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Fractured Tide
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.
Fractured Tide
• Is and eerie and immersive YA thriller told through journal entries from a daughter to her father
• Unfolds through the eyes of a narrator who keeps you guessing until the final pages
• Is a gripping mix of suspense and horror; perfect for readers ages 13 and up
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.
Fractured Tide
• Is and eerie and immersive YA thriller told through journal entries from a daughter to her father
• Unfolds through the eyes of a narrator who keeps you guessing until the final pages
• Is a gripping mix of suspense and horror; perfect for readers ages 13 and up
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2020
78 people are currently reading
3774 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Lutz
2 books109 followersLeslie Lutz is the author of FRACTURED TIDE (Harper Collins/Blink 2020), which was voted "Best of 2020" by Suspense Magazine in the YA category and was a Junior Library Guild pick. Her new young adult horror novel, SWEETEST DARKNESS (Holiday House) is available September 24, 2024. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in various journals, Orca Literary Journal, Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal, Typishly, The Lyric, and Raintown Review.
She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and when she's not writing, you can find her watching B-horror movies, scuba diving, or taking care of chickens.
Contact Info:
Email: lesliewrites@lesliekarenlutz.com
For rights inquiries, please contact my agent, Amy Bishop, at abishop@dystel.com.
She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and when she's not writing, you can find her watching B-horror movies, scuba diving, or taking care of chickens.
Contact Info:
Email: lesliewrites@lesliekarenlutz.com
For rights inquiries, please contact my agent, Amy Bishop, at abishop@dystel.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
June 9, 2021
Oh my God! A claustrophobic island theme with lots of mysteries! Do you hear the alarm bells?
Something coming like Lost’s ominous intro, Cast Away and Gilligan’s Island’s suspicious, intriguing plot! And of course Island of Doctor Moreau kind of science fiction elements are ready to be served! Didn’t I still sale this pitch to you? I’m already sold because this is a great, exciting, exhilarating page turner and I had great time with this action packed, unique installment!
This is another promising YA thriller and MC is Sia, working with her mom at scuba dive tours for tourists. But after one dive goes terribly wrong and being attacked by a mysterious creature, the boat she’s on sinks and she finds herself in a deserted island with a few more survivors. There is no sign from the rescue team and a monster is still out there, with humongous appetite, ready to attack!
And of course the island is not an ordinary place they are trapped. Something between Lost and Wicker Man and a little “Lord of Flies” vibes start to blink on the pages!
The story is told by Sia’s diary she’s written for her father in prison and as we move in the heart throbbing, mysterious story, we also learn more about her family history. I was really curious what the connection was between Sia’s past and island. But wait for it! You got to be patient to get your answer!
Overall: Exciting, surprising, twisty and entertaining ride.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Blink for sharing this action packed ARC in exchange my honest review, put a brilliant author on my radar!
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Something coming like Lost’s ominous intro, Cast Away and Gilligan’s Island’s suspicious, intriguing plot! And of course Island of Doctor Moreau kind of science fiction elements are ready to be served! Didn’t I still sale this pitch to you? I’m already sold because this is a great, exciting, exhilarating page turner and I had great time with this action packed, unique installment!
This is another promising YA thriller and MC is Sia, working with her mom at scuba dive tours for tourists. But after one dive goes terribly wrong and being attacked by a mysterious creature, the boat she’s on sinks and she finds herself in a deserted island with a few more survivors. There is no sign from the rescue team and a monster is still out there, with humongous appetite, ready to attack!
And of course the island is not an ordinary place they are trapped. Something between Lost and Wicker Man and a little “Lord of Flies” vibes start to blink on the pages!
The story is told by Sia’s diary she’s written for her father in prison and as we move in the heart throbbing, mysterious story, we also learn more about her family history. I was really curious what the connection was between Sia’s past and island. But wait for it! You got to be patient to get your answer!
Overall: Exciting, surprising, twisty and entertaining ride.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Blink for sharing this action packed ARC in exchange my honest review, put a brilliant author on my radar!
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September 17, 2022
**3.5-stars rounded up**
17-year old, Sia, has been scuba diving her whole life with her parent's charter business.
She's used to diving with the tourists, exploring reefs and shipwrecks. There is always something new to interact with in the quiet depths.
It's quite a serious position for her to be in as well. There's a lot to be responsible for. Not all the tourists have a lot of experience and getting people to follow even simple instructions can be a challenge.
With Sia's father currently incarcerated, it's up to Sia and her mother to keep the family business afloat. On one particular dive, Sia is exploring a sunken craft with some customers when disaster strikes.
Attacked by a mysterious monster of the deep, a customer ends up dead and Sia blames herself.
Making matters worse, they need to call for help when their boat is incapacitated. Another vessel, full of students on a science expedition, comes to their rescue. Sia, her mother and the surviving tourists board that ship.
It's now that the real fun begins. Again it seems something is after them. The boat sinks and Sia finds herself washed up on a deserted island.
Eventually teaming up with a handful of other survivors, Sia and the others must figure out the secrets of the island and a way to make it off alive. This is no normal place.
Fractured Tide is a unique YA Horror story with an enticing set-up. I was surprised when I discovered that this is told in epistolary format, which is a narrative style I enjoy.
In this case, it is told through journal entries that Sia is writing for her father. It's a full accounting of all the events happening on the ill-fated trip, including her thoughts and feelings on what is taking place.
I felt like this was a great way to tell this story. You're literally learning everything as Sia is relaying it and you really only know what she knows, or interprets about the events going on around her.
In the synopsis, this book is compared to Lost and I would 100% agree with that. Especially considering towards the end, I had no clue what was happening; still don't.
Honestly, I would have preferred more answers. I was a little confused for almost the entire second half and don't really understand the end much at all. I mean I have theories, but it's really a shot in the dark.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy this story overall. I found it to be refreshing. I love Horror stories set at sea, so this one was fun in that regard.
I would definitely be interested in picking up more books by Leslie Lutz in the future. I hope she stays in this YA Horror lane, as she is clearly very talented at writing claustrophobic, uncomfortable narratives.
Yessss, that is absolutely a compliment!!!
17-year old, Sia, has been scuba diving her whole life with her parent's charter business.
She's used to diving with the tourists, exploring reefs and shipwrecks. There is always something new to interact with in the quiet depths.
It's quite a serious position for her to be in as well. There's a lot to be responsible for. Not all the tourists have a lot of experience and getting people to follow even simple instructions can be a challenge.
With Sia's father currently incarcerated, it's up to Sia and her mother to keep the family business afloat. On one particular dive, Sia is exploring a sunken craft with some customers when disaster strikes.
Attacked by a mysterious monster of the deep, a customer ends up dead and Sia blames herself.
Making matters worse, they need to call for help when their boat is incapacitated. Another vessel, full of students on a science expedition, comes to their rescue. Sia, her mother and the surviving tourists board that ship.
It's now that the real fun begins. Again it seems something is after them. The boat sinks and Sia finds herself washed up on a deserted island.
Eventually teaming up with a handful of other survivors, Sia and the others must figure out the secrets of the island and a way to make it off alive. This is no normal place.
Fractured Tide is a unique YA Horror story with an enticing set-up. I was surprised when I discovered that this is told in epistolary format, which is a narrative style I enjoy.
In this case, it is told through journal entries that Sia is writing for her father. It's a full accounting of all the events happening on the ill-fated trip, including her thoughts and feelings on what is taking place.
I felt like this was a great way to tell this story. You're literally learning everything as Sia is relaying it and you really only know what she knows, or interprets about the events going on around her.
In the synopsis, this book is compared to Lost and I would 100% agree with that. Especially considering towards the end, I had no clue what was happening; still don't.
Honestly, I would have preferred more answers. I was a little confused for almost the entire second half and don't really understand the end much at all. I mean I have theories, but it's really a shot in the dark.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy this story overall. I found it to be refreshing. I love Horror stories set at sea, so this one was fun in that regard.
I would definitely be interested in picking up more books by Leslie Lutz in the future. I hope she stays in this YA Horror lane, as she is clearly very talented at writing claustrophobic, uncomfortable narratives.
Yessss, that is absolutely a compliment!!!
December 24, 2020
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.
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.
March 2, 2020
Fractured Tide, a young adult/science fiction book, was a solid 4.5 stars.
The book centers around main character Sia, a teenage girl that helps her mother take tourists out for scuba dive tours to help make ends meet. After a disastrous dive tour-Sia finds herself washed up on a deserted island along with a few survivors and though alive, things are about to get much worse. After being on the island for a short time, the group begins to realize that this is no ordinary island.
Fractured Tide was an enjoyable and fast paced book. The characters are well-developed and the book is full of twists and turns. The description of the island was incredibly creepy and I agree with some of the other reviewers that stated that it reminded them of the book Annihilation (by VanderMeer), though a much younger adult version. Highly recommended to fans of horror, young adult and science fiction books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book centers around main character Sia, a teenage girl that helps her mother take tourists out for scuba dive tours to help make ends meet. After a disastrous dive tour-Sia finds herself washed up on a deserted island along with a few survivors and though alive, things are about to get much worse. After being on the island for a short time, the group begins to realize that this is no ordinary island.
Fractured Tide was an enjoyable and fast paced book. The characters are well-developed and the book is full of twists and turns. The description of the island was incredibly creepy and I agree with some of the other reviewers that stated that it reminded them of the book Annihilation (by VanderMeer), though a much younger adult version. Highly recommended to fans of horror, young adult and science fiction books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2020
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Fractured Tide is a frightening and quick-paced mystery/survival story, and I kind of love those. So suffice it to say, this one quite worked for me. There are a few things that didn't as much, but as a whole this was a win! Let us divide it into the yays versus nays!
Yays:
• Very full of action and adventure. We start out on a diving trip, which is quite routine for Sia and her family. They take people on diving excursions, but this time, things don't go as planned. First, there's the unknown sea monster. Which is bad enough.
I imagine he looked like Jaha's sea monster, for obvious reasons. Anyway, then Sia finds herself on a deserted island and honestly at that point, the action and adventure has just begun!
• I was excited to keep reading to figure out what the heck is going on. I mean, I needed to know! Because things aren't "right", you can tell from the start. And I had to know all the details! I am so grateful that this book delivered on some key answers. It satisfied me, no question!
• Loved the twists and turns the story took. I did not see them coming whatsoever. And I enjoyed that the twists felt unique.
• Definite focus on family. Obviously it's a very plot-driven book, but there's still a big focus on family. And a bit of a romance, which was fine, but I was way more invested in the family stuff. The story is told through Sia's letters to her incarcerated father, she's fiercely protective of her little brother, and there's clearly all kinds of tension to unpack between Sia and her mom. So I loved that even in the face of danger, Sia is still really concerned about her family.
Nays:
• Sometimes the technical diving stuff was a little too technical? I found my eyes glazing over a few times when Sia started to get into the nitty-gritty of the diving, and terms, and such. I liked that it was such a huge part of who Sia was, I just had trouble following at times. Or caring to follow maybe, is more appropriate.
• I didn't always feel particularly connected to Sia, despite enjoying her character. I liked Sia, don't get me wrong! But I think partly because she was telling her father the story perhaps, it felt like I just didn't get a feel for her as well as I'd hoped?
Bottom Line: Super exciting, I was compelled to keep reading to find out all the hows and whys of Sia and company's messy island situation!
Fractured Tide is a frightening and quick-paced mystery/survival story, and I kind of love those. So suffice it to say, this one quite worked for me. There are a few things that didn't as much, but as a whole this was a win! Let us divide it into the yays versus nays!
Yays:
• Very full of action and adventure. We start out on a diving trip, which is quite routine for Sia and her family. They take people on diving excursions, but this time, things don't go as planned. First, there's the unknown sea monster. Which is bad enough.
I imagine he looked like Jaha's sea monster, for obvious reasons. Anyway, then Sia finds herself on a deserted island and honestly at that point, the action and adventure has just begun! • I was excited to keep reading to figure out what the heck is going on. I mean, I needed to know! Because things aren't "right", you can tell from the start. And I had to know all the details! I am so grateful that this book delivered on some key answers. It satisfied me, no question!
• Loved the twists and turns the story took. I did not see them coming whatsoever. And I enjoyed that the twists felt unique.
• Definite focus on family. Obviously it's a very plot-driven book, but there's still a big focus on family. And a bit of a romance, which was fine, but I was way more invested in the family stuff. The story is told through Sia's letters to her incarcerated father, she's fiercely protective of her little brother, and there's clearly all kinds of tension to unpack between Sia and her mom. So I loved that even in the face of danger, Sia is still really concerned about her family.
Nays:
• Sometimes the technical diving stuff was a little too technical? I found my eyes glazing over a few times when Sia started to get into the nitty-gritty of the diving, and terms, and such. I liked that it was such a huge part of who Sia was, I just had trouble following at times. Or caring to follow maybe, is more appropriate.
• I didn't always feel particularly connected to Sia, despite enjoying her character. I liked Sia, don't get me wrong! But I think partly because she was telling her father the story perhaps, it felt like I just didn't get a feel for her as well as I'd hoped?
Bottom Line: Super exciting, I was compelled to keep reading to find out all the hows and whys of Sia and company's messy island situation!
December 22, 2020
I wish I had read Fractured Tide back in the summer time! There are so many elements that I dig in this book, and the diving, the shipwreck, the sea monster... it all screams summer reading for me. It's the perfect book for spending time down at the beach. Unfortunately, 2020 did not include much beach time for me so I squeezed Fractured Tide in here at the end of the year.
Fractured Tide has been compared to LOST a lot, and it's an accurate comparison. It definitely has LOST vibes, and it also reminded me of The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling. It's claustrophobic, and it's strange.
Fractured Tide is told through journal entries written from Sia who is shipwrecked on a bizarre deserted island to her dad who is in prison.
My only complaint with Fractured Tide is it lagged in the middle for me. I don't think I would have been as easily pulled away from the middle if I had read it in the summertime instead of just before Christmas. I'm a mood reader, and unfortunately it does affect me.
Along with fans of LOST and The Luminous Dead, I would also recommend Fractured Tide to fans of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. It's a thrilling book, and the strange setting adds a lot to the experience.
3.5 stars
Fractured Tide has been compared to LOST a lot, and it's an accurate comparison. It definitely has LOST vibes, and it also reminded me of The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling. It's claustrophobic, and it's strange.
Fractured Tide is told through journal entries written from Sia who is shipwrecked on a bizarre deserted island to her dad who is in prison.
My only complaint with Fractured Tide is it lagged in the middle for me. I don't think I would have been as easily pulled away from the middle if I had read it in the summertime instead of just before Christmas. I'm a mood reader, and unfortunately it does affect me.
Along with fans of LOST and The Luminous Dead, I would also recommend Fractured Tide to fans of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. It's a thrilling book, and the strange setting adds a lot to the experience.
3.5 stars
September 22, 2021
3½⭐ | NARRATION 😐 = Okay | Narrated by 📣 Chloe Dolandis
🔦FEATURING
❐ YA Thriller/Horror
❐ Sea Creature
❐ Stranded on an Island a lot like the one on Lost
❐ Cover 💙Love💙
With juvenile characters and actions, this was definitely aimed at a younger YA reader more than an “adult who also likes YA” reader. I fall into the “adult who likes YA” group and so I wasn’t always feeling this...but overall, it wasn’t bad...it for real reminded me of the show Lost, even the ending kind of sucked as it did for Lost.
It’s possible I would’ve liked the story more if they had gone with a different narrator...something about her narration wasn’t working for me. She gave me some serious B-movie vibes.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 6.53/❿
🅒haracters ￫ 7
🅐tmosphere ￫ 7
🅦riting ￫ 6.5
🅟lot ￫ 6.7
🅘ntrigue ￫ 6.5
🅛ogic ￫ 6
🅔njoyment ￫ 6
🔦FEATURING
❐ YA Thriller/Horror
❐ Sea Creature
❐ Stranded on an Island a lot like the one on Lost
❐ Cover 💙Love💙
With juvenile characters and actions, this was definitely aimed at a younger YA reader more than an “adult who also likes YA” reader. I fall into the “adult who likes YA” group and so I wasn’t always feeling this...but overall, it wasn’t bad...it for real reminded me of the show Lost, even the ending kind of sucked as it did for Lost.
It’s possible I would’ve liked the story more if they had gone with a different narrator...something about her narration wasn’t working for me. She gave me some serious B-movie vibes.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 6.53/❿
🅒haracters ￫ 7
🅐tmosphere ￫ 7
🅦riting ￫ 6.5
🅟lot ￫ 6.7
🅘ntrigue ￫ 6.5
🅛ogic ￫ 6
🅔njoyment ￫ 6
May 5, 2020
3.5 stars
Tasia loves the ocean. When other teenagers were starting high school, she was taken out of public school to help with the family's charter business, diving almost 20 times a week since she was 14. After mechanical failure leaves their boats stranded out on the ocean, the group is attacked by a terrifying sea creature, and Sia finds herself shipwrecked on a strange island. There is no food, no fresh water, and seemingly no way for rescue to reach the island.
I actually didn't realize this was YA when I started the book, although the main character is 17 or so. Her family has been through a lot and she had to grow up fast, so she was very mature and independent for her age. All of the characters were interesting, despite being mostly unlikable, but I did gravitate towards Graham. I didn't understand a lot of their actions/decisions, which is perhaps why I found it hard to really connect with any of them. Sidenote: I've never heard of anyone named Tasia besides my half-sister, and didn't know it was a Greek name meaning "resurrection". The protagonist is Greek, and the name is very fitting considering all of the incredible things she survives in the book.
I hate the ocean, and I'm terrified of the creatures in its depth that we know nothing about (not to mention the ones we do know about.) The first 20% of this book creeped me out and gave me a lot of anxiety, but in that satisfying way where a book actually affects you rather than just slipping in and out of your brain. So needless to say, I don't think I can ever force myself to go scuba diving, especially after reading this book. I had no idea where the story could go from there, and it went in a direction I couldn't have predicted.
I personally didn't care for the writing style, how it was second person with the "you" being Sia's dad. I felt like it took me out of the story often. I've never been diving, so the terminology was unfamiliar to me. It was kind of a learning experience, but the author didn't just easily explain everything or infodump. I figured it all out using context clues, and I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge throughout the whole book. Knowledge I'll never use because I AM NOT GOING IN THE OCEAN.
The end was good, but quite confusing, and I had some unanswered questions at the end. I think some plot holes were left behind due to the science fiction element of the story, which I can't explain without spoiling anything. I want read a finished copy of this in the future, most likely audio format so I can really freak myself out. I think fans of Into the Drowning Deep and The Sandcastle Empire would really enjoy this novel.
*Thank you NetGalley and Blink for providing this ARC for review*
Tasia loves the ocean. When other teenagers were starting high school, she was taken out of public school to help with the family's charter business, diving almost 20 times a week since she was 14. After mechanical failure leaves their boats stranded out on the ocean, the group is attacked by a terrifying sea creature, and Sia finds herself shipwrecked on a strange island. There is no food, no fresh water, and seemingly no way for rescue to reach the island.
I actually didn't realize this was YA when I started the book, although the main character is 17 or so. Her family has been through a lot and she had to grow up fast, so she was very mature and independent for her age. All of the characters were interesting, despite being mostly unlikable, but I did gravitate towards Graham. I didn't understand a lot of their actions/decisions, which is perhaps why I found it hard to really connect with any of them. Sidenote: I've never heard of anyone named Tasia besides my half-sister, and didn't know it was a Greek name meaning "resurrection". The protagonist is Greek, and the name is very fitting considering all of the incredible things she survives in the book.
I hate the ocean, and I'm terrified of the creatures in its depth that we know nothing about (not to mention the ones we do know about.) The first 20% of this book creeped me out and gave me a lot of anxiety, but in that satisfying way where a book actually affects you rather than just slipping in and out of your brain. So needless to say, I don't think I can ever force myself to go scuba diving, especially after reading this book. I had no idea where the story could go from there, and it went in a direction I couldn't have predicted.
I personally didn't care for the writing style, how it was second person with the "you" being Sia's dad. I felt like it took me out of the story often. I've never been diving, so the terminology was unfamiliar to me. It was kind of a learning experience, but the author didn't just easily explain everything or infodump. I figured it all out using context clues, and I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge throughout the whole book. Knowledge I'll never use because I AM NOT GOING IN THE OCEAN.
The end was good, but quite confusing, and I had some unanswered questions at the end. I think some plot holes were left behind due to the science fiction element of the story, which I can't explain without spoiling anything. I want read a finished copy of this in the future, most likely audio format so I can really freak myself out. I think fans of Into the Drowning Deep and The Sandcastle Empire would really enjoy this novel.
*Thank you NetGalley and Blink for providing this ARC for review*
July 2, 2021
Tasia, or Sia, or sometimes just T, is a teenage girl who helps her mom take tourists on dives in the Florida Keys. But everything changes the day they take a scuba group down on the sunken wreck of the USS Andrews, a hundred feet down and into the partial darkness. While leading a couple of divers through the old ship she turns her attention away for just a moment, and tragedy strikes. It turns out they're not alone down there. Something else is there, something monstrous and deadly. And when Sia and a few other survivors end up on a small uncharted island, she soon finds it's not just the water that's dangerous. Something lives on the island, too.
Wow, this book caught me off guard! I think it was recommended to me on the library website, and I only checked it out on a whim. But this is the perfect book for me - I love the creepy and mysterious atmosphere! Through letters Sia writes to her father (I think her name is short for Anastasia, as she's of Greek descent), we slowly learn about what happened in the water and later on the island. I could barely put it down and ended up reading half the book today in a rush to get to the end. And I very much appreciate that it was a clean book! Highly recommended for those who like a weird "out-there" kind of story with a mysterious monster and a bit of sci-fi thrown in!
Wow, this book caught me off guard! I think it was recommended to me on the library website, and I only checked it out on a whim. But this is the perfect book for me - I love the creepy and mysterious atmosphere! Through letters Sia writes to her father (I think her name is short for Anastasia, as she's of Greek descent), we slowly learn about what happened in the water and later on the island. I could barely put it down and ended up reading half the book today in a rush to get to the end. And I very much appreciate that it was a clean book! Highly recommended for those who like a weird "out-there" kind of story with a mysterious monster and a bit of sci-fi thrown in!
May 21, 2020
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!
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!
June 14, 2021
Trigger warnings: death, gore, violence, incarceration of a parent, animal death, boating accident, descriptions of dead bodies, descriptions of wounds.
3.5 stars.
I read this cover to cover on my laptop in an hour and a half while supervising an assessment task on Friday because why the hell not. This was a very compelling read and the epistolary format worked well.
It was definitely a weird read - the blurb describes it as a cross between Lost and Stranger Things, and that totally fits. It's got the "trapped on a mysterious island after a transportation accident" vibe of Lost with the monster elements and creepy vibes of Stranger Things. I liked the characters and the writing, and I definitely didn't see the twists coming. So all in all, this was a quick fun read.
3.5 stars.
I read this cover to cover on my laptop in an hour and a half while supervising an assessment task on Friday because why the hell not. This was a very compelling read and the epistolary format worked well.
It was definitely a weird read - the blurb describes it as a cross between Lost and Stranger Things, and that totally fits. It's got the "trapped on a mysterious island after a transportation accident" vibe of Lost with the monster elements and creepy vibes of Stranger Things. I liked the characters and the writing, and I definitely didn't see the twists coming. So all in all, this was a quick fun read.
January 21, 2021
I...I just don't know.
I am not okay
June 26, 2020
This started out so GOOD. It was creepy and atmospheric. I was so sure this was going to be a new favourite.
It deteriorated so quickly.
From the moment they arrived at the island I lost interest. Not because it couldn't be a good story to be lost on an island, but because nothing interesting happens. Even when fuckery starts going and we start to question what our narrator is telling us, it's all so uninspired.
The characters are also really cavalier about their predicament. They have useless arguments that mean nothing.
I finished because I had to know what the nonsense was about. And the answers? Unsatisfying. And sometimes we don't even get answers to the weird shit.
I feel like the characters just know what's going on after a while. They don't really find out? There's no mystery when there previously was a mystery. Did I black out and miss half the book?
It deteriorated so quickly.
From the moment they arrived at the island I lost interest. Not because it couldn't be a good story to be lost on an island, but because nothing interesting happens. Even when fuckery starts going and we start to question what our narrator is telling us, it's all so uninspired.
The characters are also really cavalier about their predicament. They have useless arguments that mean nothing.
I finished because I had to know what the nonsense was about. And the answers? Unsatisfying. And sometimes we don't even get answers to the weird shit.
I feel like the characters just know what's going on after a while. They don't really find out? There's no mystery when there previously was a mystery. Did I black out and miss half the book?
August 12, 2020
Super addicting and fast survival/time warp/sea monster story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is what great YA books are made of.
The delivery is different; a series of letters Sia writes to her father in prison why she is stranded on an island in the middle of who-knows-where. The writing is strong and original. There is some diversity with Ben, and Sia is part Greek (I think? I hope I remembered that right, it was a downloaded book and I already returned it). Barely a romance, and clean for an adventure story, while for HS, could easily give this to 7th and up.
Super recommended.
The delivery is different; a series of letters Sia writes to her father in prison why she is stranded on an island in the middle of who-knows-where. The writing is strong and original. There is some diversity with Ben, and Sia is part Greek (I think? I hope I remembered that right, it was a downloaded book and I already returned it). Barely a romance, and clean for an adventure story, while for HS, could easily give this to 7th and up.
Super recommended.
July 9, 2020
Sia, 17, works with her mother on a charter boat as a diving instructor and guide on deep dives, exploring abandoned shipwrecks with rich amateurs who pay good money to explore the mysterious vessels. However, when a dive goes wrong and a customer dies on her watch, Sia and her mom, who put an under-aged diver in charge of customers, could be in very big trouble. Sia tells her mom that she thinks something else was down there, something that glowed and seemed to be watching them, but her mom dismisses her and attributes what she saw to hallucinations that are known to happen when diving at those depths. In order to avoid questions from the Coast Guard, Sia’s mom plans to move her and the remaining customers to another charter boat in the area, one filled with a high school science team celebrating the end of the school year. Her mom’s plan seemed easy enough, but when the boats inexplicably stop working, and something much bigger than a tiger shark attacks them, Sia and a handful of survivors have to figure out how to get home while stuck on this anomalous island that seems as dangerous as the monster waiting for them in the waves.
The whole book is in Sia’s perspective and the chapters are written like journal entries as she records everything going on. She addresses these entries to her incarcerated father, just in case they never have the chance to see him again or tell him about it in person. This familial connection carries throughout as Sia talks to her dad about times past and tries to keep her brother alive and safe until they can reunite with their mom and find a way off the island. I feel like the integration of their family’s backstory was done very well – it didn’t distract too much from Sia’s explanation of the events taking place on the island and provided some of my favorite moments of the book.
Sia was actually a surprising character for me. She was home schooled after her father was arrested, so that her mother could take her on charters and put her to work. She would be the first to tell you that she was not the most intelligent person and that she lacked some basic knowledge that you probably learn in public school. But she was an expert diver and very intuitive. She often mentions having a Sense, a strong feeling when she thinks something important is about to happen or there is danger approaching. At one point it seems as though this Sense is just a byproduct of the island, but even before they get to the island, she has a very strong sense of other people’s attitudes and a solid survival instinct as well.
While the book does keep with its YA tone throughout, there are some strikingly beautiful lines that I think push it to that higher tier of YA that adults who are skeptical of the genre can enjoy. For example, Sia has a very strong affinity for the ocean, one that it seems runs in her family and has bonded her with her father and grandmother. This familial bond and love for the ocean is a common theme throughout the book. At one point, Sia is remembering something her father said to her about diving: “It’ll be like floating in space, Peanut, but with our lights, we’ll become the stars.” She goes on to say, “Every time I descend into the black water, with my body hanging over hundreds of feet of nothing like a girl drifting on the dark side of the moon, you’re there with me” (Entry 6). When remembering a conversation with her grandmother Sia recalls that “She said that when people died their spirit left, not from the heart or the brain, but the lungs. One exhalation of breath and their whole selves slipped out” (Entry 9). There is also a moment where Sia is underwater looking for something she can catch for food and she has this whole experience with a vision of her grandmother when she was Sia’s age. The scene is incredibly well done, but also has an air of mystery to it – is this all in Sia's imagination? A hallucination? Some ghostly experience? Sia has many of these moments of poignant reflection which are appropriate for the dire situation they are in but also carry a real beauty to them that don’t make them seem over-dramatic or too over the top.
The only complaint I have about this book is the amount of questions I was left with at the end. Perhaps I read too quickly and skipped over the answers to these questions - I was so intrigued and wanted to find out what would happen that I did rush a little bit, but I am still confused - Otherwise, I loved the book. I was drawn in by the comparison to Stranger Things and the promise of a sea monster, and stayed for characters that I quickly grew to care about and a mystery that I had to see through to the end.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The whole book is in Sia’s perspective and the chapters are written like journal entries as she records everything going on. She addresses these entries to her incarcerated father, just in case they never have the chance to see him again or tell him about it in person. This familial connection carries throughout as Sia talks to her dad about times past and tries to keep her brother alive and safe until they can reunite with their mom and find a way off the island. I feel like the integration of their family’s backstory was done very well – it didn’t distract too much from Sia’s explanation of the events taking place on the island and provided some of my favorite moments of the book.
Sia was actually a surprising character for me. She was home schooled after her father was arrested, so that her mother could take her on charters and put her to work. She would be the first to tell you that she was not the most intelligent person and that she lacked some basic knowledge that you probably learn in public school. But she was an expert diver and very intuitive. She often mentions having a Sense, a strong feeling when she thinks something important is about to happen or there is danger approaching. At one point it seems as though this Sense is just a byproduct of the island, but even before they get to the island, she has a very strong sense of other people’s attitudes and a solid survival instinct as well.
While the book does keep with its YA tone throughout, there are some strikingly beautiful lines that I think push it to that higher tier of YA that adults who are skeptical of the genre can enjoy. For example, Sia has a very strong affinity for the ocean, one that it seems runs in her family and has bonded her with her father and grandmother. This familial bond and love for the ocean is a common theme throughout the book. At one point, Sia is remembering something her father said to her about diving: “It’ll be like floating in space, Peanut, but with our lights, we’ll become the stars.” She goes on to say, “Every time I descend into the black water, with my body hanging over hundreds of feet of nothing like a girl drifting on the dark side of the moon, you’re there with me” (Entry 6). When remembering a conversation with her grandmother Sia recalls that “She said that when people died their spirit left, not from the heart or the brain, but the lungs. One exhalation of breath and their whole selves slipped out” (Entry 9). There is also a moment where Sia is underwater looking for something she can catch for food and she has this whole experience with a vision of her grandmother when she was Sia’s age. The scene is incredibly well done, but also has an air of mystery to it – is this all in Sia's imagination? A hallucination? Some ghostly experience? Sia has many of these moments of poignant reflection which are appropriate for the dire situation they are in but also carry a real beauty to them that don’t make them seem over-dramatic or too over the top.
The only complaint I have about this book is the amount of questions I was left with at the end. Perhaps I read too quickly and skipped over the answers to these questions - I was so intrigued and wanted to find out what would happen that I did rush a little bit, but I am still confused - Otherwise, I loved the book. I was drawn in by the comparison to Stranger Things and the promise of a sea monster, and stayed for characters that I quickly grew to care about and a mystery that I had to see through to the end.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2020
I have to take a moment before I start my review to say what a great cover this book has! It is very eye catching.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I both liked and disliked it for various reasons. The beginning seemed to start out good. I wanted to know more. I could feel the suspense building and I was rapidly turning pages to find out what was going to happen next. Once they hit that island, it all seemed to kind of fall apart for me. The characters were good in their own way. My favorite is Felix. He’s a delight! While I can appreciate a good sci-fi adventure, it seemed like it was taking too long to get to that exciting part where everything is supposed to come together. The idea of this story is unique but the execution fell a little flat for me. The major plot twist was just enough to save the story for me.
All in all, this is a good read. Did it blow my mind? No. I know others may enjoy this and I recommend giving this book a chance. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I give this 3 stars.
**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng**
I have mixed feelings about this book. I both liked and disliked it for various reasons. The beginning seemed to start out good. I wanted to know more. I could feel the suspense building and I was rapidly turning pages to find out what was going to happen next. Once they hit that island, it all seemed to kind of fall apart for me. The characters were good in their own way. My favorite is Felix. He’s a delight! While I can appreciate a good sci-fi adventure, it seemed like it was taking too long to get to that exciting part where everything is supposed to come together. The idea of this story is unique but the execution fell a little flat for me. The major plot twist was just enough to save the story for me.
All in all, this is a good read. Did it blow my mind? No. I know others may enjoy this and I recommend giving this book a chance. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I give this 3 stars.
**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng**
May 31, 2020
This book started off STRONG for me and unfortunately in the middle lost its grip on me! However, I still really enjoyed these characters and the focus on family as well as survival. Sia was an incredibly strong protagonist and I really enjoyed reading in her perspective.
I just feel like there were sooooo many things not answered that I was really hoping to know more about! I had so many questions and felt myself getting impatient to know the answers.... only to still have absolutely no idea what some things were 🤣
Overall I did still enjoy this book and I appreciate Blink YA books sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review! This book made me feel all kinds of creeped out at night when reading it which is always a nice bonus 🤣
I just feel like there were sooooo many things not answered that I was really hoping to know more about! I had so many questions and felt myself getting impatient to know the answers.... only to still have absolutely no idea what some things were 🤣
Overall I did still enjoy this book and I appreciate Blink YA books sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review! This book made me feel all kinds of creeped out at night when reading it which is always a nice bonus 🤣
December 25, 2020
This book started off so good and just fell apart right before my eyes. I was not a fan of the structuring, the “chapters” being notebook entry’s of Sia writing to her father in jail. It just did not connect for me and would have been a much better book without it and an entirely different structure. I found myself not caring whatsoever about her dad. The book would have been better with a brief mention if him at the beginning and settle it there. I didn’t find the time machine plot plausible nor did I think they would’ve survived at all. Overall I expected way more from this book and feel let down.
August 14, 2020
The book started out strong but it sort of just fizzled out halfway through. Near the end of it, I just didn't care anymore. I went in wanting some creepiness and horror and I was just so disappointed when it didn't deliver. If they had skipped the romance (I know it's YA, but really?) and reduced the plot convenience by 50%, I would have probably liked it more.
Don't go in with a lot of expectations and you'll probably love it. But, personally for me? It was just okay.
Don't go in with a lot of expectations and you'll probably love it. But, personally for me? It was just okay.
May 4, 2020
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: Shipwrecks, sea monsters, and an engaging bunch of characters come together in this fantastic YA debut, full of thrills and plenty of mystery.
Wow, this book was so much fun! I really needed a fast-paced “escape” book and Fractured Tide delivered. This is Leslie Lutz’s debut novel and I was impressed by how well written it was. Lutz structures her book as journal entries, written by main character Sia to her father, who is in jail for manslaughter. I loved this format for several reasons, but mostly because it added an extra layer of depth and emotion to what could have been a run-of-the-mill survival story. The publisher compares this book to Lost and they aren’t wrong, so if you love action/adventure stories with a strong supernatural/science fiction/mystery mash-up, you’re going to love this.
Sia and her mother are both experienced divers and run a business called Blue Dolphin Scuba Charters off the coast of Florida. When the story begins, they are taking a group of paying customers to the site of a sunken ship, ten miles off the coast. Everything about the dive seems normal at first, until bad luck starts to strike. First, the diver Sia is accompanying suddenly disappears, then is later found dead. When her mother decides to call a nearby charter ship in to help with the dead body, both ships experience mechanical failure, and every cell phone on board fails as well. Sia’s mother takes charge and is working on a rescue plan, when out of nowhere the ships are attacked by a giant, squid-like creature, who ends up sinking both ships and killing most of the people on board.
Sia wakes up later on a beach, parched, sunburnt and alone. Luckily she isn’t the only survivor, as she soon runs into her little brother Felix as well as two teens from the second charter ship, Ben and Steph. With no food and very little water, the four set out to explore the island and figure out a plan of action. But Sia senses something isn’t quite right. A mysterious man with a gun is living in the palm trees in the center of the island and insists the year is 1943 and that the island is actually in the South Pacific.`And lurking in the ocean, the creature responsible for the shipwreck is waiting for them. With no way of getting home, the four survivors must use all their wits to stay alive.
I’m not going to say much more about the plot because it’s more fun to figure things out for yourself. Lutz does a great job of keeping the mystery going, dropping ominous hints throughout the story that were just tantalizing enough to keep me turning the pages as fast as I could. There are several things going on. First, you have the killer sea creature who is only vaguely described—a detail that I actually liked. Sia and her friends know it’s coming by the green luminescent glow it gives off just before it appears. Then you have the mystery of Graham, the man on the island who claims to have been in the middle of a war when his ship was capsized. But the biggest mystery is the island itself. Where exactly are they? Sia knows the Florida Keys like the back of her hand, but there shouldn’t be an island here at all. Why is she experiencing weird visions and dreams of things that haven’t happened? And what is the sinkhole in the middle of the island and how does it connect to everything else? Lutz draws all these mysteries out until the very end and does a great job of keeping the suspense at a very high level.
I also loved all the scary and creepy moments in this story. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where the characters are scuba diving and encounter all kinds of dangers in the ocean. Lutz herself is a diver, and her experience shows in how she describes the equipment, the dangers of diving, and the exhilaration of leaving land behind and sinking into the depths of the ocean. Sia feels at peace in the water, as if she were born to dive, but even she has some frightening moments in this story. There were so many tense scenes underwater! I personally love the ocean, as long as I can view it from solid ground, but I’ve always been terrified of the ocean itself, and reading Fractured Tide certainly didn’t help me overcome those fears!
The actual plot of the story is solid and makes for a fantastic read by itself, but Lutz takes it a step further and adds an emotional layer to her story by using Sia’s journal to her father as a way of deepening the characterizations of Sia and her family. There’s an almost confessional quality to her journal entries as she tries to come to terms with her father being in prison, her childhood growing up in near poverty, and her complicated relationship with her mother. Sia reminisces about her grandmother—Yiayia—who instilled a deep love of the ocean in Sia when she was just a young girl. Sia’s family is of Greek ethnicity, and I loved her memories of listening to Yiayia talk about her own experiences diving for sponges in Greece. Yiayia also taught Sia how to hold her breath underwater for long periods of time, something that comes in handy during her stay on the island. I also want to point out that telling the story in first person was a great way to convey the horrors of being stranded on a deserted island without food or water. Sia's descriptions of her thirst made me so uncomfortable that my own throat became parched while I was reading!
Some of the action at the end—and the way the problems on the island are resolved—was a bit chaotic and confusing, but it didn’t really affect my overall enjoyment. Lutz does some interesting things in the final chapters that will give readers a lot of food for thought. I personally enjoy it when authors don’t tie everything up at the end in a nice, neat bow, because then my own imagination is free to wander a bit. Readers looking for an exciting mystery that’s a cut above the usual YA fare won’t want to miss this book.
Big thanks to the publisher and Kaye Publicity for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
Hi Dad,
I’m going to write you until this pencil wears out. Until all of me wears out. I’m not sure what’s real and what’s not anymore, but these words, they feel real. Solid. And there’s a chance my letter to you will wash up on the right shore.
Wow, this book was so much fun! I really needed a fast-paced “escape” book and Fractured Tide delivered. This is Leslie Lutz’s debut novel and I was impressed by how well written it was. Lutz structures her book as journal entries, written by main character Sia to her father, who is in jail for manslaughter. I loved this format for several reasons, but mostly because it added an extra layer of depth and emotion to what could have been a run-of-the-mill survival story. The publisher compares this book to Lost and they aren’t wrong, so if you love action/adventure stories with a strong supernatural/science fiction/mystery mash-up, you’re going to love this.
Sia and her mother are both experienced divers and run a business called Blue Dolphin Scuba Charters off the coast of Florida. When the story begins, they are taking a group of paying customers to the site of a sunken ship, ten miles off the coast. Everything about the dive seems normal at first, until bad luck starts to strike. First, the diver Sia is accompanying suddenly disappears, then is later found dead. When her mother decides to call a nearby charter ship in to help with the dead body, both ships experience mechanical failure, and every cell phone on board fails as well. Sia’s mother takes charge and is working on a rescue plan, when out of nowhere the ships are attacked by a giant, squid-like creature, who ends up sinking both ships and killing most of the people on board.
Sia wakes up later on a beach, parched, sunburnt and alone. Luckily she isn’t the only survivor, as she soon runs into her little brother Felix as well as two teens from the second charter ship, Ben and Steph. With no food and very little water, the four set out to explore the island and figure out a plan of action. But Sia senses something isn’t quite right. A mysterious man with a gun is living in the palm trees in the center of the island and insists the year is 1943 and that the island is actually in the South Pacific.`And lurking in the ocean, the creature responsible for the shipwreck is waiting for them. With no way of getting home, the four survivors must use all their wits to stay alive.
I’m not going to say much more about the plot because it’s more fun to figure things out for yourself. Lutz does a great job of keeping the mystery going, dropping ominous hints throughout the story that were just tantalizing enough to keep me turning the pages as fast as I could. There are several things going on. First, you have the killer sea creature who is only vaguely described—a detail that I actually liked. Sia and her friends know it’s coming by the green luminescent glow it gives off just before it appears. Then you have the mystery of Graham, the man on the island who claims to have been in the middle of a war when his ship was capsized. But the biggest mystery is the island itself. Where exactly are they? Sia knows the Florida Keys like the back of her hand, but there shouldn’t be an island here at all. Why is she experiencing weird visions and dreams of things that haven’t happened? And what is the sinkhole in the middle of the island and how does it connect to everything else? Lutz draws all these mysteries out until the very end and does a great job of keeping the suspense at a very high level.
I also loved all the scary and creepy moments in this story. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where the characters are scuba diving and encounter all kinds of dangers in the ocean. Lutz herself is a diver, and her experience shows in how she describes the equipment, the dangers of diving, and the exhilaration of leaving land behind and sinking into the depths of the ocean. Sia feels at peace in the water, as if she were born to dive, but even she has some frightening moments in this story. There were so many tense scenes underwater! I personally love the ocean, as long as I can view it from solid ground, but I’ve always been terrified of the ocean itself, and reading Fractured Tide certainly didn’t help me overcome those fears!
The actual plot of the story is solid and makes for a fantastic read by itself, but Lutz takes it a step further and adds an emotional layer to her story by using Sia’s journal to her father as a way of deepening the characterizations of Sia and her family. There’s an almost confessional quality to her journal entries as she tries to come to terms with her father being in prison, her childhood growing up in near poverty, and her complicated relationship with her mother. Sia reminisces about her grandmother—Yiayia—who instilled a deep love of the ocean in Sia when she was just a young girl. Sia’s family is of Greek ethnicity, and I loved her memories of listening to Yiayia talk about her own experiences diving for sponges in Greece. Yiayia also taught Sia how to hold her breath underwater for long periods of time, something that comes in handy during her stay on the island. I also want to point out that telling the story in first person was a great way to convey the horrors of being stranded on a deserted island without food or water. Sia's descriptions of her thirst made me so uncomfortable that my own throat became parched while I was reading!
Some of the action at the end—and the way the problems on the island are resolved—was a bit chaotic and confusing, but it didn’t really affect my overall enjoyment. Lutz does some interesting things in the final chapters that will give readers a lot of food for thought. I personally enjoy it when authors don’t tie everything up at the end in a nice, neat bow, because then my own imagination is free to wander a bit. Readers looking for an exciting mystery that’s a cut above the usual YA fare won’t want to miss this book.
Big thanks to the publisher and Kaye Publicity for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
October 22, 2021
A premise that promises “Lost meets Stranger Things”, two of my most watched TV shows, made me want to read this book so badly and in some ways it didn’t disappoint. I see where the comparisons come from, but I thought it would be more suspenseful.
The mystery on the island was great, totally my cup of tea. The mix of reality and science fiction really worked in this book, at least for me, and I found myself immersed in the story.
I didn’t really like the main character, even though I felt for her and what she had been through. I hated her mother, how she handled things after her husband (our MCs father) went to prison and the sacrifices she requires from her daughter, there wasn’t any sympathy for her on my side.
I liked the conclusion and the ending. The author tried to find a way to justify what happened on the island and I think they did a good job at it, not like some others. Yes, I’m looking at you Lost! It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.
The mystery on the island was great, totally my cup of tea. The mix of reality and science fiction really worked in this book, at least for me, and I found myself immersed in the story.
I didn’t really like the main character, even though I felt for her and what she had been through. I hated her mother, how she handled things after her husband (our MCs father) went to prison and the sacrifices she requires from her daughter, there wasn’t any sympathy for her on my side.
I liked the conclusion and the ending. The author tried to find a way to justify what happened on the island and I think they did a good job at it, not like some others. Yes, I’m looking at you Lost! It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.
May 7, 2022
Okay, that was a great book in all but what. In. The. World was that ending?
February 26, 2020
I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on an arc of Fractured Tide, a YA horror debut by Leslie Lutz.
Wow. Just spectacular. The strength of this novel is not only in how well it's written, or the fantastic story that unfolds, but also in that it's presented as a journal to from the main character, Sia, to her father, who's doing hard time in the county jail. Sia's words to her father are strong, blunt, and heartfelt, which makes the reader identify with her almost immediately. And when things go sideways, which they do, a lot, you can’t help but feel the tension and the terror because Sia seems so real.
The story moves amazingly fast. I won't recap because it's in the book blurb. Suffice to say, it's a twisting, exciting and scary ride.
Overall, this is a very layered read. It’s much more than just a scary story. It’s a story that weaves excitement and danger and sea monsters and teen angst with honest feelings about relationships between teens and their parents. It’s this extra punch that makes the read so real, and so exciting.
Also - the cover is super cool. It would make such a great movie poster.
Wow. Just spectacular. The strength of this novel is not only in how well it's written, or the fantastic story that unfolds, but also in that it's presented as a journal to from the main character, Sia, to her father, who's doing hard time in the county jail. Sia's words to her father are strong, blunt, and heartfelt, which makes the reader identify with her almost immediately. And when things go sideways, which they do, a lot, you can’t help but feel the tension and the terror because Sia seems so real.
The story moves amazingly fast. I won't recap because it's in the book blurb. Suffice to say, it's a twisting, exciting and scary ride.
Overall, this is a very layered read. It’s much more than just a scary story. It’s a story that weaves excitement and danger and sea monsters and teen angst with honest feelings about relationships between teens and their parents. It’s this extra punch that makes the read so real, and so exciting.
Also - the cover is super cool. It would make such a great movie poster.
May 12, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This was an interesting read! The pacing was decent overall, and I was definitely interested in learning what was happening in the water with this creature and with the strange things on the island. There are certainly some bizarre things going on with both of these! We do get some creepy moments, though I was never truly scared.
This is written as journal entries from Sia to her father, so we do have second person tense. This was alright - it does feel like she's there writing things down to him, but I just generally don't love second person tense.
I did like Sia! She's very brave and wants to save everyone, especially her brother. She is very protective of him and wants to let him be a kid instead of having the same experience she did. They have a really sweet bond! Sia is definitely an adrenaline junkie and does take some risks. There is a bit of a romance, but it's not really the focus of the book which was nice.
I also enjoyed that this felt realistic in terms of the diving aspects. Others may not enjoy the more technical details of SCUBA, but as a diver myself, I appreciated these. You can feel a love for the ocean in this book, so I really liked this!
This was an interesting read! The pacing was decent overall, and I was definitely interested in learning what was happening in the water with this creature and with the strange things on the island. There are certainly some bizarre things going on with both of these! We do get some creepy moments, though I was never truly scared.
This is written as journal entries from Sia to her father, so we do have second person tense. This was alright - it does feel like she's there writing things down to him, but I just generally don't love second person tense.
I did like Sia! She's very brave and wants to save everyone, especially her brother. She is very protective of him and wants to let him be a kid instead of having the same experience she did. They have a really sweet bond! Sia is definitely an adrenaline junkie and does take some risks. There is a bit of a romance, but it's not really the focus of the book which was nice.
I also enjoyed that this felt realistic in terms of the diving aspects. Others may not enjoy the more technical details of SCUBA, but as a diver myself, I appreciated these. You can feel a love for the ocean in this book, so I really liked this!
October 12, 2020
This story isn't anything like what I usually pick. Horror science fiction is not to up to my usual taste.
But the cover is stunning. And the blurb won me over. Because the ocean is my kryptonite.
There is nothing in this world like the sensation you feel when submerged in translucent blue, with sound completely muffled and your body suspended in water. I've traveled a lot. I've seen so much of the wonders this world has to offer. But there's very few things I've seen that are as marvelous as what is at the bottom of the sea. Reading about anyone that loves the rush of cold currents on their skin is seriously my jam.
Which is what I think is was the saving grace of the book. Fractured Tide is written as journal entries from Sia in letters to her father. Through them you get two stories at once: about her family and their past, and about what's happening to her after her boat capsize and she ends up a in an island that plays tricks on her mind.
The best part of the book for me were Sia's descriptions of her diving and what she feels when submerged. But the book lacks consistency in the pacing department. It starts strong and plays high stakes. We get a rushed intro into the difficulties of Sia's life and we get introduced to a cast of teenagers that I mistakenly thought would be the core of the main characters. Very soon trouble is to be found. There's an early- on death. There's potential friends, potential frenemies, potential romantic interests. I was intrigued.
But then... there's chapter after chapter after chapter of the exact same thing. At first, the repetition made sense to the story. It was eerie. But after a while there's no plot advancement. There's a couple of bland characters that don't serve a real purpose except to provide an antogonist that's not needed.
And finally I was bothered by Sia's mother. It's a me- thing. It's a privileged thing to be able to say that there are burdens that I won't ever condone adults foisting on their own kids. And I am an older sister. I think, truly, that my sister is the only person in the world for whom I would give my life or any other sacrifice asked of me. But not once, not ever, have I needed to be her parent. She has those. I have never in my life been made to feel (by our parents) like I had to take on that role.
All in all, a good book. One of the few lately that have been able to take me out of the worst reading funk ever. I would definitely read more from Lutz
But the cover is stunning. And the blurb won me over. Because the ocean is my kryptonite.
There is nothing in this world like the sensation you feel when submerged in translucent blue, with sound completely muffled and your body suspended in water. I've traveled a lot. I've seen so much of the wonders this world has to offer. But there's very few things I've seen that are as marvelous as what is at the bottom of the sea. Reading about anyone that loves the rush of cold currents on their skin is seriously my jam.
Which is what I think is was the saving grace of the book. Fractured Tide is written as journal entries from Sia in letters to her father. Through them you get two stories at once: about her family and their past, and about what's happening to her after her boat capsize and she ends up a in an island that plays tricks on her mind.
The best part of the book for me were Sia's descriptions of her diving and what she feels when submerged. But the book lacks consistency in the pacing department. It starts strong and plays high stakes. We get a rushed intro into the difficulties of Sia's life and we get introduced to a cast of teenagers that I mistakenly thought would be the core of the main characters. Very soon trouble is to be found. There's an early- on death. There's potential friends, potential frenemies, potential romantic interests. I was intrigued.
But then... there's chapter after chapter after chapter of the exact same thing. At first, the repetition made sense to the story. It was eerie. But after a while there's no plot advancement. There's a couple of bland characters that don't serve a real purpose except to provide an antogonist that's not needed.
And finally I was bothered by Sia's mother. It's a me- thing. It's a privileged thing to be able to say that there are burdens that I won't ever condone adults foisting on their own kids. And I am an older sister. I think, truly, that my sister is the only person in the world for whom I would give my life or any other sacrifice asked of me. But not once, not ever, have I needed to be her parent. She has those. I have never in my life been made to feel (by our parents) like I had to take on that role.
All in all, a good book. One of the few lately that have been able to take me out of the worst reading funk ever. I would definitely read more from Lutz
May 25, 2020
I finished FRACTURED TIDE yesterday and damn that was a fun read.
If you like beachy/ocean survivalist thrillers, dramas, mysteries, with that slight touch of horror or sci-fi to them, then run don’t walk to this new YA Adventure.
I’m a summer child. I love all things sun, sand, and water, so it’s no surprise that I love films like Jaws, Into the Blue, The Beach, Point Break... and then throw in Deep Blue Sea, The Meg, and LOST for some more oceanic adventure. Basically, I was a prime audience for Leslie Lutz’s FRACTURED TIDE.
I spent three days floating around the pool and basking in the sun while reading this book and I couldn’t have created a more perfect environment... unless I found myself a deserted island. I loved the journal entry style that the author used. The letters to an absent father gave so much insight and depth to the characters without having to create odd conversations. It was perfect.
And of course of loved the atmosphere and setting of the story. I could see it, hear it, taste it, smell it. The ocean and beach senses that I know so well but slowly being twisted and turned into something wrong. The characters were interesting without going OTT and the mystery and drama was just enough for a weekend read.
Also! The themes were appropriate and reigned in for the younger side of YA books. I would feel comfortable giving this to a 13 year old.
There were a couple nit picky things that kept if from being perfect. I thought Sia waxed on a little too much on her crush. And the ending, while really good and keeping it spoiler free here, felt a chapter or two short. I could explain exactly what I thought was missing but not gonna ruin it either way.
Overall, I highly recommend this one. It was a very entertaining read and once I was done, it was hard to choose something new. I was already missing Fractured Tide.
If you like beachy/ocean survivalist thrillers, dramas, mysteries, with that slight touch of horror or sci-fi to them, then run don’t walk to this new YA Adventure.
I’m a summer child. I love all things sun, sand, and water, so it’s no surprise that I love films like Jaws, Into the Blue, The Beach, Point Break... and then throw in Deep Blue Sea, The Meg, and LOST for some more oceanic adventure. Basically, I was a prime audience for Leslie Lutz’s FRACTURED TIDE.
I spent three days floating around the pool and basking in the sun while reading this book and I couldn’t have created a more perfect environment... unless I found myself a deserted island. I loved the journal entry style that the author used. The letters to an absent father gave so much insight and depth to the characters without having to create odd conversations. It was perfect.
And of course of loved the atmosphere and setting of the story. I could see it, hear it, taste it, smell it. The ocean and beach senses that I know so well but slowly being twisted and turned into something wrong. The characters were interesting without going OTT and the mystery and drama was just enough for a weekend read.
Also! The themes were appropriate and reigned in for the younger side of YA books. I would feel comfortable giving this to a 13 year old.
There were a couple nit picky things that kept if from being perfect. I thought Sia waxed on a little too much on her crush. And the ending, while really good and keeping it spoiler free here, felt a chapter or two short. I could explain exactly what I thought was missing but not gonna ruin it either way.
Overall, I highly recommend this one. It was a very entertaining read and once I was done, it was hard to choose something new. I was already missing Fractured Tide.
January 28, 2020
I couldn’t wait to read this upcoming novel, Fractured Tide, set to be released on May 5. I was "thrilled" to receive an advanced copy and dive right in! Thriller isn’t the genre I’m generally drawn to, but this one might inspire me to read more YA thrillers. “Lost meets Stranger Things” hits the nail on the head for this one - a deserted island and top secret government experiments gone wrong. Fractured Tide is a Harper Collins “Blink” book, which means it’s clean young adult fiction. One of the features of protagonists in this label is that they don’t give up. Their attitudes are meant to inspire readers to be stronger and more confident no matter the situation. That is exactly what Sia, the protagonist, does. In spite of her fearless nature, she struggles with the idea of her painful experiences truly making her “kinda wonderful,” but readers will leave inspired by her strength and confidence. I also love the references to other literature - The Tempest, Moby Dick, Lord of the Flies - and the underlying “If you like this, then read this” strategy. I loved this and look forward to telling others about it. Add this one to your summer reading list!
May 10, 2020
Fractured: Split, broken, unable to exist.
This word sums this book up in a heartbeat. When you sit down with this book you’ll find yourself quickly immersed in an enthralling story of survival where everything is fractured. Sia’s family is fractured after her father is shipped off to prison. Her childhood is fractured after she’s needed to leave high school and work on the family’s dive charter. Her boat is fractured after a sea monster destroys it and nearly everyone aboard. Then, once she arrives on a deserted island her and the other survivors quickly discover reality and time itself is fractured. Will Sia and the other survivors discover the secrets of this island in order to make it off alive, or will they forever be trapped?
This fast pace multi-layered book has a page turning plot, we developed and relatable characters, and a climactic ending.
The characters are well developed and realistic, I almost felt as if I was in high school age again as the characters felt like kids I went to high school with, not feel like a soccer mom trying to embody a teenager.
Lutz has mastered giving you just enough information to let your imagination take the wheel and drive you into one creepy read. Excellent for any YA, Horror, and/or Science Fiction fans.
Thanks to NetGalley Blink Books & Leslie Lutz for the gifted eARC. Opinions are my own.
This word sums this book up in a heartbeat. When you sit down with this book you’ll find yourself quickly immersed in an enthralling story of survival where everything is fractured. Sia’s family is fractured after her father is shipped off to prison. Her childhood is fractured after she’s needed to leave high school and work on the family’s dive charter. Her boat is fractured after a sea monster destroys it and nearly everyone aboard. Then, once she arrives on a deserted island her and the other survivors quickly discover reality and time itself is fractured. Will Sia and the other survivors discover the secrets of this island in order to make it off alive, or will they forever be trapped?
This fast pace multi-layered book has a page turning plot, we developed and relatable characters, and a climactic ending.
The characters are well developed and realistic, I almost felt as if I was in high school age again as the characters felt like kids I went to high school with, not feel like a soccer mom trying to embody a teenager.
Lutz has mastered giving you just enough information to let your imagination take the wheel and drive you into one creepy read. Excellent for any YA, Horror, and/or Science Fiction fans.
Thanks to NetGalley Blink Books & Leslie Lutz for the gifted eARC. Opinions are my own.
June 16, 2020
What a strange little book.
“Fractured Tide” follows Sia as she writes diary like entires for her father to read in prison that details her dive on her mother’s charter that leaves her on a mysterious island with a few castaways as they struggle to survive only to learnt why there is more more to fear than just the creature lurking in the sea.
This book definitely does a good job with building up the tension as we get little glimpses ahead and with the isolated environment of a shipwreck dive it’s easy to feel the anxiety and dread along with Sia as she tries to understand what’s happening and work to make sure that she and her family make it out alive.
As much as I loved the atmosphere I feel like I don’t really understand a lot of what went down at the end and it feels like a lot of the loose ends are still drifting out there and I don’t know how I feel about the overall resolution.
I think this one is hard because there were so many instances of did they or didn’t they but overall this feels like the live child between The Shallows and 1408 and though I’m not sure if I love it I know it’s one I would like to read again just to see what else I take away from it.
“Fractured Tide” follows Sia as she writes diary like entires for her father to read in prison that details her dive on her mother’s charter that leaves her on a mysterious island with a few castaways as they struggle to survive only to learnt why there is more more to fear than just the creature lurking in the sea.
This book definitely does a good job with building up the tension as we get little glimpses ahead and with the isolated environment of a shipwreck dive it’s easy to feel the anxiety and dread along with Sia as she tries to understand what’s happening and work to make sure that she and her family make it out alive.
As much as I loved the atmosphere I feel like I don’t really understand a lot of what went down at the end and it feels like a lot of the loose ends are still drifting out there and I don’t know how I feel about the overall resolution.
I think this one is hard because there were so many instances of did they or didn’t they but overall this feels like the live child between The Shallows and 1408 and though I’m not sure if I love it I know it’s one I would like to read again just to see what else I take away from it.
July 9, 2020
I’m a sucker for a good sea monster tale, and Fractured Tide did not disappoint. It pulled me in like an undertow and didn’t let go. Written in first person, the story is told by a young woman named Sia through a series of letters to her father who is in prison, a poignant, intriguing and psychologically edgy backdrop that beautifully develops her character and the surrounding events.
Raised scuba diving, Sia works for her family’s charter business exploring shipwrecks. When a routine expedition goes horribly bad, things spiral down in a swift, fluid, almost dreamlike series of incidents woven with breathtaking descriptions of the sea, the darkness of the depths, a terrifying creature and a weird little island that is not what it seems. This is unraveled so well, and described with such creepy little details, that when I finally discovered what was happening, it blew my mind and made me laugh out loud with geeky delight.
Oh, and the book description's comparison to Stranger Things? That’s no joke. If you’re into that, you’ll love this.
Raised scuba diving, Sia works for her family’s charter business exploring shipwrecks. When a routine expedition goes horribly bad, things spiral down in a swift, fluid, almost dreamlike series of incidents woven with breathtaking descriptions of the sea, the darkness of the depths, a terrifying creature and a weird little island that is not what it seems. This is unraveled so well, and described with such creepy little details, that when I finally discovered what was happening, it blew my mind and made me laugh out loud with geeky delight.
Oh, and the book description's comparison to Stranger Things? That’s no joke. If you’re into that, you’ll love this.
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