Began reading: 10.3.2016
Completed reading: 16.3.2016
Overall rating: 3.8 stars
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.
Atlantia by Ally Condie is a fictional young adult novel that combines fantasy, romance and mythology. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but now that I have read it, I must say I was disappointed. There were a few positives, yet this book didn’t live up to my expectations.
The book was well-written, as everything was described in great detail. There were some good quotes in the novel that I will share, including:
Bay asked me if I heard the city breathing.
I hear my own breathing now, in and out and in and out. I live here. I will die here.
I am never going to leave (p. 9).
‘…everyone wants to hurt someone else at some time in his or her life. It is part of being human’ (p. 28).
No bond is the same as that between sisters (p. 30).
After losing my mother and my sister, I didn’t think I had anything left to lose, but I do. You always have something left to lose. Until, of course, you die (p. 46).
It is agony to cry when you can’t make a sound, when you have to stuff your pillow into your mouth, almost choking yourself so that no one will hear the timbre of your real voice. No one knows how much that hurts, not even the loved ones who want to keep you safe (p. 60).
‘Why me?’ he asked.
‘I’ve been listening a long time,’ I said. ‘No one sounds as right as you’ (p. 296).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I found the idea of Atlantia very interesting and unique. I enjoyed reading about how the temple Below had land animals as gods, while those Above had sea creatures as gods. It was also interesting to see how the Above and Below interacted — wishing pools, trade and sending volunteers to the Above.
Similarly, I thought there would be mermaids, especially since the book is about an underwater city. I was a little disappointed, but I still found it interesting that the Above and Below decided on the Divide. The idea of communicating through shells was also a great idea.
The book was well-structured, with a clearly defined complication and resolution, as well as a great conclusion. I thought that the epilogue was impressive, as it clarified the majority of my questions. It explained what happened to the characters, which I find very important.
Everything was described in great detail, especially Rio’s surroundings. I liked how Condie described the temple, the trees and the bats. I would love to be there, seeing everything with my own eyes. I think that the temple was meant to be very ethereal, and Condie described it perfectly.
There were minor plot twists throughout the book, especially towards the end. I thought some of these were interesting, while others felt unnecessary and left me confused. For example, we discover how Rio’s mother died, and yet it was as though she forgot about her. I found the death of innocent lives, such as Ciro, to be unnecessary. What was the point of killing these characters off? Many things were left unresolved. Another unresolved issue: what happened to Nevio? I don’t like when issues are left unresolved. I believe that it ruins the story, especially if the book is a stand-alone. I was disappointed.
I found Rio to be very repetitive, going on and on about how she couldn’t use her voice, and if she could really trust Maire. I know it was a big deal in the plot, but it was still annoying to continually read about it. Furthermore, Rio spent SO MUCH time saying how she needed to go Above. This repetition made the whole book frustrating, and I guess that is one of the reasons why it has so many ‘did not finish’ reviews on Goodreads. ‘All my life, I’ve wanted to go Above. I HAVE TO GET ABOVE’! Ok, I heard you the first 500 times!
*WARNING: SPOILER ALERT* The book was very slow-paced, and ended up being anti-climactic. After so much work in the lanes and plans to go through the floodgates, Rio finds another, easier way to get Above. WHAT. THE. HELL. What was the point of reading about how well she swam?! Also, once she’s Above, she says that she can’t stay. She must return Below. Am I missing something? What was the point of the whole book? The whole thing was just so pointless!
I would have to say that Maire was my favourite character. It was very unlikely that she would become someone I admired, but Rio was such a disappointment. Maire was protective and loyal, and she had her flaws. She was selfish, and she wasn’t afraid to admit it.
True Beck was my second favourite character, as he was so talented and sweet. He was perfect boyfriend material. He needed a bigger role in the novel and gain more recognition. I didn’t think he deserved Rio.
Rio was the character I was hoping I would like the most. Unfortunately, her and Bay were bland and distant. Condie attempted to make the sisters close, especially describing how close they were during childhood; however; they barely spoke when they were together, so it goes against everything that Condie tried to build up.
My favourite parts of the novel were when Rio swam in the lanes, and the deepmarket breach. Although it was pretty much pointless, I liked reading about Rio swimming in the lanes, as it was very creative. I thought it was innovative to have True create fish and eels as obstacles. I was hoping the performances would get bigger and better, but sadly, this wasn’t the case.
*WARNING: SPOILER ALERT* I loved the part about the deepmarket breach, as it was so intense and stressful. The fact that Rio didn’t have her air mask scared me. I was hyperventilating. Why weren’t there any spares?! Why did no one seem to give a damn about her? When Rio went to find True, I was worried. I didn’t want him to be killed. But it was sad to know that there were so many innocent people killed.
Recommendation time! If you like the Submerged Sun series by Vanessa Garden or The Painted Maidens Trilogy by Terra Harmony, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Syrena Legacy series by Anna Banks, The Aquarathi series by Amalie Howard and the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie.
Happy reading!
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