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A review by shannonxo
The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
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!