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Aquifer
Only he can bring what they need to survive.
In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world's fresh water. But he has learned the true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion in the name of keeping the peace. This Council has broken his father's spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart.
But when Luca's father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets and mysteries that cause him to questions who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council's control. But Luca's mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.
In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world's fresh water. But he has learned the true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion in the name of keeping the peace. This Council has broken his father's spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart.
But when Luca's father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets and mysteries that cause him to questions who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council's control. But Luca's mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2013
40 people are currently reading
1363 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Friesen
10 books174 followersI had the perfect life.
I was the grade-school star and the teacher’s pet. The world revolved around me and I suspected it always would. If you ask most people about their life, they don’t begin with fifth grade. But that was a good year.
Illness changed that. I retreated into a shell and escaped into words. Writing a story sucked the pain out of me, at least for a while. That’s when I learned to “feel” on paper. I didn’t think I’d be an author, I didn’t think I’d be much of anything, I was simply writing to survive.
Life changed in college. Health returned, the cloud lifted, and I got my teaching license.
Being a teacher, and being with those kids healed me. Surrounded by them, I relived periods of time stolen by childhood sickness. I was in my glory. But I couldn’t escape storytelling. All those years expressing myself on paper left their mark.
While my students worked, I wrote at my desk. Jerk California, my first book, flowed out of my own “lost years,” but hope fills the pages. Writing it was a beautiful thing to experience.
I now live on a horse farm with my wife, three children, and a growing number of animals.
Our home is on a hill that overlooks a river that snakes through a beautiful valley. We tear along the stream on the 4-wheeler. My three kids race through the pasture and scale the sides of the sand pit; they search for agates and chase wild turkeys that trespass on the gravel road that connects our hill to the rest of the world. I have promised them chickens and horses, but for now they settle for bald eagle and bear. It’s a good place to play and write.
At night, I walk out and listen to the wind rattle paper-thin bark on our birch trees. I stare at stars nobody else has seen and start a bonfire so bright it chases all the stars away. Then, my clothes full of smoke and my mind filled with ideas, I come inside and write until my fingers get heavy on the keyboard.
I love it here.
I was the grade-school star and the teacher’s pet. The world revolved around me and I suspected it always would. If you ask most people about their life, they don’t begin with fifth grade. But that was a good year.
Illness changed that. I retreated into a shell and escaped into words. Writing a story sucked the pain out of me, at least for a while. That’s when I learned to “feel” on paper. I didn’t think I’d be an author, I didn’t think I’d be much of anything, I was simply writing to survive.
Life changed in college. Health returned, the cloud lifted, and I got my teaching license.
Being a teacher, and being with those kids healed me. Surrounded by them, I relived periods of time stolen by childhood sickness. I was in my glory. But I couldn’t escape storytelling. All those years expressing myself on paper left their mark.
While my students worked, I wrote at my desk. Jerk California, my first book, flowed out of my own “lost years,” but hope fills the pages. Writing it was a beautiful thing to experience.
I now live on a horse farm with my wife, three children, and a growing number of animals.
Our home is on a hill that overlooks a river that snakes through a beautiful valley. We tear along the stream on the 4-wheeler. My three kids race through the pasture and scale the sides of the sand pit; they search for agates and chase wild turkeys that trespass on the gravel road that connects our hill to the rest of the world. I have promised them chickens and horses, but for now they settle for bald eagle and bear. It’s a good place to play and write.
At night, I walk out and listen to the wind rattle paper-thin bark on our birch trees. I stare at stars nobody else has seen and start a bonfire so bright it chases all the stars away. Then, my clothes full of smoke and my mind filled with ideas, I come inside and write until my fingers get heavy on the keyboard.
I love it here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
July 26, 2016
With the growing popularity of dystopic literature for young adults, authors must find a fresh perspective to make their work stand out. Aquifer by Jonathan Friesen has a government that maintains its power not through subtle mindwashing or social planning, but by control of the world’s remaining freshwater supply. Given the rising concern about water supplies—even in America, farms and urban areas dispute water supplies, especially in the barren Southwest—the scenario seems closer to reality than some of the elaborate systems in other dystopias.
However, the water restrictions are minimalized in the novel. If only one freshwater aquifer remains, why aren’t countries attempting desalinization? How is it piped across the world? And how much water are people allowed to use? Wouldn’t the world be on some sort of rationing system? The author did mention water pirates, but there was no indication that people were suffering from lack of water.
In addition, the “dials” that each member wore felt unnecessary. While most fictional dystopias restrict emotion, such a restriction didn’t fit with this government. The author seemed uncertain about the mechanics of his dystopia—while harsh, rules-bound societies are the genre norm, this book would have worked better if citizens were permitted an illusion of freedom.
Fans of dystopian literature will probably enjoy this book, though other readers might be bored.
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program in exchange for a free review.
However, the water restrictions are minimalized in the novel. If only one freshwater aquifer remains, why aren’t countries attempting desalinization? How is it piped across the world? And how much water are people allowed to use? Wouldn’t the world be on some sort of rationing system? The author did mention water pirates, but there was no indication that people were suffering from lack of water.
In addition, the “dials” that each member wore felt unnecessary. While most fictional dystopias restrict emotion, such a restriction didn’t fit with this government. The author seemed uncertain about the mechanics of his dystopia—while harsh, rules-bound societies are the genre norm, this book would have worked better if citizens were permitted an illusion of freedom.
Fans of dystopian literature will probably enjoy this book, though other readers might be bored.
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program in exchange for a free review.
February 7, 2022
"Don't look back. Protect her. Save the world. Got it."
I have mixed feelings about this, lol. I picked it up 8-or-so years ago, and it's been sitting on my TBR shelves ever since, so this year I decided it was time. If I didn't read it, I wasn't going to read it, and now that I have read it... I'm not sure how to feel. On the one hand, the plot moved at quite a quick speed, and there were multiple moments and twists that genuinely surprised me. On the other hand, I almost feel like this would have worked better if there were multiple books? Things happened almost too fast, and a lot of the time it kind of felt like we were skimming over the actual emotions and depth of what was happening (which, like, considering Luca wasn't supposed to feel for most of his life, I kind of understand why he didn't go into how he was feeling, but I would have liked a few more emotional beats before moving into more action). The characters were interesting, but again, I didn't feel like I really got to know them because things were happening so fast. Though I would have been way more disappointed in the ending if I'd spent two/three books in this story instead of just the one. Because the ending isn't my favorite, gotta say it.
Ultimately I feel kind of "meh" about this book. Nothing was terrible, but nothing was really spectacular either. In a lot of ways it reminded me of "The Giver", but I liked "The Giver" more, if that makes sense. Content warning for quite a bit of violence, and a somewhat strange romantic sideplot that seemed to affect Luca way deeper emotionally than any of the actual death and violence... for some reason. 3.5 stars from me.
I have mixed feelings about this, lol. I picked it up 8-or-so years ago, and it's been sitting on my TBR shelves ever since, so this year I decided it was time. If I didn't read it, I wasn't going to read it, and now that I have read it... I'm not sure how to feel. On the one hand, the plot moved at quite a quick speed, and there were multiple moments and twists that genuinely surprised me. On the other hand, I almost feel like this would have worked better if there were multiple books? Things happened almost too fast, and a lot of the time it kind of felt like we were skimming over the actual emotions and depth of what was happening (which, like, considering Luca wasn't supposed to feel for most of his life, I kind of understand why he didn't go into how he was feeling, but I would have liked a few more emotional beats before moving into more action). The characters were interesting, but again, I didn't feel like I really got to know them because things were happening so fast. Though I would have been way more disappointed in the ending if I'd spent two/three books in this story instead of just the one. Because the ending isn't my favorite, gotta say it.
Ultimately I feel kind of "meh" about this book. Nothing was terrible, but nothing was really spectacular either. In a lot of ways it reminded me of "The Giver", but I liked "The Giver" more, if that makes sense. Content warning for quite a bit of violence, and a somewhat strange romantic sideplot that seemed to affect Luca way deeper emotionally than any of the actual death and violence... for some reason. 3.5 stars from me.
May 3, 2016
Every year the deliverer has to go below the surface of the Earth to make a deal with the rats to let the above world have fresh water for a year and peace. When Luca goes to take his father's place, something goes terribly wrong. Can he save the world and his father from this darkness? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good read that I got for $2 at the local Christian book store. If you enjoy dystopian stories, definitely check this out at the Christian book stores and wherever books are sold online.
This was a pretty good read that I got for $2 at the local Christian book store. If you enjoy dystopian stories, definitely check this out at the Christian book stores and wherever books are sold online.
February 2, 2016
So I thought I'd try out a new review format to help keep my brain on track. Let's see if it works. First, a general blurb.
I super enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure about it, because I'd seen some negative reviews, and it was an impulse buy at Family Christian (we did have a thirty percent off coupon, which tends to spark impulse buys. ;) ) So I actually have a paperback copy of this one! *gasp* Also, there are potentially major spoilers inside the spoiler tags. You have been warned.
The Good (Things I loved)
-The setting. Friesen clearly spent a lot of time developing the world, and I love him for that. *applauds*
-The characters. I super-duper loved the complexity of some of these characters.
-The Wishers. I loved how the faith aspect wasn't banging you over the head. God is only mentioned a few times in the story, and Luca has no clue who it is.
-The Voice. He never said this was God/the Holy Spirit, but I loved it. Even though Luca was often an idiot and ignored the voice.
-The prologue. It fit in SO WELL with the rest of the book. I applaud Friesen for his amazingness.
The Bad (Things I didn't like)
-Luca. This is just a me-thing, I think, but I didn't connect too much with Luca. He was okay, just not amazing.
-The hair. Dreadlocks? Okay, I get that, but what's the difference between Topper hair and
-The Amongus. They were never really explained. What made them different? Also, their dials were a little confusing. And why could the Amongus stand on broken glass.
-The romance. This wasn't too bad, it was just a little unrealistic. Considering they knew each other, what, two days before their first kiss?
The Ugly (Things that made me uncomfortable ((sexual content, excessive violence, etc.)))
-Characters are killed. My favorites. But that's about all I've got. Bodies/blood are mentioned.
I hate saying this about a three-hundred-plus page book, but I serious wish/hope there will be a sequel. ;) I'm definitely going to check out more of Friesen's books.
I super enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure about it, because I'd seen some negative reviews, and it was an impulse buy at Family Christian (we did have a thirty percent off coupon, which tends to spark impulse buys. ;) ) So I actually have a paperback copy of this one! *gasp* Also, there are potentially major spoilers inside the spoiler tags. You have been warned.
The Good (Things I loved)
-The setting. Friesen clearly spent a lot of time developing the world, and I love him for that. *applauds*
-The characters. I super-duper loved the complexity of some of these characters.
-The Wishers. I loved how the faith aspect wasn't banging you over the head. God is only mentioned a few times in the story, and Luca has no clue who it is.
-The Voice. He never said this was God/the Holy Spirit, but I loved it. Even though Luca was often an idiot and ignored the voice.
-The prologue. It fit in SO WELL with the rest of the book. I applaud Friesen for his amazingness.
The Bad (Things I didn't like)
-Luca. This is just a me-thing, I think, but I didn't connect too much with Luca. He was okay, just not amazing.
-The hair. Dreadlocks? Okay, I get that, but what's the difference between Topper hair and
-The Amongus. They were never really explained. What made them different? Also, their dials were a little confusing. And why could the Amongus stand on broken glass.
-The romance. This wasn't too bad, it was just a little unrealistic. Considering they knew each other, what, two days before their first kiss?
The Ugly (Things that made me uncomfortable ((sexual content, excessive violence, etc.)))
-Characters are killed. My favorites. But that's about all I've got. Bodies/blood are mentioned.
I hate saying this about a three-hundred-plus page book, but I serious wish/hope there will be a sequel. ;) I'm definitely going to check out more of Friesen's books.
February 18, 2021
I was looking for a good dystopian. This was not it.
September 18, 2013
The Earth of the future is a wasteland. The once precious liquid that sustained life -- fresh water -- has vanished, leaving only its salty counterpart in its stead and a people struggling to eke out a meager existence on the dusty wastelands that once teemed with life. Fresh water is only available from one source, the Aquifer, and once a year the Toppers send their Deliverer into the bowels of the Earth to broker a deal with the fearsome Water Rats who control the Aquifer for a year's supply. Luca is the son of Father Massa, the current Deliverer, the path to salvation stamped indelibly on his psyche since childhood. In a world that demands conformity and employs fearsome Amongus, watchmen tasked with stamping out any hint of individuality or emotion. At sixteen and on the cusp of adulthood, Luca begins to question everything he's been taught, and finds himself drawn to the forbidden -- bursts of emotion, rumors of scratchings (i.e., books) that once set the world on fire. When his father disappears on his yearly water pilgrimage, the responsibilities of Deliverer fall to Luca -- a weight he's unsure whether or not he's capable of carrying thanks to the newly-formed questions and doubts filling his once-ordered life with tumult. With the help of Seward, a wily pirate, Luca goes rogue in an attempt to discover the truth of the Aquifer and his calling -- a truth with the power to destroy the fabric of Luca's society, or set two worlds free forever.
Aquifer came on my radar when the new Blink imprint from Zondervan was announced earlier this year. With a goal of publishing YA fiction that would appeal to both faith-based and general-market readers (regarding the former, those certainly tap into both markets in my experience), I was eager to explore the types of titles this imprint brings to the market. Aquifer promises a dystopian adventure in the vein of The Hunger Games and other novels of that ilk -- a world at once both familiar and strange, where an item that supports the very fabric of life, so often taken for granted, becomes scarce, the pivot on which the very future of society depends.
Friesen's New Pert, Austrayla, is the epicenter of activity, the social hub whose survival depends on a steady supply of water from the Aquifer. I loved the dystopian Australian setting, as it frankly isn't one often seen in fiction in my experience -- and as it is surrounded by salt water, its very setting adds to the sense of isolation and imminent peril facing Luca and his people. Of the characters, Luca is the most well-drawn, but while that is to be expected given his status as the novel's hero-in-training, it's frustrating when to the relatively colorless by comparison supporting players -- those for whom Luca has been trained from birth with the understanding that he is in many respects as their "savior" and defacto leader (albeit a relatively powerless one thanks to the Amongus).
While Aquifer isn't a Christian novel per se, it definitely seems informed by a biblical worldview, and that aspect of the storyline is both its greatest strength and its most maddening quality. Luca first encounters faith when he meets the Wishers, whose faith in an unseen power and ability to avoid the Amongus' power to detect unsettling, emotional "wrinkles" intrigues him, thus priming him for the realization that there is more to living than the strictly proscribed boundaries in which he exists. However, the novel sets Luca up as a Christ-figure (the historical implications of naming his father "Massa" are also somewhat troubling, as if Luca is the savior then his father is a god to the people, though powerless), without an alternative, without fully exploring what or who it is calling on Luca to live a radical life, to embrace truths so wild they are capable of sparking revolution.
Although hampered by a sluggish start, Aquifer contains a refreshing (no water-related pun intended) premise whose biggest drawback is, perhaps, a lack of depth. While Luca is a competently-realized hero, he is surrounded on the whole by frustratingly one-dimensional characters (particularly Luca's "love" interest), very literally sheep without a shepherd -- and if that was the intent, the allegorical content of the storyline veers into extraordinarily heavy-handed territory, which does a disservice to an otherwise potentially interesting premise. With a greater focus on world-building and supporting character development, subsequent installments exploring Luca's heroic journey and attempts to revitalize a faith-starved world hold promise. Aquifer is in many respects an uneven effort, but it is ultimately a thought-provoking read that's left me curious for Friesen's (and this new imprint's) future work.
Aquifer came on my radar when the new Blink imprint from Zondervan was announced earlier this year. With a goal of publishing YA fiction that would appeal to both faith-based and general-market readers (regarding the former, those certainly tap into both markets in my experience), I was eager to explore the types of titles this imprint brings to the market. Aquifer promises a dystopian adventure in the vein of The Hunger Games and other novels of that ilk -- a world at once both familiar and strange, where an item that supports the very fabric of life, so often taken for granted, becomes scarce, the pivot on which the very future of society depends.
Friesen's New Pert, Austrayla, is the epicenter of activity, the social hub whose survival depends on a steady supply of water from the Aquifer. I loved the dystopian Australian setting, as it frankly isn't one often seen in fiction in my experience -- and as it is surrounded by salt water, its very setting adds to the sense of isolation and imminent peril facing Luca and his people. Of the characters, Luca is the most well-drawn, but while that is to be expected given his status as the novel's hero-in-training, it's frustrating when to the relatively colorless by comparison supporting players -- those for whom Luca has been trained from birth with the understanding that he is in many respects as their "savior" and defacto leader (albeit a relatively powerless one thanks to the Amongus).
While Aquifer isn't a Christian novel per se, it definitely seems informed by a biblical worldview, and that aspect of the storyline is both its greatest strength and its most maddening quality. Luca first encounters faith when he meets the Wishers, whose faith in an unseen power and ability to avoid the Amongus' power to detect unsettling, emotional "wrinkles" intrigues him, thus priming him for the realization that there is more to living than the strictly proscribed boundaries in which he exists. However, the novel sets Luca up as a Christ-figure (the historical implications of naming his father "Massa" are also somewhat troubling, as if Luca is the savior then his father is a god to the people, though powerless), without an alternative, without fully exploring what or who it is calling on Luca to live a radical life, to embrace truths so wild they are capable of sparking revolution.
Although hampered by a sluggish start, Aquifer contains a refreshing (no water-related pun intended) premise whose biggest drawback is, perhaps, a lack of depth. While Luca is a competently-realized hero, he is surrounded on the whole by frustratingly one-dimensional characters (particularly Luca's "love" interest), very literally sheep without a shepherd -- and if that was the intent, the allegorical content of the storyline veers into extraordinarily heavy-handed territory, which does a disservice to an otherwise potentially interesting premise. With a greater focus on world-building and supporting character development, subsequent installments exploring Luca's heroic journey and attempts to revitalize a faith-starved world hold promise. Aquifer is in many respects an uneven effort, but it is ultimately a thought-provoking read that's left me curious for Friesen's (and this new imprint's) future work.
September 9, 2013
Over 200 years in the future, life is very different. Drinking water is scarce and comes only from an underground aquifer beneath what was once Australia. And only one man knows the way. He alone is the one who keeps peace between the Rats that live underground and maintain the aquifer and those who live above. He is the Deliverer. And when he goes missing, the task of Deliver falls to his son, sixteen-year-old Luca.
Luca knows that something is wrong. His father always knows the way back. As he investigates, someone tries to kill him. This forces Luca to run, to trust those he might not normally trust. But if Luca is unable to find the truth and deliver it to the people who live above in time, they just might destroy the aquifer forever.
This was a very original futuristic storyworld. The language was well done, so much so that it was difficult to read at first because it took some time to get used to the lingo. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It was a fascinating dystopian novel with a mystery to uncover. I enjoyed the main character very much. I’m pretty sure that this is a stand-alone book, but the end was tied up nicely enough, even if it left some things to the reader’s imagination. An entertaining read.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Luca knows that something is wrong. His father always knows the way back. As he investigates, someone tries to kill him. This forces Luca to run, to trust those he might not normally trust. But if Luca is unable to find the truth and deliver it to the people who live above in time, they just might destroy the aquifer forever.
This was a very original futuristic storyworld. The language was well done, so much so that it was difficult to read at first because it took some time to get used to the lingo. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It was a fascinating dystopian novel with a mystery to uncover. I enjoyed the main character very much. I’m pretty sure that this is a stand-alone book, but the end was tied up nicely enough, even if it left some things to the reader’s imagination. An entertaining read.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2015
Normally I would give a book more than a chance, but with this one I was so lost and confused I just couldn't get past page 22. And meanwhile I have no clue out what happened in 21 of those 22 pages.
Prologue has a decaying woman & strips of her flesh. Just a lovely imagine I needed in my head. Then there's words I'm sure aren't real, hard accents to read and I am so overwhelmed by the plot and people. Lost, so very lost. Like-on-the-other-side-of-the-world-lost. So lost.
The plot sounded interesting, but I've learned that I'm not a fan of Blink books.
Prologue has a decaying woman & strips of her flesh. Just a lovely imagine I needed in my head. Then there's words I'm sure aren't real, hard accents to read and I am so overwhelmed by the plot and people. Lost, so very lost. Like-on-the-other-side-of-the-world-lost. So lost.
The plot sounded interesting, but I've learned that I'm not a fan of Blink books.
August 15, 2013
Aquifer is the best "Dystopian" novel I have ever read, yes at least for me its better than the 'Hunger Games'. The first 50 pages is a bit challenging (setting up the 2250 World) after that it reads like a real page turner. Luca goes into the underworld to find his father Massa and goes through several life changing events. The ending is beyond great and hardly leave a dry eye in the house. My thanks to Zondervan for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
October 18, 2023
I am just so confused by absolutely everything in this book
March 21, 2014
Picked this up (digital download) from my local library, as I needed something to read and it was instantly available. I struggled starting with the prologue, as the reader is thrust into this different world without many explanations. . Trying to understand who these two men were, what they were doing, and the words that were being thrown out ... Amongus, the PM (peacemaker), Watchers, scratching time, wrinkles, being debriefed and being undone ...
As the story starts, it shifts into a present tense. Not my favorite. I consider it good writing if I don't notice the tense ... I was always aware of the present tense throughout the book. While I did get an actual definition of "debriefed" (to have one's memory robbed and the past rest), I was having to try and figure out what so many things meant (to be "undone" was to be killed). The many different people ... Water Rats, Toppers, Lowers/Uppers, Developers, Council of Nine. There were some familiar names with strange spellings ... Afrika, Sowt Amerika, Australya. The character's names were all pretty unique too ... Massa, Luca, Mape, Walery, Lindi, Seward, Etria, Phale, Talya, Rabal. I know I've read books before where the setting/names are new and different (Saving Mars, NeverSky, DragonRiders of Pern). I'm not sure why sometimes I fall in love with it all, and other time (like here) it just seems such a struggle ... this writing was just very poetic,complex and wordy. Many people like that, I just don't think I was in the mood right now.
One quote I saved was...
We are often reminded how peaceful our world has become, a world without a police force or prison, where crimes and uprisings have nearly disappeared. But we’ve paid a price. The emotional root of all conflict — fear, anger, love, especially love — is prohibited. The goal of our schooling is to master a life of total self-control. A life without wrinkles, without feeling, without soul.
The lack of emotion played a big part in the story, although it wasn't really explained. There are dials that register any remaining emotion that still existed and people would be punished for it. Although that was different, just the "peaceful" community reminded me of "The Giver" ... there were several similarities in fact. The kids are categorized by their ages (Luca is a Fifteen as the story starts). While parents give birth, the children are then taken by the Developers for the first five years to be raised. Joiners will assign couples together when the kids are of age. There is no art or music or books (similar to both The Giver and Matched).
There were some interesting thoughts on books in the story ... they don't exist anymore, remnants of "the scratching time" and they are considered dangerous, a weapon. Luca does discover some and learns to read. Reminded me a little of "The Wretched of Muirwood" with some of the thoughts there (that book was also poetic and complex, but I think I was in a different frame of mind as I do think back on it fondly, but wonder if I'd give up on it now.)
Several reviewers mentioned the religious aspects. It didn't seem overly religious/Christian to me. There were "the Wishers" who would pray and hope and feel and sacrifice themselves for the greater good.God is mentioned a time or two. There is "the Voice" that speaks and guides Luca throughout the story. It wasn't really clear to me if that WAS supposed to be God speaking to him, a guardian angel (I had wondered if it was his mother) or just conscience as Wren says to Luca at one point "But trust your feelings. Trust that sense inside, the sense that will, if allowed, become a Voice."
I was not sure how it was all going to end ... and even upon finishing I was a little "what just happened?" I think I'm still feeling that way. Overall, reading the book just wasn't a great experience. While at times I was interested, it just seemed a bit of a chore to get through the story. I like to read for enjoyment, and I just didn't enjoy this.
As the story starts, it shifts into a present tense. Not my favorite. I consider it good writing if I don't notice the tense ... I was always aware of the present tense throughout the book. While I did get an actual definition of "debriefed" (to have one's memory robbed and the past rest), I was having to try and figure out what so many things meant (to be "undone" was to be killed). The many different people ... Water Rats, Toppers, Lowers/Uppers, Developers, Council of Nine. There were some familiar names with strange spellings ... Afrika, Sowt Amerika, Australya. The character's names were all pretty unique too ... Massa, Luca, Mape, Walery, Lindi, Seward, Etria, Phale, Talya, Rabal. I know I've read books before where the setting/names are new and different (Saving Mars, NeverSky, DragonRiders of Pern). I'm not sure why sometimes I fall in love with it all, and other time (like here) it just seems such a struggle ... this writing was just very poetic,complex and wordy. Many people like that, I just don't think I was in the mood right now.
One quote I saved was...
We are often reminded how peaceful our world has become, a world without a police force or prison, where crimes and uprisings have nearly disappeared. But we’ve paid a price. The emotional root of all conflict — fear, anger, love, especially love — is prohibited. The goal of our schooling is to master a life of total self-control. A life without wrinkles, without feeling, without soul.
The lack of emotion played a big part in the story, although it wasn't really explained. There are dials that register any remaining emotion that still existed and people would be punished for it. Although that was different, just the "peaceful" community reminded me of "The Giver" ... there were several similarities in fact. The kids are categorized by their ages (Luca is a Fifteen as the story starts). While parents give birth, the children are then taken by the Developers for the first five years to be raised. Joiners will assign couples together when the kids are of age. There is no art or music or books (similar to both The Giver and Matched).
There were some interesting thoughts on books in the story ... they don't exist anymore, remnants of "the scratching time" and they are considered dangerous, a weapon. Luca does discover some and learns to read. Reminded me a little of "The Wretched of Muirwood" with some of the thoughts there (that book was also poetic and complex, but I think I was in a different frame of mind as I do think back on it fondly, but wonder if I'd give up on it now.)
Several reviewers mentioned the religious aspects. It didn't seem overly religious/Christian to me. There were "the Wishers" who would pray and hope and feel and sacrifice themselves for the greater good.God is mentioned a time or two. There is "the Voice" that speaks and guides Luca throughout the story. It wasn't really clear to me if that WAS supposed to be God speaking to him, a guardian angel (I had wondered if it was his mother) or just conscience as Wren says to Luca at one point "But trust your feelings. Trust that sense inside, the sense that will, if allowed, become a Voice."
I was not sure how it was all going to end ... and even upon finishing I was a little "what just happened?" I think I'm still feeling that way. Overall, reading the book just wasn't a great experience. While at times I was interested, it just seemed a bit of a chore to get through the story. I like to read for enjoyment, and I just didn't enjoy this.
August 24, 2013
I received a review copy from the publisher after hearing about the book. It sounded awesome.
It was totally confusing.
The premise that sounded so good in synopsis was underwhelming in execution. The setting is a dystopian future Australia, with much of the rest of the world shrouded in myth. Characters seemed to pop in and out as needed by the author to make the plot work.
There are the Amongus (who start out as villainous, but I guess by the end we are supposed to pity them, and some even act heroic-I think); the Rats who live far beneath the Earth's surface (supposedly a devolved form of a group of original miners sent down to the Aquifer generations ago), and Toppers - people who live on the surface. Luca is one of them, as is his father Massa, the Deliverer. For generations their family have been the only ones who knew the safe path down to the land of the Rats. Massa travels that path once a year to take payment to the Rats in exchange for another year's supply of fresh water from the Aquifer to the surface. Massa is handing the knowledge of the path on to his son, which makes them the only things standing between the surface world and certain death from dehydration.
Naturally someone decides to force Massa to give up the route.
Honestly, I wondered what took them so long. We know from the beginning the Amongus have great power and no real respect for the Deliverer. They just underestimate how quickly things will go back if people think there is no Deliverer, and that they will all die when the water stops.
Too much is not explained. And when things go wrong there is always another "miracle" to get them off the hook. At least Luca falls in love, instantly, with a girl he never met before. She is almost the only girl he has ever met, so that might explain the depth of emotion. Especially since the New Pert society is death on emotion, literally. If you are caught feeling any emotion (and they have ways of monitoring people) you are forced to commit suicide. Seriously, the Amongus who sentence you don't even watch, yet people climb into boats, head to see and jump overboard as ordered. We know, because they have someone who salvages the bodies afterward.
In all the confusion and things left unexplained, the only people I learned to care about were the slain family members of the Amongus. The image of the family left stranded on the roof as the last rescue vehicle departs while a mob rushes up to slaughter anyone they find was haunting and terribly reminiscent of the evacuation at the fall of Viet Nam.
I struggled with this story. Because I received a free copy in exchange for a review I forced myself to finish. But I could not force myself to understand, or to care, or to see a character arc in Luca or any of the other major players.
Obviously there will be a sequel. (I did say there were lots of plot hoes. Also loose ends that I have to assume are there to make people want more) I won't be reading that. I won't let myself be that bored struggling through a book again.
It was totally confusing.
The premise that sounded so good in synopsis was underwhelming in execution. The setting is a dystopian future Australia, with much of the rest of the world shrouded in myth. Characters seemed to pop in and out as needed by the author to make the plot work.
There are the Amongus (who start out as villainous, but I guess by the end we are supposed to pity them, and some even act heroic-I think); the Rats who live far beneath the Earth's surface (supposedly a devolved form of a group of original miners sent down to the Aquifer generations ago), and Toppers - people who live on the surface. Luca is one of them, as is his father Massa, the Deliverer. For generations their family have been the only ones who knew the safe path down to the land of the Rats. Massa travels that path once a year to take payment to the Rats in exchange for another year's supply of fresh water from the Aquifer to the surface. Massa is handing the knowledge of the path on to his son, which makes them the only things standing between the surface world and certain death from dehydration.
Naturally someone decides to force Massa to give up the route.
Honestly, I wondered what took them so long. We know from the beginning the Amongus have great power and no real respect for the Deliverer. They just underestimate how quickly things will go back if people think there is no Deliverer, and that they will all die when the water stops.
Too much is not explained. And when things go wrong there is always another "miracle" to get them off the hook. At least Luca falls in love, instantly, with a girl he never met before. She is almost the only girl he has ever met, so that might explain the depth of emotion. Especially since the New Pert society is death on emotion, literally. If you are caught feeling any emotion (and they have ways of monitoring people) you are forced to commit suicide. Seriously, the Amongus who sentence you don't even watch, yet people climb into boats, head to see and jump overboard as ordered. We know, because they have someone who salvages the bodies afterward.
In all the confusion and things left unexplained, the only people I learned to care about were the slain family members of the Amongus. The image of the family left stranded on the roof as the last rescue vehicle departs while a mob rushes up to slaughter anyone they find was haunting and terribly reminiscent of the evacuation at the fall of Viet Nam.
I struggled with this story. Because I received a free copy in exchange for a review I forced myself to finish. But I could not force myself to understand, or to care, or to see a character arc in Luca or any of the other major players.
Obviously there will be a sequel. (I did say there were lots of plot hoes. Also loose ends that I have to assume are there to make people want more) I won't be reading that. I won't let myself be that bored struggling through a book again.
August 11, 2016
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
I have mentioned before that I like to read dystopian fantasy books (see my review of The Fifth Wave), and Aquifer once again fits this category. In the future author Jonathan Friesen presents, the Earth no longer bears fresh water on its surface. The only water safe for human consumption lies below the ground, hidden in an aquifer (hence the title), which is guarded by a race of humans who have devolved to the state of being called “Rats.” Only one person ventures down to visit the rats, and he is called the “Deliverer.” Once a year, the Deliverer follows a path that only exists in his brain through rote memorization from his forefathers and exchanges light rods with the Rats for the promise of another year’s access to water. The story follows Luca, a sixteen-year-old boy who is next in line to be the Deliverer behind his own father, Massa. Luca, and all other humans on the surface, live in a police state where they are not allowed to have any emotions or show any sign of rebellion against the set order or they will be “undone” (forced to kill themselves). But Luca senses he is different from his peers, and when his father goes missing and Luca must keep the connection with the Rats to save the Earth, he learns why he has always felt apart from others. He learns much else that blows the lid off the current state of the world as well when he descends to the world of the Rats.
I thought this book had an interesting premise and I was eager to find out about the underworld and the Rat people who lived there. The idea reminded me of the Morlocks in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, and I wanted to see what this author had done with a similar construct. Friesen presents a nice twist on the subterranean culture, which I will not reveal here, that sets this book apart. I enjoyed reading the story as it did contain many turns, much like Luca’s memorized route, they kept me turning pages. Teens may find Luca relatable as he is a teenager struggling with his place in the world and feeling different than everyone else around him. The other characters help move the story forward and cause changes in Luca, just as good characters should. My only complaint was that sometimes the Australian phrases thrown in seemed forced.
I should also address the fact that this story is printed by a Christian publisher. However, the Christian elements are few and hardly noticeable. Depending on what the reader is expecting, this could be a good or bad thing. There is no mention of God or Jesus, though Luca is guided by a voice that is never identified. There is a book Luca finds that is more important than any other, and when quoted, it is The Bible, though not identified (the characters wouldn’t know what that was). Because the story is a bit ambiguous, it could easily have a wider appeal among non-Christians as well as Christian readers.
Bibliographic Information:
Friesen, Jonathan. Aquifer. Grand Rapids, MI: Blink, 2013.
Genre: Fiction
I have mentioned before that I like to read dystopian fantasy books (see my review of The Fifth Wave), and Aquifer once again fits this category. In the future author Jonathan Friesen presents, the Earth no longer bears fresh water on its surface. The only water safe for human consumption lies below the ground, hidden in an aquifer (hence the title), which is guarded by a race of humans who have devolved to the state of being called “Rats.” Only one person ventures down to visit the rats, and he is called the “Deliverer.” Once a year, the Deliverer follows a path that only exists in his brain through rote memorization from his forefathers and exchanges light rods with the Rats for the promise of another year’s access to water. The story follows Luca, a sixteen-year-old boy who is next in line to be the Deliverer behind his own father, Massa. Luca, and all other humans on the surface, live in a police state where they are not allowed to have any emotions or show any sign of rebellion against the set order or they will be “undone” (forced to kill themselves). But Luca senses he is different from his peers, and when his father goes missing and Luca must keep the connection with the Rats to save the Earth, he learns why he has always felt apart from others. He learns much else that blows the lid off the current state of the world as well when he descends to the world of the Rats.
I thought this book had an interesting premise and I was eager to find out about the underworld and the Rat people who lived there. The idea reminded me of the Morlocks in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, and I wanted to see what this author had done with a similar construct. Friesen presents a nice twist on the subterranean culture, which I will not reveal here, that sets this book apart. I enjoyed reading the story as it did contain many turns, much like Luca’s memorized route, they kept me turning pages. Teens may find Luca relatable as he is a teenager struggling with his place in the world and feeling different than everyone else around him. The other characters help move the story forward and cause changes in Luca, just as good characters should. My only complaint was that sometimes the Australian phrases thrown in seemed forced.
I should also address the fact that this story is printed by a Christian publisher. However, the Christian elements are few and hardly noticeable. Depending on what the reader is expecting, this could be a good or bad thing. There is no mention of God or Jesus, though Luca is guided by a voice that is never identified. There is a book Luca finds that is more important than any other, and when quoted, it is The Bible, though not identified (the characters wouldn’t know what that was). Because the story is a bit ambiguous, it could easily have a wider appeal among non-Christians as well as Christian readers.
Bibliographic Information:
Friesen, Jonathan. Aquifer. Grand Rapids, MI: Blink, 2013.
September 14, 2013
Although there were some plot points that I feel could have been fleshed out a bit more, this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking storyline with an element of spirituality that was not expected. Luca was a character that the YA reader will identify with and ultimately care for by the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author described this dystopian future of a world without freshwater on Earth’s surface and a tenable hold on a limited supply underground. It takes place on and around the coast of Australia. It wasn’t fully explained how the world came to be in such a state, but that was likely due to the lack of knowledge of Luca, who tells the story in first person narrative. In this world, the written word had all but been destroyed, as it is seen as a method that could incite rebellion. This was understandable, once the reader learned the extent of Luca’s and his fellow New Pertian’s figurative and sometimes literal imprisonment.
The religious undertones are subtle throughout, and although God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ are never mentioned, they are hinted at often. That was a pleasant surprise for me, since it isn’t billed as Christian literature, and that may be in order to market to a larger YA population. However, some of the hints are so subtle, some YA readers may not make the connection if they’ve never been exposed to church or the story of Christ. The only religious connection actually named is the song Talya sings near the end. The story ends with some questions and many other reviewers have assumed it means there is a sequel. I didn’t immediately jump to that conclusion, and I’m not sure if one is planned or not. I felt as though the questions are more for the reader to ask him or herself, and complete the story in their own mind. Overall, an enjoyable read, and I would continue the story if sequels are written at some point.
Rating: 4
HEAT Rating: None
Reviewed By: Daysie W.
Review Courtesy of: My Book Addiction and More
The religious undertones are subtle throughout, and although God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ are never mentioned, they are hinted at often. That was a pleasant surprise for me, since it isn’t billed as Christian literature, and that may be in order to market to a larger YA population. However, some of the hints are so subtle, some YA readers may not make the connection if they’ve never been exposed to church or the story of Christ. The only religious connection actually named is the song Talya sings near the end. The story ends with some questions and many other reviewers have assumed it means there is a sequel. I didn’t immediately jump to that conclusion, and I’m not sure if one is planned or not. I felt as though the questions are more for the reader to ask him or herself, and complete the story in their own mind. Overall, an enjoyable read, and I would continue the story if sequels are written at some point.
Rating: 4
HEAT Rating: None
Reviewed By: Daysie W.
Review Courtesy of: My Book Addiction and More
August 15, 2013
Don't miss out on this unique, fascinating story set in the year 2250, where drinkable water is hard to find and feelings and art are forbidden! The Council monitors emotion and lethally enforces their rule. Once a year the Deliverer travels down a long and winding path into the heart of the earth to exchange light rods for water with the rats, once human creatures who guard an aquifer, the only fresh water available on earth. Sixteen-year-old Luca, as his son, knows that one day he will take his father's place, but didn't believe it would be so soon. His father doesn't return from his journey and Luca starts to question what he believes to be true. Along with an unlikely group of friends, he retreats underground to make the journey himself to find out what has happened. What he discovers will change everything as he tries to save both worlds.
I haven't read much dystopian fiction yet, except mainly the Hunger Games, which I loved, and I find this genre fascinating. I really enjoyed this story and thought the author did a good job of making me sympathize with Luca and really, all of humanity for the type of world they live in. There was a lot of action as someone always seemed to be after Luca and his group and some sadness, but there are also happy moments and ultimately, the story is filled with hope. There's a bit of a spiritual side to the story, which I enjoyed and would have liked to see more of. This is geared toward young adults, but I think any adult would enjoy this if they like unique stories, especially along the lines of the Hunger Games.
I received a free ARC copy from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read much dystopian fiction yet, except mainly the Hunger Games, which I loved, and I find this genre fascinating. I really enjoyed this story and thought the author did a good job of making me sympathize with Luca and really, all of humanity for the type of world they live in. There was a lot of action as someone always seemed to be after Luca and his group and some sadness, but there are also happy moments and ultimately, the story is filled with hope. There's a bit of a spiritual side to the story, which I enjoyed and would have liked to see more of. This is geared toward young adults, but I think any adult would enjoy this if they like unique stories, especially along the lines of the Hunger Games.
I received a free ARC copy from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2014
In a futuristic Australia, the whole world is dependent on the Aquifer and the relationship between those who control it "The Rats" and those above, led by "The Council". This relationship is held with a yearly contract in which the Deliverer visits the Rats for a yearly conference. Luca is the next in line to become a Deliverer and the only other person besides his father that knows the way down to the Rats.
In a world that has abolished human emotions as much as possible. The domino effect of the events that take place get harder and harder for Luca and others to control theirs. A council that tries it's hardest to banish such things, seems to be is loosing it's control of their people. Luca has to grow up fast, and that means learning new things. Secret things. It seems that everybody is not who they seem to be anymore.
The story is a non-stop adventure that will take us through the school system, history museum and the aquifer itself. I think perhaps the saddest part of the story for me was the people that had to be undone. Those that caused too many wrinkles are cast away, and not in a good way. It's gruesome and really sad. But that part of life was a daily dealing for Luca and his father.
Aquifer was a very fast and thought provoking read. I recommend it to those that enjoy dystopian stories. It was a very nice change to read about a young boy finding love for the first time, and the friendships he gains throughout the book with both old and young. Even at his age he stands out as the strongest character in the book.
In a world that has abolished human emotions as much as possible. The domino effect of the events that take place get harder and harder for Luca and others to control theirs. A council that tries it's hardest to banish such things, seems to be is loosing it's control of their people. Luca has to grow up fast, and that means learning new things. Secret things. It seems that everybody is not who they seem to be anymore.
The story is a non-stop adventure that will take us through the school system, history museum and the aquifer itself. I think perhaps the saddest part of the story for me was the people that had to be undone. Those that caused too many wrinkles are cast away, and not in a good way. It's gruesome and really sad. But that part of life was a daily dealing for Luca and his father.
Aquifer was a very fast and thought provoking read. I recommend it to those that enjoy dystopian stories. It was a very nice change to read about a young boy finding love for the first time, and the friendships he gains throughout the book with both old and young. Even at his age he stands out as the strongest character in the book.
August 3, 2016
So the premise of this book is really good. But I had a hard time following the execution. To put it simply, it was too wordy for me, and I wasn't a fan of the ending.
Luca lives in a world where fresh water is scarce. He lives in a society where feelings aren't allowed and water is rationed off. The only fresh water comes from underground in the Rat territory. Only Luca and his father know how to get down there and must make the trek once a year to keep the peace and make the life-saving trade: light for water. But in this world of deceit and control, Luca finds nothing is as it seems. The Rats aren't as scary as they seem to be. The all-controlling Council aboveground doesn't have the control it wants, and Luca finds he is in their way.
This book has a lot of control that we see in dystopian societies, but I had a hard time following it sometimes. There's the Council that controls everything and the Amongus who enforce it. It was hard to separate the two in my mind. And when we enter Rat Territory deep in the caves of the earth, it seems like a beautiful, fantasy place. Usually I love fantasy and can't enough of it, but I had a really hard time following it this time around.
If it weren't for the ending, I would have enjoyed this book more. It seemed like the ending was in left field, there was no way to predict it (and it didn't fit with the story in my mind). So in essence, I think that's what made me think "so-so" in regards to this book.
Luca lives in a world where fresh water is scarce. He lives in a society where feelings aren't allowed and water is rationed off. The only fresh water comes from underground in the Rat territory. Only Luca and his father know how to get down there and must make the trek once a year to keep the peace and make the life-saving trade: light for water. But in this world of deceit and control, Luca finds nothing is as it seems. The Rats aren't as scary as they seem to be. The all-controlling Council aboveground doesn't have the control it wants, and Luca finds he is in their way.
This book has a lot of control that we see in dystopian societies, but I had a hard time following it sometimes. There's the Council that controls everything and the Amongus who enforce it. It was hard to separate the two in my mind. And when we enter Rat Territory deep in the caves of the earth, it seems like a beautiful, fantasy place. Usually I love fantasy and can't enough of it, but I had a really hard time following it this time around.
If it weren't for the ending, I would have enjoyed this book more. It seemed like the ending was in left field, there was no way to predict it (and it didn't fit with the story in my mind). So in essence, I think that's what made me think "so-so" in regards to this book.
May 25, 2016
This book had so much potential. The cover was really cool and the story idea was unique.
But it was executed horribly.
Sorry, but Luca was a pitiful idiot. He listened to The Voice (the Voice is God, or at least that's how I took it) until...gasp...it meant he would have to meet the love of his sixteen years of life that he had known for a grand total of two days. *eye roll*
Talya just plain annoyed me. She was to perfect and just... Annoying. (Lol, so eloquent)
Basically the only thing I liked about this book was Seward. He was pretty OK.
I would have given this book three or three point five stars if I hadn't almost thrown the book against the wall multiple times for the last quarter of the book.
But it was executed horribly.
Sorry, but Luca was a pitiful idiot. He listened to The Voice (the Voice is God, or at least that's how I took it) until...gasp...it meant he would have to meet the love of his sixteen years of life that he had known for a grand total of two days. *eye roll*
Talya just plain annoyed me. She was to perfect and just... Annoying. (Lol, so eloquent)
Basically the only thing I liked about this book was Seward. He was pretty OK.
I would have given this book three or three point five stars if I hadn't almost thrown the book against the wall multiple times for the last quarter of the book.
January 11, 2014
Only two people know the way to the aquifer where an annual exchange is required to keep the fresh water coming from below ground: the Deliverer and his son, Luca. That makes Luca feel different, "Other," from his classmates and the people of New Pert. He has always had to work harder to control his emotions and to avoid setting off the dials of the Amongus.
But when his father goes missing and Luca must take over as the Deliverer, everything changes. Luca finds out his life was not what he thought it was, and he questions what is most important to him.
But when his father goes missing and Luca must take over as the Deliverer, everything changes. Luca finds out his life was not what he thought it was, and he questions what is most important to him.
October 30, 2013
Luca is a Deliver's son and when he is 16, he is a Deliverer. When Massa, his dad, disappears, he goes to find him. Along the way, he finds a lot about his history and his family. He meets Tayla and falls in love. They will need to pour all their resouses in order to save the world.
Aquifoer is a exellent book despite its confusion. It is a bit confusing in the beginning but it gets better. The book takes random turns and some you don't expect. This book is good for people who like H20.
Aquifoer is a exellent book despite its confusion. It is a bit confusing in the beginning but it gets better. The book takes random turns and some you don't expect. This book is good for people who like H20.
February 10, 2015
An interesting dystopian. It reminded my a bit of The Giver because the Toppers weren't supposed to feel. The Aquifer was a cool concept and I enjoyed reading the story to see where it would go. I got a little confused at the very end because I wasn't sure if the light coming up from the sea was supposed to be the dawn or something else. Overall, worth reading.
June 6, 2015
The beginning was a little hard to understand at first due to so many aspects of this dark world thrown at you at once, but it doesn't take long for the story to pull you in and it won't let you go utill the reach the very end. Great book would recommend!
September 3, 2013
I had the privilege of being sent a pre-release advanced reading copy, and I'll be honest - ever since I first read the plot of this story I was hooked. It reminded me vaguely of City of Ember, and I had really enjoyed that story.
Also, I've always been drawn to plots involving an expedition deep within the earth's core.
The science-geek side of me has always been fascinated with the earth's inner layers and makeup. While neather City of Ember or Aquifer are *scientific* books, I enjoyed both greatly.
In City of Ember, the MCs leave their underground dwelling place in exchange for one above the earth's surface. In Aquifer, the MCs leave their aboveground world for something down below.
I thought that was a neat contrast.
Anyway. I guess that was a random observation.
Let's get down to business.
This was one of those books that you read, and the thought goes through your head "You know, this would make an epic film. I guarantee anything that somebody will come along and recreate this on screen."
I don't say that about every book I read.
Plot:
Woah. As I said earlier, I could totally imagine this book in film form. Now in order or me to state that, the plot would have to be pretty amazing, because I'm very particular when it comes to plots and movies. So yeah. The plot was amazing. I will say that the ending could have been a bit stronger, considering the labyrinth of plot twists and surprises along the way, but I wasn't upset with it.
The ending was probably the worst part in the book honestly.
Now, considering that the rest of the book's plotting was epic, this isn't saying it was a horrible ending. As I mentioned a priori, it just could've been a bit more forceful. I found it pretty vague, and even though I understood it to be an open ending, (those I'm actually very fond of, both in my own WIPs and other peoples') it still was terribly hazy.
I almost suspect a sequel.
That being said, Friesen employs so many plot twists it's hard to keep track of them all. And many I'll admit are unforeseen and enter the story quite smoothly. I do love a good plot twist or two! (in this case, make that dozens!)
Genre:
Let's just be honest. There are way too many dystopian books out there today. It feels like we've seen an influx of futuristic fiction in just the last several years. 2013 has been bombarded by the stuff.
Now, don't hate me for saying that... It's just what I observe. Dystopian is obviously quite a popular genre right now. And there's nothing wrong with that. But fact is, it's getting harder and harder to find a unique, distinguishable plot among the dystopian deluge of today.
I'm pleased to say, that Aquifer held its own.
It is indeed a dystopian fiction involving a overly-powerful 'government'/dictator-like leaders,(a very common element employed today) and there are elements which do remind me of other works in the genre. For example, emotion is considered an illegal thing in Luca's world aboveground. The government cronies use devices called dials to determine if a person is manifesting/experiencing a 'unnaturally high' amount of emotion. And in the event that this happens, consequences occur.
I've seen similar details used in other apocalyptic works.
You could argue that the whole plot of a 'redeemer traveling beneath the surface' is unoriginal as well. But the truth is, there's nothing new under the sun.
Honestly? For a dystopian book of 2013, this is, in my opinion, very unique in its many aspects. There may be some elements which are common in today's dystopian book world, but overall?
Aquifer still stands as one unto itself.
Characters:
Ah, the characters. This is always fun to discuss in book reviews.
Luca, first off, is an interesting fellow. He's presented as being nothing more than a scrawny kid in his mid-teens, but as the story progresses this seems to wear off and he emerges as something quite more masculine. His development is fascinating to observe; however, the transition between his immaturity and later maturity is a bit rocky.
His desire to express the rage of emotion within really touched me, because it's something I myself too often feel. While we in our everyday lives learn to hide some emotion vent it out later, can you imagine being forbidden to display any sort of emotive feeling at all? Considering this is what Luca must deal with on a day to day basis, I have a ton of empathy for him.
Luca's father, Massa, is an intriguing man. He is mostly seen as a man robbed of his memory (another doing of the power-hungry 'government cronies', or Amongus.) His development was also interesting to see.
I'll have to say my favorite character was probably Seward. I won't go into detail on his account because there's an awful lot of surprise twists concerning him, but he's a rough old pirate that drew my attention immediately, and soon after, my empathy.
For the most part, the cast of characters was well developed. I thought Talya was a bit stereotypical, but with time she was sweet in her own way.
Setting:
The world in which Luca dwells is not unlike that of many other dystopian tales. A dried up, spent earth with little resources left to spare for humanity's sustainment.
Luca lives in what is presumably a futuristic version of Australia - I found this tidbit pretty cool.
Friesen did a good job of describing the scenery and topography, of both the world beneath the surface and the world above. Vivid pictures formed in my head on both levels.
Underlying Theme(s):
I wasn't expecting to pick up a novel with Christian undertones, when I decided to review Aquifer.
But that's what I found myself reading. In the beginning, these underlying resonances were vague and easily interpreted in ways beyond a Biblical frame of mind. But as the story progressed, they became a bit more clear. The ending in particular sort of seals the deal, so to speak.
I've never seen Amazing Grace sung in a dystopian novel before. That is, until now.
The Bible was vaguely referenced in several places, and it's implied that it was a book most feared by the government cronies. At least, that's what I got from it.
Now, this being said, I wouldn't call Aquifer a distinctly 'Christian' book. Fact is, the Biblical references are so vague for the most part, that one could easily pass over many of them and not even notice.
I did appreciate their added nuances though. It enriched the book in a subtly profound way.
Something else I appreciated among the underlying themes was the sanctity of human life. I always, always love to read books which push this. In this case, I believe a focus was clear on 'racial differences'. (Let it be known I never use the word 'racial', I consider it a very evolutionistic word, but I will make an exception here because it addresses the matter most clearly.) I definitely was approving of that emphasis, since racism has always infuriated me!
(On a 1 - 10 basis, 1 being the most mild and 10 the most extreme:)
WARNING - SPOILERS!
Violence: 6. There is quite a lot of shooting and killing. Buckets of blood. Some scenes are more graphic than others but there continues to exist - especially toward the tail end of the book - a ton of fighting and death. People are shot down with arrows, a character is stoned to death, and people are executed by means of being handcuffed and thrown into the ocean.
Sexual Content: 2. Any type of romance is virtually nonexistent until later in the book when Luca meets Talya. Nothing sexually explicit occurs in the book, overall. Luca and Talya embrace often, in one such instance Luca describes feeling a "warm tingling in places he shouldn't." (paraphrased)
Overall:
Overall? I flew through this novel because it was just that good. I read it in one day, and could've done so even quicker if it hadn't been that I was on vacation at the beach and wanted to get some time in with the family out in the sand and surf!
I would say this book ranks up alongside my favorite dystopian book this year, Mirriam Neal's "Monster". It's not quite on that level of epicness but it's *right* behind it!
Definitely a favorite in the dystopian genre in general. The writing is well-crafted and easy to read, without being too simplistic. Plotlines carry enough twists and surprise to trump The Hunger Games series (although I'll admit I didn't cry like I did reading those books), which I'd say is notorious for fateful twists and plot shocks. Characters are unique and well-developed for the most part, and the story's events pack a punch.
Overall? Reading this book was a thrilling experience and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
In my opinion, Aquifer has major potential. I won't be surprised when it becomes the next big dystopian thriller of the year, or when it's made into a major motion picture that sells out across the country. (And if that happens, they just sure better get it right. Because if they don't...well, that would be very painful....for them.)
Oh and didn't anybody notice the uh-mazing cover of this book? Isn't it beautiful?
I think I'll attempt honing my fangirling of this thing into some drawings of the characters. *grins impishly*
Also, I've always been drawn to plots involving an expedition deep within the earth's core.
The science-geek side of me has always been fascinated with the earth's inner layers and makeup. While neather City of Ember or Aquifer are *scientific* books, I enjoyed both greatly.
In City of Ember, the MCs leave their underground dwelling place in exchange for one above the earth's surface. In Aquifer, the MCs leave their aboveground world for something down below.
I thought that was a neat contrast.
Anyway. I guess that was a random observation.
Let's get down to business.
This was one of those books that you read, and the thought goes through your head "You know, this would make an epic film. I guarantee anything that somebody will come along and recreate this on screen."
I don't say that about every book I read.
Plot:
Woah. As I said earlier, I could totally imagine this book in film form. Now in order or me to state that, the plot would have to be pretty amazing, because I'm very particular when it comes to plots and movies. So yeah. The plot was amazing. I will say that the ending could have been a bit stronger, considering the labyrinth of plot twists and surprises along the way, but I wasn't upset with it.
The ending was probably the worst part in the book honestly.
Now, considering that the rest of the book's plotting was epic, this isn't saying it was a horrible ending. As I mentioned a priori, it just could've been a bit more forceful. I found it pretty vague, and even though I understood it to be an open ending, (those I'm actually very fond of, both in my own WIPs and other peoples') it still was terribly hazy.
I almost suspect a sequel.
That being said, Friesen employs so many plot twists it's hard to keep track of them all. And many I'll admit are unforeseen and enter the story quite smoothly. I do love a good plot twist or two! (in this case, make that dozens!)
Genre:
Let's just be honest. There are way too many dystopian books out there today. It feels like we've seen an influx of futuristic fiction in just the last several years. 2013 has been bombarded by the stuff.
Now, don't hate me for saying that... It's just what I observe. Dystopian is obviously quite a popular genre right now. And there's nothing wrong with that. But fact is, it's getting harder and harder to find a unique, distinguishable plot among the dystopian deluge of today.
I'm pleased to say, that Aquifer held its own.
It is indeed a dystopian fiction involving a overly-powerful 'government'/dictator-like leaders,(a very common element employed today) and there are elements which do remind me of other works in the genre. For example, emotion is considered an illegal thing in Luca's world aboveground. The government cronies use devices called dials to determine if a person is manifesting/experiencing a 'unnaturally high' amount of emotion. And in the event that this happens, consequences occur.
I've seen similar details used in other apocalyptic works.
You could argue that the whole plot of a 'redeemer traveling beneath the surface' is unoriginal as well. But the truth is, there's nothing new under the sun.
Honestly? For a dystopian book of 2013, this is, in my opinion, very unique in its many aspects. There may be some elements which are common in today's dystopian book world, but overall?
Aquifer still stands as one unto itself.
Characters:
Ah, the characters. This is always fun to discuss in book reviews.
Luca, first off, is an interesting fellow. He's presented as being nothing more than a scrawny kid in his mid-teens, but as the story progresses this seems to wear off and he emerges as something quite more masculine. His development is fascinating to observe; however, the transition between his immaturity and later maturity is a bit rocky.
His desire to express the rage of emotion within really touched me, because it's something I myself too often feel. While we in our everyday lives learn to hide some emotion vent it out later, can you imagine being forbidden to display any sort of emotive feeling at all? Considering this is what Luca must deal with on a day to day basis, I have a ton of empathy for him.
Luca's father, Massa, is an intriguing man. He is mostly seen as a man robbed of his memory (another doing of the power-hungry 'government cronies', or Amongus.) His development was also interesting to see.
I'll have to say my favorite character was probably Seward. I won't go into detail on his account because there's an awful lot of surprise twists concerning him, but he's a rough old pirate that drew my attention immediately, and soon after, my empathy.
For the most part, the cast of characters was well developed. I thought Talya was a bit stereotypical, but with time she was sweet in her own way.
Setting:
The world in which Luca dwells is not unlike that of many other dystopian tales. A dried up, spent earth with little resources left to spare for humanity's sustainment.
Luca lives in what is presumably a futuristic version of Australia - I found this tidbit pretty cool.
Friesen did a good job of describing the scenery and topography, of both the world beneath the surface and the world above. Vivid pictures formed in my head on both levels.
Underlying Theme(s):
I wasn't expecting to pick up a novel with Christian undertones, when I decided to review Aquifer.
But that's what I found myself reading. In the beginning, these underlying resonances were vague and easily interpreted in ways beyond a Biblical frame of mind. But as the story progressed, they became a bit more clear. The ending in particular sort of seals the deal, so to speak.
I've never seen Amazing Grace sung in a dystopian novel before. That is, until now.
The Bible was vaguely referenced in several places, and it's implied that it was a book most feared by the government cronies. At least, that's what I got from it.
Now, this being said, I wouldn't call Aquifer a distinctly 'Christian' book. Fact is, the Biblical references are so vague for the most part, that one could easily pass over many of them and not even notice.
I did appreciate their added nuances though. It enriched the book in a subtly profound way.
Something else I appreciated among the underlying themes was the sanctity of human life. I always, always love to read books which push this. In this case, I believe a focus was clear on 'racial differences'. (Let it be known I never use the word 'racial', I consider it a very evolutionistic word, but I will make an exception here because it addresses the matter most clearly.) I definitely was approving of that emphasis, since racism has always infuriated me!
(On a 1 - 10 basis, 1 being the most mild and 10 the most extreme:)
WARNING - SPOILERS!
Violence: 6. There is quite a lot of shooting and killing. Buckets of blood. Some scenes are more graphic than others but there continues to exist - especially toward the tail end of the book - a ton of fighting and death. People are shot down with arrows, a character is stoned to death, and people are executed by means of being handcuffed and thrown into the ocean.
Sexual Content: 2. Any type of romance is virtually nonexistent until later in the book when Luca meets Talya. Nothing sexually explicit occurs in the book, overall. Luca and Talya embrace often, in one such instance Luca describes feeling a "warm tingling in places he shouldn't." (paraphrased)
Overall:
Overall? I flew through this novel because it was just that good. I read it in one day, and could've done so even quicker if it hadn't been that I was on vacation at the beach and wanted to get some time in with the family out in the sand and surf!
I would say this book ranks up alongside my favorite dystopian book this year, Mirriam Neal's "Monster". It's not quite on that level of epicness but it's *right* behind it!
Definitely a favorite in the dystopian genre in general. The writing is well-crafted and easy to read, without being too simplistic. Plotlines carry enough twists and surprise to trump The Hunger Games series (although I'll admit I didn't cry like I did reading those books), which I'd say is notorious for fateful twists and plot shocks. Characters are unique and well-developed for the most part, and the story's events pack a punch.
Overall? Reading this book was a thrilling experience and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
In my opinion, Aquifer has major potential. I won't be surprised when it becomes the next big dystopian thriller of the year, or when it's made into a major motion picture that sells out across the country. (And if that happens, they just sure better get it right. Because if they don't...well, that would be very painful....for them.)
Oh and didn't anybody notice the uh-mazing cover of this book? Isn't it beautiful?
I think I'll attempt honing my fangirling of this thing into some drawings of the characters. *grins impishly*
June 6, 2019
Aquifer by Jonathan Freisen, 2013
Aquifer by Jonathan Freisen is a post-apocalyptic story. It is 2250 and there is only one fresh water source left in the world. Only one man, and his son, are capable of trading with the “rats” that live underground that protect the water source. This man is called the Deliverer, and he is considered a saint. However, this is all an image, because the government only pretends to give him control, so the people trust the decisions they make. This society can’t read or write. They don’t know anything about their government (not really). They cannot show emotions. They cannot cause a “wrinkle” or they may be “undone” (or drown in the ocean). This story follows the son of the Deliverer, Luca, and his journey in discovering the truth about his society.
Review: I will come out and be honest. I did not finish this book. I stumbled upon it on Overdrive from my local library, and it has been my current audiobook. I made it 4 hours in and then just had to stop. Initially, I actually really liked this story. I thought the society was interesting. Perhaps not everything added up always, but the overall story was fine. I am not 100% positive why the author chose to make this society so controlling. They are controlled by the limitation of water, the government has that hanging over the people. I feel like it probably wouldn’t need all the other rules. It probably would be more effective if the people thought they had some freedom, but there was always the over hanging threat of losing the water source. But, this isn’t my biggest problem with this story. I do pretty well with believing whatever the author says as long as it holds true throughout the story. I was skeptical, but sure, I found I could play along.
The problem started to come in when the real action came in. I was so confused. The author kept losing me. And I kept rewinding and rewinding the audiobook. I could not figure out what was happening. There were jumps in time. Sometimes there was only dialogue when there needed to be exposition. Also, sometimes I felt like the author decided something happened, but forgot to tell us about it? I swear I don’t know what happened to Wallery. I don’t know. Last I had checked, he was left in the house, and the next thing I knew, Luca was saying he couldn’t even save “one boy.” Later, Luca says he is pretty sure that Wallery is going to be undone the next time he sees him. But, how did he get caught? I can’t figure it out! This started to eat at me, and then more issues arose. Luca is hiding from people but keeps reaching out of the hiding place to get things or see things, but for some reason he isn’t caught. Maybe the author imagined that there was a way that he was out of sight from the people he was hiding from, but he never told us that! The last straw for me was when the people Luca was hiding from were about to walk away. And then, without warning all of a sudden look up and find him. There was no transition. It went from “Guess we better get tools to do a better job hunting for him” to “Oh hey, look up there it’s Luca.” Within one line. I was so frustrated, I had to stop.
This could have been such a cool story!!! I am so disappointed. The idea was there! The lack of water in a society was realistic and plausible. I liked that there were lots of things to discover about the society as we were going. I liked that the main character was so curious and imperfect, but tried to have some kind of moral compass. I honestly liked Luca!! I just kept feeling like I was missing something. And I honestly don’t think I was missing anything. I think the author just sort of…forgot to let me in on it! Now, usually if I can’t finish a book it gets 1 star from me because I like a lot of different things and consider myself very forgiving. However, in this case, I think this book was so much on the right path that I’m going to give it 2. It was a fun idea, but I got too frustrated to finish.
Star Rating: **
Happily Ever After Rating: 5%
Aquifer by Jonathan Freisen is a post-apocalyptic story. It is 2250 and there is only one fresh water source left in the world. Only one man, and his son, are capable of trading with the “rats” that live underground that protect the water source. This man is called the Deliverer, and he is considered a saint. However, this is all an image, because the government only pretends to give him control, so the people trust the decisions they make. This society can’t read or write. They don’t know anything about their government (not really). They cannot show emotions. They cannot cause a “wrinkle” or they may be “undone” (or drown in the ocean). This story follows the son of the Deliverer, Luca, and his journey in discovering the truth about his society.
Review: I will come out and be honest. I did not finish this book. I stumbled upon it on Overdrive from my local library, and it has been my current audiobook. I made it 4 hours in and then just had to stop. Initially, I actually really liked this story. I thought the society was interesting. Perhaps not everything added up always, but the overall story was fine. I am not 100% positive why the author chose to make this society so controlling. They are controlled by the limitation of water, the government has that hanging over the people. I feel like it probably wouldn’t need all the other rules. It probably would be more effective if the people thought they had some freedom, but there was always the over hanging threat of losing the water source. But, this isn’t my biggest problem with this story. I do pretty well with believing whatever the author says as long as it holds true throughout the story. I was skeptical, but sure, I found I could play along.
The problem started to come in when the real action came in. I was so confused. The author kept losing me. And I kept rewinding and rewinding the audiobook. I could not figure out what was happening. There were jumps in time. Sometimes there was only dialogue when there needed to be exposition. Also, sometimes I felt like the author decided something happened, but forgot to tell us about it? I swear I don’t know what happened to Wallery. I don’t know. Last I had checked, he was left in the house, and the next thing I knew, Luca was saying he couldn’t even save “one boy.” Later, Luca says he is pretty sure that Wallery is going to be undone the next time he sees him. But, how did he get caught? I can’t figure it out! This started to eat at me, and then more issues arose. Luca is hiding from people but keeps reaching out of the hiding place to get things or see things, but for some reason he isn’t caught. Maybe the author imagined that there was a way that he was out of sight from the people he was hiding from, but he never told us that! The last straw for me was when the people Luca was hiding from were about to walk away. And then, without warning all of a sudden look up and find him. There was no transition. It went from “Guess we better get tools to do a better job hunting for him” to “Oh hey, look up there it’s Luca.” Within one line. I was so frustrated, I had to stop.
This could have been such a cool story!!! I am so disappointed. The idea was there! The lack of water in a society was realistic and plausible. I liked that there were lots of things to discover about the society as we were going. I liked that the main character was so curious and imperfect, but tried to have some kind of moral compass. I honestly liked Luca!! I just kept feeling like I was missing something. And I honestly don’t think I was missing anything. I think the author just sort of…forgot to let me in on it! Now, usually if I can’t finish a book it gets 1 star from me because I like a lot of different things and consider myself very forgiving. However, in this case, I think this book was so much on the right path that I’m going to give it 2. It was a fun idea, but I got too frustrated to finish.
Star Rating: **
Happily Ever After Rating: 5%
August 15, 2017
There are 3 main problems with this book. 1) all characters are just cardboard cutouts of the types of characters you expect to find in this type of book. You've got Main Protagonist. Companion. Female Love Interest. Parent.p, Eccentric Wise Adult Companion and/or Guide. Enemy(ies ), Random Helpful Stranger, and Beautiful-Wise Prophesy Lady/Surrogate Parent. These are not just character tropes, this is pretty much all the information you are given about each "character". Some of them get backstory but it's usually just a paint by numbers depiction of their given character trope, nothing that moves anything forward and noting to make them engaging. Half the time you can't even tell characters apart. There's like 10000 Random Helpful Strangers in this book. The author clearly wants you to care about them since he killed off so many to add "drama" but they're all the same and you see them for like 5 pages and then never see them again, even the ones who live (See also: Enemies)
2) The story. I've read some of the other reviews that say the plot is incoherent and...they're right. The he plot is just ALL over the place but and genuinely makes it really hard to understand where Main Protagonist is and what he's doing/why he's doing it. I get a sense that the author just made everything up as he went along, so many things didn't make sense. Characters die for the sake of it, I had a hard time understanding the "rules" and "social order" of this dystopian society. A lot of things just happen because the author wants the, too and not because it's the thing that makes the most sense at the time (see: character death, romance with Female Love Interest, and learning to read). What also didn't help was the addition of typical YA novel tropes (which I am, not entirely against if they are executed well) such as Main Protagonist being the son of Societal Leader", is the only one who questions order, is next in line for important societal duty, does not want to do said societal duty", who has dead parent, that dead parent is from Incredible Lost Society, his Female Love Interest is the daughter of the chief of Incredible Lost Society, and (of course) he has prophesy written abou
At the end of the day, the root of these issues is due to: 3) the writing. To keep it short, it's just bad. It's bad. It's not good. It's clunky, it's lazy, it's not thoughtful, and it wasn't proofread. The dialogue is bad and kind of embarrassing for me to read. This author clearly wants this story to be epic, he wants it to read like a dystopian Lord of the Rings. He uses that dated style of writing and dialogue while also making the "characters" randomly wink and/or wave at each other (idk that just bugged me, I cringed each time). You can't tell apart any of the Enemies, who frequently and quickly turned to Friendly Helpful Strangers without reason. You can't even keep up with who the actual Antagonist is. I think the ending was supposed to be a plot twist with who our Antagonist turned out to be, unfortunately it didn't do it for me. This was mostly because that character wasn't seen, heard of, or mentioned for 90% of the book and the only foreshadowing you got for it occurred 10 pages before the "reveal". Also the YA trope of using random and/or made-up words to describe everyday items/people (e.g A Her = a girl, scratching = book/ writing, a sixteen = 16 year old, Amoungus = police) it was just annoying here and at times made things confusing. It was clearly just used to check that box for this genre.
I thought about giving this book 2 stars but then knew that was being really too generous on my part. Honestly, once I resigned myself to the fact that it was so poorly written, I had a bit of fun reading it and I wanted to see how it would end...to bad for me it was just as disappointing as how it began.
2) The story. I've read some of the other reviews that say the plot is incoherent and...they're right. The he plot is just ALL over the place but and genuinely makes it really hard to understand where Main Protagonist is and what he's doing/why he's doing it. I get a sense that the author just made everything up as he went along, so many things didn't make sense. Characters die for the sake of it, I had a hard time understanding the "rules" and "social order" of this dystopian society. A lot of things just happen because the author wants the, too and not because it's the thing that makes the most sense at the time (see: character death, romance with Female Love Interest, and learning to read). What also didn't help was the addition of typical YA novel tropes (which I am, not entirely against if they are executed well) such as Main Protagonist being the son of Societal Leader", is the only one who questions order, is next in line for important societal duty, does not want to do said societal duty", who has dead parent, that dead parent is from Incredible Lost Society, his Female Love Interest is the daughter of the chief of Incredible Lost Society, and (of course) he has prophesy written abou
At the end of the day, the root of these issues is due to: 3) the writing. To keep it short, it's just bad. It's bad. It's not good. It's clunky, it's lazy, it's not thoughtful, and it wasn't proofread. The dialogue is bad and kind of embarrassing for me to read. This author clearly wants this story to be epic, he wants it to read like a dystopian Lord of the Rings. He uses that dated style of writing and dialogue while also making the "characters" randomly wink and/or wave at each other (idk that just bugged me, I cringed each time). You can't tell apart any of the Enemies, who frequently and quickly turned to Friendly Helpful Strangers without reason. You can't even keep up with who the actual Antagonist is. I think the ending was supposed to be a plot twist with who our Antagonist turned out to be, unfortunately it didn't do it for me. This was mostly because that character wasn't seen, heard of, or mentioned for 90% of the book and the only foreshadowing you got for it occurred 10 pages before the "reveal". Also the YA trope of using random and/or made-up words to describe everyday items/people (e.g A Her = a girl, scratching = book/ writing, a sixteen = 16 year old, Amoungus = police) it was just annoying here and at times made things confusing. It was clearly just used to check that box for this genre.
I thought about giving this book 2 stars but then knew that was being really too generous on my part. Honestly, once I resigned myself to the fact that it was so poorly written, I had a bit of fun reading it and I wanted to see how it would end...to bad for me it was just as disappointing as how it began.
August 20, 2013
First Look:
This looked interesting enough. There's plenty of Christian fantasy (especially high fantasy) out there, because I think biblical messages and symbols translate well to a high fantasy setting. I'd never read any Christian sci-fi or dystopian before this book, so that aspect intrigued me.
Setting: It had much in common with other dystopian settings--highly controlled society, lack of water, children educated by government, etc. (I find it interesting how these themes are repeated over and over. We seem to fear them, as a society.) And yet, it had its own unique personality. I could tell that the people had their own unique culture, and the aspect of the Deliverer (a single person in charge of ensuring that the water doesn't get 'turned off'), and how that shaped the society.
Characters: I liked Luca, the main character, well enough. He was curious, inquisitive, and genuinely wanted to do the right thing. On the other hand, he seemed to get over things way too easily. For example, when he found out the truth about the Water Rats, the shock wore off much sooner than was realistic.
Though I didn't outright love any of the characters, the others were decent. Tayla, Luca's love interest, seemed a little generic, though in fairness, we didn't get much time to get to know her well.
What I appreciated was how human Luca was. Meaning, he wasn't overly righteous or heroic to the point of being unrealistic, like in some Christian fiction I've read. It's amazing how many Christian books shy away from giving their characters flaws, just because the book is Christian.
Plot: I really enjoyed the first half. There was a mystery that needed solving, a secret stash of books, a fugitive to hide, and a missing father. I wanted to know what would happen next. The second half, though, starting once Luca and company went underground to the city of the Water Rats, got a little weird and hard to follow. I kept up fine, but it felt rushed, especially the ending. I found myself wanting more exploration of the plot and various aspects of the setting, but I didn't get it.
And then there was the insta-love. Almost as soon as Talya and Luca saw each other, they were in love, and Talya was ready to abandon everything she'd ever known and risk her life to go with Luca. Um, what?
Uniqueness: Again, it has much in common with other dystopian books, but it has enough uniqueness to make the plot and setting not feel tired and overused.
Writing: Throughout the book, the dialogue struck me as oddly proper and formal. It just felt...off. Maybe their education system teaches kids in a way that they grow up sounding like this. I don't know. Then, however, Luca's uncle spoke in a way that made him sound more like an under-educated person, which confused me. Why would he use poor grammar, when he got the same education as everyone else?
Another problem I had was the pacing. Like I mentioned earlier, the second half of the novel went way too fast for my liking, almost like it was skimming along the top of the plot instead of fully fleshing it out.
Likes: I like how the Christian themes were present without being overbearing or preachy. Also, this is my 200th review! So, if you've read any number of those reviews, thank you! Here's a GIF for you:
Not-so-great: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Overall: Overall, I enjoyed this. I had my problems with it--including the pacing, oddly formal-sounding dialogue, and most of all, the insta-love. I liked the setting, though, and the characters well enough. The themes presented were interesting, and the premise was unique. Plot-wise, the first half was awesome. Overall, this is a good standalone dystopian book, especially if you're looking for some good and unique Christian fiction (though if you aren't Christian, you won't be put off by this book, as far as I can tell).
Similar Books: It had a setting that reminded me a little of Ship Breaker , or its companion, The Drowned Cities. And also, Freakling. It featured hidden/underground cities in a dystopian setting like The City of Ember.
Setting: It had much in common with other dystopian settings--highly controlled society, lack of water, children educated by government, etc. (I find it interesting how these themes are repeated over and over. We seem to fear them, as a society.) And yet, it had its own unique personality. I could tell that the people had their own unique culture, and the aspect of the Deliverer (a single person in charge of ensuring that the water doesn't get 'turned off'), and how that shaped the society.
Characters: I liked Luca, the main character, well enough. He was curious, inquisitive, and genuinely wanted to do the right thing. On the other hand, he seemed to get over things way too easily. For example, when he found out the truth about the Water Rats, the shock wore off much sooner than was realistic.
Though I didn't outright love any of the characters, the others were decent. Tayla, Luca's love interest, seemed a little generic, though in fairness, we didn't get much time to get to know her well.
What I appreciated was how human Luca was. Meaning, he wasn't overly righteous or heroic to the point of being unrealistic, like in some Christian fiction I've read. It's amazing how many Christian books shy away from giving their characters flaws, just because the book is Christian.
Plot: I really enjoyed the first half. There was a mystery that needed solving, a secret stash of books, a fugitive to hide, and a missing father. I wanted to know what would happen next. The second half, though, starting once Luca and company went underground to the city of the Water Rats, got a little weird and hard to follow. I kept up fine, but it felt rushed, especially the ending. I found myself wanting more exploration of the plot and various aspects of the setting, but I didn't get it.
And then there was the insta-love. Almost as soon as Talya and Luca saw each other, they were in love, and Talya was ready to abandon everything she'd ever known and risk her life to go with Luca. Um, what?
Uniqueness: Again, it has much in common with other dystopian books, but it has enough uniqueness to make the plot and setting not feel tired and overused.
Writing: Throughout the book, the dialogue struck me as oddly proper and formal. It just felt...off. Maybe their education system teaches kids in a way that they grow up sounding like this. I don't know. Then, however, Luca's uncle spoke in a way that made him sound more like an under-educated person, which confused me. Why would he use poor grammar, when he got the same education as everyone else?
Another problem I had was the pacing. Like I mentioned earlier, the second half of the novel went way too fast for my liking, almost like it was skimming along the top of the plot instead of fully fleshing it out.
Likes: I like how the Christian themes were present without being overbearing or preachy. Also, this is my 200th review! So, if you've read any number of those reviews, thank you! Here's a GIF for you:
Not-so-great: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Overall: Overall, I enjoyed this. I had my problems with it--including the pacing, oddly formal-sounding dialogue, and most of all, the insta-love. I liked the setting, though, and the characters well enough. The themes presented were interesting, and the premise was unique. Plot-wise, the first half was awesome. Overall, this is a good standalone dystopian book, especially if you're looking for some good and unique Christian fiction (though if you aren't Christian, you won't be put off by this book, as far as I can tell).
Similar Books: It had a setting that reminded me a little of Ship Breaker , or its companion, The Drowned Cities. And also, Freakling. It featured hidden/underground cities in a dystopian setting like The City of Ember.
May 13, 2021
Overall, I was not a fan of this book. I love a good dystopian book, but this really fell short. I found the characters to be very one-dimensional, and the beginning did not set up the world well. It just seemed very flat to me, and I think there are many other books that have written some of the themes much better. The plot sounded really interesting when reading the synopsis, but once I started reading the actual book, I found it to be not thought through very well, there seemed to be gaps, and it was somewhat predictable in some parts. Aquifer was definitely not the book for me, but I could see how some people might enjoy it. :)
July 15, 2021
This book had many wonderful and interesting ideas; world with limited water, a world without emotions, and humanity divided between the surface and the underground. The problem is that these ideas that would be interesting and good stories on their own do not work well together. This author had M&Ms, Skittles, and Reese’s pieces and put them all in the same bowl and served it to readers. The real overkill was the romance, in YA dystopian literature it has become so cliche that the main character who is ✨different✨ finds the beautiful girlfriend/boyfriend. It has become so overworked that now when I get to these parts I lose interest in the book. I would not read this book again.
October 9, 2025
Clever, post Apocalyptic book set in Australia (aren't they all) about,how the need for water creates a structure of society.
Human rat-like creatures live beneath the earth to harvest the water for the people above who are FORBIDDEN to have FEELINGS.
But nothing is as it seems and a young man must make some sacrifices, be bold and courageous because well, it's him or nobody.
Yikes! 😬
Suitable for reading by all ages without any graphic sex, violence or profanity.
Enjoy.
Thanks for reading another one of my reviews.
Hope I was helpful.
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
Human rat-like creatures live beneath the earth to harvest the water for the people above who are FORBIDDEN to have FEELINGS.
But nothing is as it seems and a young man must make some sacrifices, be bold and courageous because well, it's him or nobody.
Yikes! 😬
Suitable for reading by all ages without any graphic sex, violence or profanity.
Enjoy.
Thanks for reading another one of my reviews.
Hope I was helpful.
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
January 12, 2022
Despite wanting to like the book, I really did not. Many things didn't make sense, not because it was written poorly, but because it was a little too rushed for a dystopian novel. It seemed like it was meant to be a series but wasn't given the chance to be one. The story skipped too many important scenes, relationships were forced, and the challenges (albeit exciting) were not developed well. I hoped for much better.
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