A while back, I read The City on the Sea. I really enjoyed the world that Carson built, so I knew I'd stick with the series. I finally got a Kindle Unlimited subscription, so I dove right in!
One thing I really liked from the first book in the series was how fast of a read it is. Sometimes, I like to read light books that don't take hours and hours to read. I enjoy being able to put it down until I have a little extra time and can walk through them.
The first book lacked romance. This one did as well, to an extent. There were a lot of hints of an attraction between Brooke, the main character, and Calder, the watchman who was pretty much her archenemy in the first book.
As a reminder, Brooke lives in a city built out of metal and docks. Her people struggle to make ends meet, but they're a strong people, a proud people. There's a lot of mystery surrounding the truth of what happens. Her father died some time before the first book. They said it was a drowning, but she didn't buy it.
The mystery deepens in this novel, as she begins to question the way the world works. There's a mysterious man named Henry that her father was supposedly working with, so she digs into it to try and find more information.
Tragedy strikes, her best friend's younger brother died in an alleged boat accident. But Brooke knows better. She keeps asking questions, until she learns that the only way to get Henry's attention is to make a big splash. Calder convinces her to paint something in the public eye.
Not long after, she's whisked away. She and Calder go on a journey beyond the wall, and she learns that everything she's ever known was a lie.
What I hated most about this one was the cliffhanger ending. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good cliffhanger more than most, but this one felt like it was just to keep you reading. Luckily, book three in the series was already published, so I didn't have to wait to dive in and figure out what was really going on.
If you like light dystopian, YA, and a hint of romance, this could be a good series for you. It's not quite Divergent or Hunger Games, but I definitely like Carson's world building!
Thanks,
Abbie
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