Dark Life by Kat Falls

Ty was born and raised completely underwater. The world suffered the Rising, where water levels rose and forced humans to live squished into massive high-rises above ground or settle in experimental living spaces on the ocean floor. During Ty's routine exploring of the ocean floor, he runs into Gemma, a girl from Topside, who is underwater searching for her missing brother. A bond between Ty and Gemma is formed instantly, despite their two very different upbringings. Then life as Ty knows it is threatened by a gang of deadly Outlaws, and he and Gemma must face both of their fears head on if they want to survive.

Oh man was this novel fun! The book began with a nail-biting opening sequence and hardly slowed the whole way through. I thought there was some very cool science fiction in the story, especially aimed at young adults. There is something called Liquigen, that when sucked into the lungs, provides enough oxygen so the settlers can stay underwater longer. There is also a cool futuristic language, complete with situational appropriate words like "glacial" meaning cool, and "don't ink me" meaning don't fool me. Although the main character is male, I would probably recommend this book to girls and boys equally. An easy reading level, ocean fantasy, and lots of action makes it a great read all around!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars