The Light at the Bottom of the World was a suspenseful, action-packed, twisty roller coaster ride of a book. Leyla was an incredible protagonist, full of passion, curiosity, bravery and loyalty. I was rooting for her success through the entire book as she encountered seemingly insurmountable obstacles. There were a few twists in the story, one of which I was able to predict, but for the most part I was as surprised as Leyla about just how much she didn't know about her own world. Ari was an interesting and compelling supporting character and love interest, and it was satisfying to learn more about him and his past as the story progressed. I didn't realize this was the first in a series, but when I reached the end of the book, I was dying for the sequel.

It was hard to connect with this world as the science behind the fiction didn’t mesh well with me. The characters were good but it had too much of a younger YA feel to me. It put me off, not going to lie, how the author gave herself a 5 stars on goodreads. I hate when this happens it just annoys me.

It's impossible not to be swept away by the world Shah has created. There's something so immediately gripping about the concept: in the world of the future humanity has been forced below the water's surface, to live at the bottom of the world. There's a stunning mix of futuristic technology that makes this possible, and it's been a while since I last remember becoming this engrossed in a science fiction world. It feels plausible, possible. Intriguing, yet still terrifying to imagine being there yourself.

What helps makes this setting accessible is the way in which Shah brings in elements of the Old World—things from the past that, to readers, are present. There is a distinct sense of nostalgia, a loving nod that doubles as a cautionary warning to the ways in which clinging too tightly to the past can do more harm than good.

What really makes this story shine, though, is Shah's protagonist. Leyla McQueen is fiercely optimistic, perpetually hopeful even in the darkest and most dire of circumstances. No matter what she always, always, pursues the light. She pursues truth.

Her hope is addictive, even though at times it exposes a recklessness that borders on naïvety. But this is not a weakness, or a detriment to her character. Rather, it provides the opportunity for Leyla to develop over the course of the story. She is forced to question what at first she blindly accepted, and through that questioning, she grows. She changes. Combined with a perseverance that is nothing short of admirable, I cannot wait to see how much further she will go in the sequel.

Together, Shah's relatable, easy-to-root-for characters and engrossing world are brought together with a plot that is as fast-paced as the submarine races in which Leyla participates. The story unfolds like a current, picking you up and sweeping you away. It's the sort of book that once I started, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. Coupled with timely and poignant social commentary, The Light at the Bottom of the World is a phenomenal debut, one that had me on the edge of my seat and has left me desperate to dive into the sequel.

Really cool futuristic, post apocalyptic world when the world has been plunged under water. The setting was like nothing I’d ever read before which was so much fun to explore. Our heroine is determined to rescue her father who was taken under mysterious government cover up circumstances. The story starts with a daring race and then continues as she runs from the only city she’s ever known. I guessed one of the big twists almost immediately but the end surprised me and I liked the twist about the government and the seasickness. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for unique world building science fiction

What an interesting premise, Britain after the world flooded , humans now live under water. I didn't see how humans could live and thrive underwater when being crushed by 1000's of pounds of pressure from the tiniest crack is a real possibility. Yet it works I found the worldbuilding super fascinating. Unfortunately our protagonist took me a long while to warm up to her and even then I'm not sure if I did., I found her character hard to believe. Even though I did love her strength and courage., but I do believe young readers will find her endearing.

Overall The Light at the Bottom of the World has a fantastic world building and interesting theme, That I would recommend to any young reader starting to explore the Young Adult section.

When I started reading The Light at the Bottom of the World, it reminded me of The 100. Without question, this is a book that my daughter would love! Between the science and technology elements, intelligent characters, and riveting relationship drama, there’s just so much to savor.

I’m not one for battle scenes or wartime strategy, but the action in this book really keeps the pace moving. I also appreciated the current event issues regarding racial prejudice and sterotypes. It gave the story a relevance that isn’t always apparent in a sci-fi novel.

The Light at the Bottom of the World is the first book in the young adult Science Fiction series, The Light at the Bottom of the World, by London Shah. As a side note, I am not 100% certain on the series name. Goodreads indicates that the series is called The Light at the Bottom of the World, but I have also seen mention of the series being called Light the Abyss. If anyone knows which is going to be the series name, please let me know! I kind of like Light the Abyss. Which do you guys prefer?

But anyway, The Light at the Bottom of the World was a fun read. I loved the totally foreign feeling world. It wasn’t quite an underwater mermaid type world, because it was the London that we know of, but it is now at the bottom of the ocean, which is a fun thing to think about. When I started reading, I was really paying attention to the world building details because I was trying to create a mind image of what this would would look like, and how it would all function. I eventually did get there, but it took me a while for the full world picture to form, and I will admit that I am still a bit fuzzy on a few of the details and the how does it work aspect, but nothing that detracted from my enjoyment of the overall story. I loved the “monsters” that London Shah incorporated into the story. If you are thinking of an underwater world, a whole new class of creatures can be created, and what London created were certainly creepy and really interesting. I enjoyed being creeped out by the anthropods.

Our main character is 16 year old Leyla, who has been living on her own ever since her father was imprisoned in a secret government prison. Leyla is convinced that her father is innocent and she will stop at nothing to find him. Leyla is also a bit of a racer, so when she finds out about a government sanctioned submersible race, she is in. And when she finds out that the winner gets to pick their prize- anything she wants, she is even more determined to win. This is the second book about a race that I have read this month, but Crown of Oblivion and The Light at the Bottom of the World are both totally different, and wonderfully unique in their own way. I have decided that I love the tension, high stakes and action packed plot of a race because both of these two books have been a hit for me. The Light at the Bottom of the World was a captivating read, and I can honestly say that it felt more fresh and different than most of the other books I have read this year.

I wanted the race element of the story be play a larger role than it ultimately did, but once we got past the race, the story took a different and interesting turn. As the story progressed, the plot started to feel more and more mysterious, which I loved. The further Leyla traveled from the known comfort of her city, and out into the unknown waters, the more mysterious the story felt, and the higher my excitement level rose. I really enjoyed The Light at the Bottom of the World, and I am super anxious for more. I want the next installment right now. I was hoping for a bit more on the romance front, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that subplot grows in the next novel, but what romance was in this story was excellent. I love a good enemies to more trope. I can’t wait to see what the next installment of this series will bring.

I am soooo disappointed with The Light at the Bottom of the World! I adore apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction, and with the current Climate Crisis, this book should have been exciting and topical and basically just something I would love. Unfortunately, my only take away from this book is that it is SUCH a boring book.

The setting of underwater London had so much potential, and I was very excited to dive in (lol) to this world and see how the country had changed. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough description, and the characters just flitted from one place to another without really talking about it. I didn’t get a feel for the setting at all, and to be honest I got a bit confused about exactly where everyone was.

The characters also had ideas that came out of nowhere, with no build up or suspense, and it was as though I, as the reader, was supposed to be following along the whole time. Except I was unable to follow along because the writing was so chaotic and disjointed.

In addition to all of that, nothing really happened, and for some reason the story has been dragged into a duology. I feel like this could have been a strong standalone if the writing had been tightened up, but The Light at the Bottom of the World ended up being a whole lot of missed potential.

This was a really interesting story. I loved the underwater setting of the book and all of the sci-fi elements that were worked in. I was surprised by how much the government conspiracy angle played a role in the book but it worked to move the plot along. The thing I didn't love was the main character. She seemed immature and naive at quite a few points in the book and that bothered me. I also didn't love the dog character in this book, while I normally love mischievous animals in books that add to the story, this one might as well have been a stuffed dog. Despite that she is mentioned and talked about a lot. Overall this was a good story, with fantastic world building but lack luster characters. I may still give book two a chance to see where things go though.

A post-environmental disaster story about a world decimated by global warming and rising oceans. Leyla lives in the depths of the ocean: London. After rising sea levels flooded the planet, humanity was forced to adapt. Submersible racing and attacks from Anthropoids--genetically modified humans--are all Leyla has ever known. And when she's selected to participate in the prestigious London Marathon, she sees an opportunity to finally help her father--arrested on false charges--if she wins the grand prize which promises to grant the winner's greatest desire. But the more she digs into her father's arrest, the more she begins to realize the government has been lying about almost everything. It takes a surprising new friendship and all her courage and racing skills to take on the establishment she thought was there to keep her safe.


I expected this book to focus more on the submersible races, but the plot advances beyond that about a fourth of the way into the story. Nonetheless, the story t hat developed afterward was really fast-paced and exciting, if occasionally predictable. Loved that there was a British Muslim MC and the environmental sci-fi elements. Definitely a fun read overall with important messages about abuse of power and xenophobia.

I'm gonna be honest - I didn't finish this, and that's why I'm not giving it 1 star. I don't think that's fair. Besides, it was very imaginative and the setting was intriguing. However, I absolutely could not get around the dialogue. I'm hoping it might be different in the final version, because everything about it felt stilted and unnatural. There were huge blocks of it with very little variation, and a lot of it felt a lot like *obvious dialogue* and not like anything somebody would actually say. It was driving me nuts, and I couldn't continue when I read this about 25% of the way in:

'He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'm sorry, Queenie. I should have told you. I will try and explain, child. But first let me remind you that in the absence of your father, I'm your guardian. You must understand that whatever I do, I do it with your interests at heart. You're in danger, and you need protecting. You refuse to move in with anyone. You left me with no choice. When someone started following you a few weeks ago, I turned to my old friend Ben for help. He agreed to send his son to ensure you're keeping safe."'

I don't know WHY this feels so stilted and awkward to me. Maybe because it should be emotive, but just isn't, at all. It also made it clear the story was going to turn into a romance between the MC and this "boy sent to protect her" (I could be wrong, but alas), and I'm just not interested. I might have kept going if I could have connected to the MC, but I didn't. I never felt like I was IN the story, and for this type of intriguing setting, that was very disappointing.

In conclusion, I thought this was going to be about the submersible race, but that part was over in the first 20% of the book, and I honestly just want to move onto something else. I'm sure the book will appeal to other people, though.

The concept of this book, while a little far fetched, is really intriguing. It took a little while for me to really get hooked on the story, but come the end of the book I found myself not wanting it to end. I am highly anticipating book two to find out what happens with Leyla, Hashem, and Ari.

Kind of surprised this one seems to have flown under the radar. As far as YA fantasy goes, it’s one of the better ones I’ve read this year. The characters aren’t that revelatory, but the setting is absolutely exceptional.

When I read that it took place in completely underwater version of London, I assumed the inhabitants were all going to be mermaids. Or something similar at least, but nope! In this post-apocalyptic future the surviving civilization lives in airtight dwellings and travels in personal submarines among the other creatures that inhabit the ocean. The author is a little vague on what exactly caused this calamity and how the people pulled off this great underwater escape, but the events of the novel happen about 70 years after it happened, so it’s not entirely relevant to the main plot. And speaking of that...

The first third felt like a cross between The Hunger Games and podracing in Star Wars, but then takes a turn towards something more like an undersea adventure. Our main character, Leyla, is your classic YA heroine, for better or worse. She even gets to yell “I can take care of myself!” at various authority figures in her life before eventually realizing that she, in fact, cannot take care of herself at all. Her hunky, brooding ‘protector’ who’s perpetually clenching his jaw fulfills the love interest role in the YA way of starting as a mortal enemy before embracing one another as lovers in less than a day. My biggest issue, though? The freaking dog. Shut up about the dog. Nobody cares about the dog. I don’t know why book-dogs annoy me so much, but I never enjoy reading anything with them, and this one is mentioned on nearly every page. Also Jojo is a dumb dog name.

The tropes are redundant, and the symbolism is a little heavy-handed, but I was able to read through it without wanting to go back in time and murder a teenaged version of myself, so I consider that a win. In all seriousness, it’s a solid start to an apparent series set to pick up some time again in 2020. I’ll be looking out for it along with whatever London Shah puts out next!

I’ve been excited to read Ms. Shah’s debut for quite some time. I love the idea of humans having to live underwater because of catastrophic climate events (that is, I love the idea in the abstract, not hoping it happens anytime soon!). Ms. Shah’s vision of such a world is definitely creative and interesting. I did find while I was reading that I just had a lot of questions about how society was able to make all of this actually work. I like Ari’s character, but I was a bit iffy on Leyla herself, only because she was both a bit of a Mary Sue (really naive) and also extremely stubborn and reckless. Things that should’ve been near impossible for her somehow always worked out, too, which can be frustrating. I will say I didn’t realize going in that this was a series, and the ending is indeed a serious cliffhanger that has me wanting to grab the next book asap!

If you enjoy YA science fiction and are looking for a really unique setting -- there aren’t many books set wholly underwater! -- you should give this one a try. Anyone looking for a diverse main character, or specifically for a Muslim lead, should grab this one, too. If you read it, let me know your thoughts! I look forward to seeing where the adventure leads next.

RATING: 3.5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

This was such a fun, interesting concept!

The underwater world was so fun to explore between the main characters, their unique society, and the obstacles they face under the sea.

It encompasses everything you’re looking for in a YA Fantasy from the high-stakes to the captivating, storytelling techniques. The writing was subversive and made you turn page after page until the ending. Which is why I finished it in one night!

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars, and I highly recommend it. There’s a clear-cut motive and it was so fun to see how she runs around trying to achieve it.

It’ll be interesting to see how this epic series will continue!

Scheduled to post 12/3/19.

Where did I stop reading? 11% in

Why? Looks like I blew right past the "end of the 21st century" part of the blurb because I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough for me to accept that the world changed so drastically in such a short amount of time yet we had fully functioning underwater worlds with the technology to go along with it. On top of that it wasn't really holding my attention. Nothing really that I could point to specifically that I wasn't liking. Just all around. I think I was roped in by the gorgeous cover more than anything else, and the premise came secondary. But this one was on my meh list.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

DNF at 57%

Most of the time, I DNF a book b/c something is inherently offensive or wrong with it. That's not the case with this book. I just wasn't enjoying myself. This book has strengths in the world being something I haven't read before, but the plot didn't keep me engaged. That's a me problem, not a book problem. I firmly believe that if this plot sounds interesting to you then you will likely enjoy the book,

I've been holding off on this review for several months now. After finishing this book, I had a lot of mixed feelings about it. First off, the premise is absolutely brilliant. It reminded me of Bioshock, a 2000s video game I love. I was desperate to know how the author would develop the worldbuilding to such a unique setting. In this instance, I considered the setting to be a character itself and I wanted to know how the characters thrived and interacted with it. Needless to say, I began the book with a set of expectations and the execution was a surprising letdown. It wasn't what I expected and I was left with more questions than answers.

I did, however, like Leyla and her journey. She was a flawed character who didn't always make the best decisions, but I loved that. Not every main teenaged character is a street smart genius with the maturity of a 30-year-old. Sometimes, as adults, we forget that teens are still developing their decision-making skills. I don't think we should expect every main character can be a Kaz Bekker. Leyla was a realistic teen in a fantasy world and I appreciate that a lot.

All of which left me on the fence because I specifically requested this book for the setting/worldbuilding, but I only ended up liking the characters. I'll rate it 2.5 rates, which rounds to 3 stars. Like always, I do want to see what London Shah does next. I hope I fall in love with her sophomore novel.

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had heard great things about this book and I was so excited to be able to read it early and be part of the street team! This book was amazing and I cannot wait for the second book!

I am so happy I was able to read this book and you all need to go buy it too! It is a phenomenal debut and I am so looking forward to reading everything London writes.

Light is an ownvoices book with a British Pashtun Muslim main character. I absolutely loved seeing her in this book and that she was so very British! There was some very British references especially her love for tea! It was such a great thing to see, it felt like home.

I also loved how much of her Pashtun culture was included in the book. The food references especially had me craving everything! This book is full of wonderfully diverse characters from Leyla and Ari to others they meet along their journey. Even in London the community is so diverse and it was just normal to them, I really loved seeing that.

"Hope is all I have right now; it’s as unending as the oceans – and I must hold on to it."

I really loved Leyla, she is smart, resourceful and courageous yet she still feels afraid when she fears for her life and freezes which made her so much more real to me. But she doesn’t let her fear control her life which I loved seeing. She is determined to find her dad no matter the danger.

Ari is other main character who is Leyla’s companion on her journey to find her dad. He is broody and angsty and I fell in love with him immediately! He is such a complex character and there is so much more to him than what we initially see. He is patient and kind and brave and protects Leyla and helps her to overcome her fears. I really loved them both together and how their friendship grows and of course their banter and bickering!

This book has some incredible world building, we first get to explore London with Leyla and how it is recognisable as our London yet so different as everyone now lives underwater. When Leyla leaves London to find her dad we get to explore more of the UK with her and the world that London has created was so intricate and detailed and SO BEAUTIFUL. While I am not a fan of going in open water, I did make me want to be able to see that world.

"People always find a way to keep from losing one another – from losing themselves."

The story is full of mystery and intrigue and as the story goes on we realise that not everything we know about the world is true, it made me want to read just one more chapter because I needed to know what was happening! Also the mind blowing plot twists! I did not see them coming! They left me in shock and wandering what else that Leyla believed to be true wasn’t. The ending also left me reeling, it’s one hell of a cliffhanger and
I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive the wait for the next book!

One of the things that I loved was how despite there being some very heavy topics and intense parts of the book, London wove humour through it so well and the lighter moments had me cracking up! The way that the people thought we lived before everyone lived underwater, nostalgia with rose tinted glasses. It was such funny moments and I loved it so much!

"Old world trains were spotless, and everyone chatted, knew one another. It was safe as houses. And they never broke down – not once. Zero delays!"

I could go on forever about all the things I loved about this book and I highly recommend you all read it!

Set in a dystopian underwater world about 100 years in the future, The Light at the Bottom of the World pits a talented young woman against the entirety of the British government. The seas rose and the people adapted. They waterproofed their dwellings and learned to travel in tunnels and submersibles. Yet, all these precautions cannot keep them safe from the things that dwell in the deep, things derived from nature and the evil Anthropoids who were created by man. These half man-half beast fish creatures were spliced up to help the populace adapt to the watery conditions, but they developed a rage and weren’t able to be trusted. They are now banished and hunted, only to become terrorists.

Leyla McQueen is trying to make it through the day-to-day existence at the bottom of the sea. She and her friends like to race their submersibles, test new tech, and play jokes on their virtual maids. Things were going well until her father went to work one day and didn’t come back home. Leyla has tried repeatedly to contact the police and get any sort of attention to his case, but she has been stonewalled. She sees a chance when she is picked to race in the annual London Submersible Marathon where the winner gets to ask the PM for one wish… Will she be able to win against the one hundred other racers? What are her chances?

And that’s just in the first quarter of the book… Shah flips the “big race” trope and puts it at the beginning of the book. What if the main character wins the race and still doesn’t get the golden prize? Leyla has her friends to help her see through the conspiracy of her father’s arrest, and her grandfather to remind her of her Muslim faith and give her the protection she needs. An independent investigation. There goes Leyla.

This is a quality YA read. An imaginative setting that allows for so much room to explore with technology and a cultural shift. Leyla is a fully-formed character who is fun to follow along. She is forced to grow up fast and use all the strength and love her parents have given her. A great character who Shah writes a nonstop plot for.

I had a small problem with the rounded-corner science, but the reveals were good. I was happy to hang on to the propeller and go for the ride! Augmented dolphins, an Oscar Wilde hologram navigator, and love for family that won’t be denied.

4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney-Hyperion, and the author for an advanced copy for review.