Author: Diana Urban
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication Date: May 2023
Genre: Young Adult / Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: A juicy mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal set on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship, with a diverse cast of delightfully suspicious characters who’ll leave you guessing with every jaw-dropping twist.
After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.
But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with….before anyone else winds up in body bags.
My Thoughts: I loved the concept of this book and was so excited to dive in. College student Jade is recovering a broken heart after her boyfriend breaks up with her in a text message and tells her he’s with her best friend, Lainey. As part of her curriculum, she joins several other college students on a four month world cruise. I loved that this cruise is full of college students from all over who will attend class and do homework while seeing the world. The awesome vacation vibe is really strong here and I would love to go on a four month cruise all over the world. Jade thinks this cruise will help put some distance between her and Silas and Lainey to give her time to process what happened and gain some perspective. Unfortunately, Silas and Lainey are also on the cruise and they don’t react well when they see her.
This story doesn’t waste any time drawing the reader in. I was indignant on Jade’s behalf that Silas and Lainey had the audacity to come on this cruise and then to act like they are the injured party. Jade meets another college student on the ship, Felix and they decide to fake date to help Jade move on and hopefully to give Silas and Lainey the proverbial finger.
The interesting thing about murders committed on a cruise ship is that there aren’t a lot of places to hide. The ship is packed with people and people witness things. Dead bodies will draw lots of attention so nobody feels safe and nobody trusts anyone. I had a lot of fun tagging along with Jade and Felix as they work to figure out who the killer is and also felt the sense of urgency they felt wondering who will be next.
The audiobook format narrated by Brittany Pressley, was exceptional and delivered the perfect amount of tension one should feel if trapped on a ship with a killer aboard. This story also provided many unexpected twists throughout the book that left me with my jaw on the floor. The ending felt a little abrupt but gave me the closure I always seek in thrillers and mysteries. I love how well this author captures the young adult mindset and emotions blending snark, humor and suspense. If you are a fan of young adult mysteries and thrillers, this author is a very good choice to go with.
My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to adults of all ages who enjoy twisty thrillers and mixing in a little murder and mayhem on vacation.
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Group, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
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