Atlantia

Goodreads Synopsis:    Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

My Thoughts:

-    I love Ally Condie! She is amazing! I liked her Matched Trilogy better, but this was still good.

-    Ally said this book was based on The Littler Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. I was excited about that, but the story was VERY loosely based on the fairy tale. I don't know if I would even call this an retelling. It was its own story and pretty original. 

-    The best part of this book is the world building! Wow! It was so visual and beautiful. I loved the gondolas, the silver trees, the whole atmosphere of Atlantia. It was great!

-    The characters were a little flat for me. I didn't really connect with any of them. I wasn't very sympathetic towards Rio's predicament until towards the end. I wish she had done some more growing as an individual. Her identity was centered on her family and others, and I wish she had become more independent. 

-    The story and the idea of Atlantia were fascinating to me, but the story as a whole was a little bland. Not a lot of exciting stuff happened. 

-    On the flip side, I appreciate the subtly of the story. Ally is a very poetic writer, and I loved when that came through. 

-    Despite the things that were flat, I still enjoyed the book. I recommend it to any Ally Condie fan.