Thai was a really cool book! I had read something similar in plot and I kept expecting the cuts to turn out to be gills, but the author surprised me. I love to be surprised when I read! It was a good story, great characters, and I loved the plot. I’d love to see what comes next. There’s at least another story or two for the Salt Squad!

The atmosphere, the eeriness, Reiss did a lovely job of describing underwater scenes, delivering the perfect amount of horror and a touch of romance. I've done a good deal of snorkeling and boating in the Keys where the five members of the Salt Squad reside, and the descriptions brought back all the beauty as well as some of the terrifying aspects of the ocean that I've experienced. I can tell Reiss is a writer who writes what she knows, and it comes through in her beautiful underwater depictions.

The Salt Squad is a tight knit group of five friends, fresh out of high school, who form a bond through their love of diving. When Phoebe finds a handful of gold coins on one of their dives, it launches them into social media fame. Before they go their separate ways, the friends decide to take one last journey together, and fly to an Australian island, where they unexpectedly find an underwater cave.

I had some desire to take up scuba diving before reading this book, but now not so much. I felt like I was right there with them exploring the massive underwater cave, the claustrophobia, sharks, deadly box jellyfish, running out of oxygen, but now I think I'll stick to the shallows, or better yet, my comfy book nook where I can safely read about underwater adventures.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this book.

I'm always nervous to start books that have anything to do with my hobbies. I learned to dive nearly 20 years ago so picking this up made me weary. I expect most thriller books about diving and the ocean to be written by someone who has never taken a single breath underwater. It was such a breath of fresh air to find out this author is also a diver and the book was so well written.

Reading this I understood immediately the feeling Phoebe felt as she entered the ocean, and dived down further. I could feel the tightness in my chest as I read about her barely being able to fit her body through parts of a hidden cave - cave diving was NOT a favorite of mine, so that really ticked the 'thriller' box for me.

Of course, those who have never dived before will have no issues reading this story, as she explains terms not generally known by anyone who has only spent time on land.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this read. It made me want to go grab my fins and jump in the water. Maybe I can find an ancient cave and you'd never hear from me again.

I was really excited for this. I love underwater sci-fi and horror, and Out of Air sounded so cool. Unfortunately, it did not match up to the blurb and left me majorly disappointed. The horror aspects were really cool and I would have loved more, but so much of this book was focused on a romance that I could not have cared less about. The romance was almost entirely reliant on us being told that the characters were good together and had a good past, because they spent so much of the actual book distant from each other. The characters kept secrets for pretty much no reason, and the main character was boring to follow. Out of Air was entirely misrepresented as a horror book, and it left me bored and annoyed by the end.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Out of Air by Rachel Reiss. This story is an atmospheric blend of mystery, adventure, and just the right touch of the supernatural. Following five friends on a diving trip off the coast of Australia, the book dives (pun intended!) into the secrets of an underwater cave that changes their lives forever.

The alternating timeline between past and present added a layer of suspense that kept me flipping pages late into the night. I loved the vivid descriptions of the ocean—Reiss’s writing made me feel like I was right there, surrounded by the beauty and danger of the deep sea. The friendships felt authentic and nuanced, though I did find myself wanting a bit more emotional depth in certain scenes.

Overall, Out of Air is an engaging and unique read, perfect for fans of atmospheric thrillers with a twist. A solid 4 stars!

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

Honestly, when I first saw this book I thought it would be a shot in the dark and that I wouldn't end up liking it that much but boy was I wrong. I've been a fan of Outer Banks since it came out and this book was recommended to me to cure my Outer Banks hangover. This book was definitely out of my comfort zone but I ended up loving it. Although it's said to be like Outer Banks, I feel like this is a truly original story that fills that void. I wish we got to know a little more about the characters but other than that I have no complaints. I haven't read a book in a long time that made me stay up all night reading but this book has done it for me. Everyone should go give this book a chance!

This was a very intriguing and interesting read. I loved that fact that it went from present to past and combined them in the end. Definitely a top choice for anyone who the ocean and/or diving. It was easy to follow without an abundance of characters. Felt like I was reading mystery, romance, and fantasy all wrapped up in a great read!

Out of Air was a decent book. Author let us get to know the characters, but I found it slow in spots while rushed in others.

This is a story about places better left alone.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this, but it was a really fun read! The horror elements were well done and unsettling, the relationships felt authentic and the environment was definitely an additional character. The dual timeline was so/so for me- but they’re never my preference.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @wednesdaybooks for the eArc

Absolutely riveting! I read this in just 4 days and couldn’t wait to get to it at the end of my day. Body horror isn’t really my cup of tea so that was a little unexpected but it didn’t pull me out of the book like I expected. I really enjoyed the rich descriptions of the dives even though I can barely snorkel without a panic attack and I feel like I need a copy of this book with some full color photos in the center. Though some of this book asked for a little bit too much suspension of disbelief for me (with how much these teens get away with) I really appreciated the character bonds and underlying storytelling. Beautiful and smooth writing made this an easy read and one I would definitely recommend for lovers of Shark Heart and other magical realism type stories.

Disclosure: Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for early consideration. This novel is a suspenseful, unique addition to the young adult genre, such as I have never seen before. In this novel, a group of teenage divers on the cusp of college and adulthood (the "Salt Squad") discovers a beautiful underwater cave; soon after, strange events begin occurring, and two of the group find themselves changing in ways which render them unrecognizable. In this novel, Reiss deftly weaves deep-sea diving and ocean facts into the plot to offer the reader an entertaining learning experience, and the unique premise of the novel makes the pacing perfect. There is always a new development in this tense, deep, and introspective novel. With a beautiful cover, captivating story, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader wanting more on each page, this book is an exceptionally relevant addition to the young adult genre. I will definitely be keeping my eye on Reiss for future novels.

A group of 5 friends who found each other in their shared love of diving head off to their last adventure together in Australia before they go their separate ways after graduating high school. A few discover a hidden cave underwater and things start to take a horrifying turn.

This book captured me from the beginning, I couldn’t stop reading the twists this story took they were unexpected and I can recommend this for anyone who is looking for a novel that provokes the fear of the deep blue sea. The descriptions of the horror that was happening made it visible in my head of what the author was trying to convey.

Thank you St. Martins Press for providing me this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Out of Air follows a group of five best friends, although it is narrated entirely by Phoebe “Phibs” Ray, who head to Australia for a scuba diving trip before heading to college. The story is presented with ‘before’ and ‘present’ narratives and I felt the book might have been stronger if it had more character points of view, as I quickly grew tired of Phibs and her mooning over one of the boys in the group. We are repeatedly reminded that the others in the group are from much wealthier backgrounds, with Phibs constantly feeling that she would not be part of the ‘Salty Squad’ if she didn’t provide most of the photography for their successful online social media presence. There is a lot of scuba diving in Out of Air, much of which is spent underwater both before and after the arrival in Australia. Although it was a solid enough read I did find it very slow and wonder whether teens may struggle with the lack of action and get bored with the insecurities Phibs continually suffers from.

After finding some gold coins in an earlier dive, which catapulted their social media presence, the group head to Australia and get sucked into a curse connected to an underwater chamber which also has potentially huge treasures, but at a price. Much of the novel follows what happens to Phibs and the boy she falls for, whilst flicking back to her Alzheimer suffering grandmother. Much of the novel is about friendships, developing relationships (with Gabe) and discovering who you are, whilst also throwing in some action sequences as there are modern day pirates also seeking the treasure. The story does develop into body horror, which is graphic in parts, but should still be fine for most readers, I also felt this could have had a more pronounced part of the story given how significant it was. AGE RANGE 13+

Interesting, suspenseful, and I love this new trend of strange ocean happenings, like Shark Heart and Our Wives Beneath the Sea. This is well written and I didn't realize it was YA until updating my reading progress, so great job for capturing the big change from high school to college without it feeling juvenile. I received this as an ARC from St. Martin Press/Wednesday Books via Netgalley.

I loved the premise of this book. The relationships between the main group of characters were good. At times, just slightly hard to follow. I was not expecting the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and could not put it down. The only thing major I didn't like was the dual timeline POV. It is just not something I like in books unfortunately. Other than that though it was so good. The horror aspects were done very well, especially since it had to do with the deep sea (scary)

This was a pretty fast paced book that throws you in the middle of the story almost, especially with the dual timelines. It starts off at the beginning of one adventure but at the end of another. The story and characters seemed very realistic for what it was. This is obviously a horror/thriller book with some fantasy elements to it so there is some things you have to be easy on with realism. However, for what it is, I found the characters and group dynamic to be very good.

I loved the horror aspect of this book a lot. The way the author described the events and what was happening with everything I could easily imagine it. It, being a book about the sea and the deep sea, was very eerie to me. On top of that the treasure hunting aspect of it and the romance thrown in as well, added up to a very entertaining and fun read. Lastly, I wish we knew more concretely about what happened at the end, I feel like it was not as tied up as I wanted but I still liked it a lot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to people who enjoy horror and the sea, as well as dual timelines!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC copy!

4/5 Stars!
I will definitely be reading more books from this author! Highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a story reminiscent of an "Outer Banks"\diving\mystery\treasure hunter/horror storyline where 5 friends get more than they bargained for when going for a dive into the depths of the ocean.

I definitely enjoyed this book! While the pacing was slow at some points, it was easy to follow along, and there were some good twists in the storyline that I was happy to have been resolved in the end. When I started reading, I was expecting a story about divers who discover treasure and come across not-so-pleasant treasure hunters, but enjoyed the plot going somewhere else with the strange changes the two characters go through, as well as the back story to how the 'Salt Squad" came to be. The story didnt end the way I originally thought it would end, and I was very happy with where Phoebe and her friends ended up, and that Phoebe wasnt alone in the end, and she had some long-awaited answers.

Having never read a story that involved diving, I enjoyed reading about aspects that divers have to know on every dive - like how to surface and why you cant surface too fast, while adding to the storyline. Personally I have never dived before, and really liked the descriptions of the underwater environment that these 5 friends encounter when they dive. I feel like a story like this to include pictures such as the ones the main character Phoebe 'Phibs' takes, would be a really cool additional experience if added into the book.

Being a fan of Outer banks the description of this book was compelling. It did not disappoint. I have always had an attraction to the sea and treasure hunting. If you like the ocean and what it holds this is a must read for you.

This cover is stunning.

The vibes were vibing—a mysterious jaunt into the water, starting from the first page. Well-written and atmospheric. While I stopped at 20%, the writing style is easy to follow, and it feels perfectly aimed for teens and young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This is definitely geared towards young adults and teens. Author did a good job of conveying the idea of the struggles of developing trust and struggling when doubt and stress come into play.