is a super quick read, and great for fans of Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Thanks to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and Net Galley for the advanced copy! Check this book out when it releases on June 11!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I wasn’t a fan of Pintip Dunn’s prior collaboration, I was excited when I read the premise for Seasick. And while I’ve never read Kristin Cast before (or her mother, PC Cast), I was open to giving her a try as well. And with both authors having a background in SFF (and Dunn in contemporary), I was curious how each would handle a new genre. Fortunately, this book really worked for me. While there have been at least a few books that discuss the racial issues with elite schools in the context of a murder mystery, this one stood out.
While I found the name choices for the protagonists, Naya and Yana, a tad absurd at first, I can also sort of understand why the authors made the choice to give the characters such similar names. Each deals with racist microaggressions within the elite school environment, and even more so when they are chosen to join an exclusive society consisting of top graduates from their school. I appreciate how Cast and Dunn wove in their experiences growing up as biracial/Black and Thai American, respectively, with the Midwest, navigating the struggle to find acceptance in a white world that mocked or ostracized them. It’s also interesting how these challenges played a role in ending their friendship, with Naya trying to find camaraderie with mean-girl Taylor, while Yana works as a budding journalist.
The mystery was compelling, and I particularly liked how Yana’s journalistic skills came into play in the investigation. And with a supporting cast of incredibly shady, unlikable characters, you really can’t trust anyone. And there were some other plot twists where the protagonists were concerned that I also did not see coming.
This was an exciting read, and I’d recommend this book to readers interested in a twisty YA thriller.

Short and Sweet Review
Naya and Yana aren’t friends anymore but both have received the honor of being included in Yatesville High exclusive society, and they’re about to kick off graduation with a cruise to the Bermuda. When one of their classmates is murdered, everyone realizes they’re out at sea with a killer. Naya and Yana haven’t been friends for a while but the only way for them to survive may be to rekindle their friendship.
I have read a few books with the same trope of murder on a boat, so when I went into this book I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary. It’s hard to be surprised when you’re stuck out at sea with a killer and there’s not that big of a suspect pool especially when there’s only eight students on board. The mystery takes place over a span of 24 hours. We got the POVs of both Naya and Yana. Naya has spent most of her time with the popular group of kids while Yana has mostly been to herself and spent time working on writing. I didn’t hate the characters but I didn’t find any of them to be likable either. I also thought it was ridiculous to have Naya’s French boyfriend come aboard, his character was over doing it. The pacing was a bit off, there were parts that would get you excited because the story was moving along and then there were parts where it just dragged on unnecessarily. The kills were pretty gruesome and I didn’t mind it mainly because we’re expecting people die. The killers motives were ridiculous but living in the world we do its not exactly far fetched.
Also what’s up with everyone always trying to investigate? I love mysteries but I’ve come to accept that I’m not Nancy Drew. If I ever go on a ship and there’s a murder, I’m going to my room and locking the door until help comes or we’re back to shore.

Overall, this book was okay. I didn’t love it but also I’ve read a few books where a murder takes place on a book and unfortunately they’re all becoming predictable. If you’re into murders on a ship and a bit of mystery then check out this book, but if you’re tired of this trope stay away!

Fun murder mystery on a yacht? Yes please!
Cast and Dunn deliver on a thoroughly planned and intriguing novel. I particularly loved their authors' note at the end. Other favorites:
The cast of characters - Diverse without trying too hard. Easily distinguishable from one another. No one is a caricature.
No loose ends - YES! Please more of this in murder mysteries.
Super cool setting - The confined space, the remoteness, the limited cast: it is all perfection. This all comes together in the tastiest atmosphere cake you've ever eaten.
Motive - I won't go too into this, but it's legit.

So why is it four stars?
I wish it moved a bit faster in the middle. I devoured the first 30% and the last 30%. That middle had me pushing for the payoff. I also wish there were stronger red herrings. The killer is pretty obvious from the hints early on.

Overall, this was a good summer book.

A locked room mystery full of twists and turns. This was a fun whodunnit mystery that takes place on a yacht. I enjoyed the overall premise and the characters were easy to like. An enjoyable mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is such a great mystery! My heart was racing as Yana and Naya worked to survive while trapped. Running in the dark, hiding from a murder, and trying to figure out who to really trust, all of it kept me on the edge of my seat! There are plenty of suspects with secrets and you want to read more to chip away at them.

If you’re looking for a great YA mystery check out this one!

This was a fun, twisty, whodunnit mystery that takes place on a luxurious yacht. I enjoyed the locked-room aspect and the overall premise. This book is told through two point of views, by Yana and Naya. There were quite a few characters that were hard to like, but I think that added to the mystery surrounding the overall plot. If you like stories about secrets, lies, and murder this might be one worth checking out.

I am always looking for books to recommend to my students who are readers, many who enjoy good thrillers with a few who have mentioned loving Christie’s And Then There Were None. While personally I am not usually a fan of locked room mysteries or books that involve the sea, I am glad I read Seasick and will definitely recommend it to students. I was drawn to the premise of recent high school grads who are former friends being thrown together with their peers (from Naya’s high school friend group, but who are exclusionary toward Yana) in the midst of murder and the absence of anyone with authority to help them. While the book started a bit slow in the set up, once the action starts it does not stop until the end. Fast paced and character focused, Seasick kept me reading well into the night to finish because I simply had to know who would survive and who would not. My only wish was that the character names and personalities had been more differentiated to minimize confusion. Aside from Naya and Yana (names reflect mirroring I had hoped would show up more in the story), I was happy I could use the search function on my kindle to refer back to previous scenes to help me clarify previous actions, conversations, and/or character traits for Gabe, Brett, and Finn.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Netgalley, and the authors for early access to this thriller.

I couldn’t even finish this book. I got 50 pages in and did not like it. Maybe at 29 I am too old to be reading YA books.