above world

Title: Above World
Author: Jenn Reese

Release date: February 14, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pages: 368

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads: {via}

Summary: 

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is in doubt. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. 

But can Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt—growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains—here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true.

Review: 

Above World was a cute, fun debut that offered a lot to the reader. For some reason, even after reading the summary, I thought that this might be a light-hearted adventure. That's not the case. There is certainly more than meets the eye with the book. And I liked it. 

Above World tells the story of two young Kampii, Aluna and Hoku trying to find the best way to save their people. My initial thought before really delving into the book was that it had something to do with the lost city of Atlantis, which seems to be an upcoming theme in YA books. This is totally not the case. Jenn Reese has really created a unique and never before seen world. Her worldbuilding techniques are outstanding, as each new species introduced is discussed in detail. 

Even though I enjoyed the worldbuilding, I was also left a little wary of it. I know that this is the first in a new series, so Reese wanted to give the readers as much information as she could, but there's just so much. The backstory behind the Kampii (who and what they are, for example) is a little shaky. The Big Bad that was introduced is still somewhat hazy in my mind. There are so many races and species that I would get confused early on as to which one she was talking about. 

But her characters make up for it. Aluna, the daughter of one of the Kampii elders, is young but fierce. She knows what she wants, and she questions when things aren't right. She has a great moral compass that really leads her in the right path. She remains true to herself, even when it would be so easy not to. I really did admire her, and wish that I could be fearless like she is. 

Hoku, her best friend, is cute. That's how I imagine him. He's that shy boy that used to sit behind you in class. You know that one day he's going to break out of his shell and show the world that he can succeed in whatever he puts his mind to. He might have been shy when he sat behind you, but once his shell opens, his true colors shine. Fortunately, we saw a lot of development for Hoku. He's not totally confident, but he certainly comes a long way from where he starts out. 

A great debut, and a series that has serious potential. 

I received an e-galley courtesy of Candlewick Press and NetGalley. This in no way impacted my review of the book.