Book Review: Undertow by Michael Buckley

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from HMH Books, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

We have a subtle theme of water today!
I don't normally read Sci-Fi, but this one caught my eye, and really hooked me!

Synopsis: 

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen. 

Check out the book trailer:

Review 

While technically a YA read, this book will have adults turning the pages just as quickly as their teens! 

 Are the strange alien race the true monsters, or are the monsters really those inside of us? 

That is the question that Buckley seeks to answer in this roller coaster, whip smart read. While the conservatives may be painted a tad too dark, the issues in the book will resound with those in our modern lives, and how radically changed our country has become. Buckley strives and succeeds in wicked analogies to current political situations. And although they are nuanced to the left, there are lessons to be learned. The story is a coming of age tale for both Lyric and Fathom, yet it is also a romantic thriller, with a mystery of a cliffhanger, that will leave you begging for more! 

Don't miss this one- make it a family Summer read!

About the Author:

>Michael Buckley is the multiple NY Times bestselling author of The Sisters Grimm and NERDS series, as well as Kel Gilligan’s Daredevil Stuntshow and one half of the creative team behind CN’s Robotomy.  He grew up in Akron, Ohio and attended Ohio University, graduated in 1996 with honors.  Shortly after he moved to NYC, interning for CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman, and worked as a stand-up comic and TV and ad copywriter.  The Sisters Grimm was the first of his fifteen published books.He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.  He likes cupcakes.Check out his webpage for more.