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healingtothemax's review against another edition
3.0
Part of the Underwater trend I've noticed/dove into, TLATBOTW launches a new series. This debut author's entry earned 3.5 stars. Nods to social media here because London Shah is so very likable in her gratitude, graciousness with readers and championship of other artists' works. I feel this book is a fair start of a new series and the world built is thorough and immersive; we stick with our heroine and her very relatable isolated viewpoint which at times proves frustrating (her obsessive search/longing for her missing papa irregardless of others' boundaries) and liberating (her determination in bettering her world and the larger world through hope and kindness brings her to question everything and everyone around her including her own choices). The book's writing and its heroine read young, as in both will mature with more experience. Often odd notes were hit for me in its editorial choices, prose phrasing and plotting especially in the third act when all strands converge. Other characters are ciphers, unfortunately including the romantic interest with many shirtless "he's so pretty and heroic" scenes. Action-packed in plot and overpacked in sentence structure, tlatbotw speeds its reader through a dreamily familiar world nostalgic for its glorified "happier" days and wary of its danger-fraught future. Advice for both reader, writer (and wayward editor), slow your roll through these dense waves, try to breathe rather than drown. Taking your time will reveal you can in fact swim and savor a deep plunge into the unknown.
iris_purpurea's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“We with our skin and bones and muscles and hearts and souls and minds and hopes and dreams, are still being. We’re alive.”
taratara44's review against another edition
3.0
The ending felt a little underwhelming to me, I know it's setting it up for a second book, there were things I really liked in theory but then just felt a little flat, however I am sure I'll have students love this
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really liked the MC Leyla. She was resolute, yet also unafraid to question herself, her ideas, and her beliefs. It was obvious how much she loved those close to her. I also appreciated her passion for submersibles and water transport generally, and loved how this was juxtaposed against her deep-seated fear of the ocean. It made for a layer of complexity that added well to her character.
I’m not generally a huge fan of straight romance being included in a non-romance genre book, but I think it was done well here. The development of the connection between Leyla and Ari was nice and slow, and also simply believable. And it was definitely more of a background plot that complimented what the story was already doing.
The underwater setting was ELITE. As the reader, you’re not allowed to forget for a second that this story is occurring in a dystopian underwater world and I LOVED it. I loved Leyla’s submarine and all her knowledge on racing submersibles; I loved the chilling descriptions of being surrounded by the fathomless ocean; I loved the author’s interpretations of what future tech might look like.
The pacing was just fantastic. It managed the precise and difficult balance of having something new happening every chapter, while giving every new development space to breathe. Nothing felt rushed, yet at the same time I felt like I was racing from one point to the next. This is my personal favourite type of pacing.
I found the concept of historians being incredibly valued members in Leyla’s society fascinating. It made sense, because of course you would cling to the past when the world as you know it has been wrenched away and you’re left with an arguably lesser existence, and who better to do that with than historians? It gave such a stark contrast to the way historians are treated in our society, and I think the difference lies in the fact that current society believes we live in a better time than anything that has come before; this is not the case in Leyla’s world. I’m definitely not saying that we should treat history and historians like 2099 London does, though. The story delves into the discourse around valuing history more than living people’s lives, which was excellent. Why should a crumbling castle take precedence over a person? What are preserving those kinds of artefacts for, if not for the people of your living society?
This book was also exemplary of the human spirit. Hope and resilience are so key to our existence, are so central to the human condition, and the story shows this in how humans have created a new world for themselves in the wake of disaster. It instilled a weird sense of pride in me.
I know this is a LOT of positive gushing, so why only 4.25 stars? The thing is, I had a few troubles, too. The dialogue could be clumsy and awkward, and the prose tried too hard in places. I also thought the climax could have had another chapter dedicated to it as it didn’t feel fleshed out enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Genocide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Police brutality, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Major: apocalyptic event, mass death, forced separation from family, missing loved one Moderate: imprisonment, earthquake, drowning Minor: loss of a loved one, 1 HP reference, eugenicsejpass's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: scifi, plucky heroes, characters of color, positive Muslim rep
First, I want to say that the cover for this is absolutely gorgeous and is part of what drew me into the book in the first place. I love the purple and the image of London surrounded by jellyfish and wales. We definitely do get some of that in the book, with Leyla adventuring beyond her comfort zone to see the water and the creatures within it, but I wish we saw it a little more. I did like getting to know this new world and where things were in relation to one another.
This was definitely an...interesting book to read/listen to. One of the main things that bothered me about it is that a lot of the plot and conflict relies on Leyla trusting the government and the media wholeheartedly. My main question is why would you do that? The government lies, the media lies, that is something that is common knowledge (even if some lie more than others), and it definitely won't change after an apocalyptic event. Considering Leyla has been raised in a completely post-apocalyptic world, even if her dad and grandfather never said anything bad about the government in front of her, there has to be some realization of this...right? Also, she continues trusting the government and media even after her father has been wrongly imprisoned and slandered. Even once she knows some of the facts of the case, Leyla continues to trust what the government and media has said about everything else. I can understand some reticence to the truth about the Anthropods, but when the truth is literally staring you in the face, wouldn't you start questioning at least a little bit?
The Anthropods kind of act like this shadowy 'big bad' for Leyla in the book. According to official records, they were experiments to try and adapt humans to living underwater, but the original experiments rose up against their 'benevolent' overseers, killed them, and ran off to be a menace to un-adapted humans. There actually is evidence that some of this is true at least: there's an Anthropod attack around the beginning of the book that leads to a cave-in/flood at a resort. But the book also opens with a human attack on the Anthropods. If you're anyone but Leyla, it's pretty clear to see that things don't quite add up. Luckily we do get some answers about this over the course of the book, and book 2 definitely seems like it grapples with this a little more.
That being said, Leyla is tenacious and deeply devoted to her family: her dad, grandfather, and dog, Jojo. The three of them (plus Jojo) take care of each other and try to protect one another, even if that sometimes means keeping secrets. Leyla is determined to make her family whole again by getting her dad pardoned, and her love and determination shines through with how she's willing to face her deepest fear in order to get him back. Part of her determination comes from sheer stubbornness, which doesn't always suit her (see above), but it does mean she isn't inclined to give up when things get hard.
Ari is the other main character, and he's got secrets aplenty. It's somewhat unclear how he knows Leyla's grandfather, and I don't recall it being explained, but her grandfather calls Ari in to watch over Leyla until he can get to London to be with her (and then later until they can meet up somewhere safe). Ari is fairly gruff, but he's remarkably patient, and he has a soft spot for Jojo. Despite being thrown together with Leyla on her adventure out of duty, he does his job well and thoroughly. Much like how I think several situations could've been avoided by Leyla simply accepting that people in power lie, several other situations could've been avoided by Ari telling Leyla the truth. Nevertheless, Ari becomes a good friend to Leyla, and an excellent ally for the rest of the family to have.
There's a decent sized cast of side characters, ranging from Leyla's friends in London to her grandfather, to people she and Ari meet while traveling. I liked Leyla's friends from London best, and wish they played a bigger role in the book. They're pretty prominent in the beginning, but once Leyla and Ari leave London, we see less of them (though I suspect we'll see more of them in book 2). I'm curious about the role the rebels will play in things and learning more about how Leyla's father got wrapped up in that.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, though Leyla was frustratingly at times with how much she clung to the 'official' report of things. I liked the setting and am interested to know how some of the side conflicts (which definitely have a role in the main conflict) play out.
Recommended for people who like: scifi, plucky heroes, characters of color, positive Muslim rep
First, I want to say that the cover for this is absolutely gorgeous and is part of what drew me into the book in the first place. I love the purple and the image of London surrounded by jellyfish and wales. We definitely do get some of that in the book, with Leyla adventuring beyond her comfort zone to see the water and the creatures within it, but I wish we saw it a little more. I did like getting to know this new world and where things were in relation to one another.
This was definitely an...interesting book to read/listen to. One of the main things that bothered me about it is that a lot of the plot and conflict relies on Leyla trusting the government and the media wholeheartedly. My main question is why would you do that? The government lies, the media lies, that is something that is common knowledge (even if some lie more than others), and it definitely won't change after an apocalyptic event. Considering Leyla has been raised in a completely post-apocalyptic world, even if her dad and grandfather never said anything bad about the government in front of her, there has to be some realization of this...right? Also, she continues trusting the government and media even after her father has been wrongly imprisoned and slandered. Even once she knows some of the facts of the case, Leyla continues to trust what the government and media has said about everything else. I can understand some reticence to the truth about the Anthropods, but when the truth is literally staring you in the face, wouldn't you start questioning at least a little bit?
The Anthropods kind of act like this shadowy 'big bad' for Leyla in the book. According to official records, they were experiments to try and adapt humans to living underwater, but the original experiments rose up against their 'benevolent' overseers, killed them, and ran off to be a menace to un-adapted humans. There actually is evidence that some of this is true at least: there's an Anthropod attack around the beginning of the book that leads to a cave-in/flood at a resort. But the book also opens with a human attack on the Anthropods. If you're anyone but Leyla, it's pretty clear to see that things don't quite add up. Luckily we do get some answers about this over the course of the book, and book 2 definitely seems like it grapples with this a little more.
That being said, Leyla is tenacious and deeply devoted to her family: her dad, grandfather, and dog, Jojo. The three of them (plus Jojo) take care of each other and try to protect one another, even if that sometimes means keeping secrets. Leyla is determined to make her family whole again by getting her dad pardoned, and her love and determination shines through with how she's willing to face her deepest fear in order to get him back. Part of her determination comes from sheer stubbornness, which doesn't always suit her (see above), but it does mean she isn't inclined to give up when things get hard.
Ari is the other main character, and he's got secrets aplenty. It's somewhat unclear how he knows Leyla's grandfather, and I don't recall it being explained, but her grandfather calls Ari in to watch over Leyla until he can get to London to be with her (and then later until they can meet up somewhere safe). Ari is fairly gruff, but he's remarkably patient, and he has a soft spot for Jojo. Despite being thrown together with Leyla on her adventure out of duty, he does his job well and thoroughly. Much like how I think several situations could've been avoided by Leyla simply accepting that people in power lie, several other situations could've been avoided by Ari telling Leyla the truth. Nevertheless, Ari becomes a good friend to Leyla, and an excellent ally for the rest of the family to have.
There's a decent sized cast of side characters, ranging from Leyla's friends in London to her grandfather, to people she and Ari meet while traveling. I liked Leyla's friends from London best, and wish they played a bigger role in the book. They're pretty prominent in the beginning, but once Leyla and Ari leave London, we see less of them (though I suspect we'll see more of them in book 2). I'm curious about the role the rebels will play in things and learning more about how Leyla's father got wrapped up in that.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, though Leyla was frustratingly at times with how much she clung to the 'official' report of things. I liked the setting and am interested to know how some of the side conflicts (which definitely have a role in the main conflict) play out.
byemmabird's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked this one! I loved the setting and the characters; however the plot and writing style weren't my favorite. But sometimes the writing jarred me with its beauty and I did feel thoroughly enthralled by this book's story so I comfortable recommending it, especially if you've been wanting a sci-fi fix! Will definitely check out the second book.
liamliayaum's review against another edition
2.0
Content warnings: attempted murder, death, government meddling, kidnapping, racism, religion, water (setting is all underwater)
Leyla McQueen is a sixteen year who has suddenly found herself living on her own when her father is taken by the police. But Leyla's world is not the one we know. A meteor caused massive changes to the planet and forced humans to adapt to living in the depths of the ocean. Leyla's world is one of underwater vessels and racing around the wreckage of London. The yearly London Marathon is coming up and Leyla knows that if she can secure a spot, and win, that she as a winner can ask for the release of her papa. When things go awry, Leyla must leave everything she knows behind in search for answers and justice. Will Leyla find what she seeks or will she be lost to the depths of the ocean?
I wanted to like this book, but I had so many issues with it. There seemed to be a lot of capitalization, which I understand is a stylistic choice but it irked me that capitalizing a word (such as Bracelet) was the author's go-to for making something "different" from our world understanding. The plot was simplistic and predictable. For example, the beginning of the novel is all about hyping up for the London marathon, with not much else discussed.
Leyla herself as a character was annoying. While having a single focus isn't a bad thing, it hurt the overall development of her character and took away from depth. She was predictable in her actions and the budding romance with Ari was almost cringeworthy, like watching a bad middle school he/she/they likes me does he/she/they like me back? She was also dependent on her dog, which a lot folks are heavily intertwined with their pets so I can forgive Leyla there but how do pets survive under the water when it seemed like most were killed and/or why does a common citizen get to have a pet when they are so rare?
Which leads me to my next set of questions: the world building. While it was briefly explained and alluded to throughout the book how humanity got to living underwater, I had so many questions that went unanswered. The idea of some event forcing humanity to adapt to something truly different is intriguing, but it didn't seem to be a fully designed idea. How did humans develop and create all the technology in, supposedly, a short amount of time? How did a meteor not wipe out every living thing on the planet? How did humans build facilities that survived the meteor collision? How were living facilities built at "ocean" floor, which is really the current land surface? How does the pressure of the water not kill everyone?
There was also a predictable and constant undercurrent of big government and media propaganda that was both unsettling and similar to current world happenings. Which, again, the intentions of the government were predictable. Overall, I struggled so much with this book and at multiple points did not want to finish but as I read this as a part of book club, I felt I had to. Even though the ending was a bit of a (predictable) cliffhanger and this is book one in a duology, I doubt I will pick up the second one because frankly, I'm just not interested in knowing how it all ends.
Leyla McQueen is a sixteen year who has suddenly found herself living on her own when her father is taken by the police. But Leyla's world is not the one we know. A meteor caused massive changes to the planet and forced humans to adapt to living in the depths of the ocean. Leyla's world is one of underwater vessels and racing around the wreckage of London. The yearly London Marathon is coming up and Leyla knows that if she can secure a spot, and win, that she as a winner can ask for the release of her papa. When things go awry, Leyla must leave everything she knows behind in search for answers and justice. Will Leyla find what she seeks or will she be lost to the depths of the ocean?
I wanted to like this book, but I had so many issues with it. There seemed to be a lot of capitalization, which I understand is a stylistic choice but it irked me that capitalizing a word (such as Bracelet) was the author's go-to for making something "different" from our world understanding. The plot was simplistic and predictable. For example, the beginning of the novel is all about hyping up for the London marathon, with not much else discussed.
Spoiler
From the time that Leyla's name gets drawn to the predictable end with her winning the race, was very short in terms of the overall book. It was at least five chapters of hype for one chapter of mediocre description. Once the marathon was over, I sat there wondering what the next thirty some chapters of the book could be about.Leyla herself as a character was annoying. While having a single focus isn't a bad thing, it hurt the overall development of her character and took away from depth. She was predictable in her actions and the budding romance with Ari was almost cringeworthy, like watching a bad middle school he/she/they likes me does he/she/they like me back? She was also dependent on her dog, which a lot folks are heavily intertwined with their pets so I can forgive Leyla there but how do pets survive under the water when it seemed like most were killed and/or why does a common citizen get to have a pet when they are so rare?
Which leads me to my next set of questions: the world building. While it was briefly explained and alluded to throughout the book how humanity got to living underwater, I had so many questions that went unanswered. The idea of some event forcing humanity to adapt to something truly different is intriguing, but it didn't seem to be a fully designed idea. How did humans develop and create all the technology in, supposedly, a short amount of time? How did a meteor not wipe out every living thing on the planet? How did humans build facilities that survived the meteor collision? How were living facilities built at "ocean" floor, which is really the current land surface? How does the pressure of the water not kill everyone?
There was also a predictable and constant undercurrent of big government and media propaganda that was both unsettling and similar to current world happenings. Which, again, the intentions of the government were predictable. Overall, I struggled so much with this book and at multiple points did not want to finish but as I read this as a part of book club, I felt I had to. Even though the ending was a bit of a (predictable) cliffhanger and this is book one in a duology, I doubt I will pick up the second one because frankly, I'm just not interested in knowing how it all ends.
bookbridgebot's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the setting of this book - after a major catastrophe, earth is completely underwater and people have adapted to live at the bottom of the ocean, specially London in this case - super neat, and something I haven’t really read before.
The setting and the idea of deep government corruption was cool, but unfortunately this book fell flat for me. Leyla was so damn annoying, I really didn’t enjoy her. The racism allegory was a bit too on the nose for me, and the author didn’t really give much character development to Ari, the other main character. He seemed to just be a vehicle for Leyla to overcome her bigotry, which is a real bummer and so, so old. Why is Ari spending all this time with a girl who thinks he’s a monster? What are his motivations? What is his life like? Would loved to have had some chapters from his point of view.
Overall, the book was just meh.
The setting and the idea of deep government corruption was cool, but unfortunately this book fell flat for me. Leyla was so damn annoying, I really didn’t enjoy her. The racism allegory was a bit too on the nose for me, and the author didn’t really give much character development to Ari, the other main character. He seemed to just be a vehicle for Leyla to overcome her bigotry, which is a real bummer and so, so old. Why is Ari spending all this time with a girl who thinks he’s a monster? What are his motivations? What is his life like? Would loved to have had some chapters from his point of view.
Overall, the book was just meh.
barbaragorgon's review against another edition
2.0
There's a real lack of cultural/racial diversity in dystopian fiction, so this was a breath of fresh air in that regard, but there's no getting around the fact that the writing is just awful. I officially never want to hear the word "husky" again. Every description of an emotion or facial expression is ridiculously overwrought, and action sequences are flat and completely devoid of tension. Plus (and this is not the author's fault), the actual layout of the text is absurd. There's like and eighth of an inch margin on all sides, at least in the first edition hardcover. I felt like I was looking at a wall of text each time I turned the page, and it made the reading experience exhausting.