SNEAK PEEK of Atlantia by Ally Condie

SNEAK PEEK of Atlantia by Ally Condie

Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publish Date: October 28th 2014 (originally November 4th 2014)
Page Amount: 368 Pages
Price: $18.99 Hardcover
ISBN: 0525426442 (ISBN13: 9780525426448)
PreOrder the Novel Here!
Learn More About the Author Here!

"Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—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 complex 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." (Goodreads Description)

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of this novel. It was only three chapters, but I FELL IN LOVE with the story.

This story follows Bay and Rio, two twins living in the underwater city of Atlantia. It is absolutely beautiful, with golden statues, exquisite churches and marvelous designs. The people of "Below" - or, below the water at least - live much longer than those living in the "Above". All the characters know about Above is that the people there are needy, and it is a huge sacrifice to work there. One's life can be cut short in an instance. But for the sacrifice in the Above, one will be rewarded in their next life.

Now it is Bay and Rio's time to choose what society they would rather live in - Below or Above. Rio knows that Bay wants to stay in the Below, and ever since their mother had died, Rio had promised Bay that she will never leave her side. But Rio is torn. She wants to go above, to breathe the real air and see the sights that she has always wanted to see.
But at the "choosing" ceremony, something goes wrong, and Rio is left to figure out what she really wants to do, be with her sister in the Above, or stay in the Below and get to know her estranged Aunt Marie. But Rio has a secret, and she will do anything not to reveal it.

The writing style of this book is absolutely exquisite. The word choice, structure and style of the sentences presented in this novel create the characters. The wording of the sentences shows that these teenagers are more sophisticated and proper than the majority. But the sentences also tell a story, a story that is much larger than the book itself. Even with only three chapters, I can feel all of the heartbreak that Bay feels about her mother, all of the eerie and mysterious feelings toward Marie, and all of the confusion and anxiety that is beginning to settle around Rio. These words tell a story, and I cannot wait to experience more.

I do not have much to go off of for the plot of the novel, however, this book pulls it's readers in within the first sentence of the novel. Personally, I was hooked within reading the first sentence of the book jacket. In the three chapters that I had read, I thought that the backstory for all of the characters and also the struggles that the characters are experiencing now were introduced at the PERFECT time. I loved each and every piece of it. My heart broke when I realized I didn't have any more of the preview to read. New characters and new information was being presented to me with every page I turned, but I was always thirsty for more.

Parents, this is the book that you NEED to get for your teenagers. I cannot say it enough. This book encompasses everything that I want to read in a Young Adult/Teen novel. Your teen will LOVE the story line. Remember, it comes out on October 1st 2014, and the preorder link is listed at the top of this review. 

Now, if only I could read this book sooner, my dreams will come true.

I received a Sneak Peek of this Novel through my local Barnes and Nobles store for a "Get Pop-Cultured" event. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars for the Sneak Peek