A dystopian novel unlike any we've read before, Atlantia is a beautiful story filled with dark longing, mystery and a touch of magic. Ally Condie captures our imaginations with her haunting story of life in the depths.
From the blurb;
'Rio dreams of leaving the underwater city of Atlantia and living in the world Above. But all Rio's hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, leaving Rio stranded Below.
'Atlantia is crumbling. Guided by an unlikely mentor, Rio begins to ask treacherous questions about her destiny, her home and the corrupted system that governs the Divide between land and sea. Her life - and the fate of her city - depends on Rio listening to the voice of the past, and her willingness to speak the forgotten truth.'
Mired in secrets Atlantia is a puzzle of a novel, grasping readers with a gorgeous cast of characters, it swiftly carries us under the waves as Condie paints a dark-blue-hued picture of a life unlike any we've considered before, and then begins to smash our understanding of it to pieces as each secret reveals itself.
For Rio, a girl driven by a life-long desire to see the Above, and by a love for her sister, the depth of what she will uncover in her quest to be reunited with her twin is far from what she expected. With a secret of her own to keep Rio must tred carefully as she is forced to question the belifies she was raised with and the truths she is uncovering.
Starting off simple enough Condie first draws us into this world, and grows our love for Rio and her world, before bringing the depth of her magic system into play. With each secret Rio uncovers it seems she also finds a greater depth to the magic and political powers at play, both ruling this deep world.
It soon becomes clear that the history people have been taught is far from the reality of the past, and Rio is forced to question whether her own pressing desires are worth sacrificing the world in which she lives and the people Below who she has grown to love.
As the story comes to it's head, and the political manoeuvrings of the underwater world are in full play, Condie throws a final and destructive plot twist at the reader, leaving jaws on the floor as our understanding is shaken.
An immersive, captivating, novel which will keep readers guessing throughout. We advice all lovers of dystopian stories read Atlantia.
We Give Atlantia Four Stars
ISBN - 978-0-141-35291-6
Cover Price - £7.99 Published in Great Britain by Penguin Books 2014
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