Atlantia, Ally Condie

So on the top of the book cover it says "Human voices wake us and we drown" and that never made sense to me. I'm still not sure of it's connection.

That said, when I picked up "Reached" for my older daughter at the library, Summerlost and Atlantia were just sitting right next to it and so I grabbed them.

This book was much more of a page turner. Slightly predictable with a couple minor twists I didn't see coming. This fulfilled the 2017 challenge because it had a mythical creature: Sirens.

So the premise is that above ground, our air got so polluted that our life spans were critically shortened due to lung cancers and other diseases. So engineers devised these enclosures in the deep ocean to perpetuate the human race. There was a Divide in which everyone Above would have someone they love Below to help them continue to make sure the people Below were supported with food and goods necessary for life. There is a ceremony for the people Below, but you never get an age, I just assumed 16-18, where the youth can choose to accept their fate Below or accept a life of sacrifice Above. It reminded me of the choosing ceremony in Divergent, but they didn't cut their hands and place their blood anywhere. But there was a bowl of water and a bowl of dirt.

Part way into this Division living, there were some "miracles" that happened Below and out of it was born a new religion of Gods and many people in both worlds became believers. But of course there has to be corruption and deceit and treason.

Rio has always wanted to go Above, and her twin sister Bay has always loved Below. Their mother is the Minister, their father died young of a condition called Waterlung. It's rare, but fatal. Their mother died unexpectedly and suddenly recently. So when Bay, in her grief, begs her sister to stay with her Below (there is absolutely NO contact between the two groups of people), Rio decides to give up that dream because she loves Bay.  But when Bay makes a choice that surprises everyone, that is the catalyst for Rio to find out all the information she never knew-all the history that has been kept from everyone, even the Ministers, and right the wrongs of society. Like I said, fairly predictable. But a page turner. So 4 stars.