The Swell by Allie Reynolds

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Publisher: G.P. Putnam

Pages: 368

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 3/5

The Swell was an interesting thriller about a mini surfing community that will stop at nothing to protect their private little beach oasis. Kenna has arrived in Australia to get her best friend Mikki to move back home instead of marrying some sketchy guy she doesn’t seem that into. Mikki and her fiancee take Kenna to a secluded beach to surf with a small group of friends that is isolated and all the people have weird vibes. And from there the book really delves into the dynamics of the group and why they are all risking so much for surfing.

The best part of this book was the atmosphere. Reynolds really delivers on the unsettling vibes, the isolation, the eerie dynamics of the group and the underlying story of missing foreigners. Unfortunately, by the end I was left thinking oh, that’s it. I hated the ending of this book and because of that it made all the stuff that built up to it not important.

The way Reynolds had me so invested in the characters and the way her writing had me completely transported to this beach in Australia are what saved this book for me. I had such a good time uncovering the layers of the characters and trying to figure out what would possess anyone to stay in that situation. And the descriptions of the ocean, the cliff, the trails, the camping area were all so well done that I could vividly see in my head what was happening in the book.

Reynolds used to be a surfer (is still a surfer?) so I feel like anyone who is the same will probably connect to a lot of what is happening. I would also recommend this book for anyone who is looking for an atmospheric and character driven thriller and is comfortable with possibly not enjoying the ending. I did give Reynolds debut novel, Shiver, five stars so I am looking forward to what she comes up with in the future.