Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban is a young adult thriller that follows Jade, whose boyfriend has recently dumped her for her ex-best friend. Jade is excited to get away from all the tragedy she has been subjected to by going on a sightseeing cruise for her school, but things take a turn for the worse when her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend show up for the cruise as well. Things only get worse when Jade’s ex-best friend goes missing and, with people turning up dead, Jade must race to clear her name before it is too late.
The Pros: I flew through Lying in the Deep in just a couple days. The writing is super easy to digest and the twists keep you entertained throughout the book. Lying in the Deep definitely isn’t an extraordinary thriller, but it keeps you engaged nonetheless and it's a good choice for murder mystery fans looking for a quick read.
The Cons: Lying in the Deep had a writing style that I personally didn’t enjoy. A lot of modern terms are referenced and social media apps such as YouTube and TikTok are brought up very frequently which is necessary to the plot but a little awkward. Overall, I believe Lying in the Deep is written for the younger YA audience because of the simplistic writing and somewhat basic descriptions.
In conclusion, Lying in the Deep is your basic young adult thriller which receives a three star rating for its somewhat unique and moderately gripping plot. I recommend this book either to people who really like reading thrillers or to people who want to try out a thriller book for the first time.