Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Romance, revenge, and murder make for a great whodunit.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
LYING IN THE DEEP takes place aboard the luxurious Campus on Board ship, where college students will spend a semester studying while visiting 11 countries. For Jade Miller, who's there on scholarship, the trip will let her put time and distance between herself and her longtime boyfriend Silas, who dumped her by text and then immediately took up with her best friend, the wealthy Lainey Silverton. As the students board the ship in Amsterdam, Jade is surprised and then angry when she discovers Lainey and Silas also are on the cruise and she becomes obsessed with finding out why Silas broke up with her. In an attempt to make Silas jealous and hopefully win him back, Jade enlists the handsome brooding Felix as her pretend (at least for a while) boyfriend. What's not pretend is Lainey's disappearance from her cabin, which is found covered in blood. Everyone assumes she's been murdered and suspicion immediately falls on Jade. So who's the murderer? Is it Miguel Diaz, who gives skincare tips on social media and has almost a million subscribers on YouTube? He's furious because he thinks Lainey has sabotaged his social media accounts. Or is it Tate, who believes Lainey's father's company is responsible for his mother's death. Perhaps it's Sheffira, Lainey's clinging former BFF from high school. When there are two more murders, Jade is certain they're linked to Lainey's disappearance and determined to find out what connects their deaths.
Is It Any Good?
This page-tuner of a mystery packs in romance, too many head-spinning twists and turns to count, and serious messages about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Lying in the Deep may have a glamorous setting, but the characters are facing challenges common to many readers -- a broken heart, loss of a best friend, a family member struggling with substance abuse, or conflicts with a parent.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the characters in Lying in the Deep tried to deal with Divya's excessive drinking. Why do you think she was so resistant to anyone trying to help her?
Some of Jade's friends thought she was going too far in trying to discover why Silas dumped her. Can perseverance ever be emotionally unhealthy?
If you had the chance to spend a semester at sea, where would you like to go and what would you want to learn about?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Razorbill
- Publication date : May 2, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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