Into the Sunken City

Starred review from October 23, 2023
Five hundred years after the Stitching, an event that gathered the clouds together, causing constant rainfall and the world’s drowning, 18-year-old Jin Haldar is just trying to keep her younger sister alive. With both parents dead, Jin scrabbles for a living running their inn while desperately searching for ways to pay off the Navy’s conscription taxes, lest she be forced to join and see her sister shipped off to an orphanage. When a drifter arrives at the inn with a plan to dive down and raid the drowned ruins of Las Vegas for a hidden cache of gold, Jin knows that signing on ensures an opportunity to pay off a lifetime of taxes, and carve out an existence beyond mere survival. But the pirates and other seafaring dangers that Jin must face to claim her bounty have nothing on Jin’s true fear: diving, the thing that killed her father. The cinematic story line, electric prose, and creative and lived-in worldbuilding make Thiru’s debut a thrilling adventure on the high seas, a striking portrayal of trauma and hope in dystopian times, and a thoroughly compelling read. Jin’s family ancestry traces back to the Himalayas. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management.

Starred review from November 15, 2023
Thousands of feet under the ocean, a teenage girl must pull off the heist of a lifetime. Five hundred years ago, the clouds fused around the Earth, forming a "foggy shell." The daily rain is submerging cities. Now, in Arizona in the year 2532, 18-year-old Jin Haldar runs her father's inn and tries to keep younger sister Thara safe. Ever since their father died while diving, they've been alone in the world, hardly making enough to survive. Desperate, Jin readily agrees when a woman named Bhili, an eccentric drifter, offers gold in exchange for an indefinite stay. Bhili later offers the sisters the opportunity to score enough gold to move inland to safety. The catch? They'll have to dive to Vegas-Drowned and retrieve it from the sunken Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Jin swore never to dive again after her father's accident, but Thara is set on going. The girls pull together a crew consisting of Coast Guard cadet Taim, Jin's ex-boyfriend, and ship's mechanic Saanvi. Jin and Thara must survive ruthless pirates, monstrous deep-sea creatures--and betrayal. This futuristic adventure features nonstop thrills and action and an unpredictable, compelling, twist-filled plot. Forced to grow up too soon, Jin struggles with trust, courage, grief, love, and family. The detailed worldbuilding immerses readers in the dark, wet future world. In a broadly diverse world, the Haldars present South Asian; the girls' late father was Hindu. A riveting fantasy adventure debut that pulls readers into the deep. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Jin lives in a rapidly drowning city. As the water levels rise, she dreams, impossibly, of seeing the sun. After her father dies diving into the wrecks far beneath the waves to search for treasure, she promises herself she will never dive again and will protect her younger sister, Thara. But one day, a stranger, Bhili, arrives at her inn and gives the sisters an offer: a chance to dive to unspeakably dangerous depths to recover an epic treasure in a great wreck called Vegas Drowned. Jin doesn't trust Bhili, but Thara insists on going. One dead body and a reunion with her mostly ex-boyfriend (it's complicated) later, Jin and Thara set out in search of treasure. Everything immediately goes wrong when they're hijacked by pirates who promise to split the treasure if Jin leads the way. If she refuses, her sister dies. A slow start is worth the wait--this debut has a unique and original underwater dystopia, a treasure hunt, a second-chance romance, and a twisty heist with shifting alliances and complicated relationships.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-It's been 500 years since the Stitching, when clouds fused a cover over the Earth. Since then, rain has fallen every day, leaving most of the world underwater. Jin Haldar, 18, grew up scavenging underwater ruins with her father, until he died in a building collapse in Phoenix-Below. Blaming herself, Jin gave up diving to care for her younger sister, Thara, while struggling to run a coastal inn in Conocino, AZ. When a foul-mouthed old woman named Bhili Bones shows up on their doorstep carrying a suspicious amount of gold, skeptical Jin is reluctant to trust her story of a massive treasure sunken in the depths of Vegas-Drowned. But the amount of money she promises them is life-changing-enough to travel to the Himalayas and see the sun-and with Thara's future in mind, Jin agrees to dive. Armed with their dad's valuable atmo-suits and joined by Jin's ex-boyfriend Taim Mazatl�n and friend Saanvi, the group sets out for Vegas-Drowned, only to be captured and held hostage by murderous pirates intent on reaching the gold first. The fresh premise, immersive, waterlogged atmosphere, and cinematic action of this dystopian riff on Treasure Island combine for an unforgettable read perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows or Adrienne Young's Fable. Worldbuilding is vivid and detailed, while leaving tantalizing questions on the table for an anticipated sequel. Jin and Thara are of South Asian descent; secondary characters are racially diverse. VERDICT Addictively pulse-pounding deep-sea future fiction, this is highly recommended as a first purchase for all collections.-Elizabeth Giles

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