Oh, this was so unique and different which was just what I was looking for! It has such a good pace to it that it kept me hooked. But goodness, it was definitely eerie and a creepy at times! It gave me the heebie-jeebies at some of the things going on.

It's got a kind of paranormal twist going on that I didn't see coming. I'm not sure how I completely feel about it but I enjoyed the mystery. I also liked that it had a friend group and it wasn't a toxic friend group. Plus a slow burn, budding romance to root for!

The writing did a great job at making me feel like I was underwater with them diving. I like how atmospheric it was. The ending was different than I expected which isn't necessarily bad. Just not quite what I expected! Overall, this was such an enjoyable and different book that I enjoyed reading. Just be warned it may make you not wanna go into water for a while and I definitely won't be going scuba diving.

I spent a lot of time in the Florida Keys when I was a child and learned how to scuba dive in college. The author does an excellent job describing life in the Keys as well as what it feels like to dive. The story is exciting and fast-paced. I would definitely be interested in a sequel with Phibs and Gabe.

I recommend this book for readers of YA, New Adult, and Adult. I am a library associate and received an advance copy from NetGalley.

I am... conflicted. This book spooked me at times. It definitely grossed me out. I cared about the characters. Yet overall I am left with a feeling of yep, that was a book. I have clicked back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars so many times. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY:
Graduation trip!!! To Australia!!! What could possibly go wrong in Australia???

Everything.

Phoebe Rays is a poor teenager growing up in the Florida Keys. Her grandmother is dying a slow and terrifying death of Alzheimer's. Things are Not Good. Things are made better by her group of rich friends, but Phoebe knows that is soon to end with the summer as they head off to college while she cares for Gram. The graduation trip is the last time she will see them for a while.

Spooky cave, bad air, mysteries, and teen drama follow.

MY THOUGHTS:
This feels wild to say, considering how I felt in the midst of reading this book. But like not much happens????

For example, I really liked the characters. Like halfway through the book, I actually wrote a note that I didn't want any of them to die. But looking back, you don't really know much about these characters? They don't have character arcs, you don't learn much about what they are like or anything. They only feel important to you because Phoebe thinks they are important.

Nobody in this book is ever particularly rational or reasonably motivated, tbh.

Why did we need the awful human antagonists????? What did they add? They showed up just to take up time and die, I guess.

I very much enjoyed Phoebe. She felt very relatable. She was a fun character to follow.

People have giant gashes all over them and the one person who says hey maybe we should go to a hospital is essentially laughed at.

The body horror was pretty great though. So was the fear of the ocean stuff. Going diving at night??? Horrific.

FINAL OPINION:
This book was pretty fun to read. It did feel a little long at times, and rushed at others. You can tell it is a debut novel. That being said, I can not wait to read more by Rachel Reiss. Her writing style is really nice, I loved the setting, the scariness was there. I think if she works on pacing and fleshing out her characters more, her next book will be outstanding.

I think I will rate it 4 stars. The feeling of reading it was fun; I don't want to take away from that by thinking about it too hard.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

So, I’m a wimp and thought giving a YA book with mild horror elements would be a good idea. It turns out, no. And not for the reasons you may think. Surprisingly, the body horror wasn’t much, so I was able to handle it, and the creepy elements are mild. Actually maybe too mild. There were a few excellent moments of claustrophobia, and the writing was good, but ultimately this is a book about teens and their behaviors and actions were selfish and arrogant and annoying. The romance aspect also did not feel impactful enough to take up so much time of the story. It felt out of place to me, but again, I think that lends itself to being YA. Which is absolutely a me problem as this is marketed as such. So, now that I feel super old, guess I’ll go find a sentient cave to crawl into 👍

Thank you NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the early opportunity to read and review this book!

You know I can't resist an ocean horror novel, so when I saw this absolutely gorgeous cover and read the synopsis, I knew I had to pick this little gem up.

Out of Air contains mysteries within mysteries. There's the current timeline where Phoebe (or "Phibs") and her friends (who call themselves the Salt Squad) have found a mysterious (cursed?) cave and now something *strange* is happening. Then there's an alternate plotline that's a 6 month jump to the past, involving Phibs finding some sunken treasure, and the night Lani lost 3 fingers on her hand. I found the time jumps a little frustrating, as I wanted to know what was happening in the main storyline and found the interruptions both annoying AND I wanted to know what the repeated allusions were about RIGHT NOW.

All in all, this was a pleasing sci-fi horror that is only lightly horrific. There are some body horror elements, but as this is a young adult horror novel there's nothing too gross or cringey (thank goodness, because I am squeamish and can NOT do body horror!) This is Rachel Reiss' debut novel, and I'll definitely be following to see what she comes up with next!

A thrilling read for anybody that dreamed of treasure hunting as a kid! Teeming with suspense and intrigue, Reiss has a real winner that's sure to be a hit.

Outer banks meets an under water world. Hi , yes sign me up! I love books about anything related to water. I live in Florida and it’s been abnormally cold here so I need to read about the water versus going to it. This book you can sink your teeth into! I absolutely loved it.

"Out of Air" is a captivating read for fans of Outer Banks. The story follows four friends on their final adventure together before heading off to college, as they seek to uncover the chilling secrets of a long-lost underwater cave.

Central to the narrative is Phoebe, whose determination to keep the Salt Squad united leads her to discover far more than she anticipated, resulting in dire consequences and unimaginable powers: at a price.
The plot unfolds across two timelines: the present and five months earlier, creating an engaging dual narrative. The Squad has been through a lot, and both narratives are filled with thrilling twists and turns that will leave you at the end grappling for more. This book is an easy page-turner filled with adventure and intrigue that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The writing is exceptional, vividly capturing the allure of the ocean and evoking a deep sense of nostalgia for teenage youth and freedom. It is clear that the author has experience in diving; and the descriptions and storyline flow seamlessly.

Readers will find themselves immersed in a world where friendship, mystery, and the thrill of exploration intertwine. Found family, romance, adventure can all be found in this thrilling novel. The atmospheric tension and well-crafted characters make "Out of Air" a true gem that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the call of the sea and the utmost desire to keep the things we hold dear.

Thank you St. Martin’s press for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book is definitely an adventure! Phoebe and her friends, the Salt Squad, love the water. They enjoy scuba diving and exploring under the sea. Since this is their last trip Phoebe’s determine that it will be a good one. The think they’ve done it when they find a secluded cave to explore. They’re about to get more then they bargained for when they start experiencing strange things. What’s happening to them? Can they figure it out before it’s too late? Rachel Reiss does a great job of creating tension and intrigue and making you feel like your exploring the deep with the characters! A mystery/thriller with some romance and plenty of secrets! Fast paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. It is definitely geared to teens, with romance and teenage feelings overflowing the pages (and I stopped at chapter 5). From what I read I was interested in the story, but kept getting distracted by all the dewy-eyed longings of the MC. I had a hard time picturing the characters as well, given the only concrete descriptors were "blonde hair with pink tips" (Isabel), "dark skin and amber eyes" (Gabe), and "curls" (Phoebe).
I think a teenager would like the pacing and the easy-to-read nature of this novel, it just wasn't for me.

This was not for me, but I had such high hopes!

I love an underwater thriller, the creep factor of the ocean always does it for me! The small percentage of that in this book was well done, I truly felt claustrophobic and had to remind myself that I had enough oxygen.

The rest was….not what I was hoping for. The idea that this was a tight-knit friend group just did not come across. I unfortunately didn’t like any of them and I don’t think they liked each other.

The chapters that jumped back in time felt unimportant and boring, I would have preferred much more present day action.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!!

DNF at 40%

I don’t think I’m the audience for this book. I thought it would be more… underwater thriller? Like that one movie about the crew stuck in an underwater facility or something to that effect. But this read more like a contemporary book with some tiny little creepy moments. At least as far as I got.

The only reason I lasted so long is because this was like a car crash that I couldn’t look away from. I hated everything about this book: the FMC being an “oh so poor” girl who has super suuuuper rich friends that can pay for everything and she feels bad about taking their money. 🙄 These people don’t even FEEL like friends? They antagonize each other. They blame each other. They don’t tell each other things. They don’t communicate at ALL well. And I never felt like the side characters were anything more than stereotypes. I didn’t like any of them.

Back to the FMC: she couldn’t leave her grandma who had Alzheimer’s for a FULL RIDE scholarship to an IN STATE school…….. Come on. I hated that plot. I hated also that she felt bc she was poor and her crush was rich, they couldn’t be together. What…

The plot? What was the point of the past chapters??? Most of them felt superfluous. I finished one and would be like “what did I even learn in that chapter? Nothing.” Maybe it was trying to show us character development but honestly the characters felt so dry and boring.

I also did read a spoiler review and saw the ending. Upon seeing it, I went “thank god I’m going to DNF this.” 😂

Out of Air was a wonderful YA book. I loved the plot, the characters and the cover of the book. Overall, such a great book

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed reading this book, it kept me wanting to read more. Outer banks vibes which I think will be a plus for teens. I think this will be a popular book, I wonder if there will be a sequel?

Received a copy of this book through netgally !

This book is a YA book with a touch of horror I’d say. Honestly I quite enjoyed it. Story about a young group of friends that go on a diving trip and creepy things occurs.
The pacing of this book was nice, and I found the writing style to be quite palpable and easy to read. One thing I will say is the characters are slightly annoying HOWEVER who isn’t annoying as a teen. If you’re looking for something quick , easy and engaging definitely give this a try.
I would definitely recommend!

This book was done amazingly!! Definitely outer banks vibes. Treasure hunting and thrill of it Definitely had me hooked and on the edge of my seat holding my breathe.

This was 3.5-4 stars for me!

I absolutely love a plot which includes ocean discovery and exploring the depths of our world. Out of Air was well written and took the reader on an underwater adventure that kept the pace moving. I really loved the description and plot, as we are introduced to our main characters and dilemmas.

I think the pacing was a bit on the faster side but that didn't bother me at all because I was immersed in the story. It gives off Outer Banks vibes due to its thriller aspect but also like an intense treasure hunt.

Definitely recommend this one!

Phibs and her friends find a creepy underwater cave, and weird things start happening. With danger closing in, they must uncover the truth before it’s too late. This book is a good mix of thrills and adventure.

This book was insane!!! The story line is amazing and unique. I don't think I ever read anything quite like it. There's mystery, a bit of romance, and lots of action to keep you hooked. The ending is fitting for the story but does leave it open for the reader to come up with their own ideas of what happens

I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC by Rachel Reiss. This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed! This book had my attention from the first page and I flew through it. It had the perfect amount of horror, mystery, and romance. It was also appropriate for young adults, which is who this book is geared towards.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. 5/5 for me! I will definitely be sharing this book with friends, book clubs, etc. I will also be looking out for other books from this author.