audiosync free title 2023, 9h24m - shipwrecked after a sea monster attacks, a teen girl finds herself on an island where danger lurks everywhere with her little brother, a handsome boy, and his ex girlfriend.

very similar to the TV series "Lost" with frequent non-sequitur curveballs (which thankfully are at least mostly explained by the end?); tons of suspense and a little romance, but purely for fun. ( )

FROM SYNC 2023:
Narrator Chloe Dolandis keeps the tension high in this creepy YA thriller. Sia Gianopoulos has diving in her blood. After a charter dive goes wrong and the boat is wrecked by a monstrous creature, Sia washes up on an island with a handful of survivors and a lot of questions. Dolandis nails the pacing that is key to this type of story. The mystery plays out slowly enough to build the suspense to a fever pitch, then goes into overdrive for the action. As Sia dictates letters telling the story to her incarcerated father, Dolandis’s subtle performance creates a heightened sense of terror. The sequences detailing Sia’s deep ocean dives will have listeners holding their breath—and maybe wanting to give it a try.

Well that was super weird!

I persevered with this book because I was fascinated to see where it was heading not because I was enjoying it. There were some incredibly chilling moments in the book where the hairs on my arms were standing up, but they were few and far apart. It was a weird mash up of genres that I don't think actually worked. I also think there needed to be a stronger conclusion in which more of my questions were answered. Not for me. ( )

Tasia works with her mom, doing scuba diving tours for tourists. During one fateful dive, something terrible happens and then, while trying to find the solution, a mysterious creature attacks the boats and sinks them. Tasia wakes up on a deserted island with her younger brother and two others. There's no sign of rescue and the monster is still out there. Stranger still, this island has something going on with it and Tasia knows they must get off of it, and soon.

This book is written in diary/journal form from Tasia as she writes to her dad, who's in prison, about what has happened. It does use "You" to address her dad. Even though it was technically written as 2nd Person, I generally enjoyed it that way; it seemed to give the reader a bit more of an insight into these characters' lives and the family dynamic. Regardless of it being a POV I'm not used to, the narrative grabbed my attention and I was always wanting to know more.

The characters were well developed and I never felt that any were skimmed over. I also felt like Leslie Lutz did a wonderful job at describing scuba diving and it's gear. I'm from the middle of the United States, I've only seen the ocean once, so I don't know much about scuba diving but the bare minimum (that there's equipment that helps you breath under water). Even if I didn't know exactly what was happening, I still felt informed.

I did feel like the ending was a tad bit rushed, the last three chapters/entries for sure. I totally understand why it was rushed but the rest of the novel was so greatly paced that it came as a surprise that it would end that way. I sort of wish it had a bit more details to the ending, but due to the science fiction aspect of it, a lot of questions will remain unanswered. I am still satisfied with the ending though.

This novel is great for anyone who wants a bit of an adventure mixed with science fiction. May not be the best for those who don't like the ocean as it might give them more of a fright! ( )

The Fractured Tide is creepy, action-packed, and thrilling. I definitely do not recommend people to read this book now, during this pandemic, because the story scared the hell out of me as the story was all about surviving and hunger due to scarcity of food.

Tasia is a 17-something homeschooled girl, helping her mom run her family business (diving charter) as her dad goes behind the bars. After an unfortunate dive to a WWII wreck which results in the death of a fellow diver, weird events begin to unfold. They unite with a science club summer fun party only to be attack by a creepy octopus-like creature. When she opens her eyes again, Tasia finds herself stranded in a strange island with a lunatic with a gun. But soon, to her relief, she also finds her 7 year old brother, Felix, and two people from the science club, Ben and Steph.

But things are never normal when one is stranded on a strange island, isn't it? It doesn't take long for Ben and Tasia to discover that things appear to be going on like a loop.

So, they are left in a island which is god-knows-where, with almost no food resources, a raging lunatic, ruins of their charters, the mysterious creature which wrecked their boats still looming around and secrets buried in the island (literally!). They need to escape. And first and foremost of all, they need to survive. Will they?

What I really liked about this book was that the story was fast-paced, thrilling and creepy. All the twists were interesting and unexpected. I love the fact that none of the main characters died (oh, oh, did I just spoil something?). I also loved the way family was weaved into this sci-fi thriller.

What I didn't like about the book was that the diving scenes in the book were too technical. I felt my eyes spinning when I came to read such scenes. Also, the ending didn't really strike me, because it confused me.

Overall, it is a good book. But don't read it now due to the reason that I have mentioned above. But if you do read, then remember that you've been warned! ( )