JULY 2010 - AudioFile
Keith Nobbs ably inhabits the character of 15-year-old Ty, the resourceful first-person hero of this near-future adventure. The only teenager in a small community of ranchers who farm the ocean floor, Ty teams up with Gemma, an orphaned girl from the surface, to find her missing brother, defeat the marauding Seablite gang, and expose a dark secret. Nobbs is extraordinarily believable as Ty, an adolescent on the verge of manhood who is searching for his place in the world (which happens to be underwater). Nobbs also subtly handles the supporting voices. The production contains bonus material at the end: a deleted third-person scene between Gemma and the outlaw leader, Shade. A.B.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
It's not “Go West, young man,” but “Go Deep,” in this action-packed aquatic adventure by newcomer Falls. Years after climate changes have devastated the Earth's surface, the new frontier is underwater, where rugged individualists have carved out lives on the ocean floor. “The Topsiders clung to the chunks of oversea land that were still left, and they didn't understand why we weren't clinging, too,” says 15-year-old narrator Ty, part of the first generation born and bred in the so-called Dark Life. When he meets Gemma, a Topsider girl searching for her lost brother among the prospectors and toughs of the region, Ty feels obligated to protect her, especially when they run afoul of the Seablite Gang, pirates who've been preying on local settlers. In their struggle for survival, Ty and Gemma learn the fate of her brother and uncover long-hidden secrets regarding the Deep Life. Though the science and future history are only lightly explored, there's no denying the nifty premise, solid characterization, and tense moments that contribute to a cinematic reading experience. Falls's undersea world warrants further exploration. Ages 9–12. (May)
School Library Journal
Gr 6–10—In this futuristic coming-of-age tale, 15-year-old Ty has spent his whole life in a deep-sea colony on the ocean floor. His family and the other pioneers provide fish and other food for the Commonwealth citizens who live aboveground in stacked cities following earthquakes and tsunamis that destroyed much of the Earth. The pioneers chafe under the harsh rule of the Commonwealth, a situation made worse when those who live subsea are charged with capturing a gang of pirates that has been terrorizing Commonwealth ships and pioneer homesteads. Ty is swept up in the hunt for the bandits when Gemma, a "Topsider" orphan, comes to his community to search for her missing brother, who may have ties to the pirates. First-time author Falls has created a riveting adventure story that action fans and reluctant readers will enjoy for its fast pace. Teens will like the budding romance between Ty and Gemma and the marvelous, imaginative depictions of life on the ocean floor. Minor characters, such as Ty's neighbors and younger sister, are fully fleshed out in their few short scenes. Although the identity of Gemma's brother and the subplot regarding his past with the pioneers' doctor are hastily explained and not completely satisfying, this is a small point that doesn't detract from the creative setting, adventurous plot, and likable teen heroes. Readers will cheer Ty on in his pursuit of the pirates and clamor for more tales of undersea life.—Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD
JULY 2010 - AudioFile
Keith Nobbs ably inhabits the character of 15-year-old Ty, the resourceful first-person hero of this near-future adventure. The only teenager in a small community of ranchers who farm the ocean floor, Ty teams up with Gemma, an orphaned girl from the surface, to find her missing brother, defeat the marauding Seablite gang, and expose a dark secret. Nobbs is extraordinarily believable as Ty, an adolescent on the verge of manhood who is searching for his place in the world (which happens to be underwater). Nobbs also subtly handles the supporting voices. The production contains bonus material at the end: a deleted third-person scene between Gemma and the outlaw leader, Shade. A.B.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
The worldbuilding of countless eco-thrillers serves here as the setting for a classic Western. A Western, that is, with plankton instead of cows, harpoons instead of six-shooters and submarines instead of covered wagons. Ty lives below the ocean, in a future in which water levels have risen and Topsiders live cramped together in unbearable conditions. Undersea, any brave settler can stake a claim and build a huge homestead. Ty was born down here, and he loves it. When he encounters freckle-faced Topsider orphan Gemma, he revels in showing her his world, from inflatable houses shaped like jellyfish to beautiful schools of swordfish. If only they weren't in danger from the villainous Seablite gang that keeps attacking homesteads! This caper features a slew of Western standards-the crabby old doctor ("Doc"), the saloon filled with bandanna-clad thugs, the posse of furious citizens-and a few plot twists keep the tension high. A thrilling conversion of the classics to one of our newer frontiers. (Science fiction. 10-12)
