“Utterly captivating. A heroine unlike any I’d met before, a setting I’d never glimpsed, a story I’d never imagined. Atlantia is fresh, wild, and engrossing. I love Ally Condie.” —Shannon Hale, award-winning, bestselling author of Austenland and Dangerous
A New York Times Best Seller!
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?
For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamed of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all Rio’s hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced—she has nothing left to lose.
Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the corrupted system constructed to govern the Divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.
I'm not really sure how I feel about Atlantia. It was a very interesting premise, but it just didn't work very well for me. I was bored through most of it, as much as I hate to admit it, and it felt like the action was completely nonexistent. Even when the characters were in danger, it didn't feel that way. I never felt any concern for them because I just knew everything would work out.
The characters felt flat, and one of the clichés that I'm really starting to loathe is present: insta-love. I think I would enjoy that more as a teenager (I know, I know... YA is technically for teens), but as an adult, it just bothers me. At least there isn't a love triangle, though.
This book had so much potential, and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more. It wasn't completely bad, though, as the author did a good job of describing Atlantia, and I liked the bats, as odd as that sounds. The villain (who shall remain nameless - no spoilers here) just felt so one-dimensional, and I'm still not absolutely sure why they did what they did. What was the real goal? And I feel like there wasn't any closure as far as the "villain" goes. What happened to them? Were they jailed? Allowed to roam free? And I know I said no spoilers, but I do have a specific question that is spoilery, so proceed with caution.
How is Nevio a siren? I've never heard of male sirens, and I feel like that's something that should have been addressed. A little backstory about that could have made all the difference. Ah, well.
I hate to end this review on a low note, so I'll mention the cover. It's gorgeous, isn't it?
