Oasis was a book that started off incredibly promising, but then ended up falling short towards the end. A mysterious oasis, a survival story, and a story with plenty of twists and turns, Oasis is an adventure thriller.
Summary
In this young adult thriller for fans of Lost and The Twilight Zone, a group of teens are saved when they come across a mysterious oasis. But who will save them from the oasis?
Alif had exciting summer plans: working on her father’s archeological dig site in the desert with four close friends … and a very cute research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit.
Their camp wiped away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly doomed … until they find the oasis. It has everything they need: food, water, and shade–and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As reality begins to shift around them, they question what’s real and what’s a mirage.
The answers turn Alif and her friends against each other, and they begin to wonder if they’ve truly been saved. And while it was easy to walk into the oasis, it may be impossible to leave …
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
From the beginning I loved Alif, passionate about archaeology, but also torn between her passion for creative writing. Oasis transports us to a world of sand and danger. Immediately things begin to go awry, whether it be an article that hints at a mysterious danger, injuries, or stranded strangers. Dangerous omens whirl around a sea of sand from the beginning. Throughout Oasis we are asked about reality – what is merely a mirage? Oasis is a book about illusions and images we can’t trust.
There is desperation mingled with survival and suspicion. I was completely swept away with the first half of Oasis, but towards the end I found myself with more questions than answers. It’s not so much the lack of a concrete resolution than it is the pacing at the ending. Throughout the first half Oasis was ripe with suspense. The arrival of an mysterious oasis that hides thorns behind juicy fruit. The ways that survival and desperation turn them against each other, inhabits their dreams, and grants their desires. You can’t help but wonder what is everyone’s true nature?
While I did enjoy Oasis, I just found it to be disappointing towards the ending. These themes of sacrifice, power, and desire which twisted and turned throughout the book, didn’t seem to manifest at the end to complete fruition. What happens what the dreams we thought we wanted become reality and we realize they were just a hollow mirage? If you’ve been searching for a mysterious thriller that will leave you questioning what you’re reading, then Oasis might be for you!
Find Oasis on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.