Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Dutton Books
Pages
298
Description
"Rio has always dreamed of leaving the underwater city of Atlantia for life in the Above; however, when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, Rio is left stranded below where she must find a way to unlock the secrets of the siren voice she has long hidden and save Atlantia from destruction"--
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
298 p.; 9.3 inches
ISBN
9780525426448
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User reviews
LibraryThing member sszkutak
I tried SO hard to get through this book and enjoy it, but sadly I could not. When I originally requested the arc from Penguin, I thought it was about mermaids... or sirens like the scary kind I have read about in other books but this was not the case.
What I found with Atlantia was just a slow
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I feel like I stuck it out for about 100 pages more than others the DNFed it, but still nothing - I just wanted to take a nap (and once I even did fall asleep while reading it :/)
What I found with Atlantia was just a slow
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moving plot line - in the first chapter Rio's sister, Bay, leaves for the Above and I read up until about 200 pages and Rio is still figuring out a way up to ask her why. Now this would have been fine if there was other stuff happened as build up but really everything that happened just seems lack-luster. Rio begins to question the system - but doesn't do anything about it, her aunt becomes part of her life - but she seems fine with it overall, and there is a cute guy - only, she is being detached and off-putting toward him so romance didn't really happen in those first 200 pages either. Everything that should have pulled me in, just didn't.I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I feel like I stuck it out for about 100 pages more than others the DNFed it, but still nothing - I just wanted to take a nap (and once I even did fall asleep while reading it :/)
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LibraryThing member taleofnight
I went into Atlantia only knowing that it was about an underwater city. I always loved that idea and was interested to see how it was played out here, but I ended up being so bored while reading that I didn't really care about anything.
My biggest problem was the writing. It wasn't bad, it was just
"Hali's argument isn't without logic. But why wouldn't Bay tell me that she wanted to serve in the Above? Why did she ask me to promise to stay, and then leave?
Why trick me?
Was she afraid I'd be angry?"
Questions are constantly thrown at the reader.
"Why is she gone?
How did she die?
Who made it happen?
Nevio could have done it.
Or was it Maire?
It's not a thought I want to have, but it won't leave me.
Could Maire tell me if I'm the last siren?"
There's never a show and tell, someone is always telling you what happened with constant info dumping. Rio rarely figures things out on her own, someone usually just ends up telling her.
Rio is so flat and bland. Her voice is always described as being emotionless and flat, so that is how the story is written as well. She always seems so cut off from everybody that I was never convinced that her and True could really have feelings for each other.
The only reason I continued reading was because I wanted to know why Rio's sister decided to go Above.
I liked the idea behind Atlantia, I just wasn't a fan of how it was executed, and the writing was definitely not for me. I guess the writing kind of goes with the atmosphere of living underwater, but it still wasn't enough for me to get engaged.
Honestly, the only "character" I enjoyed were the bats. I loved the bats.
My biggest problem was the writing. It wasn't bad, it was just
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written in a way that I couldn't connect to any of the characters and didn't care about what happened to them. Rio is constantly asking questions, to herself or to her Aunt, Maire."Hali's argument isn't without logic. But why wouldn't Bay tell me that she wanted to serve in the Above? Why did she ask me to promise to stay, and then leave?
Why trick me?
Was she afraid I'd be angry?"
Questions are constantly thrown at the reader.
"Why is she gone?
How did she die?
Who made it happen?
Nevio could have done it.
Or was it Maire?
It's not a thought I want to have, but it won't leave me.
Could Maire tell me if I'm the last siren?"
There's never a show and tell, someone is always telling you what happened with constant info dumping. Rio rarely figures things out on her own, someone usually just ends up telling her.
Rio is so flat and bland. Her voice is always described as being emotionless and flat, so that is how the story is written as well. She always seems so cut off from everybody that I was never convinced that her and True could really have feelings for each other.
The only reason I continued reading was because I wanted to know why Rio's sister decided to go Above.
I liked the idea behind Atlantia, I just wasn't a fan of how it was executed, and the writing was definitely not for me. I guess the writing kind of goes with the atmosphere of living underwater, but it still wasn't enough for me to get engaged.
Honestly, the only "character" I enjoyed were the bats. I loved the bats.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
I don't know if my expectations were too high or what, but I was not a huge fan of this book. It was kind of like the Disney movie Atlantis, huge potential = major letdown. I had such high hopes for this book. Sirens?! A city under the sea?!? What could go wrong?! Apparently everything, because I
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was unimpressed with the whole thing. Rio and her sister Bay have always lived Below in Atlantia, but for as long as she can remember, Rio has wanted to go above. When her mother dies Rio promises her sister that she'll never leave Atlantia, but that all backfires when her sister abandons her and goes Above instead. Now Rio is stuck Below and filled with doubt. Why would her sister leave her? Was her mother murdered? How can she sneak above? To top everything off, Rio is a Siren, but she hides it from everyone because it's dangerous and could mean a life of servitude. Will Rio find the answers she's looking for? Will she unexpectedly find love along the way? Will she ever make it Above? Read if you really want to find out. If not... you're not missing out. Great concept, but... it just doesn't mesh. Something is off about this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
The world of Atlantia combines the fantasy/myth of the famed city of Atlantis with the dystopian genre so popular in young adult fiction. The reader discovers the secrets behind Atlantia along with the main character of Rio. I would have enjoyed more about the world Rio lives in and the background.
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Bay and Rio are sisters who live Below, an underwater world where their mom, who has just died under mysterious circumstances, was the minister. When the girls get to the point where they choose where they'll live in the future, Rio is shocked when her sister chooses Above. Rio finds more and more
I found Rio a compelling character and really like the exploration of sisterhood in multiple generations of the same family. Enjoyable read.
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wrong about the world she is living in - seeking advice from the aunt she is unsure if she can trust. Rio is determined to find Bay and try to save Below from disaster. I found Rio a compelling character and really like the exploration of sisterhood in multiple generations of the same family. Enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This drew me in and kept me reading but also left me wanting more, there were some parts that really kept me reading but other parts that moved very slowly or seemed to skip details that I wanted. Still a story I enjoyed and want to read more by this author.
So Rio and Bay are about to make the
I found it engaging, but left wanting more.
So Rio and Bay are about to make the
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choice everyone has to make, leave in Atlantia or go to the world above where they will not be able to come back to below. Atlantia is an underwater world, a world people went where the air wouldn't be as polluted as above, where people could breathe freely. But in this underworld Sirens developed, people who could change people's minds, change what they think. Unknown to anyone but her family Rio is a siren. A hidden siren who will save the worlds and make sure that both survive.I found it engaging, but left wanting more.
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LibraryThing member lauraodom
I enjoyed Ally Condie’s Matched series, so I was so excited to hear of a standalone book by her being published this year. I am always amazed how authors create entirely different worlds in their minds. I loved the concept of this book, that Atlantia was originally a planned community. The story
Would I recommend this to fellow book lovers? Yes!
Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? Absolutely.
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of the sirens was fascinating, and I loved loved loved this entire book. I loved the characters, their motivations, how everything played out… I just felt it was a great book, and it was “clean” which is refreshing for Young Adult fiction these days. It was a great story about relationships and learning to trust, and oddly enough I loved how the bats fit into the story.Would I recommend this to fellow book lovers? Yes!
Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? Absolutely.
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LibraryThing member amydelpo
Kind of boring -- weak world building -- annoyingly dim main character. Nothing inappropriate. Fine for all ages.
LibraryThing member amym53
I couldn't get into matched but I really liked Atlantia from the beginning . I felt a connection with Rio and wanted to see her succeed. The middle was a bit slow paced but the pace soon picked up and I loved the ending.
LibraryThing member vickimarie2002
I really enjoyed Ally Condie's Matched trilogy so I knew I had to read this one as well. I loved it. It was a little slow in the beginning and then felt a little rushed at the end but I love the idea of society changing and separating into the Above and Below. It's different from other dystopian
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stories. It would be interesting if Ally Condie wrote another book about the other society that has a people living in the clouds like they talk about in this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member vickimarie2002
I really enjoyed Ally Condie's Matched trilogy so I knew I had to read this one as well. I loved it. It was a little slow in the beginning and then felt a little rushed at the end but I love the idea of society changing and separating into the Above and Below. It's different from other dystopian
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stories. It would be interesting if Ally Condie wrote another book about the other society that has a people living in the clouds like they talk about in this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member hoorayforreading
Although I enjoyed Condie's Matched trilogy, Atlantia was disappointing. I couldn't empathize with the main character and the writing was sub par. The plot lacked excitement as well.
LibraryThing member lkmuir
Utterly captivating. A heroine unlike any I'd met before, a setting I'd never glimpsed, a story I'd never imagined;Atlantiais fresh, wild, and engrossing. I love Ally Condie;Shannon Hale, award-winning, bestselling author ofAustenlandandDangerous
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?
For as long as she
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.
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?
For as long as she
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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.
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LibraryThing member amandacb
Meh. I really, really love the concept of an underground world, and one in which it's built because the air up on the ground is toxic is super interesting. However, this was just not well done. I found myself not caring much about the characters or even what happened, and only finishing the book
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for the cool Atlantia descriptions. Show Less
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
An intriguing setting for YA dystopia, but it doesn't really offer anything new to the genre.
LibraryThing member Kamilah.h
Rating:3.9
Before I start I have to say that I have a love-hate relationship with Ally’s writing. I loved Matched, but it sort of went downhill from there. Crossed was good, but I was disappointed with Reached. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the storyline, but I was bored out of my
But to my intense surprise, I ended really enjoying Atlantia. I had no problem with the writing style. It was definitely not an action pack story. In fact, most of the real heat happened towards the end, but it was still very entertaining. I was always eager to learn more about the siren’s history and the conspiracies behind the divide. The details were vivid and blue. Ally truly created a surreal world.
Rio was a very interesting character. She is a siren and she has kept it a secret her whole life. (sirens are not mermaids) After her sister leaves her, she is forced to come to terms with what she is. I really liked her. She was determined to go to the above, and she didn’t let anything get in the way. She was strong and independent and her love for her sister reminded me of my own sister. Bay was also an interesting character and obviously a big part of the book. She loved Rio, and she always tried to protect her. I really would have liked to know more about her relationship with Fen. I think it was a big part of the story, but she never went into detail about it. Maire, Rio’s aunt, was one of my favorite characters in the book. She was mysterious and selfish, and in the end, she redeemed herself. I really loved her, but I also wish Ally would have gone more into detail about her past. I would love to read more about her.
There is some romance, but I don’t think it’s the focus of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved, True, Rio’s love interest. He was sweet and smart and a total catch, but I think the focus of the book is in the bond between sisters. Ally puts a lot of emphasis on this. Not only with Rio and Bay, but we also see the bond between their mom and aunt.
Overall, I liked Atlantia, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. If you’re the type that needs constant action and a fast pace, you’re probably not going to enjoy it. I think that’s the reason why it has so many negative reviews, but if you’re willing to stick with it, you might end up pleasantly surprised.
Before I start I have to say that I have a love-hate relationship with Ally’s writing. I loved Matched, but it sort of went downhill from there. Crossed was good, but I was disappointed with Reached. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the storyline, but I was bored out of my
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mind. I was constantly rereading over pages, and it was a bad experience. I was very weary in the beginning of Atlantia. I was very fascinated by the whole concept of the story, but I didn’t have high expectations.But to my intense surprise, I ended really enjoying Atlantia. I had no problem with the writing style. It was definitely not an action pack story. In fact, most of the real heat happened towards the end, but it was still very entertaining. I was always eager to learn more about the siren’s history and the conspiracies behind the divide. The details were vivid and blue. Ally truly created a surreal world.
Rio was a very interesting character. She is a siren and she has kept it a secret her whole life. (sirens are not mermaids) After her sister leaves her, she is forced to come to terms with what she is. I really liked her. She was determined to go to the above, and she didn’t let anything get in the way. She was strong and independent and her love for her sister reminded me of my own sister. Bay was also an interesting character and obviously a big part of the book. She loved Rio, and she always tried to protect her. I really would have liked to know more about her relationship with Fen. I think it was a big part of the story, but she never went into detail about it. Maire, Rio’s aunt, was one of my favorite characters in the book. She was mysterious and selfish, and in the end, she redeemed herself. I really loved her, but I also wish Ally would have gone more into detail about her past. I would love to read more about her.
There is some romance, but I don’t think it’s the focus of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved, True, Rio’s love interest. He was sweet and smart and a total catch, but I think the focus of the book is in the bond between sisters. Ally puts a lot of emphasis on this. Not only with Rio and Bay, but we also see the bond between their mom and aunt.
Overall, I liked Atlantia, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. If you’re the type that needs constant action and a fast pace, you’re probably not going to enjoy it. I think that’s the reason why it has so many negative reviews, but if you’re willing to stick with it, you might end up pleasantly surprised.
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LibraryThing member MikeDI
Enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member anyaejo
This is an interesting stand alone that combines sci-fi and fantasy elements in a future where humans have built a city under the ocean to escape the pollution Above. I liked the magic that was worked in along with a wonderful story about sisterly love. The writing felt a tad simplistic at times,
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but the romance was slow and cute which was great to see in YA. Show Less
LibraryThing member acargile
Atlantia is a science fiction novel about the needed sacrifices to keep the civilizations of Below and Above continuing.
In the past, civilization had to separate. One member of a family stayed Above while another went Below. The air had become bad and they wanted humanity to survive, so those who
Rio and Bay are fraternal twins whose mother has been murdered Below. She was the minister of the religion they practice, which is a misunderstanding of the temples from the past. Each person must choose Above or Below at a ceremony while a teenager. Rio is shocked when Bay, who loves the Below, chooses to go above when that’s all Rio has ever wanted to do. Rio chose Below because Bay made her feel guilty.
The novel is about Rio striving to get Above; and, in this journey, she learns what is truly going on with Atlantia. You see Rio is a siren, a miracle of the Below. Sirens use their voices to control people, but they aren’t to use it with evil intent. People have become suspicious of sirens, so no one knows Rio is a siren. She must talk in a monotone voice so that no one suspects. Her aunt is a powerful siren who had a falling out with Rio’s mother. Therefore, Rio doesn’t feel she can trust her.
I found the novel to be slow at times. I thought Rio would surface sooner, but the novel isn’t about her surfacing. The novel is about humanity and what we’re willing to do to and for each other for evil or for good. It does require one to suspend a great deal of imagination with Atlantia. The miracles needed more plausible explanation. Also, Rio didn’t interest me. She had little depth of character and I couldn’t grow to care for her or what would happen to her. With that said, it is a very interesting novel about sacrifice and love.
In the past, civilization had to separate. One member of a family stayed Above while another went Below. The air had become bad and they wanted humanity to survive, so those who
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stayed Above are to work and sacrifice by sending food and materials Below. Those Below are to appreciate what the Above do because they are to survive. With members of families Above and Below, people would more readily help each other. Below is a city called Atlantia that sits on the floor of the ocean. Any breach means certain drowning death. As time has passed the Below is showing signs of aging and the Above doesn’t seem to want to help.Rio and Bay are fraternal twins whose mother has been murdered Below. She was the minister of the religion they practice, which is a misunderstanding of the temples from the past. Each person must choose Above or Below at a ceremony while a teenager. Rio is shocked when Bay, who loves the Below, chooses to go above when that’s all Rio has ever wanted to do. Rio chose Below because Bay made her feel guilty.
The novel is about Rio striving to get Above; and, in this journey, she learns what is truly going on with Atlantia. You see Rio is a siren, a miracle of the Below. Sirens use their voices to control people, but they aren’t to use it with evil intent. People have become suspicious of sirens, so no one knows Rio is a siren. She must talk in a monotone voice so that no one suspects. Her aunt is a powerful siren who had a falling out with Rio’s mother. Therefore, Rio doesn’t feel she can trust her.
I found the novel to be slow at times. I thought Rio would surface sooner, but the novel isn’t about her surfacing. The novel is about humanity and what we’re willing to do to and for each other for evil or for good. It does require one to suspend a great deal of imagination with Atlantia. The miracles needed more plausible explanation. Also, Rio didn’t interest me. She had little depth of character and I couldn’t grow to care for her or what would happen to her. With that said, it is a very interesting novel about sacrifice and love.
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LibraryThing member BDartnall
A great world-building, character driven read for teens who enjoy strong female protagonists who grapple with relationships and making sense of their culture's religious/political landscape. Atlantia, an underwater world is the "Under" in this version of Earth. "Above" are those who continue to
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live in the polluted, and struggling planet. Rio and her sister Bay lived with their priestess mother, the late Minister, in the below, devoting themselves to temple work, helping their mother, and preparing to live a life forever below OR choosing to go above. When the choosing ceremony occurs, Rio is stunned when Bay chooses to leave her behind -even though their mother recently died- and go Above without her. the book takes off from there as Rio struggles with the loss of her sister, as well as her mother, struggles to contain her "siren" voice (now seen as dangerous or forbidden) & find out the truth about her mother's death, her mysterious aunt Maire's disappearance, and what her role should be to best serve Atlantia. True Beck, a thoughtful, handsome boy reaches out to her, and together they begin to uncover more secrets than they realized about the Council, the new lead Minister Nevio, and what they may be able to do to help save their crumbling Atlantia. Gets pretty complicated & the ending is even more convoluted but Rio emerges triumphant if changed. Show Less
Awards
Association for Mormon Letters Award (Winner — 2014)
Tome Society It List (2016)
Call number
YA B Con