The time I reviewed a book {11}

When I got the invite from Penguin to review Atlantia and have a special giveaway, I was all over it. I was really excited to get my greedy hands on a copy of Ally’s new book.

Before we get to the review, let’s check out the book, shall we?

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.

Sounds good, right?

**Thanks to my pretty prancy PA AKA Christina from The Book Hookup for letting me steal borrow her review format**

Rating & First Reaction:

3.5 stars

This was a bit of a slow start for me. I enjoyed the Matched  series, so I knew that I would want to read Atlantia. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into {honestly, I expected mermaids}, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

MCs:

Rio: the entire story boils down to Rio and her desperate want to be Above. She has a pretty big secret that she’s been hiding for pretty much all of her life and that sort of dictates how she acts.  Rio has known life a certain way so after what she feels is a betrayal from her sister, things seem to unravel for her.  She has to make decisions by herself and it forces her to examine things from different sides and question everything. I really liked being in her head.

Secondary characters

True: Are we surprised that the boy was my favorite part?  True is an absolute realist with a touch of whimsy.  He makes metal fish and they come to be an important piece for Rio and her quest to get Above.  Of course he’s got his own secrets, so it’s a lot of fun seeing the two of them figure things out together.   Plus kissing.

Swoony line:

“I could hear you calling out with the same agony in your voice that I heard when Bay left. But you weren’t calling for her. You were calling for me, and there was nothing I could do to help you.” — taken from page 184 in arc

I know that isn’t the regular type of swoony, but let me assure you that when you put it in context and read that entire scene, it’s good.

Maire: Maire is Rio’s aunt.  I can’t go into serious detail about her because spoilers, but she’s mysterious and had me second guessing pretty much everything she did and said.  She provides a delicious tension in nearly every scene she’s in and I absolutely loved how her plot line ended.

Everyone else: There are a good amount of secondary characters that I could mention, but I’m not going to.  Anyone worth mentioning has secrets and I want to make sure you get to unravel those on your own.

Plot & Pacing:

When Rio’s sister leaves the Below to go Above, it sets something in motion. As I said in the beginning, it is a bit of a slow start, but somehow it works. I didn’t realize how much build up was there until I got to a turning point in the plot. As soon as that event happened, the pacing sped up and there were some mild twists that I didn’t see coming.

There were a few long description passages and since I’m a total dialogue whore, that was where I started to struggle with the book.  I was hoping for a bit more in the epilogue, and while it was a bit open ended,  it was hopeful.

Rec It?

Yes. If you’re looking for a stand alone book with intriguing characters and a unique plot, this is for you.

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Ally Condie is the author of the MATCHED Trilogy, a #1 New York Times and international bestseller. MATCHED was chosen as one of YALSA’s 2011 Teens’ Top Ten and named as one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010. The sequels, CROSSED and REACHED, were also critically acclaimed and received starred reviews, and all three books are available in 30+ languages. Disney has optioned the film rights for the series.

A former English teacher, she lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar.

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Huge thanks to Penguin for sending me the arc {and providing some lovely things you’ll see in a second.}  Make sure you’re checking out Ally’s blog, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page and adding all of her books to your TBR shelf on Goodreads.

Now, Penguin sent me an arc, but it’s up for grabs.  They’re also throwing in an Above or Below necklace.

The arc will be coming from me, the necklace from Penguin.  Necklace will be chosen at random.  Contest is US only and additional contest rules are here.

**Good Luck!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway