Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for this review.

I went into this book completely blind, drawn in by the absolutely breathtaking cover (haha). Reiss quickly pulled me in with her atmospheric writing. I felt like I was right there alongside Phibs and the gang as they dove beneath the waves.

It also reinforced my sheer terror of cave diving and I know I'll never attempt it. Y'all, the way I held my breath during one of the early scenes! Wow, it was intense!

Very reminiscent of "Outer Banks" so it's perfect for readers who are looking for that vibe--a close-knit friend group with secrets, entangled in treasure hunts and mysteries.

I wavered quite a bit on the rating for this one. On the one hand, it's engaging and mysterious, but on the other, a bit disjointed and predictable. Unfortunately most of the Salt Squad felt flat and underdeveloped, especially Lani and Isabel, and despite the constant reminder that Phibs felt this group was her family, she felt almost like she was an outsider tagging along.

And the plot? I wasn't really expecting a fantasy element to this--not that I disliked it, fantasy is a favorite of mine. But it almost felt out of place in the world Reiss created. I'm not sure how much sense that makes, but I really struggled to suspend my disbelief with this one, which is something I've rarely (if ever) encountered. I think I was expecting more of an underwater thriller. Love the concept of the cursed cave, don't get me wrong, it just went in a very unexpected direction.

Overall I enjoyed it and it's a strong debut. I love how Reiss so clearly wove her love of diving and the ocean throughout this adventure. It made me crave a good long swim in the ocean. (Far from any caves). I'm excited to see where she goes in her career from here and will definitely add her next to my TBR.

A solid 3/5 stars.

This was a great YA debut that kept me engaged from start to finish! The underwater setting was incredibly vivid, and the eerie, atmospheric tension built beautifully throughout the story. I loved the blend of mystery, friendship, and creeping horror—plus, the unique twist on transformation was a standout element. Phibs was a compelling main character, and the dynamics among the group felt authentic and emotional. The pacing was strong, and the story never lost momentum. A solid and suspenseful read for fans of dark YA thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Macmillan Audio for the ALC & e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Phibs and her friends are fitting in all the diving they can during their last year of high school, before the "Salt Squad" splits up and goes to college - or not. Even though months ago they had a close call off Key West, they're still diving together, braving the dangerous world under the water. With the chance to explore a reef off a far-flung Australian island, they find more than they expected - including things almost impossible to explain. While the story is compelling, the real treasure here is the descriptions of the underwater world.

This book is everything: mysterious, suspenseful, eerie, thrilling, and engaging. I enjoyed how the chapters were set in both the present and past, allowing the reader glimpses into what led the characters to where they were.

Five teens formed an unlikely bond through diving and exploring and become inseparable, despite their different backgrounds. The five of them are used to the ocean and its mystery, but Phoebe and Gabe learn just how mysterious and dangerous it can be really be.

Rachel Reiss was able to capture what it feels like to be underwater and it makes you feel like you are right there with them. As a diver, it was amazing to feel like I was back under the water when, in reality, I was on my couch reading.

Fast, fun, thrilling read, a great beach read. Easy to read in an afternoon. Great for fans of outer banks juat like the blurb said.

A YA thriller/mystery with touches of fantasy. A cave full of secrets, a haunted past, and someone who doesn’t fit in. Moves quickly!

I love the sea and diving, so it was a no-brainer to read a book that revolves around the mysteries of the deep. I was surprised by the touches of fantasy in it, but not unpleasantly so. This is a mystery, thriller, adventure YA novel that had me on the edge of my seat quite frequently. The descriptions of the sea made my creature-loving heart happy and the suspense made my thriller-loving heart happy.

This takes place in the New Zealand waters, first person, single POV. It jumps between timelines but does it well. Past mistakes haunt the future in this. It's obvious who doesn't "belong" in this group, but are they the only one who doesn't belong? The answer might surprise you!

I really wanted to enjoy this story but I think there was too much going on in the plot with not everything being well developed, like the author had a lot of ideas but nothing was really well executed. Drowning is my biggest fear so I went into this book already expecting a horror story (for at least me, due to the title), but instead I guess this was a sci-fi/romance/murder mystery with teenagers. I am going to leave this vague so as to not spill any spoilers, but I can easily say this was not for me and too confusing overall- also something I think were supposed to be big reveals I guessed and the "exciting" moments just made me feel sad for the main character. The ending was open ended, but I don't expect a sequel, and even if there was one I would most likely not read it. I am sure others will enjoy this sort of suspenseful underwater sci-fi read, but it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I must have misread the description for this one because I didn't realize it was a horror novel when I started it. It wasn't super scary from a horror perspective, but the diving and cave definitely provided a lot of suspense. Although it has been many years since I've been scuba diving, the author made me feel like I was actually diving with Phoebe. A great read - even if horror isn't your normal go to genre.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for the ebook!

⭐️⭐️2/5

Out of Air had potential but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. Fmc discovers a cave with lost treasure while diving. After coming back to the surface she starts to realize strange things happening. The book has present and past chapters. The beginning started off great but afterwards it just wasn’t that interesting. This book was supposed to be a thriller/ Suspense, yet i didn’t feel any of it. I was also left with many questions in the end. What exactly is inside them? I don’t know. I don’t think i got the answer. Did i miss it?..I understood it’s a curse but there isn’t much of an explanation to it and what they could become. I didn’t feel drawn or attached to any of the characters. The FMC felt selfish at moments to me and only thinking about her future. On the bright side, i love the cover! I also appreciate the details when it came to diving. These are my honest opinions and i always say to read it if it interests you!

Something to know about me is that I'm not a big swimmer, and I am also not very confident in the water, so when it comes to reading stories about diving and swimming, I'm already a little scared even if they aren't a horror novel like this one.  So this premise already had me a little scared, but I'm not going to lie, I don't think that I actually read the blurb too closely so I didn't fully expect the supernatural elements of this one.

Phibs was a really interesting character.  Her trying to fit in with her friends was a really interesting premise to me.  I liked how diving had brought them together and given them an excuse to be friends when they might not have normally.  I also found her backstory interesting, and how she felt that she had to take care of her grandmother, who was quite ill, at the expense of her own future.  She seemed like she was a really good person, which I appreciated.

The writing style was engaging.  I liked the way we switched between the past and the present to understand further how the characters came to be in the situation they were.  There were a lot of good moments of tension that had nothing to do with the supernatural, and so I found that quite engaging.  The author did a great job at balancing those elements.

The supernatural elements were a little bit more hard to follow, but I did find them really intriguing nonetheless.  I liked the whole secret spot aspect.  It was interesting that things seemed to affect Gabe a fair bit faster than they affected Phibs.  I think I would have liked some more development of that part, but it was still a really interesting twist to the story.

On the whole, this was a really engaging story.  If you like horror stories with supernatural elements, you should definitely check this one out.

I'm not a diver (too claustrophobic), but I enjoy reading books about divers, so I knew when I saw this cover I'd be requesting this from NetGalley. Add in treasure and secret underwater caves? Yes, please.

The author states in her notes that she's an experienced diver, so I appreciated the details regarding equipment, diving rules, etc. interwoven into the story. It offers descriptions to readers unfamiliar with the sport and adds an element of reality. Those underwater scenes are exhilarating, occasionally dangerous, and had me holding my breath. I also learned about new sea creatures that made me think maybe having claustrophobia isn't such a bad thing if these are things I could meet up close and personal in the water.

If found family is your vibe, you'll find it with these five friends. Their bonds are strong, but Phibs dreads losing them when summer is over and they head off to various colleges. Phibs isn't in a financial position to afford college. When she's fortunate enough to be offered a full ride scholarship to a university, she defers it due to her grandmother's (her sole remaining family member) declining health and mental status.

I'd hoped for thrilling underwater sequences and interactions with the treasure hunters who accost these characters, but they're actually a very small percentage of the story that was resolved fairly quickly. The largest portion focuses on Phibs's backstory with her family and Gabe (best friend hoping to be more), and the drama between the friends. My favorite part was when she and Gabe discover the underwater cave then the unsettling body horror descriptions that follow and lead to an unexpected twist.

This is a standalone I'd recommend to fans of found family/friend dynamics, the friends to lovers trope, and underwater thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"Never forget what the ocean is capable of. If you forget, it will come for you, too."


Five friends from the Florida Keys go on a scuba diving trip in Australia, their last big trip before the group splits up for college. On a dive, Phoebe discovers an underwater cave and explores it with two of her friends. After they surface, though, strange things begin to happen, and Pheobe and another one of her friend begin to experience odd changes to their bodies…

This was my first time reading about scuba divers! I have to say I really enjoyed this, it really hooks you from the beginning. The atmosphere of this was incredible, it was as if you were underwater yourself. You can really tell that the author knows all about diving and is passionate about it, as that comes through in their descriptions.

The plot of this was just fine. The main plot kicks in about halfway through, and there’s sort of a disjointed narrative between all the flashbacks happening to explain the group’s interpersonal drama and Phibs’ background. I don’t think the flashbacks were bad or poorly placed, but they definitely changed the flow of the story. There were also some elements that could have been executed better, like the body horror. I would have loved to see more on the body horror, as it felt like it was not fully embraced. The horror elements in general did not seem like they were fully embraced, and I came out of this seeing it as less horror than a thriller with spooky magical realism happening.

Overall, I liked this, and I thought it was a pretty solid debut! Can’t wait to see what Rachel Reiss comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Out of Air is a propulsive and tautly written novel. It defies easy genre labels: a little bit thriller, a little bit mystery, a little bit horror, a little bit drama. And while one of these alone or perhaps in a pair would have been fine, together, they’re a YA mix that is compulsively readable. While none of those above genres are my favourite, together they are irresistible catnip. I am stunned that this is Reiss’ debut novel; the pacing is fantastic and the characterisation solid.

I will say I wasn’t completely sold on the ending; there were too many loose threads, so I wonder if there is a part 2 coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This book is about a group of friends who are divers taking on the task of finding a treasure. The book could've been a lot longer, it was so fast paced and interesting. I liked the love and friendship. It would be a perfect read for fans of Outer Banks, which I love. The underwater world was complex and very descriptive. Reading those parts were my favorite.

Out of Air follows a group of 5 senior high school students who, through their mutual love of the ocean and diving, have created their own little dive club called The Salt Squad. Taking a week long trip to the island of Marimont as a last hurrah before college, they stumble on something that will change their lives forever.

Reiss does a really great job writing the anxieties that come with friend groups, especially those where not everyone is from the same socioeconomic background. Found family and abandonment issues abound, while an unknown and insidious horror swirls throughout, resulting in an increased feeling of dread as the novel progresses. I devoured it in one sitting.

I was stunned to read that this is Reiss’ debut novel as it definitely reads as if a more seasoned writer wrote it. I was not surprised however to learn that the author is a diver herself. Considering how well the diving scenes were written (you felt like you were there along with the characters it was that realistic), I figured it had to be written by someone who had a love for diving.

A little less time could have probably been spent on the lead up to the main plot point, but I honestly didn’t mind the pacing when we were in present day.
I do wish that there wasn’t so much back and forth between past events and present day though, as it lessened the tension and fear that was building, however there is good reasoning for it which gets revealed later on.

Some may not like that everything isn’t neatly tied up and explained, but I actually prefer that there was still some sense of the unknown remaining, as it fits perfectly with the uncharted atmosphere of the ocean.

If this is Rachel Reiss at her debut, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the future. 5 stars.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley, however my review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.

Honestly I found the start of the book to be somewhat boring, but I’m pretty happy that I didn’t DNF it as the story really picked up and it turned out to be a very unique story! Underwater horror is such an underrated trope, and this story does it justice in this unique and strange story! Would highly recommend!

Even though it is probably the last place you should read this, this book was a perfect beach read.

The Wilder Girls comp is PERFECT for this. This was a speculative body/ocean horror that has incredible vibes alongside a story I could not tear myself away from. Inhaled this like I was on the bottom of the ocean with an emptying tank, what can I say.

This was so unbelievably compelling though, which is why it felt like a really good read for a day at the beach. It's surprisingly short but keeps you riveted with every page. I loved the characters. With so many personalities in the Salt Squad, I was impressed by how easy they were to differentiate from each other. Phoebe is a great narrator, and her backstory made her the most interesting character. I do think some of the mystery elements came a little late in the book, especially considering how short this was, but it didn't make me love the book any less.

For some reason, I received an audio ARC, an e-ARC, and a paperback ARC from the publisher, and I must thank them profusely because if they were trying to tell me I needed this book in my life, they were very right. I continue to be terrified and fascinated by the ocean in equal measures.

i got both the ebook and audio arc but i stuck to the audio. i tired so hard to listen to this but just couldn't push myself to suffer through this.

thankful i got the audio arc

This book took a horror turn that I wasn't expecting as I basically went into it blind, but it was so spooky and such a quick, fun read!

A gripping, unrelenting thriller with treasure hunts, found family, and truly unsettling body horror. I read it in three hours and my hair was literally stuck to my forehead with sweat by the time I was finished. Now THIS is how you write a horror! I cannot believe it was a DEBUT NOVEL! This is a book I will be rereading and shoving into all my friends' faces.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!