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    Undertow
    Undertow
    Undertow
    Audiobook11 hours

    Undertow

    Written by Michael Buckley

    Narrated by Jennifer Grace

    3.5/5

    ()

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    About this audiobook

    When Lyric Walker was 14-years-old her life was turned upside down when she witnessed a world-changing event-- the arrival of the Triton, a five-nation race of warrior merpeople who walked out of the sea and camped on the beaches of modern-day Coney Island. Suddenly, her neighborhood was home to a new minority group numbering in the tens of thousands. But the Triton' s arrival also revealed a shocking family secret: Her own mother was a mermaid.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 5, 2015
    ISBN9781490676548

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    Reviews for Undertow

    3.5/5

    125 ratings24 reviews

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    • 4/5
      ‘All of them were in a state of metamorphosis. Tails became legs. Fins sank into flesh. Gills vanished, causing their owners to choke on their first breaths of air. There were elderly creatures, babies, teenagers, and families, all climbing onto the beach, eyeing us with wide-eyed wonder. At first they numbered in the hundreds, then thousands, until eventually I could no longer see the sand for all the bodies.’Three years ago, a mysterious species of ocean-dwellers emerged from the depths of the sea to take their place on land. Since those three years, the creatures that call themselves the Alpha have set up camp on the beaches of Coney Island leaving the humans in the dark as to their intentions. In an attempt to integrate the Alphas into society and to hopefully suppress the ongoing intolerance they face, the government has negotiated that some of their children attend public schools. Lyric Walker has a secret which has caused her to keep a low profile in an attempt to avoid close scrutiny. The disclosure of this secret could mean her death yet when she’s assigned to personally work with the prince of the Alphas she becomes fearful that her secret won’t be secret for very long.Undertow is strongly reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, District 9, where a race of aliens arrive on Earth in an attempt to find refuge. It’s nothing like you would expect since it focuses less on the invasion itself and more on the prejudices and hatred that this different species faces. The injustices that they suffer. Undertow takes a similar route with these creatures that are immediately forced to undergo an intolerance that no species should ever have to endure. It was also reminiscent of the racial desegregation during the American Civil Rights Movement when black students became allowed to attend “white schools”, just with another species of course. Regardless of who the “foreigner” is though it showcased just how rampant xenophobia can become in our narrow-minded society.‘Its skin is swamp brown and highlighted in eggplant purple; its mouth is a huge gaping hole. Teeth lean in all directions like tombstones in an abandoned cemetery. Its empty eyes are calm and black, offering little evidence of life or intelligence, and a long, wormlike appendage dangles from the top of its head to its bottom lip, ending in a bright, glowing bulb. It grunts and clicks and barks at us.’The most interesting aspect of this tale were the descriptions and detailing of the sea creatures which only added to their alluring mystery. There are various different clans among the Alphas which are basically different forms of the same species and they’re all interesting (and sometimes terrifying) in their own way. The Alphas were fierce and ferocious creatures and the mystery surrounding their appearance on land remains a mystery for the greater part of the novel. That mystery possessed an interesting twist that I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to see how it pans out in the next installment.Undertow is more than some science fiction invasion story. It’s a story about family and honor, of respect and deference. And about overcoming prejudices and not standing for intolerance. Undertow was a most appealing tale and a tenacious start to this trilogy.
    • 5/5
      UNDERTOW is book one in a trilogy. Lyric Walker lives in Coney Island which has been invaded by Alpha who came out of the sea. Those who could afford to fled the area. Walls have been built and the Army and National Guard have been mobilized to guard the borders. Lyric's father is a police officer but he isn't why they have stayed. Lyric's mother is an Alpha who was sent secretly to learn about humans. They were abandoned and formed families with humans. Now most of those who didn't abandon their human families when the Alpha arrived have disappeared either into the Alpha world or into internment camps on the human side where they are being experimented on and tortured.Lyric's mother won't flee until she finds out what happened to her family. Lyric and her father won't leave without her. Lyric has learned to keep her head down and blend in. But that isn't going to work for much longer. It has been decided that some Alpha kids are going to go to Lyric's school and Lyric has been chosen to be the buddy of Fathom who is the Alpha crown prince. Tensions are rising both inside the school and outside it. Human protesters who are being incited by radical Governor Bachman are clashing with the Alpha and anyone who is sympathetic to them. The new principal - Doyle - has a plan to defuse the tensions and blackmails Lyric with an offer of identity papers for her mother to go along with it. Lyric and Fathom get to know each other in their forced time together. Despite major cultural differences, Lyric falls for Fathom and he seems to return the feeling. But, talk about a hopeless romance, Lyric will be leaving Coney Island as soon as she can and Fathom already has an Alpha fiance.Only plans are all derailed when Lyric learns that the Alpha on the beach are fleeing from a more terrible enemy and that enemy is on the way. Their scheduled arrival coincides with the Army's decision to force the Alpha to surrender and relocate to camps. Lyric and Fathom are beset on two sides by enemies.This story was filled with action and had a particularly action-filled climax. I liked this one very much and can't wait for book 2 which is coming out in February.
    • 3/5
      _Undertow_ was a middle of the road kind of read. I didn't love it, I didn't dislike it, it was just sort of...there. On the plus side, I could see this being a book requested by young adult readers. Merfolk come out of the ocean to invade Coney Island. It was cinematic in style, with a seventeen year old heroine, her spunky friend, and a hunky merman prince to lust after. And, mermaids are pretty much the only remaining untapped supernatural critter under-represented in a bevy of YA series. It may just be the next big read.
    • 4/5
      What a different take on an invasion story. I think this could be sold as a Romeo and Juliet romance but that's not the focus at all. It's an interesting commentary on racism. I love the friendship between the girls. And it's definitely a series starter, and I'm hooked. Look for these in the library next year.
    • 3/5
      Lyric Walker lives with her NY policeman father and beautiful but homebound mother in Brooklyn neighborhood that has seen better days - rundown apts, crime and gangs, groups that roam at night, curfews, shuttered businesses. Story jumps off in only a few pages - the Alpha, a wave of five nations of oceandwelling creatures have recently come to her Coney Is beach; at first America is in awe, but circumstances get ugly fast and paranoid humans and Alpha begin to clash. Lyric's neighborhood is now renamed "the Zone": "two square miles of Coney Is that the military, the government, and police keep under constant surveillance...the neighborhood lost ten thousand residents..the rest are stuck without the money to move on...then there are [Lyric's] parents...they've got their own screwed-up reasons for staying, but hopefully, it won't be for much longer" (21-22). Lyric, her best friend Bex and their friend, Tito Ramirez, nickname Shadow, endure the opening days of their local school, Hylan High, where the gov't is attempting to integrate some of the Alpha children with the local teens. Not only is it a media frenzy, protestors, and menacing "Niners", a gang whose growing ranks believe the Alpha must be removed, and even New York's governor surround the school - every day the students walk the gauntlet to get indoors. But the drama and violence find them inside too, and as the plot ramps up, we readers find out why Lyric is committed to just "laying low", and waiting for her parents to decide to finally leave. But then Principal Doyle asks Lyric to assist the Alpha's prince, Fathom, and between lessons of reading English, and dodging the bullies in her school and neighborhood, she realizes her family's "secret" is not secret to the authorities - and she must comply with their wishes to protect her parents. At times a bit overheated treatment of all the characters, and yeah... unrealistic: day after day of violence even in the classrooms, eventually even a day when a teargas, weapon toting invader slams his way into the school to shoot and kill - yet Hylan High, and the beseiged administrators and teachers have to keep holding school- really? It was hard to suspend disbelief for some of the plot details - and of course the sci-fi premise: ocean creatures who can come out of the water, breathe and move like humans, and then re-enter their waterworld at will...cool idea, with cool weapons on/in their bodies - but with instant English speaking skills? I did pick up on the not so subtle oh so current political subtext: how do we Americans deal with foreigners in our midst? And Buckley knows teen slang, the depth of teen crushes and friendships, and keeps the various plot threads twisting and moving - in fact it quickly gets to cataclymsic proportions, and of course, Lyric's true nature emerges by the last couple chapters, with powers that awe even the Alpha... all in a huge battle that ends with Lyric pushing Bex on a raft through the shoreline's waters, heading south, avoiding US soldiers, determined to find her parents, taken to a camp- yep, another YA apocolyptic/sci-fi/fantasy thriller trilogy...
    • 4/5
      I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. This book took me awhile to really enjoy. Before about 45% through, I was kind of just reading to read. Once I got to 45%, I was excited to read the book. At no point, though, did I ever consider putting the book down to DNF it. I really enjoyed the concept of this book...a new race comes out of the ocean and has to try and integrate into society. With predictably disastrous results. And yes, this book basically mirrors how things went during desegregation of schools back in the 50's. But, the rest of the book was (to me, anyway) fresh and new. There is going to be at least one more book after this one, and I look forward to it eagerly. I definitely want to know what happens after the finish of this book, so I will be looking for the release of that, whenever that is, since this book just came out. I know this book starts a bit slow, but it is worth it to stick with it, in my opinion. I was not disappointed. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All tthoughts and opinions are my own, and I am never compensated financially for my reviews.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as I don't normally read many young adult books, and haven't read much fantasy lately. I loved it! It is a great story full of adventure, romance and has amazing characters. I was very sad when the book ended and am looking forward to the next one in the series. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      4.5 StarsA daring Sci-fi YA novel that incorporates what I would describe as a species that's a mixture of aliens and aquatic creatures and, their counterparts, humans. The book illustrates many relevant and timeless themes (fear, bullying, prejudice, tolerance, bravery, family, strength, working together, and sacrifice, just to name a few) in a fluid manner. The characters are intriguing and dynamic as is the plot. The setting's gritty, one part containment camp, and one part urban battlefield. It's sarcastically witty at times and it pulls at your heartstrings in many sections. The writing flows very well. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. I read quite a bit of YA and it is refreshing to see something a little bit different. This is apparently a start to a new series and I look forward to the next novel. Recommended for YA readers and sci-fi/supernatural fans.Net Galley Feedback
    • 4/5
      Undertow by Michael BuckleyI can describe this novel in one work INTENSE! Let me be the first to say that I don't like weird books were there are half human, half animal. I never liked Planet of the Apes or anything like that. Well, now there's this book. The Alpha have arrived on Coney Island. They are, I suppose, kind of half fish-type things and look human enough. They are quite arrogant yet are trying to establish a peaceful relationship with humans. They have a hard time because of their supposed superiority. Lyric and her family have a huge secret and are only trying to fly under the radar until they can get out of the Zone. Most people have left because of the violence. The humans are violent and the Alphas respond, making the Zone very unsafe.When school begins, the government has decided that the Alphas can attend public education. There are mobs and violence as the students are escorted to an unsafe school. Mr. Doyle, the new principal, has a plan to keep the peace. One is that Lyric is to befriend the Prince of the Alphas. There goes her desire to fly below the radar until the family can escape. Other problems include Bex and Shadow, Lyric's friends. Bex is from a violent home and often stays with Lyric and her family to keep away from her step-father. Shadow is in love with Bex but doesn't know what danger she is in. Lyric has a lot to worry about. As the violence and tension mounts, Lyric is thrown into the middle of the battle. In all battles, one must face sacrifices. She wars within herself, thinking, "Being yourself is more important than safety" and the desire to keep her family safe and alive. Because her decisions and actions could bring death, Lyric has difficult choices. If you had to choose, who would you choose to kill or die?There's a really good message in the book that violence is the fault of ALL people. Standing aside, making comments, refusing to help, shoving are all chosen actions that make all people culpable. You'll be on the edge of your seat and then upset when you discover that it's not a stand-alone novel. Yep--you have to wait for book two! I think it'll be worth the wait!
    • 4/5
      Received via NetGalley from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group in exchange for an honest and completely unbiased review.

      ----

      Girl meets boy, boy is a creature from the deep blue sea. Lyric Walker is your average thirteen year old who lives in Coney Island until one day the world stops being average. In three years the world has been transformed, and our question of what lurks in the deep blue sea are answered. A group of humanoid creatures that call themselves Alphas have appeared on the shore line without any warning. What do the Alphas want, why are they here? Lyric is blackmailed into forming a tentative friendship with an Alpha boy: one who could be her undoing.

      Fathom is part of a beta program enforced by a government he doesn't understand or respect. He is forced to live on the shore line like an animal, and is now going to high school with the inferior human children. He faces xenophobia, racism, hate and the power of a single human girl who dares to stand up to him. Can they overcome their differences to become friends or possibly more? Will the secrets that the Alphas are hiding break any peace they have developed with the humans?

      ----

      There's a far greater enemy on the horizon, but the only way to win this battle is if humans and Alphas can put aside their differences..
      Lyric and Fathom are forced together when the government sets up a new experimental program at local high school. The integration program is meant to indoctrinate young Alphas into the human world, but inevitably it is faced with hate groups, fearful parents, media speculation and a particularly fanatical governor. The school becomes the epicenter of hate, fear and violence fostered from a confrontation between soldiers and the Alphas three years before. The spark for change has been lit and the reader is taken along for the ride.
      The Alphas are not sexy, they are not Hollywood material, and they certainly aren't like us. Their society is built on honor and tough love - something that would be necessary if you lived in a turbulent sea infested with creatures that would eat you without a second thought. The Alphas look like sea creatures and have a strange culture fraught with violence. If we were to stumble upon an humanoid race from the sea, we probably wouldn't find them attractive in the standard sense which is why I thoroughly enjoyed Undertow. Alphas are covered in spikes, scales, gills and barnacles. The skin ranges from bronzed to almost transparent with softness we are familiar with to slimy.
      Undertow is a thinly veiled look at racism - highlighting the hodgepodge that is Coney Island cultural residents and underlining the depths of human conviction that different is not always welcome. It was fascinating to delve into a world where a new race of humanoids is regulated by the military and feared by the populace purely on the basis of origins and appearance. A young reader learns that although on the outside we look different; the insides are still very much alike.
      Lyric was a selfish and often whined when it wasn’t appropriate. She repeatedly complained she was new to the Alpha world, giving off the aura that she wasn’t fully aware of the dangers she faced. Her lack of responsibility for not telling her best friend her secret was selfish, but made her character fit within the context of a teenager in a bad situation. My only reason for not making this a 5 star review is that the word “sick” was overused in the first few sentences, and Lyric repeatedly disrespects Arcades relationship with Fathom.
      It will be interesting to see how Arcade and Lyric patch things up in book two, and how some of the larger struggles the characters have faced are rectified. The reader is in for a lot of twists, turns and deviations from the expected which makes this book incredibly hard to put down.
      This book would appeal to readers who enjoy young adult romance, paranormal, mystery, action and anyone looking for a break from the ever popular vampire/werewolf/angel fad that has overtake YA Literature these days.
    • 4/5
      This is a great set up for this semi-new trilogy. The Alpha come to shore in Coney Island dividing this small community. There are those who don't want anything to do with the "Fish Heads" and an armed and violent group of "red shirts" forms. If you ever wondered how the US got away with interning the Japanese during WWII just read this book. The us vs. them mentality is scary. The Alpha culture is very interesting and very well developed. The American's are either tolerant and welcoming or afraid and join the red shirts who want the Alpha to go back to the sea. However, the Alpha aren't the only "fish" in the sea.I thought this was a fun listen, not sure how reading it would be but I definitely attribute a lot of the flow to the narrator Jennifer Grace whose reading really brought the story to life. I think this would make a great beach listen. Looking out across the ocean wondering if an alien race is going to come walking out of the surf at any time.
    • 4/5
      Undertow is unlike any other sci-fi YA I've read. It has realistic teens, fish people with special powers (but don't call them mermaids!), and even echoes of America's Jim Crow era. Sounds strange but somehow it works.

      This story flowed very smoothly. I could actually believe that these were real Coney Island teens with real problems. Several elements of the plot mirrored things that actually happened in the Civil Rights Movement: school desegregation, mob assaults, and even mass migration away from this suddenly more diverse setting. Instead of African-Americans, the persecuted minorities here are tribal people from the ocean who look like fish... Such a unique combination could have gone bad but surprisingly the author pulled it off. The new race of people, called Alphas, have been well drawn with depth and their own complex convictions, and it's not too much of a leap that humans can be as intolerant as those in Undertow. I was also glad to see that the romantic aspect is nothing like I expected. It's not a corny and predictable love triangle like you'll see a lot of YA.

      Near the end it seems like the author was trying to leave out unnecessary details and move the plot along at a faster pace. I appreciate that, but perhaps it was a little too fast; one big event after another happens with barely a break in between right up until the very end. There is a cliff hanger but it's not bad. It feels like there will be a sequel so I'll look forward to reading it.
    • 4/5
      Interesting. I liked it, but wonder if some of the background will be elaborated on in additional books.
    • 2/5
      Lyric Walker and her BFF Bex Conrad, both 17, live in a run-down part of Coney Island known as ”The Zone” or “Fish City.” It is an area of two square miles bordering a massive tent city where 30,000 members of the “Alpha” live. The Alpha are a mixed race of powerful people who come from underwater. [So powerful they have to live in a slum? One of the many things that don't make sense.] But now some of them are going to come to the local high school because, isn’t that what aliens or “others” usually do in YA books? There is of course a lot of xenophobia toward the Alpha, but Lyric contends that racial animus isn’t new to the area:"The Chinese hated the Japanese, and the Jamaicans hated the Koreans, and the Mexicans hated the African Americans, and the Russians hated the Orthodox Jews, and the white people hated all of them."[Really? The Jews are a “race” not a religion? And they aren’t white? Interesting view, not heard by me outside of Nazi or alt-right propaganda material. … just sayin]In any event, the integration of Alpha kids into the schools is opposed of course, with a Michele Bachmann clone filling the same role George Wallace did in 1963 when he tried to keep blacks from attending the University of Alabama.But the students manage to get inside, and a new principal, David Doyle, who clearly is not an actual educator but some sort of government enforcer, asks Lyric to be a “guide” to the Alpha prince, Fathom. Gee, I wonder if they will fall into InstaLove….Meanwhile, a lot of rabid and violent protestors commit or attempt to commit acts of violence against the “monsters” (making the usual very obvious point about who the real monsters actually are), and tension increases.On a micro level, tension is also escalating for both Lyric and Bex - Bex has abusive parents, and Lyric has parents with a big secret.Can they overcome their problems peacefully, or will they have to turn into a group of N.E.R.D.S. (National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society) - i.e., kids with superpower upgrades. Oh wait, that’s Buckley’s middle grade series. This one has some hot kissing, so it can’t be the same. Nevertheless, the ending is right out of Marvel Comics, or N.E.R.D.S. without its G rating. And like the comics and the N.E.R.D.S. books, this is only the beginning of a series.Discussion: Despite my reservations, the story isn’t all bad - at least the part involving the “humans.” The YA characterizations and angst are well-done. The portions involving the Alpha are a bit over the top, and don’t always make sense. But readers will warm up to Lyric, her family, and her BFF, and the bonds among them. Lyric is also unusually mature for a YA protagonist - another plus.Evaluation: If you like comic-book type action with some YA romance thrown in, this book may have appeal. Judging from the reactions on Goodreads, this book has been very well-received.
    • 3/5
      This a " Teenage, I wanna bang fish men" novel.
    • 4/5
      Most paranormal creatures are familiar - elves, ogres, fauns, etc. This series is unique in that the creatures are undersea ones - sirens, for instance. Lyric Walker lives on Coney Island where the coast has been invaded by sea creatures - and she discovers that her mother is actually one of them. Of course there is the cross species discovery of different cultures and the obligatory teen romance - but it is entertaining and a creative setting.
    • 3/5
      Entertaining enough, but it seemed a little underdeveloped. Main character didn’t grow as much as all the sudden change. Needed more to believe the direction the story wants to go
    • 3/5
      As a middle school librarian, I always feel compelled to read the Lone Star awarded books, of which Undertow is no exception. I am pretty lenient about content and think most kids can handle, at this age, Hunger Games-type content. However, I do not think Undertow is entirely appropriate for middle school, which have ages ranging from 11 to 14. There is a lot of cussing and even some pretty detailed fooling around sessions between the main character and her boy toy. Onto the story aspect, it was not well-done. The premise is one which makes people sit up straighter and go, "What?! Tell me more." But the execution leaves much to be desired. I didn't care about the characters or their fates; I didn't quite understand the "aliens" themselves. Just not a good choice for the Lone Star list this year, unfortunately!
    • 4/5
      Excellent science fiction novel featuring aliens, clones, murder and mayhem. Reminded me quite a bit of [Summer Queen] by [[Joan Vinge]].
    • 5/5
      I'm finding myself having to revise my opinion of Elizabeth Bear. I read her "Blood and Iron" for my book club in 2006, and really didn't like it very much. But I was told, "Her sf is much better than this venture into fantasy" - (I should mention here that I have this vague feeling that I then read 'Carnival', I think around June 2007, but I appear to have neglected to review it and I can't remember it, which is really not good. Although I have another vague feeling that I liked it.) Anyway, so this month I read 'Undertow' and actually really really liked it. It reminded me of Phyllis Gotlieb's 'Flesh and Gold' - which was one of my favorite books of last year's reading. Like that book, this book deals with the exploitation of a peaceful aquatic race by planetary colonists, but it's definitely its own story.
      Greene's World is a planetary backwater, considered to be a peaceful place by many, a place to escape the vicious politics of 'Central,' a way to avoid the past. The main industry is a mining operation, where most of the workers are an aquatic, frog-like native species, generally considered to be sub-human and pre-industrial by the human colonists of the city of Nova Haven.
      But the politics of Novo Haven are not so non-existent that there isn't enough work for Andre Deschenes, a pure-business assassin-for-hire, who justifies his work to himself by believing that the people whom he is hired to knock off would be killed by someone else if he didn't do it, likely in a less humane manner.
      But when Andre is hired to knock off a woman who is suspected to be involved in trying to foment a revolution amongst the natives - and who also happens to be a close friend of Andre's girlfriend - he is unwittingly drawn into a web of interplanetary politics, hidden exploitation, an unknown alien culture, new technology, and a suspicion that Greene's World is more important than Central has let on - indeed, the very existence of humanity's interplanetary empire may depend on it.
      Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Great take on quantum uncertainty, the observer effect, and other modern physics as plot-driving elements. Also a good allegory of slavery and depletion of natural resources. A bit slow in the start, but great action in the second half.
    • 4/5
      Andre Deschenes is a very good assassin—one of the best—but he wants to branch out into the field of “conjuring;” that is, manipulating events by calculating probabilities. He thinks he has the gift, but he can’t find an experienced conjurer willing to take him on as a pupil. Novo Haven, a floating city on the planet of Greene’s World, is the kind of frontier town where people go to hide. The city, and the planet itself, are controlled by the ruthless Charter Trade Company, who have their closely-guarded secrets: the lucrative mineral they’re mining may not be entirely natural, the mining operation itself is on the verge of destroying the planet, and the ranids (the native population species the Company uses as a labor force) are much smarter and more civilized than anyone gives them official credit for being. Meanwhile, Andre Deschenes accepts one last contract against Lucienne Spivak, one of the guerilla operatives attempting to free the ranids from the Company’s control. Unfortunately for Andre, Lucienne was not only the lover of one of the greatest conjurers in the known worlds, but was the best friend of Andre’s own lover. But Lucienne’s death sets into motion events of far greater importance than a few domestic squabbles and Andre and the others find themselves fighting on the same side, attempting to save the world before the Charter Trade Company can destroy it all.Elizabeth Bear has a wonderful way of writing straightforwardly complex plots. Nothing is intentionally obscure or ambiguous, and yet a reader must pay close attention as the story unfolds and develops. A delightful challenge!
    • 4/5
      Disclaimer: This isnt as much a review of the book as it is a report on my enjoyment of the book, and its probably more useful as a way to check on my tastes and quirks than to decide whether to read the bookIt's terribly hard to write a book and I am conscious I couldn't even write something half as good as an awful book. And this book is not awful at all! But this is just to say I hate to criticise someone's hard work, but when I try to write a review books I often end up thinking about where the book could have been great if only... and then it sounds harsher than it should be.--------------------------------------------I started by feeling it was all far too familiar - a world at the edge, lots of people with a past, a corporation exploiting it, natives useful but in-the-way, revolutionaries, a bit of cybernetics, a heavy dollop of quantum... All done very well but not that original, or maybe I have read too many similar books in the past few years. So I was starting to classify as a competent book, very readable, nothing wrong but not that memorable...Then I hit the bit that is written from the perspective of the natives and these are *hugely* enjoyable and fascinating. I'm enjoying these so much, and wanting to get more, and this would keep me reading no matter what she puts in between. I hope she keeps this up till the end, even though that could almost be to the detriment of the book (as a whole) since I care less for the human characters and the main plot as a result. But it will make the book memorable for me, that's already certain.In the second half of the book things pick up, and the plot gets resolved exactly the way I had guessed it will from the hints in the first half. It moves fast, there's some creative use of language to describe the chaos, and it is fun. The end focuses only on the humans and I was disappointed by that, I would have liked more about the natives.I'll be reading some more of hers that's for sure
    • 4/5
      Humans have come to a water world that is already populated with a species of froglike aliens, and conflict is brewing between the natives and the company that is mining a source of quantum-entangled matter that is important to instantaneous interstellar communication. Bear depicts an intriguing future; I would've liked a more thorough tour of the infrastructure and the impact of the calamity at the climax of the book.