Publisher: Scholastic
Date: May 2010
Format: hardback
Source: GoodReads First Look
Read: for review (disclaimer: I received my copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Pages: 297
Reading time: one day
From GoodReads: Ty has lived under the ocean for his entire life. Following global warming and the rise of the seas, his family joined an underwater community in hopes of living in the new frontier of the ocean floor. But When Ty meets Gemma, a girl from "topside", who is searching the seas for her brother, she quickly makes his life very complicated. Together Ty and Gemma face dangerous sea creatures and venture into the frontier town's rough underworld as they search for her missing brother. But the deeper they dig, the more attention they attract, and soon Ty and Gemma find themselves being hunted by a gang of outlaws who roam the underwater territories causing havoc, and who seem to have eerie abilities. But Ty has a secret of his own, living underwater for his entire life has meant he has also developed a "special" power. Can he keep it a secret from Gemma and his family or is it time for him to finally tell everyone the truth?
My review: I loved the uniqueness behind the world of Dark Life - in a post-apocalyptic world, people have moved under the sea and begun creating a society that in many ways mimics the old American West. It was a really refreshing, new look at typical themes, and, overall, the author made the scenario seem realistic. The plot was engaging and fast-paced, making this a quick and enjoyable read.
I felt like the main characters generally fell flat, though. I found Gemma's supposedly macho personality difficult to entirely believe. I was also irritated by how it felt like the reader was not always on the same page (pun intended) with the secrets hidden and discoveries made by the characters. There was little development up to these denouements, and so it often seemed like they came out of the blue.
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