{"id":2927,"date":"2025-05-19T11:55:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2927"},"modified":"2025-05-19T11:55:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:55:45","slug":"out-of-air-by-rachel-reiss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2927","title":{"rendered":"Out of Air by Rachel Reiss"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Rachel Reiss\u2019s debut novel, Out of Air<\/em>, we\u2019re pulled beneath the surface into a world as alluring as it is terrifying. This is not your standard YA thriller \u2013 Reiss has crafted something far more insidious and lingering, a story that wraps around you like the tendrils of a sea anemone, seemingly gentle until you realize you can\u2019t break free.<\/p>\n

The novel follows Phoebe \u201cPhibs\u201d Ray, a teenage diver whose connection to the underwater world transcends mere hobby. For Phibs, diving is escape, identity, and solace. When she and her four closest friends\u2014collectively known as the \u201cSalt Squad\u201d\u2014discover a spectacular underwater cave during their post-graduation trip to a remote Australian island, they unknowingly set in motion a transformation that blurs the boundary between human and marine life<\/a> in the most unsettling ways imaginable.<\/p>\n

What begins as an eerie adventure soon plunges into body horror territory, as Phibs and her best friend (and love interest) Gabe begin developing oozing gashes along their skin after breathing air trapped in a pocket within the mysterious cave. These wounds, reminiscent of gills or fins trying to break through human flesh, become just the first manifestation of whatever ancient entity they\u2019ve encountered in the depths.<\/p>\n

Immersive Worldbuilding: The Sea as Character<\/h2>\n

Reiss\u2019s firsthand experience as a scuba diver shines through in her meticulous and sensory descriptions<\/a> of the underwater world. From the \u201cplumes of volcanic rock and weaving between bulbous mounds of brain coral\u201d to the \u201cshoals of red snapper\u201d and \u201cschooling barracuda,\u201d the marine environment feels alive and authentic in ways that only someone intimately familiar with diving could capture.<\/p>\n

The underwater scenes are rendered with such vivid clarity that readers might find themselves unconsciously holding their breath during particularly tense diving sequences. Reiss demonstrates exceptional skill in creating atmospheric tension through her descriptions of:<\/p>\n

The disorienting qualities of diving at night
\nThe panic of running out of air at depth
\nThe primal fear of encountering predators like tiger sharks
\nThe claustrophobia of navigating narrow underwater tunnels<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s setting\u2014a fictional remote island called Marimont in the Appelon Archipelago\u2014serves as the perfect isolated backdrop for the horrors that unfold. This \u201clast great wilderness\u201d becomes both refuge and prison for our protagonists, emphasizing how the most beautiful places often conceal the darkest secrets.<\/p>\n

The Undertow of Teenage Dynamics<\/h2>\n

At its heart, Out of Air by Rachel Reiss<\/em> is a story about the transition from adolescence to adulthood and the fear of losing the connections that defined your youth. Reiss captures the bittersweet reality of post-graduation friendships with poignant accuracy. The Salt Squad\u2014Phibs, Gabe, his twin brother Will, Lani, and Isabel\u2014exist in that fragile moment before college separates them permanently.<\/p>\n

The complex dynamics between these five friends form the emotional core of the novel:<\/p>\n

Phibs and Gabe<\/strong>: Their slow-burn romance is complicated by Gabe\u2019s impending departure for college and Phibs\u2019s inability to leave her ailing grandmother
\nWill and Gabe<\/strong>: The fraternal twins represent opposing forces\u2014ambition versus contentment, aggression versus gentleness
\nLani and Isabel<\/strong>: Their established relationship provides stability but faces its own tests when Lani loses fingers in a boating accident
\nPhibs and the group<\/strong>: Her status as the less wealthy outsider creates underlying tension, especially with Will<\/p>\n

What elevates these relationships beyond typical YA fare is how Reiss intertwines them with the supernatural transformation. As Phibs and Gabe begin changing physically, their connection to each other deepens while their relationships with the rest of the world\u2014including their closest friends\u2014inevitably shifts. The body horror becomes a metaphor for how growing up changes us in ways that can make us unrecognizable, even to ourselves.<\/p>\n

The Currents of Plot: Strengths and Undertows<\/h2>\n

Reiss demonstrates remarkable skill in pacing, particularly in the novel\u2019s first half. The discovery of the cave, the initial transformation, the arrival of treasure hunters\u2014these elements flow together with the smooth inevitability of a tide. The plot maintains a delicate balance between supernatural horror and grounded teenage drama that keeps pages turning.<\/p>\n

The strongest segments include:<\/p>\n

The white-knuckle initial exploration of the underwater tunnel
\nThe tiger shark encounter where Gabe demonstrates newfound abilities
\nThe sea wasp swarm sequence that showcases Phibs\u2019s growing powers
\nThe flashbacks revealing what happened to Sheriff Edwards<\/p>\n

However, the novel occasionally loses momentum in its later chapters. The cycles of fever and healing through repeated visits to the cave\u2019s air pocket become somewhat repetitive, and certain revelations\u2014such as Gabe being the one who kept the fifth coin\u2014feel slightly rushed in their resolution. The connection between Phibs\u2019s mother and Lani\u2019s aunt Leila, while intriguing, remains underdeveloped.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the novel leaves several questions unanswered, including the exact nature of what has infected Phibs and Gabe. While this ambiguity works on a horror level\u2014sometimes the unexplained is more terrifying\u2014it may frustrate readers seeking clearer mythology. Is it a parasite? An ancient species? Something entirely unclassifiable? The novel hints rather than explains.<\/p>\n

Thematic Depths: More Than Meets the Eye<\/h2>\n

What elevates Out of Air by Rachel Reiss<\/em> beyond standard YA fare is its thoughtful exploration of deeper themes:<\/p>\n

Belonging and Identity<\/h3>\n

Phibs\u2019s transformation becomes a twisted fulfillment of her deepest desire\u2014to belong somewhere permanently. Her lifelong sense of being an outsider (economically disadvantaged, abandoned by her mother, caretaker to her grandmother) makes her susceptible to the cave\u2019s influence. The horror lies in how she ultimately embraces her transformation, seeing it as finally finding her place, even as it separates her from humanity.<\/p>\n

The Price of Discovery<\/h3>\n

The novel deftly examines how the pursuit of treasure\u2014literal and metaphorical\u2014can lead to unexpected consequences. From the Spanish coins that first brought the Salt Squad fame to the \u201cgrail of all grails\u201d buried in the cave, Reiss consistently shows how uncovering what\u2019s hidden can unleash forces beyond control<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Loss and Impermanence<\/h3>\n

The impending separation of the friend group serves as a microcosm for all forms of loss. Gram\u2019s Alzheimer\u2019s, Lani\u2019s missing fingers, and ultimately Phibs\u2019s transformation all explore different facets of how we cope with losing parts of ourselves or those we love.<\/p>\n

Stylistic Currents: Voice and Perspective<\/h2>\n

Reiss writes in first-person present tense from Phibs\u2019s perspective, creating immediacy and intimacy with our protagonist. This choice proves particularly effective as Phibs\u2019s transformation progresses\u2014we experience her shifting perceptions in real-time, including the disorienting moments when her thoughts become muddled or when she hears the mysterious whispers.<\/p>\n

The prose balances lyrical descriptions of the underwater world with the sharp, often sarcastic voice of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. Reiss excels at sensory writing, particularly in describing:<\/p>\n

The physical sensations of diving
\nThe pain and unnatural movements of the transformations
\nThe unique qualities of underwater light and sound<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s structure, which interweaves present-day chapters with flashbacks to key moments from the previous two years, effectively builds tension while gradually revealing the full context of the Salt Squad\u2019s relationships and the events that led them to Marimont.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict: A Promising Debut with Dark Depths<\/h2>\n

Out of Air<\/em> marks Rachel Reiss as a distinctive new voice in YA horror. While it occasionally struggles with pacing in its final act and leaves some mythology questions unanswered, these minor flaws are easily overlooked given the novel\u2019s immersive world-building, compelling characters, and genuinely unsettling body horror.<\/p>\n

The novel will particularly appeal to fans of:<\/p>\n

The marine horror of Katya de Becerra\u2019s Oasis<\/em>
\nThe body transformation elements of Mira Grant\u2019s Into the Drowning Deep<\/em>
\nThe friend group dynamics of Karen M. McManus\u2019s thrillers
\nThe atmospheric tension of Courtney Summers\u2019s suspense novels<\/p>\n

Reiss\u2019s ability to blend technical diving knowledge with supernatural horror creates a unique reading experience that lingers long after the final page. The ambiguous ending\u2014suggesting Phibs deliberately posted the cave photo to ensure the friends would be bound together forever\u2014offers a disturbing twist that recontextualizes the entire narrative.<\/p>\n

For a debut novel, Out of Air by Rachel Reiss<\/em> shows remarkable assurance in both concept and execution. Reiss has crafted a story that operates effectively on multiple levels\u2014as a coming-of-age tale, a supernatural thriller, a body horror narrative, and an exploration of the boundaries between belonging and obsession<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While not perfect, this debut novel demonstrates Reiss\u2019s potential as a powerful new voice in YA horror. Readers who take the plunge into Out of Air<\/em> will find themselves caught in its narrative currents, pulled ever deeper into its murky, fascinating depths\u2014and perhaps, like Phibs herself, strangely reluctant to return to the surface.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Rachel Reiss\u2019s debut novel, Out of Air, we\u2019re pulled beneath the surface into a world as alluring as it is terrifying. This is not your standard YA thriller \u2013 Reiss has crafted something far more insidious and lingering, a story that wraps around you like the tendrils of a sea anemone, seemingly gentle until […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}