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For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Aboveâof 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 Rioâs true selfâand the powerful siren voice she has long hiddenâshe has nothing left to lose.
Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her motherâs 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.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 28, 2014 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780553396706
- File size: 262957 KB
- Duration: 09:07:49
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- LexileÂź Measure: 680
- Text Difficulty: 3
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Reviews
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Narrator Rebecca Soler brings depth to a character who is defined by her voice. Rio lives in the underwater city of Atlantia, a colony in a world in which air pollution is so devastating that humanity is divided between those who live "below" and "above" in order to survive. Rio is a Siren, and her voice has the power to control others. Because Sirens are heavily regulated by the government, Rio has made her voice monotone to disguise her true nature. Soler makes the most of this premise, which is so well suited to the audio format. The voice that Rio uses in public is almost painfully dull but contrasts dramatically with Soler's reading of Rio's true voice. Listeners will sympathize with Rio's plight and cheer her on in her quest for vocal liberation. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine -
August 11, 2014
Rio Conwy has lived her whole life in Atlantia, a city built underwater to preserve the human race after the atmosphere became filled with toxic pollution. Rio had always planned to go Above and join the workers who support and feed the Atlantians, but she promised her twin sister, Bay, she would stay after their mother died. When Bay betrays their agreement and abandons her, Rio plots, plans, and trains to make her own escape. As a further complication, Rio is secretly a siren, with a voice that compels obedience; if sheâs found out, sheâll be forced to serve the Atlantian Council and never find out why Bay left. Condie (the Matched trilogy) pulls together many interesting ideas that donât hold up to close examination. While the authorâs fans will enjoy the immersive prose and gentle romance, newcomers may be impatient with the unsympathetic characters and lack of action. Overall, this standalone story is like a problematic trilogy in one bookâa catchy opening leading to a slow journey and an unexpected finale that brings in bewildering new elements and works hard to wrap everything up. Ages 12âup. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.
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