March and April have been brilliant months for new releases this year (and there are still a few to come before April is done!). One of my most anticipated books for 20202 - Sarah Epstein's Deep Water was released a week or so ago, and celebrated with an online launch last week. I managed to read it before the event and absolutely ADORED it! I loved Sarah's debut - Small Spaces (my review is here) - and I think this one is just as wonderful.

Henry Weaver is missing.
Three months ago, thirteen-year-old Henry disappeared from The Shallows during a violent storm, leaving behind his muddy mountain bike at the train station.

Mason Weaver is trapped.
While Mason doesn't know who he is or what he's capable of, he knows the one thing binding him to this suffocating small town is his younger brother, Henry.

Chloe Baxter wants answers.
Why would Henry run away without telling her? One of Chloe's friends knows something and she's determined to find out the truth.

As Chloe wades into dangerous waters and Mason's past emerges, a chilling question ripples to the surface: how far would you go to keep a secret?

If you've read my reviews before you'll know I love an authentic friendship, and Deep Water hits that nail on the head. At the heart of this story is a fantastic group friendship, with all kinds of different dynamics happening - crushes and bickering and, of course, Henry's disappearance, are all impacting the friendship and the way is changing feels really natural. I also really enjoyed the setting - the small town vibe comes through clearly without ever feeling caricature-ish.

The story unfolds from two different points of view, and in different directions - Chloe's starts 'now', three months after Henry disappeared, while through Mason we see what happened in the lead up to the event. I think this worked absolutely brilliantly - the voices were different from each other, and it was a really cool way to put details together.

Sarah's Small Spaces remains one of the creepiest YA books I've read, and while this one wasn't exactly creepy, it is dark and there is a really tense atmosphere that builds as the story plays out. I read it in just a few sittings, and with my heart in my throat for most of the book.

Deep Water touches on a lot of different issues throughout, from typical teen worries about crushes and fitting in, to alcoholism and domestic violence - so I would give a content warning for that  (as well as the more obvious theme of a missing teen and the fact that the story largely depends imagining what might have happened to them).

I found this one a completely engaging thriller. It was a really satisfying read that kept me guessing, and made me cry a bit at times too! Officially it's YA - adult readers shouldn't let that stop them from picking it up too! (I just realised I said the same thing about Small Spaces!)

xo Bron

After absolutely LOVING Astrid Scholte's debut novel Four Dead Queens last year (my review is here) her next book was high on my list of most anticipated new releases for 2020. I'm always a tiny bit nervous when I've enjoyed a first book so much, but The Vanishing Deep didn't disappoint!

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

I first came across Jessica Miller's then upcoming middlegrade fantasy novel The Republic of Birds when I was spending A LOT of time on twitter following #authorsforfireys. The cover is so stunning it caught my eye immediately (and its even better in real life!) - and, on reading the blurb, I thought it sounded really cool! Here's the summary from Goodreads.

Olga loves the stories of the old cartographers and pores over their ancient books and maps, trying to unlock their secrets. Sometimes, she can even feel through the maps—almost see into them — as if by magic.

When the bird army kidnaps Olga’s sister, Mira, Olga knows that only she can venture into the Republic of Birds to rescue her. But first, she must unlock her magical ability.

As her journey takes her into the hidden world of the Iagas and the wilds of the Unmappable Blank, Olga discovers the truth about the war with the birds—and learns just how much is at stake in her quest to save her sister.