Lost meets Stranger Things in this eerie, immersive YA thriller, thrusting seventeen-year-old Sia into a reality where the waters in front of her and the jungle behind her are as dangerous as the survivors alongside her.
Sia practically grew up in the water scuba diving, and wreck dives are run of the mill. Take the tourists out. Explore the reef. Uncover the secrets locked in the sunken craft. But this time … the dive goes terribly wrong.
Attacked by a mysterious creature, Sia’s boat is sunk, her customers are killed, and she washes up on a deserted island with no sign of rescue in sight. Waiting in the water is a seemingly unstoppable monster that is still hungry. In the jungle just off the beach are dangers best left untested. When Sia reunites with a handful of survivors, she sees it as the first sign of light.
Sia is wrong.
Between the gulf of deadly seawater in front of her and suffocating depth of the jungle behind her, even the island isn’t what it seems.
Haunted by her own mistakes and an inescapable dread, Sia’s best hope for finding answers may rest in the center of the island, at the bottom of a flooded sinkhole that only she has the skills to navigate. But even if the creature lurking in the depths doesn’t swallow her and the other survivors, the secrets of their fractured reality on the island might.
With Lost and Stranger Things being the comp titles (and two of my fav shows) for this book, I was soooo hoping to not be disappointed – and I absolutely wasn’t. The comps are perfect descriptions.
Creepy, bizarre, mind-bending – all are apt descriptions of the island Sia finds herself stranded on. Honestly, I’d be afraid to close my eyes at night. This book held my attention from page one, and I probably could have finished it in one sitting. Pacing is brisk and tense – I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Characterization is another strong point, from the MC to supporting characters – flawed, layered, and relatable. I loved that Sia was a diver, and it’s obvious the author did her research on the subject. I tried diving several years ago, but I was too claustrophobic – so I really felt the tension when Sia was caught up in dangerous underwater situations.
Although completely riveted by this book, I dreaded the ending because I was sure to be disappointed by some weak excuse for what was happening. But I wasn’t at all, and that made my sci-fi loving heart so happy.
Fractured Tide is a fantastic blend of thriller, sci-fi, and horror and fans of any of those genres are in for a treat. With such an amazing debut novel, this is an author to watch.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 
Did someone say monster?
This sounds really good Teri, and that book cover is superb. I’m highly intrigued!
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I love the cover – first thing that caught my eye. I think this is one you’d totally fall for, Mae.
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Oh, my gosh. I don’t shop by covers, but this one is really striking. Sounds like a good book, too. Thanks for sharing, Teri.
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Covers definitely influence me, Staci – and I plowed through this book. Kept me guessing.
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Sounds like a great thriller, Teri! Excellent review. ☺️
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Thanks, Jen! This was a fantastic debut – I’ll keep watch on this author.
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Amazing review, Teri! Sounds a good mix of horror, sci-fi and thriller.
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Thanks, Yesha! It was a fantastic blend of genres – I enjoyed every minute of it.
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This is the first I’ve heard of Fractured Tide. Sounds good!
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It really was, Priscilla – a little bit of everything I like.
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Excellent review, Teri.
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Thanks for visiting, John!
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Wow it seems it held all its promises till the end Teri!
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It really did, Sophie. That was one engaging, action-packed read.
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Great review, Teri. Talk about an eye-catching cover!
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Thanks, Jill! I agree – that designer did a heck of a job.
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This is a very good review, Teri. This book sounds very good.
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It was, Robbie. I could have finished this in one sitting if real life had allowed.
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Sounds like a very cool book. Lost and Stranger Things were (are) two of my fave shows as well 🙂
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I was skeptical when I read the comp titles, but they were well chosen, Jessica. Sounds like you should look into this one.
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Thank you so much for this awesome review! I’m so glad you liked it.
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It’s an amazing debut, Leslie – congrats! I’ll be waiting for your next release.
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