As mentioned in my update thing; I was going back & forth at the library about whether or not to check Oasis out. I ended up doing so because this book has received such hype reviews. And honestly, I don't get the enthusiasm at all. I ended up pulling a dnf with this one because I just did not see the appeal. I'm so glad that this was a library book and I didn't spend money on this.

I wanted to like this one so badly because the premise was so cool and the characters had a lot of promise. I thought that I would be reading a really cool adventure/survival novel with a supernatural or spooky twist. What I got was a pack of teens bickering in the desert about romance and what not. I should have expected as much out of a YA novel, but I've been on a lucky streak with them lately so I let my guard down.

I think that more than anything else, it was the writing style that I didn't agree with. To me it was just...I don't know, it lacked substance? I couldn't really get attached to any of the characters at all because everything was shown not told. I saw it mentioned in someone else's review that everything (each little detail) was dumped on the reader all at once about backstories and what not. And I definitely agree with that.

To be honest, the tone of Oasis just fell flat. At least Wicked Lovely and The House Of Night series were laughably bad. Like so bad that I almost enjoyed them. Oasis was just straight boring to me. I couldn't even hate the characters because I felt like there was nothing to hate?

I apricate the diverse cast, but I think that at the end of the day, that was the only highlight of the book for me. Other than that I just...didn't like it. Which is apparently an unpopular opinion.

Alif was really excited to spend the summer working on her father's archaeological dig site. She had always enjoyed the painstaking work, even if some people would find it tedious.  Even better?  Four of her best friends were coming along!  The five friends weren't totally sure what the summer had in store, but none of them could have guessed the truth. I am a huge fan of the Indiana Jones movie franchise and the Lost TV series, and I was thrilled to find this book reminiscent of both. I can only hope someone turns this into a movie quickly!

When a man wandered into the camp, delirious and near death, Alif tried to make sense of his ramblings but everyone else assumed it was nonsense. And, then, the sandstorm came. Alif, her four friends, and her father's (super cute) research assistant were separated from the rest of the camp. The six of them wandered in the desert, certain they would die -- but then they came upon a mysterious oasis. Though they were seemingly saved by the oasis' food and water, there didn't seem to be any way out. And then some really strange things began to happen. Could that man have been in the oasis before them? And could his ramblings have any clues that would help them?

Happy Reading! 

It was psychologically scarier than I anticipated. And cool with regard to the fact that it’s peopled with Aussies. I also like the archaeological elements...in fact I wish there had been more of that. It was preset cool in general. Probably a 3.5.

“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 ...”
•
•
What a fun read! Fun for me, definitely not fun for Alif and her friends. I’m usually not one for YA books but this one peaked my interest and I’m glad I didn’t miss out. A thrilling, paranormal page turner appropriate for all ages!
4/5⭐️

Very dumb. Poorly plotted and poorly written ("I halted to a stop"), all characters are dull and unlikeable.

It was working its way toward a 3 or 3.5 rating, and then...that ending

The author Katya de Becerra has a lot of promise, but for me this book fell flat. My biggest issue is that the characters are one-dimensional which leads the reader to not caring about what happens to them. The characters are stereotypical high schoolers who only care about romantic relationships. To solidify this, they attend this archaeological dig that is being directed by the main protagonist's father - and we barely meet him! You would think he didn't care if his child and her friends even arrived at all. But the focus is on the high schoolers and their romantic entanglements.

The dialogue as a result also falls flat:
"We don't know anything about this place. It's a bad idea to split up, " Luke, quiet all morning, snapped at Lor.
"What can possibly happen?" Lori, face red, was turning more irate with each word.
Gee, Lori. I don't know...perhaps the dead body you found the previous day and the sabotaged water supply would be indicative that BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN. *insert eye roll*

Also - at one point Tommy pulls out a large knife and Alif says, "Never heard of archaeologists carrying around knives that size" ....and I can tell you as someone who has an archaeology degree and has been on many digs that they absolutely do carry around bowie knives/machetes.

Because the characters are one-dimensional, they don't seem to think about their survivability. Everything is romance-centric. If they had any brains at all, they would make some rudimentary spears, arm themselves in some way, because they would understand that wild animals are very real and very dangerous. At one point they go searching for food and they decide to look in a cave? What food are they hoping to find in a cave when their experience in the oasis thus far has been fruit in bushes/trees???

And don't get me started on the whole rescue "mirage". No one questioned this mirage beyond a passing, "oh, you saw that too? Maybe it was a mirage".

The entire story circles around the idea of the "tablet" this omnipresent entity that has them all trapped in this inception/matrix reality. But instead of being shocking and impactful, it just feels like the characters have zero agency to affect what is going on around them. The plot continues regardless of their actions. The only impactful thing they did was destroying the tablet in the end which felt like a plot-convenient act to tie up the book in a nice little bow.

1-star from me.

2.75 stars

I just can’t get over how badly this book was written. I need time to process before I write my full review. Because I need to go in so people don’t read this

I don't feel like I wasted my time. It was an intriguing read. I just thought that once I got to the conflict it would be more Lost vibes or something along those lines, which to an extent, somewhat was. However, I feel like a lot of the potential that the book brought up was missed. A lot more could have been explored.