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billblume's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve been remiss in posting about The Light at the Bottom of the World. Loved this book! London Shah has created something special with this story. The setting is great, the plot is well-constructed, and the characters are authentic. The subject matter is timely, and Shah avoids getting too heavy-handed with it while making her point. There’s a bit of a cliffhanger at the end that’s an obvious setup for the next book, but otherwise this novel stands on its own. I went back-and-forth from the audiobook and ebook, so I also want to give Shiromi Arserio some praise. She does a fantastic job reading this book, which is available on Spotify.
jjelliacee's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
that1muslimgirl's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. The premise is intriguing, the writing is beautiful and the world building so vivid!! The ending has me wanting to read book 2 as soon as possible.
saidtheraina's review
4.0
It's 2099. Earth's oceans have risen and humanity can no longer survive above the surface of the water. Leyla lives in undersea London. She loves to race submersibles, and gets picked to participate in London's annual marathon. Her father's been imprisoned, and the prize for winning the marathon may give her a way to get him home.
I loved the way Shah imagines an underwater future. There's a lot of technology, of course, but also ruins of civilization that track with real British geography.
It's mostly a roadtrip/adventure story in a speculative dystopic future. Lots of world-building appeal. Plus some hetero romance.
This kept me up reading late into the night. Good stuff. I especially appreciated the representation of a future that incidentally features Muslim main characters. I'm planning to take it to middle schools, and maybe high schools too.
I loved the way Shah imagines an underwater future. There's a lot of technology, of course, but also ruins of civilization that track with real British geography.
Spoiler
Some of the plot felt a little thin - that rescue at the end felt too easy and the romantic power dynamic felt a little sketch to me.It's mostly a roadtrip/adventure story in a speculative dystopic future. Lots of world-building appeal. Plus some hetero romance.
This kept me up reading late into the night. Good stuff. I especially appreciated the representation of a future that incidentally features Muslim main characters. I'm planning to take it to middle schools, and maybe high schools too.
candicen423's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
midnights_sky's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
waclements7's review against another edition
I was trying to get into this—the plot sounded interesting, but there was just too much awkwardness and lack of connection with the main character, Leila. It was the line, “I shan’t stop asking questions...” this is a teenager talking. It was also hard for me to suspend my disbelief at the flooded world and how they managed to build it, have electricity, etc. when nothing is above water.
shannonxo's review
4.0
Um, if your first reaction when you finish reading this isn't WOW then we need to no longer be friends. There is so much to commend this fantastic debut, and the least of that is the incredible world-building. It reminded me so much of Bioshock and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea!
First Read: November 2019
Second Read: March 2021
Obviously I have to start this review by gushing about the world-building. I mean, guys, the entire story is set under the sea! How is that not the coolest thing ever! This is a science fiction that takes place in 2099 after disaster has struck the earth and sea levels have risen to catastrophic heights, essentially sending the human race to the bottom of the ocean. There is so much to love in this sunken London. It has not handled the whole submersion thing all too well and is crumbling away on the bed, but it's still undeniably London, and it will not be conquered. The technology is fascinating. How people have adapted to live underwater is well-explored. Submersibles, new pressurized and operational homes and buildings, projections, electricity, etc. Even how some people have adapted to living in the water, but no spoilers.
The story-building also dabbles a bit with mental health in the form of a terrible illness called Seasickness. Essentially it can be compared to depression. People who are without hope while living on the seabed don't know how to go on, and without help the results are often fatal and terribly sad. As cool as the concept is of living under water, it must be utterly terrifying to know that the only thing keeping the ocean off you is the thickness of glass and metal and computerized pressure systems. At any second any of them could fail from the tiniest flaw and then instant death. To live under that much weight and pressure of water and constant darkness—I can't imagine. At first I thought the sickness was silly, but the more I thought about it the more I proved myself wrong. It's bloody clever.
Overall this whole story was a hit. The plot was well-paced and very entertaining from start to finish. I polished it off in three days. The writing style took a little getting used to in the beginning, but the writing itself is just right. A perfect level of exposition. Even better, there were several plot twists that took me by surprise. I love it when that happens! And, aside from one exception, I thought they were handled very well.
What kept this from five stars was that a few scenes were a little difficult to follow. There's so many great action scenes, including the big submersible marathon race throughout London. But sometimes it was a little too punchy for me, and my mind wandered in the middle of a heart-racing scene. If a little more clarity had been given to those parts, this would have been five stars easy.
This was a fantastic debut for Shah and for her series. There are plenty of loose ends to tie up and government conspiracies to unravel that hold a lot of promise and I can't wait to read the conclusion!
First Read: November 2019
Second Read: March 2021
Obviously I have to start this review by gushing about the world-building. I mean, guys, the entire story is set under the sea! How is that not the coolest thing ever! This is a science fiction that takes place in 2099 after disaster has struck the earth and sea levels have risen to catastrophic heights, essentially sending the human race to the bottom of the ocean. There is so much to love in this sunken London. It has not handled the whole submersion thing all too well and is crumbling away on the bed, but it's still undeniably London, and it will not be conquered. The technology is fascinating. How people have adapted to live underwater is well-explored. Submersibles, new pressurized and operational homes and buildings, projections, electricity, etc. Even how some people have adapted to living in the water, but no spoilers.
The story-building also dabbles a bit with mental health in the form of a terrible illness called Seasickness. Essentially it can be compared to depression. People who are without hope while living on the seabed don't know how to go on, and without help the results are often fatal and terribly sad. As cool as the concept is of living under water, it must be utterly terrifying to know that the only thing keeping the ocean off you is the thickness of glass and metal and computerized pressure systems. At any second any of them could fail from the tiniest flaw and then instant death. To live under that much weight and pressure of water and constant darkness—I can't imagine. At first I thought the sickness was silly, but the more I thought about it the more I proved myself wrong. It's bloody clever.
Overall this whole story was a hit. The plot was well-paced and very entertaining from start to finish. I polished it off in three days. The writing style took a little getting used to in the beginning, but the writing itself is just right. A perfect level of exposition. Even better, there were several plot twists that took me by surprise. I love it when that happens! And, aside from one exception, I thought they were handled very well.
What kept this from five stars was that a few scenes were a little difficult to follow. There's so many great action scenes, including the big submersible marathon race throughout London. But sometimes it was a little too punchy for me, and my mind wandered in the middle of a heart-racing scene. If a little more clarity had been given to those parts, this would have been five stars easy.
This was a fantastic debut for Shah and for her series. There are plenty of loose ends to tie up and government conspiracies to unravel that hold a lot of promise and I can't wait to read the conclusion!
thiccadonna's review against another edition
3.0
entertaining read with an incredibly great premise. this book's strength is definitely its worldbuilding and the ambience it sets. The writing can be exquisite and the action scenes deliver, but I did have issues with the pacing and how quickly and easily high stake situations would be resolved. A lot of times I feel like the author could have expanded a lot more on concepts that were brushed out but not explored as in depth as it should have; prime example being the underwater marathon which on its own should have had way more spotlight. Think the author should have rushed less to the ending and taken more time to /tell/ the story. The romance too was...incredibly stereotypical and felt extremely underdeveloped.
Still this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to the second book.
Still this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to the second book.
wolfsfan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0