Those We Drown has a very slow start and I keep finding myself setting it aside and procrastinating picking it back up. I am going to set it aside to return to at a later time.

Thank you for providing me with a review copy.

I enjoyed this so much more than I first presumed. I love a good mystery, especially ones set on a cruise ship and this did not disappoint.

I loved the plot and was kept intrigued throughout the whole thing. The atmosphere was an absolute 10/10 - so eerie. It gave me nostalgic Goosebumps vibes!

It did get to the point where it felt quite repetitive and could have been 50 pages shorter…

The ONLY gripe I have is the ending - like HOW could it end like that?! I prefer my books with a solid, definitive end.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

The premise of this book had me hooked and the plot had so much potential, but unfortunately, the plot fell flat and the book overall just lacked depth.

The plot felt quite repetitive with the same conversations and thoughts happening over and over again with no development. There were lots of scenes that just didn’t add anything to the atmosphere or story and didn’t even help move the plot forward. I also found it quite predictable and had a good idea of who the ‘villain’ was and what all the major plot twists would be from the start so i spent most of the book just waiting for the main character to finally catch on to what was going on.

The main character herself wasn’t that good either, she mainly just annoyed me the whole time. And the side characters had so much potential with their different backgrounds and personalities but we didn’t spend much time with them and no one had any time to develop.

One of my biggest issues was the ending. Now, normally I love a good cliffhanger but the end of this book just annoyed me. It felt really rushed and I had a hard time visualising what exactly was going on. We also got no answers to any of the major questions and then the book just ends at such a random point.

An atmospheric horror debut where the wrong move could have consequences as dark and fathomless as the sea.

As one of only seven young students chosen for an opportunity to study for a “Seamester” at sea on the luxury cruise liner named the Eos, Liv is thanking her lucky stars. The fact that she gets to attend this once in a lifetime experience with her best friend Will is just the cherry on top of what promises to be an amazing experience.

But when their first night aboard the Eos culminates in an embarrassingly public fight between Liv and Will, followed by Will suddenly falling ill and becoming quarantined in the ship’s infirmary, Liv can’t help but wonder if there is something bigger afoot. She keeps trying to reach out to him but he never seems to answer and all the staff onboard the ship seem incredibly evasive. Why won’t they let her see her best friend?

Can Liv get to the bottom of what is going on before anything else goes amiss?

This was a stunning debut from Amy Goldsmith. The suspense and horror I felt almost immediately never once let up. This novel kept me firmly rooted to the edge of my seat at all times. The fear and panic the author was able to nurse through seemingly innocuous and innocent details of was expertly done. I found it hard to put this one down!

The only critique I have is I wish that some of Liv’s inner monologue had been a little less cyclical. The I know I saw this, did I see this, clearly I’m crazy/tired/stressed cycle was a little exhausting but honestly such a minor criticism compared to what was a thoroughly fascinating story. There were twists I definitely didn’t se coming and some that I did. However I can honestly tell you I was not prepared for that ending. Why must you torture me so Ms. Goldsmith?!

I would absolutely love to see more in this vein from Amy. She truly knows how to keep a reader… hooked. Fishing pun thoroughly intended.

Title: "Diving into the Depths of Myth and Imagination: A Review of 'Those We Drown'"

"Those We Drown" beckons readers into a realm where imagery reigns supreme, enveloping them in a tapestry of sights, sounds, and emotions from its very first page. The author's skillful use of descriptive language paints a vivid picture of the world within the book, drawing readers into its depths with an irresistible allure. From the haunting whispers of the wind to the ethereal beauty of the ocean's depths, the imagery in "Those We Drown" is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Amidst this richly crafted backdrop, the plot unfolds with a tantalizing blend of mystery and suspense, holding readers captive until the very last page. Each twist and turn of the narrative is expertly executed, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they eagerly unravel the secrets hidden within the story's depths. What sets "Those We Drown" apart is its seamless integration of mythology, weaving ancient tales and legends into the fabric of the plot with effortless grace. These mythic threads add layers of depth and complexity to the story, inviting readers to explore the connections between past and present, myth and reality.

But perhaps the true heart of "Those We Drown" lies in its characters, each one as intricate and multifaceted as the depths of the ocean itself. From the enigmatic protagonist to the supporting cast of allies and adversaries, every character feels achingly real, their struggles and triumphs resonating with readers on a profound level. It is through their eyes that we witness the unfolding drama of the narrative, each character adding their own unique perspective to the story's overarching tapestry.

In conclusion, "Those We Drown" is a mesmerizing journey through myth and imagination, a tale that grips the heart and mind alike from beginning to end. With its stunning imagery, compelling plot, and unforgettable characters, it is a book that will linger in the reader's thoughts long after the final page has been turned.

I was excited for the premise of this book. I enjoy modernized mythology and folklore stories, and I especially love the feminist opportunities for contemporary siren stories. However, Those We Drown is not the book for me. There are plenty of eerie details in the opening chapters of the book, but the establishment of the tone and atmosphere are inconsistent, in part due to the protagonist's confused narration. I also found the plot too slow for me; I need more suspense to get hooked into a mystery/horror story. I stopped reading nearly a third of the way in, and felt the plot was still in exposition.

This book had a lot of potential, but I am not the right reader for this book.

I love books where an impoverished girl ends up with a scholarship because the rich are evil. I just finished another and I could not put it down.
Also I love Mermaids and Sirens so much! I am obsessed, so a book with them, or "influencers" like them is going to be a natural favorite.
LIv is wonderful and impulsive and absolutely has no grace. I love it! She is just running around upsetting people the entire book, like teens do.
I absolutely loved the ending! Do we get another book? Because I need to know what happens next.

I really enjoyed this YA horror. It has been a refreshing change to many of the YA I've come across. It didn't feel "too young" as I've felt. The MC are obviously younger, as they are in college, but they don't act immature. Maybe that is what I am trying to say. The end plot is fairly obvious once you meet all the characters, but this specific book I would say is more about the journey and know who ALL is involved.
The writing flows well, and there are probably a few times you'd think "I would NOT do that" but it is easily overlooked with some suspension of disbelief.
I think this is a fun read for fans of YA, horror, sea legends.

4.5 stars - a gripping mythical horror set on a cruise ship.

We join Liv and Will setting off on a semester aboard the Eos - a Greek inspired cruise ship - the first night Liv and will have an argument and the next morning Will is mysteriously quarantined with an unknown sickness. The rest of the story follows Liv and her attempt to make contact with Will while unsettling things start to happen. Could the events have something to do with the three glamorous influencers also onboard.

I really enjoyed this - super creepy in places and made me suspect everyone. Loved the claustrophobic cruise ship setting and has genuinely made me consider ever stepping foot on one.

I also loved the Greek interpretation of the sirens - in this case they are bird like women not mermaid type creatures.

The only nitpick (other than the very open ending!) was Livs very brazen attitude - if I was her I would have been worried that I would have been next and I would be keeping things to myself but I probably wouldn’t make a good story.

I would recommend this one to those who liked into the drowning deep and lying in the deep for the sea and cruise setting.

Book Review 📚
Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith - 4/5 ⭐

Did I come across this book randomly and see it was a horror and decide that'll be enough for me to read it? 100% yes!

I was not disappointed in this book. It was well thought out with a good plot and story line to follow. The hard thing about horrors is being kept gripped through the book whilst it also keeping you on edge. Rose We Drown done that perfectly.

There was fantastic descriptions throughout, which makes the horror theme so much more intense and it was just amazing. The characters were perfect. You knew who to love and knew who to hate whilst also second guessing every thought you had.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

✨Book Review✨

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕤, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕥

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC coming out in February… but I just looked on goodreads and it was published in June of 2023? ANYWAYS let’s dive into the review 🌊

Olivia or “Liv” gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets a scholarship to attend a semester at sea aboard a luxury cruise ship. Even better, her best friend Will gets to join her. But things quickly turn weird the first night they are there. After a little too much alcohol, Will and Liv get into a very public argument at a party. The next morning, Liv awakens to find that Will has been quarantined due to sickness. And with each passing day that she doesn’t get to see him, her suspicions increase that something isn’t right aboard this cruise ship.

I had some mixed feelings about this book. There were things I really loved about this book and then things that did not work for me.

What worked for me:

🌊 Creepy atmosphere
🌊Claustrophobia/ sense of feeling trapped on a ship in the middle of nowhere
🌊That horrifying theater scene with the creep in the mask
🌊The Greek/Roman mythology tie in
🌊The siren songs

What didn’t work for me:

🌊 I was expecting a suite life on deck vibe. But there was NO studying done on this boat at all. Only parties and theater shows.
🌊I had issues with the pacing of the plot. I feel like it took off super fast with Will going missing right away, but then became repetitive with Liv finding something out, denying it, then going to a party. I almost wish that Will went missing a few days in. Give the reader time to get settled in. Drop a couple spooky hints then bam… he goes missing.
🌊The romance felt a bit forced between Con and Liv.
🌊 The characters were a bit bland


Overall I had fun with Those We Drown. It had a great premise and some genuinely creepy moments. But there was a lot that didn’t work for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Liv wins a scholarship for an all-expenses-paid semester aboard the luxury cruise ship The Eos. The trip will give her the chance to reconnect with her best friend Will. Then he disappears, supposedly sick. Following that, there are more disappearances and gruesome creatures haunting Liv's dreams. But are they in her dreams? Weird things keep occurring and there are the Sirens, a sinister trio of influencers who are obviously involved. What is the secret of The Eos?

Beginning with a chilling Chapter 0 (thought that was clever) to put you in the mood, it then dives into Liv's story as she embarks on her Eos adventure feeling out of place among the rich. She is instantly likeable, if a bit horror movie naive and occasionally whiny. Her POV just pulls you in, it is so darn readable. I do think it's ironic and grin-worthy that the protagonist of this oceanic tale hates the sea.

The intrigue starts building early, strange occurrences, small at first piquing your interest. Also a lot of suspicious info about characters and events. Ominous threads through the narrative as does the aroma of Greek mythology, plus a spooky vibe that is spot on.

Sometimes there is unneeded detail, giving the feel of a private investigator's journal to the observations, the musings of the main character. Repetitive in parts, for example: how many times can you ask about Will on a ship, just go and find him. Generally though, the author is quite accomplished and creatively visual with her descriptions. The 'scary' bits are genuinely creepy and suspenseful. I enjoy stories where odd things make the protagonist question their sanity.

If you like the idea of solving a mystery with eerie, fantastical elements, alongside a protagonist who isn't suddenly a seasoned detective, but realistically fumbles more than triumphs, this is for you.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Black & White Publishing, Ink Road for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

Those We Drown is an oceanic horror story. It reads more to the lower ranks of YA but it was overall a pretty good book. The end seemed a little forced but other than that it was a great story.

This was a really enjoyable read for me! The thing that really worked well was the atmosphere- despite the luxury setting you can feel the creepy ocean atmosphere and claustrophobia through the pages! The horror and mystery aspects where really well paced through the book, you are constantly trying to figure out whether the mysterious goings on on the ship are really supernatural or if it is just the work of twisted people on board the ship. There are definitely lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing all the while building anxiety because you know the characters can't escape no matter what because of the setting.
All the characters in this book were so
mysterious and you honestly couldn't trust a single one of them! It really added to the feeling of helplessness and anxiety which made it a great physiological horror, not just the typical spooky creatures sort of horror. Reading Liv's point of view makes you feel really cornered and anxious and overall makes this a really great horror book! I also loved the incorporation and references to Greek mythology that were woven through the book and it added another level of mystery and a cult-ish sort of vibe. Now my only criticisms would be the ending did seem quite rushed, although all the mysteries came together in the end and it wasn't an unsatisfactory ending- I don't want to spoil anything and I'm not sure how to describe it but it just felt sort of easy? The tension and fear were build up so well so l just feel like the ending was over too quickly, but it was still an overall amazing book! I'd definitely recommend it for a YA audience although I'm sure adults would find enjoyment in this book too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Black & White Publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

I rated this book 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

Those We Drown is a YA Horror novel following a group of students selected to study a semester abroad on a cruise ship. The main character, Liv, gets to participate based on a scholarship she receives, along with her estranged friend Will. The other students are all rich and bougie, so she doesn't fit in very well. When Will goes missing, Liv investigates and realizes that there is something nefarious going on...especially when more of the students start to go missing.

Overall, I thought the plot was very intriguing. Ocean horror is one of my favorite horror genres, and anything with scary sea creatures piques my interest. The author did a fantastic job building tension, creating a stressful atmosphere for the main character. The way Liv starts to question whether or not if she is going crazy was very well done, because I was questioning it as well. Additionally, I really loved the descriptions of the different creatures. I was genuinely creeped out for the majority of those scenes, and it was much more terrifying than I expected out of a YA novel. I also really enjoyed the ambiguity of the ending, which I feel could be controversial for some people. Also, bonus points for the awesome cover artwork.

There were a few things that I thought could be improved upon - the plot was very predictable, but then again this is a YA novel so that didn't really bother me too much, considering the audience. It was a bit confusing to me about the ages of the students - particularly Liv. Sometimes it seemed like she had the mentality of a child in middle school, but then with the cussing, drinking and drugs this was definitely pushing the envelope for YA (which I don't mind). Basically, this very much felt like a YA novel at times and I couldn't pinpoint the targeted age range. I think the biggest issue I had was that Liv was just not that great of a main character. Her only redeeming quality was that she was at least self-aware of her poor decisions. There were several "hints" about what was happening on the ship, which to me were blatantly obvious, but then Liv would go ahead and do something that could have potentially gotten her killed. Before acting upon her thoughts, she would question whether or not it was a good idea...then do it anyways. It was super frustrating and I wasn't really rooting for her. However, one could argue this is just a young teenage girl dealing with a stressful situation. I'm just used to reading about stronger female leads, whether they were a reliable narrator or not, and not someone as impulsive and naive as Liv. She was also too clingy to Will and then the other boy, Constantine; however, it's been a while since I was her age so maybe this is accurate? She was just too blinded by her feelings and not focused enough on survival.

I found this to be an enjoyable, quick read, and would definitely read more from this author in the future. I will post a review to Goodreads, and to my Instagram account once the publication date is closer.

A water based horror book? Sign me up! This book is really rich in oceanic descriptions and words, which is beautiful and horrifying.

Liv, our mc is granted the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets an all expenses paid to study abroad on a luxury cruise ship! She feels like the luckiest girl in the world, this is such a wonderful chance for her, especially since her bff is coming with her. Only he disappears whilst on the ship and everyone seems to just be brushing it under the rug. But she thinks that something more sinister is happening on the ship.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my arc copy.

Absolutely brilliant novel that I just couldn’t put down and read in two days!
Beautifully written and full of suspense and anxiety, the plot jumped off the page as it were a movie.
Characters were well written and descriptive, I loved Con and Liv grew on me despite her annoyances, my only downside was that it ended slightly more abrupt then I had hoped.
Great book though,

pretty good! i liked the siren vibe. unfortunately for me it was WAY too slow burn at revealing its secrets, and they were fairly obvious too. i can't say i'd rec this as a top level pick, but if you've read Into The Drowning Deep and want more mer horror, this one should work well! thanks for the arc

I think this book will work fairly well for younger teens looking for an intense YA thriller, but it didn't work for me. I don't gel with Goldsmith's writing, clearly, but these premises and plots keep drawing me in.

Thank you to Random House Children’s for this opportunity to rate and review this arc which is out July 11,2023

This is a book about terror on the open seas. Liv lands an all expense paid opportunity to study aboard a luxury cruise ship called the Eos for a semester. She also there with her ex bff Will who hasn’t talked to her when their friendship took a dive. There are strange aquatic dreams, sirens. There’s a stuffy guy named Constantine. Liv is over her head. She was given this opportunity when the girl before her disappeared.

This is an atmospheric ya horror book. It’s vastly paced, characters act their age so if you are older be prepared to resist the urge to yell at the pages. Overall it was fun but I am finding that YA makes my blood pressure raise with the complete ignorance for logic.