Name: The Abyss Surrounds Us
ISBN: 9780738746913

Emily Skrutskie

Cassandra Leung--a seventeen-year-old trainer of Reckoners, sea beasts bred to defend ships--is kidnapped by the pirate queen Santa Elena and ordered to train a Reckoner pup to defend Santa Elena's ship.

The Abyss Surrounds Us

kelsey

i’ll show her the truth i’ve learned on her boat. i don’t just raise monsters. i am one.

HOLY SHIT !!!!! this was so action packed from beginning to the end. i also didn't predict the end at all.

and to make it even better it was f/f enemies to lovers

arwen

Jamieson

But she underestimated me. I played my cards, I laid in wait, I let myself be beaten and manipulated. If she keeps that promise she made to me, I’ll show her the truth I’ve learned on her boat. I don’t just raise monsters. I am one.



I can't even remember the last time I read a book this fast THAT is how much I absolutely adored this book. It literally has everything. Sea monsters, pirates, morally ambiguous characters, fantasy and lesbians in love. my gay ass is thriving

The Abyss Surrounds Us is about a future word where scientifically manufactured sea monsters called Reckoners are bred to protect ships in pirate infested waters. Cassandra Leung, the protagonist, has grown up training these monsters. On her first voyage across the sea, her monster Durga is killed and she is captured by pirates - who force her to hatch and train their own Reckoner they have acquired illegally. 

I was impressed with every aspect of this book This is Emily Skrutskie's first novel, and it has to be one of the strongest debuts I've ever read. The writing was awesome, worldbuilding was strong and character development was GREAT. I really do have no complains about this book, I really loved it. 



(by hvctorberlioz on tumblr)

THE WORLD
 THE CHARACTERS were well written, complex and diverse. The main character Cas is Asian (I assume Chinese as at one point she mentions speaking Cantonese but it's never explicitly stated and she may not be Chinese) but ANYWAY, she's a sea monster trainer who starts off thinking she's very morally upstanding but soon starts to have her own beliefs unraveled. She's challenged continuously, questions her place and adapts accordingly and I absolutely adored her and her arc. Everyone loves Swift (same!) but for me, Cas was my favourite. 

Swift is a pirate girl who's trying to work her way up to the position of captain. Lots of her backstory is spoilers, but I will say she's incredibly hard-working and such a badass. But also she's so soft and sweet omg ? And she treats Cas so well and aaaah bless. we love a legend. 

Santa Elena is the pirate queen I've always needed. She's such a badass, Would Kill You Dead and doesn't give a fuck but I admire her SO MUCH. I also, she was such a strong strong woman who didn't reject her femininity. I LOVED she was a mother and that played into her strength, and even though she's the villain I ... love her so much. Like she ruthless as fuck but she's also super soft with her kid and the other kids on her ship I'm #SHOOK. Also she's black! Yes powerful women of colour!!

THE PLOT is super fast paced, you got sea battles and attempted murder and actual murder and pirate fights and questionable floating islands and SO MUCH MORE and I literally flew through this because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT Also, the romance makes me Cry in the best way, they are so good together, and it's enemies to lovers but it's done SO WELL and their relationship recognises it's flaws and working through them I'm choking again I love them so much. 


   "We’re two trapped girls with nothing but each other on a ship of people who’d be better off with us dead, and somehow on top of that we’ve managed to do the one thing we shouldn’t be able to do.”


I COULD NOT recommend this book high enough. You got lesbian pirates, sea monsters, epic sea battles, enemies to lovers, great characters and it's soo fast paced you won't be able to stop I actually think I could inject crack cocaine into my eyeballs and wouldn't get as good a rush as I got from this book. 

YOU ALL NEED TO READ THIS WTF right now ! I'm not joking right this very second. I am blessed, shook and WANTING MORE RIGHT NOW.

This was such a fun read! Very fast-paced, interesting plot, and I love how female-dominant it was! I find a lot of YA frustrating and annoying, but I got emotionally invested in this one. I love when I find a book that makes me wonder how I would handle things if I were in the main character's shoes, and this one definitely did that.

My only criticism is that some of the emotions/Cas' thoughts could have used a bit more nuance, she seemed to run very hot and cold and switched back and forth a lot about how she feels. Which is fine, but sometimes I got whiplash from reading her thoughts! Also, the ending KILLED me and I immediately ordered the sequel to know what happens. (mild spoilers) (view spoiler)[I was hoping for a cute ending scene w/ Swift and Cas, but NOPE. (hide spoiler)] So right now, it's at 4 stars, but I'll probably bump it up to a 4.5 and round up to 5 once I get over this attack on my heart. Maybe after I read the sequel. EDIT: I am weak and have already changed it to 5 stars. I actually forgot I'd set it at 4, I thought for sure I'd done 4.5! Sigh...

Laura Springall

I'm horrible at remembering to review books in a timely manner but here we are, a year and a half later, finally getting around to it

All I have to say is

PLEASE READ THIS SERIES IT'S HANDS DOWN ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES OF ALL TIME AND I'LL NEVER GET OVER HOW MUCH I LOVE IT

Ok that's it bye

Emma

Megan McGuire

Cori

Cassandra Leung’s been a sea monster trainer ever since she could walk, raising genetically engineered beast to defend ships crossing the NeoPacific ... until pirates snatch her from the blood-stained decks.