Blog Tour Review: ATLANTIA by Ally Condie

Title: Atlantia
Author: Ally Condie (@allycondie)
Published: October 28th, 2014
Series: N/A
Genre: YA Fantasy / Dystopian
POV: 1st person, present tense
Pages: 320
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Format: Print ARC
Source: Publicist (for review)
Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf

Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamed of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all Rio’s hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced—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 corrupted 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.

In Atlantia, Rio has one goal - to go Above. But, she resists in order to fulfill her promise to her sister Bay, who unexpectedly chooses to go Above on her own. With Bay's surprising departure for Above, Rio quickly realizes her home is hiding more secrets than she realized, and it will take everything ounce of strength and ingenuity that she has in her to reunite with her sister. Rio's a different type of heroine - she's a bit more concerned with herself and her sister. The fact that she's a siren makes it more difficult for her to really become a part of society, since she has to hide her true, powerful voice under a rather dull, uninteresting one that puts people off. In order to see her sister again, she pushes herself to her limits, and digs deeper to discover the truth about Atlantia and the world Above.

While Rio is a great protagonist, the city of Atlantia proves to be one of the most fascinating and compelling parts of the story. Condie develops Atlantia with ease, revealing this strange new setting one page at a time. It is alluring, haunting, familiar, and yet still a strange sort of place. Additionally, for those who prefer less romance and more story, you won't be disappointed. While there is a romance, it is minimal, slowly built, and not the focus of Rio's story. Instead, this is a tale of two sisters living in an underwater world built on secrets and lies. Unique and otherworldly, Atlantia is a story brimming with surprising secrets and captivating characters. This is a story you shouldn't miss.

Highlights: I loved Maire, Rio's siren aunt. Rio wasn't the character I was expecting, but I enjoyed her character even more because of her flaws and attributes. The setting of Atlantia is so well done and easy to visualize - I particularly liked the deepmarket, where people sell their wares (from flavored air to jars of dirt) and host illegal swimming races to bet on. It's a fascinating world to explore with every page. I loved the fact that this is a novel about sisterhood. There are other things going on in Rio's life, but getting Above to see her sister is the first thing on her mind. Condie's take on sirens was interesting, if a bit understated, and I loved learning about them and their abilities.  

Lowlights: I wish there had been a bit more description, especially in Atlantia and about the sirens. And more pages. Better yet, a sequel. I would love to spend more time with these characters and their world. 

Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf: Loved, 5 out of 5. Ally Condie's Atlantia is a magnificent story that unravels at just the right the pace. The writing is vivid and rich, the world is fascinating, and Rio's story is compelling from the first page. If you're even the slightest bit curious about Atlantia, I'd recommend checking it out. 

Follow along with the #AtlantiaBelow Blog Tour

for more reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways!

September 28 – Katie (Mundie Moms) – Long Q&A

September 30 – Jen (I Read Banned Books) – Guest post

October 2 – Katie (Katie’s Book Blog) – Short Q&A

October 4 – Lea (YA Book Queen) – Review

October 6 – Taschima (Bloody Bookaholic) – Fancasting

October 8 – Jeremy (Novel Thoughts Blog) – Guest post

October 10 – Erin/ Flo (Fangirlish) – Review

October 12 – Nancy (Ravenous Reader) – Review

October 14 – Sara (Novel Novice) – Playlist

October 16 – Jess (Gone with the Words) – Short Q&A

October 18 – Rachel (Paper Cuts) – Guest post

October 20 – Georgia (Eve’s Fan Garden) – Playlist

October 22 – Gabby (Queen Ella Bee Reads) – Long Q&A

October 24 – Andrea (Reading Lark) – Review

October 26 – Tirzah (The Compulsive Reader) – Playlist

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