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heathercottledillon's review against another edition
4.0
Ty has lived his entire life under the sea. His family is one of many who settled on homesteads below the surface after global warming caused ocean levels to rise and land became limited. When Ty turns eighteen, he'll stake a claim on some underwater land of his own. That's the plan, anyway, but now a group of bandits is threatening that dream. The outlaws are targeting government supply ships that go to and from the underwater colony, so the politicians are going to shut everything down and make residents move above the surface if the thieves aren't caught. Ty is determined to find them so they don't interfere with his future. With the help of his new friend Gemma, who has come to the colony to find her missing brother, he starts tracking the criminals. Before long, though, Ty and Gemma realize there's a lot more sinister activity going on under the surface than they realized--and the bandits aren't the only ones causing trouble.
Young adult science fiction is hot right now and it's starting to get repetitive, since some authors have jumped on the bandwagon without having anything original. This story, however, is different and I've never read anything quite like it. It almost feels like a western, what with all the bandits and exploration of new territory, but there's obviously some cool new technology involved to keep everyone alive under the surface of the ocean. The idea of living underwater sounds far-fetched, but the author has obviously thought it out well. She has explanations and solutions that make sense for even the tiniest of details when it comes to "dark life." The plot is paced really well and kept me at the edge of my seat, with some surprises that I didn't expect along the way. The ending is satisfying but left be anxious to read the next book in this fresh, entertaining series.
Young adult science fiction is hot right now and it's starting to get repetitive, since some authors have jumped on the bandwagon without having anything original. This story, however, is different and I've never read anything quite like it. It almost feels like a western, what with all the bandits and exploration of new territory, but there's obviously some cool new technology involved to keep everyone alive under the surface of the ocean. The idea of living underwater sounds far-fetched, but the author has obviously thought it out well. She has explanations and solutions that make sense for even the tiniest of details when it comes to "dark life." The plot is paced really well and kept me at the edge of my seat, with some surprises that I didn't expect along the way. The ending is satisfying but left be anxious to read the next book in this fresh, entertaining series.
lyntwhit's review against another edition
4.0
Good audiobook. Reminded me of books by Rick Riordan. I enjoyed the world-building of life under water. An enjoyable read/listen!
karrama's review against another edition
4.0
Fun. This is an adventure book that appeals to the young male audience in the way Pendragon does. The world is rounded and interesting, the characters are also believable for their universe. Hope to read more.
jennifertijssen's review against another edition
3.0
Antagonist's motieven waren lastig te volgen. Romance tussen twee hoofdpersonen was cliché. Setting was heel cool maar nog niet helemaal uitgewerkt.
confirmyourpassword's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
One of my favorite books as a kid!! Inventive premise and great world-building: details are given or withheld in equal measure which is great for establishing the setting and letting your imagination go wild. The primary characters are well written and display a good deal of charm and independence. There's also a bunch of nice things to pick up as an adult reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Violence
x_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I hadn't planned on listening to or reading this book, but stumbled across it by chance and decided to give it a try. It was fabulous! I loved the whole underwater world Falls created. And the language was fantastic. Falls incorporates sea life metaphors that sound similar to the country phrases some of my friends surprise me with from time to time. And of course, the story was wonderful as was the reader for the audiobook.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this, especially for the setting, which was different and fun.
quillbot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
halcyone's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on The Cozy Armchair.
I don't even remember why I wanted to read this book or how I found out about it, just that I immediately requested it from my local library - in August 2010. It was labeled "on-order" for nearly a year, finally coming in a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, I was absolutely ecstatic when I was notified that this elusive title was finally making its way to my library. ABOUT TIME!
I'm happy to be able to say that this book was worth the wait. The setting sold this story to me. I love the ocean, so the concept of living underwater is fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed the look we got at this kind of post-apocalyptic world. You've got the Benthic Territory, where a number of families have set out to cultivate a living from the sea floor. Like any good sci-fi undersea western, you've got to have someone making things difficult for these hardworking people. Dark Life has the Seablite Gang, led by the mysterious and slightly terrifying Shade. Still, life under the sea is better than anything they got up there -
Haha, sorry, I couldn't help the reference. Seriously now, life under the sea was described in breathtaking visual imagery. It really is better than life on land, which is portrayed as being overcrowded and, well, dreary. I also want to give Falls major brownie points for badass technology. I mean, c'mon, subsea architecture, liquigen, manta boards? Everything sounds incredible.
Even better was the fast-paced, adventured-packed story. The unraveling of the mystery was very cool albeit a tad predictable at times but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I loved the characters, especially Ty, who provided a refreshing change from the string of female voices I'd encountered in my YA lit reading spree. The summary sorta gives away the "secret" about the Dark Gift(s), but it's still an interesting aspect to the story, one that I would like to see further explored in future books (yes, apparently this is book 1!).
The book ends nicely, no cliffhanger in sight. Yes, there are still some unanswered questions; yes, you will want to know more about this world. But, it's nice to finish a book with a sense of closure and the knowledge that the characters can still go on to have more adventures. Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. I got through it super fast because, unfortunately, it is a short book, but don't let that turn you away from it. Within its pages is a view into a world that is beautiful and exciting (sometimes dangerously so). Definitely put this on your to-read list.
I don't even remember why I wanted to read this book or how I found out about it, just that I immediately requested it from my local library - in August 2010. It was labeled "on-order" for nearly a year, finally coming in a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, I was absolutely ecstatic when I was notified that this elusive title was finally making its way to my library. ABOUT TIME!
I'm happy to be able to say that this book was worth the wait. The setting sold this story to me. I love the ocean, so the concept of living underwater is fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed the look we got at this kind of post-apocalyptic world. You've got the Benthic Territory, where a number of families have set out to cultivate a living from the sea floor. Like any good sci-fi undersea western, you've got to have someone making things difficult for these hardworking people. Dark Life has the Seablite Gang, led by the mysterious and slightly terrifying Shade. Still, life under the sea is better than anything they got up there -
Haha, sorry, I couldn't help the reference. Seriously now, life under the sea was described in breathtaking visual imagery. It really is better than life on land, which is portrayed as being overcrowded and, well, dreary. I also want to give Falls major brownie points for badass technology. I mean, c'mon, subsea architecture, liquigen, manta boards? Everything sounds incredible.
Even better was the fast-paced, adventured-packed story. The unraveling of the mystery was very cool albeit a tad predictable at times but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I loved the characters, especially Ty, who provided a refreshing change from the string of female voices I'd encountered in my YA lit reading spree. The summary sorta gives away the "secret" about the Dark Gift(s), but it's still an interesting aspect to the story, one that I would like to see further explored in future books (yes, apparently this is book 1!).
The book ends nicely, no cliffhanger in sight. Yes, there are still some unanswered questions; yes, you will want to know more about this world. But, it's nice to finish a book with a sense of closure and the knowledge that the characters can still go on to have more adventures. Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. I got through it super fast because, unfortunately, it is a short book, but don't let that turn you away from it. Within its pages is a view into a world that is beautiful and exciting (sometimes dangerously so). Definitely put this on your to-read list.