Title: What Lurks Below
Author: Jordan Thompson
Publisher: Monster Ivy publishing
Release Date: April 7. 2020
No one knows, that is, except Amelia. At thirteen, Amelia remembers a mother who loved her. She remembers fresh peaches and ice cream—not the calorically rationed food that tastes like stagnant swamp water and chemicals.
Desperate to hold on to her memories, Amelia shares her past with her younger brother, Alex. She teaches him about the reality of The Garden and its power to provide safety and love.
Soon, Alex learns that life at Colony is more dangerous than he thought. He spies an enormous, black ... something ... lurking in the water, while no one seems to notice it at all.
Fear of the creature has Alex thrashing his sheets in bed. His marks drop, and Council insists on Amelia telling them what is wrong. Amelia tries to keep up appearances, but Council refuses to believe her and locks her up.
If Amelia isn’t willing to forgo the love she felt and the life she had back Then, Council will throw her in the water to meet whatever it is that lurks below the Tin Can.
For fans of The Giver, this dystopian-charged fantasy will show readers the valiance of holding on to one’s beliefs and the value of true sibling love.
REVIEWS
The blurb fascinated me but it took me a bit to really get into the story itself. Because the children in the Colony do not interact and have idle chit chat like normal kids do, there is not a lot of dialogue in the first part of the book. The reader sees everything through Amelia's eyes and learns of the Before from the stories she tells her little brother Alex from under her bed.
However, Chapter 21 brought it all together and left me wanting to go back to reread and see if I could find additional clues. I blew threw the remaining chapters.
The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest are beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I love Amelia's rebellious nature. She is a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.
What Lurks Below is a smartly written dystopian.
There were so many layers to this book. There is no wrong interpretation. The writing is phenomenal. The relationship between Amelia and Alex is tight. There were so many twists and little hints. My mind is blown. For being a Middle Grade book of sorts it kept my interest right to the end.
I recommend this to anyone 10 and up!
There were so many layers to this book. There is no wrong interpretation. The writing is phenomenal. The relationship between Amelia and Alex is tight. There were so many twists and little hints. My mind is blown. For being a Middle Grade book of sorts it kept my interest right to the end.
I recommend this to anyone 10 and up!