Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live underwater and how humanity would adapt to such a drastic change in environment? London Shah explores this possibility in her young adult debut novel, The Light at the Bottom of the World. Get ready to journey to the dark abyss where humanity is awash in a conspiracy of secrets and lies that gives rise to fear, and threatens to drown the voices of those who dare to hope.

In 2099, Earth is completely submerged in water due to an asteroid impact. A small population of humans survived and live in the ruins of cities around the world. Leyla McQueen is a sixteen-year-old submersible racer living in London. She is desperate to clear her father’s name of a crime he did not commit. When all of Leyla’s attempts to help him are blocked, she sets out to free him on her own. Armed with determination, bravery, and the aid of an unexpected companion, Leyla will venture outside of London for the very first time to rescue her beloved father and in the process, discover a truth that will forever alter humanity.

I was completely entranced by the underwater setting in The Light at the Bottom of the World. Shah’s stunning descriptions of the dark abyss, ruins, and technology lend itself to a richly imaginative world. It has an eerie atmosphere that combines intrigue, tension, and nostalgia. You can’t help but be pulled into this remarkably unique world.

A brilliant setting requires an equally brilliant lead character, and Shah delivers with Leyla McQueen. She is a proud British-Muslim that practices her faith and honors her Afghan heritage. Shah includes beautiful, simple moments that acknowledge Leyla’s identities in an organic way. Leyla is strong and compassionate, cautious but brave, resolute in the face of adversity. Her antagonistic dynamic with reluctant companion Ari during their perilous excursion through the infinite water is the perfect set-up for a slow-burn romance. Like Leyla, Ari has a deep love of family that drives his actions. He’s mysterious and intense, but also fiercely protective of Leyla.

Shah expertly intertwines thought-provoking themes into the story as a natural extension of the plot. She examines how fear, nostalgia, survival, and hope can be used as tools to control humanity. Of how those in power, seek to manipulate truth for their own advantage. Ultimately, The Light at the Bottom of the World conveys a message of hope to its readers. Hope that humanity can survive against all odds if they are open to change. Hope that they can rebuild their world with the idea of peaceful coexistence. And most importantly, to keep moving forward towards a brighter future.

Final thoughts: The Light at the Bottom of the World is science-fiction at its best—a strikingly crafted world, a tenacious heroine in Leyla McQueen, and an intensely engrossing story that culminates in an ending that will leave you speechless.

The Light at the Bottom of the World will be available for purchase on October 29th with a sequel forthcoming in 2020.

Thank you to Disney Book Group for sending us an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 22%
I wanted to love this book, but at this time, it didn't grab me or immerse me into the story. I love the idea of an underwater world, but the actual descriptions of the underwater London felt very sparse. The details that are in the beginning still made it hard to picture the author's vision of the world. It still felt like it took place on land with how the book describes them living in apartments and many buildings covered by moss. But that was about it and with being a world building type person, it's hard to enjoy a book if I can't picture what's going on. I also felt like the writing needed a bit more editing; some sentences felt like fragments and didn't always work for me. I will try this again in the future, but at this time, it didn't motivate me to keep reading. But this does have potential to be a favorite for teens in my library district. But I will recommend this to teen library patrons when they're looking for new books.

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah is a book with a fascinating concept but mediocre execution. The plot is thrilling at first but quickly becomes like many other dystopian novels, and the main character seems immature. I did enjoy the world building, however, and I believe the submerged world will appeal to many.

This book tells the story of the Earth in 2099, where life now exists under the sea. Leyla, who has just won a submersible race, is denied her wish to free her father and thus sets out on a journey to save her father herself. However, the government is hot on her heels, and danger lurks in the depths of the waters. What drew me to this book was the idea of submarine racing. This is such a unique idea, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would play out. Unfortunately, only a small chunk of the book is dedicated to this, which was a little disappointing. After the race ends, the story reverts to a basic dystopian, and the plot falls flat.

❀ UNIQUE SETTING

One aspect of the book that I really enjoyed is the setting. Shah has created a vision of the world in a post-apocalyptic future, and the history and logic is well-developed. Every little detail including why humans live under the water and why certain technologies exist is accounted for, and it is easy to see how much planning went into this book. I haven’t seen a book about an underwater dystopia before, so this was a fresh concept for me.

❀ IMMATURE MAIN CHARACTER

I am still not entirely sure how I feel about Leyla. On one hand, I loved how determined she is to make things right and rescue her dad, but on the other, I feel like she is a bit immature. To me, something about the way she speaks is not always fitting for her age, and her recklessness bothered me. That being said, I still wanted to support her on her journey as she does have a touching motive.

The Light at the Bottom of the World is a book that I neither loved nor hated. There are certain aspects I loved such as the submarine racing and the world building, however much of it fell flat, including the main character. I do still think that many will enjoy this one, as perhaps I am just tired of dystopian.

I was really excited going into this, but it fell a little flat for me. It came across as more of a beginning draft for me, like it wasn't completely the best it could have been. The premise is really interesting and I enjoyed that part of it, but the dialogue is what really turned me off. The main character asked every question immediately seemingly to get all of the answers immediately, to give more background quickly. I feel like it could have been spaced out more.

The 21st century is coming to an end on an Earth completely decimated by a natural disaster that covered all cities under miles of water. All survivors were forced into forging communities within their cities underwater, while Explorers on the surface search for an answer to their problems underwater. Enter Leyla McQueen, a 16 year old striking out on her own in order to save her father from being wrongfully accused and imprisoned. 

This had a slow start for me, but picked up quite quickly around the 15% mark and I couldn’t put it down after that. I read 80% of it in one day due to its action-packed nature. I did find some of the situations Leyla deals with to be a bit too easy in how she gets out of the drama, but otherwise I was enjoying the ride. I feel like a story of this nature would lend well to a movie because it would look so cool to see the cities underwater and all of the sea creatures. Definitely looking forward to the next book!

I'll be honest, giving this a less-than-stellar review is going to break my heart, but here we are. I am going to try to break it down the best I can, and hey, maybe you'll have better luck. I have seen a lot of positive reviews, but in the spirit of honest opinions... here we go!

The Things I Liked:

• I mean, the whole concept is awesome! You have read the synopsis by now, and wow, how unique and fabulous it sounds! Underwater London dystopian society? Yes please!!

• The cultural throwbacks to Afghanistan were incredible. Like the Afghan food? Sign me up! I loved that it was so full of these little charms, especially moments from before the world was underwater (i.e., our current times!).

• By the end of the book, I had started to care about what happened to the characters. It took awhile, yes, but I did really start to have concern for their welfare.

• There is an AI named Oscar Wilde. He's beyond fun, and I love him.

• Honestly that cover, just look at it! I know, I know, don't judge a book by the cover, but it's going to look good on any shelf, just saying 🤷‍♀️

The Things I Didn't

• I could not connect to Leyla for most of the book. She seems emotionally vacant for parts, and when she does show emotion, it comes of as whiny and kind of mean. So yeah, it was hard to feel for her, even with the deceased mother and missing father, because she simply wasn't very sympathetic beyond that.

• I couldn't visualize/conceptualize this world at all. I had no picture in my head, no idea what was happening, really. I felt like I had many, many questions surrounding the world/how it worked that were simply never answered/addressed.

• The dialogue just didn't seem emotive at all. Like okay, you like these people, they're your friends, etc, but I feel nothing. This is just an example, of course, but it just didn't move me at all. Not when someone was scared, or angry, or happy. It simply didn't feel compelling to me.

• 'Twas awfully predictable. I mean, not that I knew what was happening with the world, but I was very sure of what was lurking around the corners for Leyla. I won't say more because of spoilers, but there's some very obvious huge plot points that I guessed from very early on.

•Similarly, I felt like while things were seemingly very spelled-out for the reader, the characters were wholly clueless. And it's kind of infuriating? Like if I know exactly what is happening to you around every corner, how is it that you have zero clue?

Bottom Line:  I wanted to like this. I am deeply pained that I did not. Perhaps you will?

Wow! This is one of most creative premises I've ever read for a dystopian/post-apocalyptic story. After an asteroid hits the earth and causes sea levels to rise above the cities of the planet, humans take refuge deep below the ocean's surface, surrounded by the ruins of the Old World. That's all I want to say about it though because the world-building is really fantastic in this book, and I think you should discover it for yourself.

Our main character, Leyla McQueen, is a Muslim racer who's on her own after her father was wrongfully accused of a crime and arrested. The main plot of the novel follows her journey to find her father. It's as much an adventure story as it is a story about trust—trust in yourself, trust in your friends, and (like many YA dystopian novels) whether you can really trust everything your government tells you.

I loved the world building of this novel. It has to be one of the most vivid settings I have read in a while (it does help that I have somewhat of an image of London). The fact that the entire world is underwater is such a cool concept!! I felt like I was not super attached to the characters (although there were moments when I really felt who they are); however, I was intrigued by the world Shah built, and new details about London in 2099 consistently surprised me. 

Also: the Muslim rep!! Leyla is Muslim, but the novel does not solely revolve around her religion; it is just a part of her. 

One of my favorite parts about this book were the quotes! Also I loved the questions Shah asked her characters, asked herself, and, thus, asked the readers. Hope was a strong theme in this book, and so was the question of judging Anthropoids (human-like creatures who can breathe and swim underwater regardless of the pressure) as evil, as the current government had always pushed. Seriously though, I highlighted so many paragraphs of this book; they were absolutely incredible words.

I couldn't wait to get started on this book because the description was so exciting so I gave a slight squeal when I was approved for the ARC.  But then it ended up taking me six days to get through it because the reality didn't live up to the premise for me.  The underwater world is fascinating and upon reflection, that's the part of the description that drew me to the book.  I wanted more description of the world - not because Shah did a bad job of world building - because I had questions about how humans got to this place and what they have to learn in school now about the animals that live there and how traffic works when you can drive in three dimensions and one hundred other little details that were running through my brain.  With that mindset, I found myself disappointed with the main focus being on Leyla, who I didn't enjoy much.  She spent a lot of time complaining about her grandpa placing Ari on board but she definitely needed him on more than one occasion.  It wouldn't have made her less of a character if she had just gone with it, realizing her quest was huge and nearly impossible for one person.  Nor was I interested in the romance arc going from anger to love to obstacle to their love.  More adventure, less romance!  And as much as I love Oscar and the pretty random inclusion of Oscar Wilde in a current YA book, he functioned as a Deus ex Machina too many times.  

Things I appreciated:  A Muslim character in sci fi and the timely message about the government creating fear about people who are different from us.  It got a little heavy-handed in the final couple of chapters, but I can handle that.  I'm all for authors using their platform to send a message.

Having these books fall into my hands was a godsend given that we are looking to add more female leads to our library—tough ones at that and in a different type of world we are used to today. It is so hard to find books that are written well in character development, plot, and female “tough” situations, but I think we’ve found a great one. The character design in this book is and was exquisite. I enjoyed reading all the descriptions, development, and love put into the characters from the very beginning. Many of the characters have found their way in the world that is so important to that character that I can’t help but love them. Leyla must find her way through a submerged Great Britain with every fear you could possibly have while living “under the sea”.

There are many themes and ideas that come into this novel such as determination, joy, fear, and much more. I really loved delving into the world that the author created as it is such a magnificent creature in and of itself. The many traditions and customs that she created was great and I really enjoyed seeing that in a book—we don’t see that written so great often. The characters in this book caught my attention so much and I believe that students would be able to connect to the different characters as well (there is someone for everyone). This can be utilized for many grades and many different groups of people—it would be a great book club book.

I enjoyed the setting which was extremely original from everything else I have read in recent years. This is dystopian but not sci-fi but not, it is so many things all at once that I cannot completely understand exactly what it is… maybe a new genre?  There is a lot of backstory that can help you understand what is happening cover to cover. I would suggest this book for a book club or even independent reading as it is not a difficult read and definitely has the high interest aspect to it that all students can get with. The characters that rush into danger is immediately something that my students would gravitate to and love to read—because who doesn’t love action in every form? Especially with a determined female at its helm.

This book is boring. The cover and premise make me feel claustrophobic. I don't see why it was published with Disney.

A watery world is pretty much my worst possible Dystopian setting. I'm no fan of the water and living on a planet that is all water, and no air disturbed me a bit. The writing itself is descriptive and poetic. You'll be amazed at the world-building. I'd compare it to Harry Potter and The Hunger Games in the atmosphere.

 It's a terrific SciFi novel.  Teenager Leyla McQueen, a British/Afghan Muslim submersible racer, is a delight. She's optimistic and is the kind of character that you want to succeed. The year is 2099, and all of surviving humanity is living underwater after an asteroid hits Earth. You'll get plenty of British scenery (from the Old World), even though things have changed in the new reality of life on Earth. The descriptions of this modern society were captivating. So much is new, while people act out in the same ways that they do now. 
 Without giving away spoilers or too much plot, it's hard to say more. I feel that with some stories, it's best not to know too much before you read it yourself.<br> If you need to label it, I'm honestly not sure if it's more dystopian, science fiction, or political conspiracy? In any case, once you start reading, it's a hard book to put down

It's genuinely unlike, while still being amazing, most of the YA that I've read this year! Grab a copy on October 29, 2019.

I do not know what else to say other than this book has met every last single one of my expectations; so much so I finished it in less than 7 hours! London Shah’s writing was captivating from start to finish, in a way that allows the reader to fully submerge themselves in the underwater world and be swept away by their emotions and the story. 

The fierce and brave protagonist, Leyla McQueen, was portrayed as a bit naive while strong and inquisitive at the same time. She is is completely driven by the love she has for her family and her papa. 

The Light at the Bottom of the World, gives us hope that in n the face of senseless violence it reminds us that there are still good and amazing individuals who are not afraid to stand up and do what's right.

The Light at the Bottom of the World is a book with a lot of heart, and a sensitive one at that. I found Leyla to be a wonderful main character; she was strong, determined, and so very afraid of the world around her, but that never stopped her from following her heart and doing what needed to be done. In a world full of strong female characters, there seems to be a lack of characters who are on the softer side of strong, more resilient and determined than battle ready and punching faces in, which I found refreshing. It's also full of much needed representation. Leyla is a British Muslim girl who believes. She believes in hope, in a world that has continually lied to her and let her down, in the people around her to do the right thing, in God, in herself (though she struggles with her fear and anxiety) and it is that quality, that steady belief, that sees her through her challenges. After her Papa is falsely accused of a crime and taken away by the authorities, she will stop at nothing to find out what happened and get him back. You can't help but feel for her as you watch her risk everything to save the ones she loves. 

Also of note is the unique setting, taking place in a post-apocalyptic scenario where the human race was forced under water after an asteroid hit. It's wonderfully imaginative with its descriptions of sea life and futuristic technology designed to help humans adapt to their new home. In an effort to assist humans with the aftermath and rebuilding, they've created Anthropoids who are humans enhanced with technology meant to help clear the debris post asteroid, only they've turned against those who created them without any explanation and the government is doing little to actually help their citizens-- too obsessed with returning back to the surface in a world they can't let go.

The Light at the Bottom of the World takes you on a non-stop adventure with some of the best companions, including a holographic, flamboyant, popular literary figure, a puppy, a girl who is desperate to save her family, and the boy who keeps secrets while keeping her safe. You will laugh, you will cry, you will soar and ache and love, but most of all, you will believe. And that in itself, is a very specific and powerful sort of magic.

The Buzz

Honestly I mixed up this debut author, London Shah, with another published author. But who cares?! I loved the premise of the world being underwater, plus I enjoy reading debuts so it wasn't a problem... until I started reading The Light at the Bottom of the World.

I love jellyfish but I don't really know what to make of the cover for The Light at the Bottom of the World. It's really dark and they don't live in domes so the art is misleading. I wonder if it looks better in paper... I do really like the title though. It's one of those neat, really long titles. It really showcases how we were to view Leyla. I also really love the series name... Light the Abyss, an empowerment for change.


The Premise

The world of The Light at the Bottom of the World is really fascinating. Everyone now lives in the old ruins of London 1,000 feet under the ocean's surface. They use submersibles and submarines as vehicles, but danger lurks around every corner. Leyla thought life was grand until her beloved father is arrested and hauled away. Now nothing will stop her from finding him, not a race, a boy, her grandpa or terrorists, not even good sense and contrivances galore!

At the heart of any book is the protagonist. This character who lives and breathes the world and gives us access to all of its wonders and dangers. I hated Leyla. She made reading The Light at the Bottom of the World miserable, boring and outrageously stupid.

I hated how she would go on and on about being able to take care of herself. She's 16 years old, living underwater, with the news blaring about how dangerous it is with seasickness, Anthropoid terrorists, terrors of the deep creatures, the pressure that could (and should) rupture the buildings any second. Supposedly she can live alone with all that... right... And after going on and on about how living underwater is so dangerous!!

Then we have how she lies and contradicts herself and no one calls her on it. I have proof for this one!

At 39%... “I don’t need you. I can take care of myself. Anyone tries to stop me from finding my papa, they’ll be sorry they crossed my path. I haven’t just left without a sodding clue, you know. I can jolly well look after myself.”
Uh yeah you did!! If you don't know where you're going then you've left without a clue!!!

At 43%... "Despite Theo’s device now running smoothly, remaining discreet in the heightened climate seems impossible. We cannot be stopped, though. I need to get us across the border and then on to Grandpa’s place in King’s Lynn. Once he joins me I will insist he tells me everything he knows about Papa’s disappearance so I can work out where to begin searching for him."
Yeah she admits right there that she DOESN'T know where to look!!!!

Then we have her getting what she wants... the truth... and instead of trying to take it in stride she wants to reject it wholesale because its not what she wants to hear. Oh, I thought you wanted the truth no matter what?!

At 73%... "All I ever wanted was to know the truth. No matter what. No matter how difficult or complicated something was, I always believed a starting point for fixing it would be to have the whole bloody truth. Not knowing always seemed worse."

The next page... "It’s so different to the official account; if our government’s record of the event were false, surely there’d be some trail of the truth? I can’t wrap my head around it. The government has lied about other things, too. They have. They do. But I can’t do anything about it. I just wish I could forget all this, dammit. All of it. I want to block it out. I need to. I need to focus fully on Papa."

And she goes on like this for paaaaaaaaaages and paggggggges!! It felt like I would never escape the whining...

The people in her life just think she poops gold and it made me sick. Rich friends who give her whatever she wants. A family friend as close as family who lets her make a fool of herself and waste a golden opportunity. A boy who never objects to the stupid things she does. The villain who doesn't scream at the author that this stupid chick gets away with outrageous stuff just because she wants to save her dad. The Light at the Bottom of the World didn't have a single redeemable character that I could respect or root for!!


My Experience

I will say that I totally went into this book willing to love it, wanting to love it and reading each page hoping it would get better. The Light at the Bottom of the World never materialized.

I noticed right away that the language was heavy, and there was a focus on details that didn't matter and did nothing to help us bond with Leyla. Excruciating detail on day to day living, ho hum in the worst of ways. I kept wondering why this was soooooooooo boring. She would go on and on about her father. She MUST! She WILL! It did remind me of a teenager. But not one with enough sense she could find her father in the big, wide ocean without knowing where to go and with the government on her every move.

The plot elements free of Leyla should be entertaining and high octane... but it just felt contrived. Everything didn't just come easily to her, it happened however she wanted it to. Something would happen and she would just... KNOW! It hurts me to say but... The Light at the Bottom of the World is a book I wish I never read.

The Light at the Bottom of the World should have been a crazy good ocean adventure on a submarine against an evil government. Instead it was a contrived mess in a world that revealed itself as not making a lick of sense. Don't go underwater with this one... Lowest rating of the year for me, and I don't rant about a book like this without reason.

I made it 54 pages into this and just couldn’t keep going.  With short or clipped sentences I felt the writing was simple, more the quality of a middle grade book than YA.  Lack of sentence development made the story seem to drag on with no clue where we were going.  Definitely missing A TON of description and back story.  For about the first 30 pages I just assumed how this London came to be underwater, what the antagonists were (sea creature, human), where dad went and why.  Really I was just confused.  The main character was boring, focusing only on rescuing her father, but even that basic plot line felt underdeveloped.  Even her friends felt like they just existed to fill the page.  Then there was the random “expedition” charge?  What was that all about?  Granted I’m sure if I had finished the book I might know more, but I just couldn’t get past the simplicity of the story and the writing.

The totally stunning cover and concept of humans living at the bottom of the ocean made this a must read for me.  

From the watercraft and underwater homes to the sea creatures, the world-building is magnificent.  When Leyla pilots her submersible around London landmarks and during the thrilling marathon, the imagery is outstanding.  And the conflict!  One roadblock after another is thrown into the mix, and nothing comes easy in her quest to find her father.  She's a brave and determined protagonist, but makes some questionable decisions at times before thinking things through.  Ari is a man of mystery and caution, but a perfect balance to Leyla's overly trusting nature.  Leila's world is brimming with mystery and political undercurrents, and she's forced to question many of her beliefs and things she's been told.  And that cliffhanger will steal your breath away!  

Although the pacing wavers here and there, I enjoyed this highly creative, underwater adventure and will be anxiously anticipating the next book in the series.  Add this one to your TBR! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First things first, the cover of this book is gorgeous. The saying is not to judge a book by its cover, but I definitely broke that rule and was still impressed. 
Leyla McQueen is one of the best racers of the deep. She practices illegally with a few others late at night. At the upcoming London Submersible Marathon the winner is allowed whatever their heart desires: to Leyla that is the release of her father. Her father was arrested for reasons unknown to Leyla, but all she wants is her father home. Leyla competes and sadly, things don’t end the way she’s expecting them to. So now, she is determined to understand the reasons behind the arrest and it leads to so much more.  
I enjoyed London’s writing. She brought out a different race/religion that I just don’t typically read (I really need to expand my horizons). She used some terms from the language that I googled out of curiosity and helped me learn even just a little about someone different than I. The whole Anthropoid dilemma confused me…I just couldn’t find out why they came to be and why they were attacking humans I think I just misread somewhere, so probably more on my end. I think London did a great job all in all and I can’t wait for the next book! Hurry up…please?

"The human spirit didn’t drown. It was swept up and carried along; it flows still, the stream coursing its way through everyone’s lives."

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Disney-Hyperion. Spoilers will be clearly marked. Trigger warnings: death, suicide, suicidal thoughts, drowning, violence, injury, blood, abduction, mental illness, depression, claustrophobia.

It’s been over a generation since the world flooded, forcing humans to retreat a thousand feet below the ocean’s surface for survival. It’s the only world Leyla McQueen has ever known, but she’s hopeful along with the rest of the population of Great Britain that humans will someday return to the surface. However, they’re plagued by Anthropoid attacks, a race of technologically engineered superhumans who can survive deep under the water. When her father is arrested under charges of aiding Seasickness victims in taking their own lives, Leyla is sure the accusations are false. She’s determined to win the London Submersible Marathon, which grants the winner a wish of their choice, to free her father. But when the plan goes awry, Leyla flees London to search for her father accompanied by a family friend whose secrets might jeopardize her quest–and their lives.

The main appeal of this book for me is the world-building, and I would recommend it on that alone. Shah has created a fascinating new world where humans live beneath the ocean in carefully pressurized homes and travel around in submersibles instead of cars. It’s weirdly nostalgic, since the population there is obsessed with preserving land memorabilia (we’re all little mermaids at heart, I guess). I could wax poetic for the rest of this review on the cool technological details and the lovely/terrifying ocean descriptions, but I won’t. Like the residents of this strange world, I was never able to forget that the characters are under a thousand feet of water, and it makes the atmosphere both captivating and unsettling. I’ve never read anything else quite like it.

It’s not as strong in other areas. I like Leyla, but she suffers from a lot of the same characteristics as every other YA heroine I’ve ever met. She’s referred to as stubborn, brave, and headstrong, but what she really does is charge headfirst into every situation with few plans or information, and her recklessness at one point costs lives. (But keep in mind, I’m well outside the target audience, and this might appeal fine to teenagers.) I do like that Leyla is a POC and Muslim, which is some cool representation that we don’t get enough of in fiction. Her love interest is also a POC (great), but he’s about as broody, distant, and chiseled as every YA male hero ever. Really, the descriptions of his eyes, and hair, and face are excessive. I very much didn’t enjoy the tiresome ‘he’s so annoying, I hate him’ routine that Leyla goes through before she realizes she likes him, but I generally have attitude about romances.

Plotwise, the book is a lot of fun, and it alternates some very tense scenes like Leyla’s submersible race and a couple of Anthropoid attacks with slower character and world-building. The government conspiracy trope is overdone, and the book doesn’t have a lot new to offer in the way of dystopias. Though the major plot wraps up to satisfaction while leaving a number of threads open for future exploration, I didn’t love the ending. I don’t enjoy cliffhangers, and Leyla never takes responsibility for some of the things that go down, but there’s time for that in later books. I probably won’t continue with the series, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking it up if it sounds interesting. It holds its own.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

Really? That last chapter? We couldn’t leave things happy for five minutes? My knee-jerk reaction to being so blatantly manipulated into reading the sequel is to nope out of that quick. I like to think things are my own idea.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for me to read. I had a hard time starting this book. It just seemed to to be missing something. I am happy to say I kept reading it. Great story with twists that I saw coming but did not  care. The only I could not understand was how the people lived under water. A little more explanation would have helped. Cannot wait for the next book.