BWS Review: Deep Water

Deep Water written by Maren Stoffels. Photo provided by Amazon.

Quick Overview

Title: Deep Water

Author/Publisher:  Maren Stoffels/Delacorte Press

Story: Vesper’s ten day vacation on a cruise turns into a nightmare when she learns she has been enrolled in No Exit’s reeducation program for bullies. As she and the other passengers face punishments and consequences for their past actions, bodies start pilling up. 

Published Date: Deep Water will be available on August 19 2025.

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Death, Murder, Prison

Where to read it: On the edge of your seat or on a boat

Pages: 222 pages

Vesper thought she was about to enjoy a wonderful vacation on a cruise, only to learn it is a front for a sinister program to reeducate bullies, and she may not make it out alive. Maren Stoffels latest book, Deep Water, will be published by Delacorte Press on August 19, 2025. Stoffels has been writing books since she was seventeen and is a famous young adult horror author. Stoffels also wrote Escape Room, Room Service, Fright Night, and more. Learn how deadly karma can be in Deep Water. 

Deep Water will be available on August 19 2025. 

The Summary

Content Warning: Bullying, Death, Abuse, Suicide 

Vesper thought a ten-day cruise would be an escape from her troubled life, but she learns that won’t be the case. She has been enrolled in No Exit, a sinister program on a floating prison to reeducate bullies with brutal and deadly consequences. With each challenge, Vesper and her fellow passengers must navigate physical and psychological trials that will force them to confront their darkest fears and deepest regrets. Not everyone will survive. 

Warning! Slight Spoilers Below

The Evaluation

The summary of this young adult horror book drew me in. I was kept on the edge of my seat with the mystery and thriller. Why does No Exit exist? What will be the consequences and punishment for the bullies? Will Vesper survive? This fast pace horror novel is a thrilling experience and will quickly suck you in. Deep Water becomes brutal and violent quickly. 

A theme of the book is that it's alright to cry. “Listen to me.” I squeeze a little harder “You are going to stop crying now,” (29 pg). Vesper needs to come to term with crying in order to move on from her past. Another theme is karma. “No Exist is made up of two phases: Karma and Confrontation," (28 pg). The bullies are forced to face consequences for their past actions in hopes it will stop them from doing it again. These consequences get dark quick. 

Strengths

• The plot was interesting and original.

The plot of bullies being reeducated on a cruise drew me in, but the mystery of whether will they survive sucked me into the book. “School, parents, the government…They’ll do whatever it takes to change us. But first they have to break us,” said Jonah (43 pg). The mystery with the threat of violence and death made the story interesting. 

• No Exit’s staff were good antagonists. 

The cruise leaders: Ted and Tina; and the rest of the staff were hateable. There is something horrible with adults thinking it's okay to abuse and kill children. Ted said “At No Exit, we make sure the bullying stops. Research has shown that people learn from their mistakes most quickly when the same thing happens to them,”  (83 pg). The staff couldn’t see how hypocritical their actions were. 

• The plot twist took me by surprise. 

The plot twist was set up expertly. While there were clues leading up to it, I did not see it coming. It tied Vesper’s and Gwen’s stories together nicely. 

Weaknesses

No book is totally perfect. Here is point from the book that didn’t work for me.

• There was a lot of reptation in Gwen’s chapters.

Most of the chapters in Gwen’s perspective repeat previous chapters, especially the dialogue. There was not much new information added. 

• I believed there should have been more chapters to add more key details

  
  

  • Why did Gwen trust No Exit with personal information? 

Gwen voluntarily shares something personal with the No Exit’s staff, and I can’t figure out why. What she shares isn’t something a person usually willingly confesses, especially to a stranger. 

• What were Vesper’s consequences for bullying?

There are specific consequences for each of the children’s past bullying. Due to a time skip, the audience doesn’t know what Vesper’s consequences are. This is strange since she is one of the main characters. 

• Who was That Girl that Vesper bullied, and what did she do to her? 

Vesper keeps thinking about one of her bullying victims, referred to as That Girl. The audience never learns who she is or what Vesper did to her. Vesper’s past remains a mystery, which is strange since it's her past actions that got her on the cruise. 

The Rating

The Bookworm’s Snack rates Deep Water three out of five stars. 

Deep Water is a horror novel with an interesting plot full of mystery, thriller, action, and a really good plot twist. I was on the edge of my seat as I wondered who will survive and who will die. The book could have used a few more chapters to flesh out why Gwen shared personal information with No Exit’s staff, Vesper’s past, and Vesper's consequences for her bullying on No Exit. This missing information felt like holes in the plot. The Bookworm’s Snack rates Deep Water three out of five stars. This book will make you want to pick up another in Stoffels’ series.

Comment if you have read Stoffels other books and your thoughts on Deep Water.