Rachel Reiss crafts a beautifully immersive atmosphere in Out of Air. Her prose is undeniably evocative. Quietly rich, never overly ornate. The underwater setting felt tactile, almost sensual, with oceanic details that shimmer and pulse on the page. Being with the Salt Squad felt like slipping beneath the surface and staying there. Weightless, surrounded by tension you can’t quite name.

But that tension never built into something I could emotionally invest in.

The story moves slowly—achingly slow. I found myself reading passages that were undeniably beautiful in language, but I wondered when something, anything, would finally happen. The plot progression felt stalled. Character dynamics remained just out of reach. I was intrigued at first, but the more I read, the more that intrigue faded.

At 50%, I made the decision to DNF, not out of frustration, but out of detachment. This book feels like it was made for readers who love meditative, poetic storytelling with minimal momentum. If that’s you, you may fall completely in love. But for me, the weight of the pacing held me down, and I couldn’t find the spark to keep going.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title. While it wasn’t for me, I can still appreciate the lyrical voice and vivid oceanic imagery Reiss brings to life.

DNF at around 20%. I think the combination of the story and writing just wasn't it for me, I didn't find myself actively wanting to know what happens next.

A good, quick YA summer thriller. YA is not my forte, but a great choice. I love a lil ocean moment, but the Outer Banks vibes are not for me.

Wilder Girls meets Outer Banks where a group of scuba diving friends stumbles across lost treasure, a legendary cave, and a new type of power... that comes at a price.

I received an advance ebook copy of Out Of Air by Rachel Reiss from netgalley.

I enjoyed this book on a quick weekend trip to the beach (maybe it kept me out of the ocean).

It's a quick read, but didn't easily grab and keep my attention.

It's very much a YA/teen genre. Perfectly written for that target audience.

The plot and storyline are interesting. The characters and settings very descriptive. The twists kept coming.

However I did get lost sometimes in the time-line.

This book had so much potential. So, so much potential.
But let's start with the good.
First? That cover. The author adorably describes it as "etched in magic and forged from stardust," and I'm not going to disagree. If you're considering buying this book for the cover, do it. I'll live vicariously through you. SO PRETTY.
But it's okay, I'm not just going to praise the book's pretty packaging. I was drawn to this book because I thought that the idea of a scuba diving-based book would be neat, and boy oh boy, was it! The author is apparently an experienced diver, and it was fascinating to feel drawn into that underwater world through the eyes of someone who really knew their stuff. I would read Rachel Reiss writing about dives all day! In fact, if that had been the entirety of this book—just a narration of the friends' underwater explorations—I would have been all in.
Alas, 'twas not to be.
I don't say this lightly—in fact, I've literally never said this in a published review before, though I might have thought it quietly to myself—but this book just...feels...amateurish. It has the bones of a good plot, good characterization, even good writing, but it feels as if it was written without any knowledge or guidance in any of those areas. Frankly, it felt like a book written by someone with a great deal of innate talent but much less time spent reading other published books and studying what makes them work. To be clear, I don't place the blame for that on the author. The talent, like I said, is there, and debuts are often shaky! That's often the fun of them! But this needed a heck of a lot of developmental editing, and instead, it feels more like a high-quality Fictionpress project than a traditionally published work.
The book's biggest flaw is its pacing. The reader is dropped into the story just as the action is starting (usually ideal), with a lot of key backstory delivered via flashback chapters, but this means that a ton has to be established very, very quickly (most notably, very mild spoiler from the first few pages, <spoiler>we hear about a secret-ish crush and then it's almost immediately acted upon, with basically no building of tension or chemistry at all</spoiler>). It feels like we're being dragged from one beat to the next, often with minimal explanation, which doesn't work for a book that feels like it should be, at least to some degree, an exploration of the main character's internal experience. Ironically, everything feels very surface-level (ba dum chhhh), when a deeper exploration of even just one of the many interesting themes touched upon—the cave itself, the relationships between characters, the main character's family history, etc. etc. etc.—would have made this a much more compelling work.
(Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book! All opinions are, of course, my own.)

A fabulous five member dive team heads out on a pre-college, last hurrah trip to a remote island off the coast of Australia, where strange and eerie things begin to happen. Seeped in legend and lore, the story shifts between past and present, taking readers, and the characters, on a wild, unforgettable ride.
The plot is well crafted and the pace keeps things moving. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the twists keep coming. It’s a unique, slightly darker take on the typical beach read, perfect for summer if you're looking for something a little different.

This YA horror/thriller follows a group of teen scuba divers who love exploring the ocean. The MC, Phibs, and her best friend Gabe discover this mysterious sea cave during a dive. Soon after surfacing from the water, they begin to experience strange and unsettling changes to their bodies.

I thought this was a well-written and intriguing YA read. I could tell the author had a lot of knowledge about diving. I will probably never scuba dive because the ocean freaks me out, so I liked getting to read about it instead.

I thought the main character was really interesting. She has a special ability where she can find things, like lost treasure. I thought that was cool.

There is quite a bit of body horror in this book which I loved. I was definitely getting Wilder Girl vibes with the body horror moments.

There was a lot of action and exciting moments towards the end of the book. I thought the ending was pretty good.

Overall, this was a thrilling read that I would recommend to lovers of YA thriller or horror books.

I liked this story a lot, but not as much as I thought I would going into it.

I can't put my finger on what it was exactly. The premise is a good one, I think the teen characters are interesting - perhaps there was one too many?

The body horror was interesting. I'm not sure I liked the ending.

I find any below the surface stories to raise my senses, make me feel claustrophobic and OUT OF AIR did just that for me.

This would be a fun summer story for teens looking for a touch of horror.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of OUT OF AIR to review.

I rate OUT OF AIR three out of five stars. (Although if we had 1/2 star ratings, I'd make it 3 1/2 stars).

Out of Air is an emotional, suspenseful story that blends mystery with raw, heartfelt moments. Rachel Reiss delivers a compelling narrative about grief, healing, and uncovering the truth. With well-drawn characters and a steady pace, this one took me by surprise in the best (most emotional) way!

Out of Air definitely had me hooked early on! I really liked the whole scuba diving premise. I read that the author is a seasoned diver and you could really tell! She included a lot of interesting facts about diving without making it seem like straight information.

I think what fell short for me was the whole aspect of the curse. I wish it was just explained a little bit more. I also would’ve liked if we got to know all of the characters a little bit more. Besides Phoebe, everyone else just kind of felt *there* without much going on.

The ending was interesting and will stay on my mind for a while I think!

If you are looking for

Outer Banks vibes 🌊
Friendships being put to the test 🤝
Underwater world 🦈
Treasure hunting 💰

This book was such a good thriller with some horror mixed in. The author did a fantastic job of immersing you into the story especially during the diving portions of this book. It made me so nervous at times when they were diving and reading about the vast darkness of the ocean.

The ending was a twist I wasn't expecting and I actually enjoyed reading about the friendships and where the story took them.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author (Rachel Reiss), and St Martins Press/ Wednesday Books for the advanced readers copy. ❤️

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting review this book. Teens that go diving and go looking for treasure and for a few of them, get more than they bargain for. Along the way, another puzzle is starting to get solved; as the clues and memories slowly click into place. Since only around 5% of the oceans have been explored; we still haven’t seen everything. This book definitely took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Sometimes things in the deep should be left undisturbed.

YA authors are producing some of the best horror at the moment. Out of Air is deeply uncomfortable, claustrophobic, and gory, yet remains appropriate for younger audiences than many adult horror novels.

Reiss does a great job at describing the beauty and terror of diving deep into the ocean. The corals and underwater landscape were beautiful, and I felt like I was there, but the panic of being underwater with limited oxygen would leave me breathless.

There were several twists in the novel that I was not expecting based on the blurb; however, they were great twists so I don't want to spoil anything.

Also, the cover is just stunning. That was what first drew me to this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I am late to my review due to sickness, but reading a book called Out of Air while I struggled with my asthma was ironic and hilarious.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

This YA thriller was way outta my comfort zone, but so good.

I enjoyed the dual timelines, as well as the friend group/found family aspects, particularly the class disparity between the groups’ members.

I loved learning all about diving and the ocean and thought treasure hunting aspect pretty cool.

The writing was fantastic, descriptive and thrilling.

The whole book was tense and claustrophobic – in the best way – leaving me wide-eyed and wheezy.

I DID NOT LOVE the gore. I mean, it was VERY WELL WRITTEN, and vital to the story, but, like, I can HEAR the squelching in my head.

Blurg.

Cannot wait to see where this author goes next.

3.5-4 star rating. Teetering and undecided.

A book about teens, diving, drama, discovery. It started out strong, captured my attention, moved quickly, and had a plot that had me wondering where the author was going to take this. But it got weird (skin gashes and the ending??!) and boring (the bad guys coming for the treasure). What ever happened with the treasure anyways? The story was about the cave, not the treasure, and it WAS interesting, it just had a few too many HMMMs for me.

I recommend it, though. It was a fun read.

Out of Air by Rachel Reiss offers an intriguing blend of suspense and mystery that kept me curious throughout much of the story. The premise is promising, and there are definitely moments where the tension builds nicely. The writing is straightforward and easy to follow, making it a quick read.

That said, I felt the pacing was uneven at times, and some characters could have been more deeply developed to create a stronger emotional connection. A few plot points felt predictable, which lessened the overall impact.

While it didn’t fully capture me, Out of Air still has enough to entertain fans of light thrillers looking for an easy, suspenseful read. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Out of Air is a fast-paced supernatural YA thriller told in dual timelines around two life-changing scuba dives for the Salt Squad, a group of teens in their last summer before college. I found the dual timelines of the different dives set about 5-6 months apart a bit confusing. Some of it reads like a fever dream, especially as the supernatural elements take center stage. This book was not for me. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and the FMC spends a lot of time lying and hiding things from her best friends. There are a few situations that do not make any logical sense.
Thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I loved how this gripping story combined supernatural horror with messy emotional realism. The writing was atmospheric and tense! The vivid body horror was well done. The friend group drama felt raw and real. Locally as secrets started to surface and loyalty shifted. The love triangle felt familiar but it did an emotional tension without overpowering the story. Overall I enjoyed this one and was immersed the entire time.

Perfect beach read/paranormal thriller for summer. For a debut, this YA thriller was actually really entertaining. This was very fast paced with enough intensity to make you wanna keep reading until the last page. I enjoyed this and will be looking for more books by Rachel.