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kimal25's review against another edition
5.0
I received The Swell by Allie Reynolds as an ARC from Netgalley. (The Swell is the North American version of The Bay)
This is the second book by Allie Reynolds, due to be released in July. The Swell is set in Australia, specifically in a bay that The Tribe has kept to themselves. Kenna flies out to visit with her friend Mikki upon learning she is engaged and gets dragged into their world. There is Mikki-who had been planning a vacation and ended up staying longer, Jack-the man who Mikki is going to marry in an agreement to stay in Australia and who has a bad back from a surfing accident, Sky-the leader of the tribe with a rough childhood who is there illegally, Victor-who was a surfing pro at one point and now suffers from PTSD and is with Sky, Ryan-a very strange man who would be arrested if he returned home, Clemente-who has had two women he's been with die, and the narrator Kenna who only wants to save her friend from these people.
Once more Ms. Reynolds has managed to find an amazing location, an extreme sport (this time surfing), a group of flawed individuals that are at the same time highly compelling, no cell phone reception and characters that keep getting picked off. I truly love this recipe for her books and no one seems to do it better! I kept hoping I was wrong about the murderer, but sadly not. The creepiest part about this was who the murderer is and what is done (or not done) about the deaths.
In just two short books this author has become one of my favorite authors!
This is the second book by Allie Reynolds, due to be released in July. The Swell is set in Australia, specifically in a bay that The Tribe has kept to themselves. Kenna flies out to visit with her friend Mikki upon learning she is engaged and gets dragged into their world. There is Mikki-who had been planning a vacation and ended up staying longer, Jack-the man who Mikki is going to marry in an agreement to stay in Australia and who has a bad back from a surfing accident, Sky-the leader of the tribe with a rough childhood who is there illegally, Victor-who was a surfing pro at one point and now suffers from PTSD and is with Sky, Ryan-a very strange man who would be arrested if he returned home, Clemente-who has had two women he's been with die, and the narrator Kenna who only wants to save her friend from these people.
Once more Ms. Reynolds has managed to find an amazing location, an extreme sport (this time surfing), a group of flawed individuals that are at the same time highly compelling, no cell phone reception and characters that keep getting picked off. I truly love this recipe for her books and no one seems to do it better! I kept hoping I was wrong about the murderer, but sadly not. The creepiest part about this was who the murderer is and what is done (or not done) about the deaths.
In just two short books this author has become one of my favorite authors!
rachaelsreadsandreviews's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
books_with_kayleigh's review against another edition
4.0
This was very atmospheric from the start, with Kenna travelling to Australia following sudden news that her best friend Mikki is getting married. Concerned by red flags she's noticed, Kenna is keen to ensure mikki is OK.
Kenna soon joins Mikki and her hubby to be Jack as they travel to a remote surfing beach, where the rest of their friends camp / live.
Things get very creepy very fast as Kenna is not warmly received into the group and she notices links to a missing back packer.
You suspect everyone and honestly like noone! Kenna has a real saviour syndrome - she really wants to save Mikki and to be honest I didn't really like that; much as you can care for your bff you have to let them make their own mistakes sometimes. She really acted as though Mikki was unable to make her own decisions.
I found the other characters quite creepy, honestly had shivers at times. I would have loved more paragraphs from their perspectives because I really enjoyed their chapters and getting to understand them more.
The ending really ramped up, more and more bodies washing up, and the suspense at the end
Kenna soon joins Mikki and her hubby to be Jack as they travel to a remote surfing beach, where the rest of their friends camp / live.
Things get very creepy very fast as Kenna is not warmly received into the group and she notices links to a missing back packer.
You suspect everyone and honestly like noone! Kenna has a real saviour syndrome - she really wants to save Mikki and to be honest I didn't really like that; much as you can care for your bff you have to let them make their own mistakes sometimes. She really acted as though Mikki was unable to make her own decisions.
I found the other characters quite creepy, honestly had shivers at times. I would have loved more paragraphs from their perspectives because I really enjoyed their chapters and getting to understand them more.
The ending really ramped up, more and more bodies washing up, and the suspense at the end
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Discover the locations in the novel The Bay
After reading Shiver set in the competitive world of snowboarding, this was always going to be good. This time, I was swept off to a very secretive bay in Australia named Sorrow Bay. Clue in the name perhaps….
This bay is the kind of place backpackers dream of. A place where you hope few people know about. This place is so stunning you want to keep it a secret. On top of that, you are with a bunch of surfers and this is THE best surfing spot you have ever seen. One girl follows her best friend to this secret place as she is worried about her. For one, she is about to marry someone she’s only just met. This new fiancee invites her to their secret bay. But why?
This had all the thrills of The Beach but with the Allie Reynolds touch of a competitive sporting world and some very toxic characters. Sorrow Bay was a good name for this place as it brough nothing but! Poor Kenna. She didn’t know what was going on or who to believe and neigher will you as the reader – in a good way!
I felt Kenna’s excitement as well as her fear. She ends up staying longer in the bay than she anticipated because she is captivate by the group, the so-called ‘tribe’ . When she finds out about some of the previous tribe member who did manage to leave, she becomes suspcious. Did they leave on their own free will or did they disappear?
The surfing theme added a unique layer to this story about toxic people and the idea of hiding a uptopia from the world. I know nothing about surfing but feel that I know a bit more about why people get so excited about it. Allie’s captivating writing really drew me in. The characters are a wild mix and it’s great fun trying to piece together the information Allie drops in to form the mystery. As the waves at The Bay swells in and out, you get to see a little more of what this beach represents and it is such a good mystery!
Complex, compelling and like water, it draws you in and sweeps you under before you have a chance to catch your breath. Recommended!
thelifeoflaura's review against another edition
2.0
Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend. But Mikki and her fiance Jack are about to head away on a trip, so Kenna finds herself tagging along for the ride. Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets a mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret.
As Kenna gets drawn into their world she sees that they are prepared to go to any length for the next thrill. But everyone seems to be hiding something..
Sadly, this one wasn’t for me. It’s been a while since I’ve read something I struggled through but this was it for me. I don’t know if it was the writing style of this one or just that I wasn’t feeling it but I found the characters frustrating and it was just a really hard slog to get into it.
As Kenna gets drawn into their world she sees that they are prepared to go to any length for the next thrill. But everyone seems to be hiding something..
Sadly, this one wasn’t for me. It’s been a while since I’ve read something I struggled through but this was it for me. I don’t know if it was the writing style of this one or just that I wasn’t feeling it but I found the characters frustrating and it was just a really hard slog to get into it.
brewtifulfiction's review against another edition
5.0
I read Shiver last year and loved it.
And then there was The Bay. And let me tell you, it is just as good as Shiver if not better.
A great cast of suspicious characters.
Mysterious deaths that seem to be accumulating.
And past events that refuse to remain a secret.
Tense and twisty.
Just when I thought I'd guessed what was happening, the author flipped things around and had me guessing all over again.
An ominous atmosphere casts a shadow throughout this novel and I loved it.
Cleverly creepy.
The Bay comes highly recommended.
And then there was The Bay. And let me tell you, it is just as good as Shiver if not better.
A great cast of suspicious characters.
Mysterious deaths that seem to be accumulating.
And past events that refuse to remain a secret.
Tense and twisty.
Just when I thought I'd guessed what was happening, the author flipped things around and had me guessing all over again.
An ominous atmosphere casts a shadow throughout this novel and I loved it.
Cleverly creepy.
The Bay comes highly recommended.
fran_mcbookface's review against another edition
4.0
Kenna and Mikki grew up surfing and taking risks together but tragedy has sent them down opposite roads. While Kenna has settled down, Mikki is still living the surfers life.
Kenna is fairly sure there's something not quite right about Mikkis relationship so she flies to Australia to talk her out of her upcoming marriage.
When she arrives she finds Mikki caught up with The Tribe - a group of 30 somethings living for surfing and danger. In a bid to spend time with Mikki Kenna ends up living with them in The Bay.
The Bay is survivoresque. The group grow their own food, live on and take risks on the beach. Each member hides a secret which unfolds as the story develops. Backpackers have been going missing in the area. The Tribe will do anything for kicks. Does that include murder?
I enjoyed this. Felt pretty tense from the start. Though its mainly told from Kennas point of view each character gets a chapter which gives us more about their background and gives us clues about their involvement in the backpackers disappearance. Keeps you guessing to the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the chance to read an early copy.
Kenna is fairly sure there's something not quite right about Mikkis relationship so she flies to Australia to talk her out of her upcoming marriage.
When she arrives she finds Mikki caught up with The Tribe - a group of 30 somethings living for surfing and danger. In a bid to spend time with Mikki Kenna ends up living with them in The Bay.
The Bay is survivoresque. The group grow their own food, live on and take risks on the beach. Each member hides a secret which unfolds as the story develops. Backpackers have been going missing in the area. The Tribe will do anything for kicks. Does that include murder?
I enjoyed this. Felt pretty tense from the start. Though its mainly told from Kennas point of view each character gets a chapter which gives us more about their background and gives us clues about their involvement in the backpackers disappearance. Keeps you guessing to the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the chance to read an early copy.
sharada_mohan's review against another edition
5.0
Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5
Atmospheric evocation and setting at its best!
Kenna’s attempt at surprising her best friend Mikki in Sydney, turns even sweeter when she is taken to the breathtaking Sorrow bay by Mikki and her fiancé Jack. Meeting a group of friends here, Kenna discovers that each of them has something to hide from their past. Even the bay itself seems to harbor secrets and Kenna is soon to find out.
Reynolds has carved out a niche for herself in the world of mystery thrillers. Using themes of dangerous sports like snowboarding/surfing she has a knack to set it up in the most gorgeous yet dangerous locations. Kudos!
I simply fell in love with Sorrow Bay here! Hope my aesthetic reel does justice to the whole vibe of the book!
If Shiver was a locked room mystery, The Bay does not feel claustrophobic. But Reynolds’ description of the Bay has a sense of foreboding with ominous undertones that paint the waves, the rocks and the cliffs in an eerie light. It was all so evocative that it just came alive for me and I could feel the salty air, hear the crash of the waves and even the whispers of the secrets the bay holds.
The first half is slow burn and is essentially so. As Kenna acclimatizes to the conditions of the bay and breaks ice with Mikki’s friends, we get insights into their backgrounds, their fierce passion for surfing in these precious and pristine waves, as well as some of their rigorous and dangerous “ways” of living.
I trusted no one as these folks emanated weird and creepy vibes, with all the extreme and bizarre methods they adopted to overcome their limitations.
Once Kenna’s senses pick up all the things that seem to be wrong with everyone and the very bay itself, she realizes the threat to her life, her suspicions grow, the tension builds and the mystery deepens.
The ending was explosive and relinquished my need for all the thrills and adventure!
I don’t want to give anything away and it’s best to experience this one in its element!
Atmospheric evocation and setting at its best!
Kenna’s attempt at surprising her best friend Mikki in Sydney, turns even sweeter when she is taken to the breathtaking Sorrow bay by Mikki and her fiancé Jack. Meeting a group of friends here, Kenna discovers that each of them has something to hide from their past. Even the bay itself seems to harbor secrets and Kenna is soon to find out.
Reynolds has carved out a niche for herself in the world of mystery thrillers. Using themes of dangerous sports like snowboarding/surfing she has a knack to set it up in the most gorgeous yet dangerous locations. Kudos!
I simply fell in love with Sorrow Bay here! Hope my aesthetic reel does justice to the whole vibe of the book!
If Shiver was a locked room mystery, The Bay does not feel claustrophobic. But Reynolds’ description of the Bay has a sense of foreboding with ominous undertones that paint the waves, the rocks and the cliffs in an eerie light. It was all so evocative that it just came alive for me and I could feel the salty air, hear the crash of the waves and even the whispers of the secrets the bay holds.
The first half is slow burn and is essentially so. As Kenna acclimatizes to the conditions of the bay and breaks ice with Mikki’s friends, we get insights into their backgrounds, their fierce passion for surfing in these precious and pristine waves, as well as some of their rigorous and dangerous “ways” of living.
I trusted no one as these folks emanated weird and creepy vibes, with all the extreme and bizarre methods they adopted to overcome their limitations.
Once Kenna’s senses pick up all the things that seem to be wrong with everyone and the very bay itself, she realizes the threat to her life, her suspicions grow, the tension builds and the mystery deepens.
The ending was explosive and relinquished my need for all the thrills and adventure!
I don’t want to give anything away and it’s best to experience this one in its element!
kba76's review against another edition
4.0
There’s something about this book that unsettled me from the off. We follow Kenna as she arrives in Australia on something of a whim, determined to meet up with her old friend Mikki, and try to persuade her to return to the UK. Upon arrival she meets Jack, Mikki’s fiancé, and her doubts about him play an integral part in her decision to accompany them on a road trip to a place called The Bay.
The Bay is a little known surfing haven where Mikki and her new friends, known as The Tribe, gather. They eat, drink, work out, surf…and yet their intensity around it suggests there’s more to this wild space. Slowly, Kenna finds herself caught up in its allure while also trying to remain distanced and work out exactly how it’s linked to missing backpackers and a number of mysterious deaths.
During her brief time there Kenna learns about each of The Tribe members and the secrets they would probably rather remain hidden. She finds herself once more caught up in daredevil behaviour, and as the book develops we sense the threat building. Dipping in and out of the characters’ narratives, we know there’s a number of them who will do anything to preserve their little slice of heaven.
I really found myself caught up in the passion of the way surfing was presented. Each of the characters was quite damaged, and I briefly wondered whether that is some kind of pre-requisite for being attracted to extreme sports and adrenaline-filled activities. I found it frustrating to be drip-fed so much information about exactly what was going on but to not be able to assign the actions to someone specific. It meant I read everything through a filter, looking for details that often weren’t there. By the time we reached the end I was relieved we’d got some answers, but the unresolved details were a harsh reminder that in life we often don’t get answers and have to make the most of what we’re doing with the details we get.
After reading Shiver I was keen to see what Allie Reynolds did next, and she did not disappoint. I look forward to seeing what exciting (yet also terrifying) activity she focuses on next. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication in exchange for my personal review.
The Bay is a little known surfing haven where Mikki and her new friends, known as The Tribe, gather. They eat, drink, work out, surf…and yet their intensity around it suggests there’s more to this wild space. Slowly, Kenna finds herself caught up in its allure while also trying to remain distanced and work out exactly how it’s linked to missing backpackers and a number of mysterious deaths.
During her brief time there Kenna learns about each of The Tribe members and the secrets they would probably rather remain hidden. She finds herself once more caught up in daredevil behaviour, and as the book develops we sense the threat building. Dipping in and out of the characters’ narratives, we know there’s a number of them who will do anything to preserve their little slice of heaven.
I really found myself caught up in the passion of the way surfing was presented. Each of the characters was quite damaged, and I briefly wondered whether that is some kind of pre-requisite for being attracted to extreme sports and adrenaline-filled activities. I found it frustrating to be drip-fed so much information about exactly what was going on but to not be able to assign the actions to someone specific. It meant I read everything through a filter, looking for details that often weren’t there. By the time we reached the end I was relieved we’d got some answers, but the unresolved details were a harsh reminder that in life we often don’t get answers and have to make the most of what we’re doing with the details we get.
After reading Shiver I was keen to see what Allie Reynolds did next, and she did not disappoint. I look forward to seeing what exciting (yet also terrifying) activity she focuses on next. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication in exchange for my personal review.
travelsalongmybookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
The Bay - Allie Reynolds
Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, Mikki about to marry Jack, a guy she’s only just met. She is shocked but determined to protect her friend and so tags along on a surfing trip they are heading off on.
Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life.
Kenna soon realises they will do anything to protect this place and the extremes they will go to for a thrill. They are all hiding something and the thing about The Bay is, nobody ever leaves.
What a set up! Closed off from the world, impenetrable trees on one side, the ocean on the other, multiple murderous insects, snakes and sharks and then there are the human residents, not to be trusted with secrets to hide and murder on their minds!
These are a largely unlikeable bunch of characters, a bit aggressive (Sky, Ryan) all super gorgeous (Jack, Clemente)all worryingly with secrets to hide (Mikki, Victor), the cast are brilliantly realised and I didn’t trust one of them!
Kenna was my favourite, she is the outsider and I felt for her coming into this clique, looking over her shoulder, the fear drip, dripped it’s way into my mind and I felt like I was really inside this book, feeling what Kenna was feeling!
This is one fabulously juicy locked beach mystery, full of sizzling tension and suspense. I could feel the burning sun, see the turquoise blue water and feel the fear rising as I read. Allie Reynolds can really get inside your head and mess with it, I was subsumed into this one, fast paced, darkly thrilling and exciting and the descriptions of the water, the surfing and the dread fear of waves and drowning are crystal clear.
‘This is my favourite place on earth. I’ll do anything to stay here.’
Brilliant brilliant brilliant, this is one of my favourite reads of the year!
Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, Mikki about to marry Jack, a guy she’s only just met. She is shocked but determined to protect her friend and so tags along on a surfing trip they are heading off on.
Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life.
Kenna soon realises they will do anything to protect this place and the extremes they will go to for a thrill. They are all hiding something and the thing about The Bay is, nobody ever leaves.
What a set up! Closed off from the world, impenetrable trees on one side, the ocean on the other, multiple murderous insects, snakes and sharks and then there are the human residents, not to be trusted with secrets to hide and murder on their minds!
These are a largely unlikeable bunch of characters, a bit aggressive (Sky, Ryan) all super gorgeous (Jack, Clemente)all worryingly with secrets to hide (Mikki, Victor), the cast are brilliantly realised and I didn’t trust one of them!
Kenna was my favourite, she is the outsider and I felt for her coming into this clique, looking over her shoulder, the fear drip, dripped it’s way into my mind and I felt like I was really inside this book, feeling what Kenna was feeling!
This is one fabulously juicy locked beach mystery, full of sizzling tension and suspense. I could feel the burning sun, see the turquoise blue water and feel the fear rising as I read. Allie Reynolds can really get inside your head and mess with it, I was subsumed into this one, fast paced, darkly thrilling and exciting and the descriptions of the water, the surfing and the dread fear of waves and drowning are crystal clear.
‘This is my favourite place on earth. I’ll do anything to stay here.’
Brilliant brilliant brilliant, this is one of my favourite reads of the year!