Scan barcode
A review by saidtheraina
The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
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.