Dark Life

Dark Life
by Kat Falls

The oceans rose up, swallowing up the lowlands. Earthquakes shattered the continents, toppling entire regions into the rising water. Now, humans live packed into stack cities. The only ones with any space of their own are those who live on the ocean floor: the Dark Life.

Ty has spent his whole life living deep undersea, helping his family farm the ocean floor. But when outlaws attack his homestead, Ty finds himself in a fight to save the only home he has ever known. Joined by Gemma, a girl from the Topside who has come subsea to look for her brother, Ty ventures into the frontier’s rough underworld and discovers some dark secrets to Dark Life . . . secrets that threaten to destroy everything.

Life undersea. Though this idea terrifies me in some ways, all I can think when I read the author's descriptions of the sealife...is WOW! The jellyfish floating by like "fireworks" bursting to life in the dark sea...that is an image that will stick with me. Similarly, the idea of having to suck in liquid oxygen to breathe is both exciting and panic inducing...

Ty is a cool character. He feels such a sense of responsibility for everyone around him, to the point that he'll take crazy risks to protect others. Living underwater gives him a freedom to explore and grow in a world of new possibilities, but also provides ample opportunity for breaking the rules.

When a "Topsider" girl shows up looking for her brother, Ty takes her under his wing. As the two get to know each other, they discover secrets that could threaten their very lives under the oceans. This made for an exciting adventure, full of dangerous chases, confrontations, surprising revelations and pioneers that finally take a stand.

A fun and interesting new dystopia. I would love to see a follow up!