Author: Rachel Reiss

Wilder Girls meets Outer Banks where a group of scuba diving friends stumbles across lost treasure, a legendary cave, and a new type of power... that comes at a price.

The deeper you go, the darker you fall.

Phoebe "Phibs" Ray is never more at home than when she's underwater. On a dive six months ago, she and her four closest friends discovered a handful of ancient gold coins, rocketing them into social media fame. Now, their final summer together after high school, they're taking one last trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most - scuba dive.

While diving a local reef, Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But when Phibs and her best friend Gabe surface from the cave, they notice that they're undergoing strange changes. Oozing gashes that don't heal. Haunting whispers in their heads... Something has latched onto them, lurking beneath their skin, transforming them from the inside out.

When treasure hunters arrive, desperate to find the location of the cave and hold Phibs' group for ransom, she'll do anything to keep her friends safe. In the process she learns that, of all the dreadful creatures of the sea, she might be the most terrifying of them all.

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers (MPS)
Published: 05/13/2025
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.06oz
Size: 8.25h x 5.38w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781250366146

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2025
Booklist 03/01/2025 pg. 94

About the Author
RACHEL REISS is an experienced scuba diver who has explored marine reefs around the world. She's been published in national outlets including The Los Angeles Times, Us Weekly, Yahoo!, Access Hollywood, and Huffington Post. She currently lives in Southern California with her family and her rambunctious dog, Ozzy.