Series Pick: Atlantia

Atlantia
by Ally Condie
Dutton
2014
320 pages
ISBN: 9780525426448

Praise for Atlantia:

"A fast-paced fantasy adventure tale in a richly drawn dystopian future . . . this is a title that’s sure to be immensely popular with teens." —School Library Journal

“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

My Review:

Sure to please dystopian fiction fans and readers of her Matched trilogy, Ally Condie's latest foray into world building and YA dystopian fiction features a heroine unlike any other. Readers will be fascinated with the story and engrossed by the adept storytelling. Condie has a gift of drawing the reader in--hook, line and sinker (pun intended). I was all in and hooked by the end of chapter two.

Twin sisters Bay and Rio live Below in Atlantia. At the age of fifteen, each teen decides what their future holds--whether they will live Below or go Above. After the untimely death of their mother, Rio decides to stay Below to keep her twin sister company. They are like one...after all. Rio declares  her choice to stay Below, but Bay comes next. She chooses Above. Rio is horrified and hurt. How could her sister ever leave her? Now she has no one, and she longs to leave Atlantia. She has always dreamed of going Above and seeing the stars for the first time and feeling dirt beneath her feet.

Rio begins to make plans to escape Below. It is a sure death sentence; no one ever survives. Rio's aunt Maire tries to help Rio, but Rio does not fully trust her. Maire may have had something to do with the death of her mother, and Rio won't quit until she finds answers.  When a chance to go Above presents itself, Rio takes it. She needs to see Bay again and find out why she deserted her. Will Rio find the answers she's looking for? Or will she uncover the secrets of Atlantia and her mother's death? Atlantia is in danger and no one else can save the future. Rio is called upon to save her home, but can she save Atlantia alone?

At first I thought, Oh, brother ! Not another mermaid or mer-people book! I was proven wrong. Atlantia is much more than that. Atlantia is actually an underwater city created to preserve life after the Divide. Rio and Bay and everyone in Atlantia are human--well, sort of. Atlantia seems otherworldly and beautiful--serene, almost--until the suspicious death/murder of Rio's mother who just so happens is the leader of Atlantia. When the safety of Atlantia is breached, Rio knows there's a conspiracy somewhere and makes it her business to uncover the guilty and punish them.

Highly recommended for fans of dystopian fiction and Ally Condie. Her fans won't be disappointed. Highly readable and entertaining. Readers will not want to wait for the next installment of this series.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Guest Review: The Bar Code Prophecy: Conspiracy Theory

Blogger's Note: This is a guest review from my BFF Leslie Rush, who is an avid YA reader, high school teacher, author wannabe (like me) and the world's best cheerleader--she keeps me writing.

The Bar Code Prophecy (book 3)
Suzanne Weyn
Scholastic Press
November 2012
208 pages

Available November 1, 2012


If you've ever wondered about those bar codes, those rewards cards, internet cookies that track what you buy, where you travel, what you search--if you've ever felt uneasy about the possible misuses of DNA technology, if you distrust large corporations, and the upcoming Dec 21, 2012 makes you nervous--then this is the book for you.

In the year 2026, everyone gets a bar code tattoo when they turn 17. No need for an ID at work, a driver's licence, bank cards and credit cards or having to remember your own phone number; all of your most-used info is conveniently stored, scanned and retrieved whenever you need it.

It's not just convenient--- it's the law. Grace Morrow is turning 17 in a few days and is looking forward to this rite of passage. All of the rumors, all of the whispers about the bar code tattoos don't bother her--she works for Global 1, the company that engineered and maintains the database, as does her loving father. The scandal involving the unauthorized use of DNA information? Grace knows that was just one rogue division of the huge, multinational I.T. corporation, and besides, all of that has been halted, and there's nothing to worry about any more.

Grace can't wait to start the new school year as captain of the gymnastics team, and she's started learning the rigors of rock climbing. The fact that her crush, Eric, is the instructor, well, that just makes for greater motivation, right? Eric, a Native American, is really cute and a world-class rock climber. He tells her she shouldn't get the tattoo, and he seems to know an awful lot about the anti-Global 1/anti-bar code radicals that make the news now and then. But more important, he seems as interested in her as she is in him.

Grace's almost-perfect world comes crashing down around her when she ignores Eric's warning, and gets her tattoo. Her family disappears without a trace and Grace finds herself on the run from both the police and Global 1's elite security force. Her only refuge is Eric and his revolutionary friends who live off the grid.

She finds herself caught in a web of techno-conspiracy and an ancient Hopi Indian prophecy--a prophecy that seems to center around Grace and Eric! That prophecy takes them deep into the sacred lands of the American Southwest, in a race against time, facing danger from every agency on earth, and a looming menace from space, as well.

Fast-paced, this is a quick read full of action and adventure. This third entry in the Bar Code series stands on its own. It will please Weyn's fans and gain her some new ones. Teens may read this book without having read the first two, but why not start off with book one? The series is a delight for dystopian fans.

Recommended for grade 7 and up. Light romance, no sex or offensive language. PG-movie violence.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.