Book Review: Atlantia

Ally Condie is the author of the incredible Matched trilogy.  Now, she's come out with a standalone book--at least, I believe it will not continue as a series.  But this is based in an underwater dome world in post-apocalyptic Earth.  Fans of Matched, and any other Dystopia should definitely pick this one up!

For Fans of:

Matched series

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Atlantia

Ally Condie

The surface of the Earth is slowly being scorched, temperatures rising, and people unable to grow food.  In answer to this problem, domes have been erected at the bottom of the ocean.  Large enough to house a city, these domes give life to humanity.

Ever since Rio was a little girl, however, she dreamed of going up to the surface to work to provide for Atlantia.  When she is old enough, at the ceremony to decide who will live on the surface to work and who will stay in Atlantia, Rio is surprised by her sister's choice.  They had decided together to stay in Atlantia, even though Rio was dying to travel to the surface, but when Rio's sister chooses land, Rio is forced to stay below, by herself.

Alone, Rio must face the slow destruction of her home. She must find out what, or who, truly killed her mother.  All at the same time, Rio must hide the fact that she is a siren, a person who can get people to do what she wants by using her "true voice," a fact her parents forced her to keep hidden her whole life, lest she face dire consequences from the conspiratorial leader of Atlantia.

I can't even describe everything that happens in this book! Ally Condie has done it again.  Atlantia was read in about 2 days.  I stopped for water and work.

For some reason, I'm drawn to stories from under the sea.  Perhaps it is the mysterious unknown of what awaits humanity in its depths, but I applaud Condie for attempting to tell a young adult story based in the murky sea.  Rio is a solid character from start to finished, albeit mildly misguided.  She is a teenager, after all.  She is clever--developing a way to earn money to buy an air tank to escape, all the while, practicing swimming avoiding the mines outside the domes via a show for the public.

Rio's devotion to her sister and mother are also solid.  When Rio's aunt enters the picture, she reacts how you could assume a teenage might respond to the outreach of the woman suspected of her own sister's murder.

There is conspiracy, intrigue, betrayal, silence, and the supernatural that tears out of these page and will leave you breathless...Can you hear Atlantia breathing?