Book Review: Dark Life

by Kat Falls

Tweet Synopsis: Could you live under the ocean, in the dark? What if there was a risk, what if you could develop something?

Why Did I Pick It Up: I read Inhuman and needed more, since there isn't a sequel I had to settle for another Kat Falls book (plus it came highly recommended from a friend of mine and our YA librarian). 

Favorite Character: Gemma, who is brave, albeit naive, and won't let anyone stop her

Genre: Dystopian (although Kat Falls describes it as Science Fiction, which I might agree with too)

Reminds Me Of ... Waterworld 

Suggested Age Range: Even though this is a YA book, I would say good readers 3rd grade and up would enjoy this book

Romance: Budding

The Good: The world is being swallowed up by water and land is precious. People live in tall apartment buildings they share with way too many people. It is a world where kids are given away because parents literally don't have a place to put them. Ty's parents wanted to change all that and they with other researchers developed a way to live underwater. 

All of the details are in order in this book - including light sensitivity and some kind of chemical that let's people breath underwater and keeps their bodies from compressing too much when they are down deep. I loved that whenever something came up, there were realistic details to fill me in. There was no questioning, the answers were there. 

The storyline was unique, interesting, and the characters were well rounded. I like Ty, he reacted the way I thought he would which didn't make him annoying, but comfortable. He was a teenage boy, but he is more than that. 

The Bad: I really wanted to take a deep breath, but they were always under water. Evidentially drowning is something I'm afraid of because I could stop thinking about how I would panic living underwater like that. It wasn't a romantic notion for me - it was actually terrifying. 

Although the realistic details were there, the details for the Dark Life weren't. I won't say too much because I don't want this to be spoilery. But because there are secrets from some characters, the readers also know nothing. Which felt like the author didn't know what to say and not like a plot tool. 

The Ugly: This book moves slow. I'm coming to find that books for children do move slow - and since this one really would be acceptable for a younger audience (because of content, not because of speed of plot) I shouldn't have been surprised. However, it moves slow enough that I was tempted to put the book away. Nothing like the speed of Inhuman and most other YA books. 

I have a hard time with slow moving books. The plot was interesting and the details were rich and well-planned, but I just wanted things to move faster. 

Who will love this book? Adventure story addicts, boys (Ty is the protagonist), people who love to swim, dystopian lovers

How much did I like it?  7/10

Will I read more? Probably not, but there is a sequel if you're interested :)

Bingo 2015: A book set in the future