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fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
khucc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Self harm, Torture, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
sarahanne_65's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
dblue236's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was wildly unrealistic, almost to the point of being laughable, but that didn't stop me from being entertained by it. I definitely had to suspend reality on multiple occasions, and to be honest, I could have done without the scene of sexual assault that felt a bit like an afterthought. The plot could have used some tightening up, but once I learned not to expect realism, I mostly enjoyed the book in the same way I might enjoy a corny slasher flick. You won't need a lot of brain cells for this one, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Police brutality, and Kidnapping
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
When two women with secrets and trauma in their pasts get entangled in a series of murders, you can't trust anyone. Also, know one thing, everyone is lying about who they are.
Plenty of twists and turns, though I think the conclusion without the epilogue would have been better, as I saw that part coming about halfway through the book. Which was a letdown.
The whole mission to destroy Cass was misplaced and I am glad she finally saw that.
This book tackled A LOT of difficult issues and was quite dark. But overall, it was good.
Narrator Rating: 4 stars
The narrators did a good job. Though some words were pronounced oddly, and not as I would assume someone from that part of the US would say them.
Extra ratings: Fluff - NA Heartfelt-5/5 Helpful-NA Horror-NA Inspiration-NA Love aka Romance-1.5/5 Mystery-3/5 Predictability-2.5/5 Spice-NA Suspense-1.5/5 Tear- 3.5/5 Thrill-4/5 Humor-0/5
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Physical abuse
jillwedemeier's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
๐ป๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐ is a brilliant debut thriller from Sara Ochs. Set on a remote island in Thailand, the story is told from the perspectives of Cass and Brooke, two women with mysterious pasts. Cass, a scuba diving instructor at the Koh Sang Dive Resort, moved to Koh Sang years ago and became friends with "The Permanents," a group of expats who moved to the island looking for fresh starts. Brooke is a travel blogger and social media influencer staying at the resort. When Cass takes her students out for their first dive off the coast of the island, what is supposed to be a life-changing experience quickly spirals out of control when one of her students, Lucy, is found dead. After a woman fell to her death weeks prior, Cass wonders if Lucy's death is not an accident. As Cass and Brooke team up to investigate the deaths, another person is murdered, and dark secrets are revealed.
This was such a fun summer thriller! The author did a great job building the suspense and creating a real page-turner. As the story developed, more secrets were exposed and more questions were raised. I enjoyed the dual POVs of Cass and Brooke, and I never knew who or what to believe. There were so many times that I thought I had figured it all out, but I was wrong. The ending was unexpected and nicely wrapped up any loose strings. Overall, an incredible debut from Sara Ochs, and I look forward to reading her future novels.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
andreareiter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
"None of them ever knew who I really am under this faรงade, beneath the scar tissue."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bantam in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I love a good thriller with a foreign setting and/or travel element, so of course I simply HAD to add The Dive to my TBR as soon as I first heard about it. It was cover love at first sight, and not only because of that paradise background, but also because of what is written below the title. What better way to draw a reader in than with the words 'We hope you survive your stay'? It worked for me at least... Add the scuba diving, death and the promise of secrets, and I've been looking forward to read The Dive.
What a ride it turned out to be! One of the reasons I ended up having such a great time reading The Dive most definitely has to do with the setting. Like I said before, I love a story with a foreign setting and/or travel element, and this story offers both. The Dive is set on a small island in Thailand, and the many vivid descriptions of the setting really make Koh Sang come alive. I was ready to jump on the next plane to paradise long before that final page! The fact that the story is set at a resort and shows what life is like working in tourism really spoke to me (I've worked as a hostel receptionist at various Latin American locations in the past), and I liked what this added to the plot.
The Dive uses what is basically a dual POV structure (if you don't count the prologue and epilogue). The story switches between scuba diving instructor Cass and guest/influencer Brooke, which I personally really appreciated as this way we could see both sides of life at the resort. Both Brooke and Cass seem to be hiding something, and this made it intriguing to see the two interact and watch the story unfold. I did think that Cass' secret was drawn out too much, and it started to get a bit annoying... But I could understand why she did the things she did considering her mental state.
The writing style is very engaging, and it's very easy to just keep turning those pages. Especially once the first body shows up, and the tension and suspense increases with each chapter. What really happened that night, was it murder and who would be behind it? What secrets and possibly shady pasts are the characters hiding? There seems to be something off about just about every single one of the Permanents, and as a result there are plenty of suspects to play around with in your head. And while I guessed part of the truth right, and never saw the full picture coming... That epilogue was brilliantly done.
If you are looking for a well written, engaging and suspenseful thriller with a tropical setting and plenty of secrets and suspects, The Dive is an excellent choice. Make sure to brace yourself for a wild ride!
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism