Dark Life

Dark Life
By Kat Falls
Scholastic Press, 2010. 297 pgs. Young Adult

Ty has spent his whole life living under the sea, and he loves it there. However, problems threaten to change his way of life: a group of bandits, called Seablite, attack ships coming in from the government, and the government threatens to cut off all supply shipments if settlers don't form a posse and track them down. At the same time, Ty meets a Topsider, Gemma, who has come underwater to look for her brother, and Ty, who hasn't ever had any other teenagers to hang out with, quickly becomes involved in her search--and in trying to keep her, and others, from discovering that he has a dark secret. This underwater western-style book mixes in adventure, dystopia, and a hint of romance (albeit a little rushed). The ending is resolved a little bit too quickly, with not quite enough attention and detail given to Gemma's brother or her future. All in all, though, readers looking for an adventure will like this one. AE