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City on the Sea #1
The City on the Sea
Brooke knows the rules. Everyone in the city outside the wall does. If you never cause any trouble, you never disappear.
Even after her father's mysterious death, she's always known she'll do whatever it takes to live a good life and earn her place on the land one day.
But when the watchmen suddenly start following her every move, it doesn't matter if she's done anything wrong. Now she needs to find out why they are watching before she vanishes without a trace.
The City on the Sea, book one in the City on the Sea Series, is the thrilling first installment to this futuristic dystopian story. Climate change and rising sea levels have forced humanity to live on the ocean in order to protect the precious bit of land remaining. In the midst of this cli-fi adventure, a strong female lead character discovers that her world isn’t what it seems and learns to fight for the truth no matter the cost.
Even after her father's mysterious death, she's always known she'll do whatever it takes to live a good life and earn her place on the land one day.
But when the watchmen suddenly start following her every move, it doesn't matter if she's done anything wrong. Now she needs to find out why they are watching before she vanishes without a trace.
The City on the Sea, book one in the City on the Sea Series, is the thrilling first installment to this futuristic dystopian story. Climate change and rising sea levels have forced humanity to live on the ocean in order to protect the precious bit of land remaining. In the midst of this cli-fi adventure, a strong female lead character discovers that her world isn’t what it seems and learns to fight for the truth no matter the cost.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2020
236 people are currently reading
939 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
August 15, 2022
4.5 Stars ✨
Little land is left to live on after melting ice caps have devastated the earth. People live on a wharf next to the only land left. So in a lot of ways this book felt reminiscent of the movie waterworld. I’ve always wanted to read a book like this I thought that type of world fascinating. People on the wharf are very primitive and have basically gone back to the days before people knew how to read and write. There is no materials like books or paper for that matter. Brooke our MC is a spinner making things out of plastic bags found in the ocean and spinning them into things they can use. she’s surrounded by lots of intriguing characters that keep you interested in the story. Not only the characters, but I found the world building to be unique it wasn’t a lot of info dumping, it built as you read the story. I have tons of questions, but I feel like the more I read they will be answered.
I thought this was an addicting YA dystopian. I was hooked from the start. There’s lots to build upon here and I look forward to continuing on with the series. I’m super anxious to find out more about the watchman and their role in this world. I will immediately be diving (pun intended 😂) into the next one.
Little land is left to live on after melting ice caps have devastated the earth. People live on a wharf next to the only land left. So in a lot of ways this book felt reminiscent of the movie waterworld. I’ve always wanted to read a book like this I thought that type of world fascinating. People on the wharf are very primitive and have basically gone back to the days before people knew how to read and write. There is no materials like books or paper for that matter. Brooke our MC is a spinner making things out of plastic bags found in the ocean and spinning them into things they can use. she’s surrounded by lots of intriguing characters that keep you interested in the story. Not only the characters, but I found the world building to be unique it wasn’t a lot of info dumping, it built as you read the story. I have tons of questions, but I feel like the more I read they will be answered.
I thought this was an addicting YA dystopian. I was hooked from the start. There’s lots to build upon here and I look forward to continuing on with the series. I’m super anxious to find out more about the watchman and their role in this world. I will immediately be diving (pun intended 😂) into the next one.
August 9, 2021
Another great and unique dystopian world from Heather Carson. Due to melting ice caps, people are forced to live, and work, on the ocean, with the promise of retirement on a small patch of land at the end But only if they follow the rules, as the land is protected at all costs... I loved this world, got a taste of it in Once Upon a Dystopia (an anthology book of dystopian stories) and was so glad to dive further into it (no pun intended). Book two has been downloaded already...
December 8, 2020
Once again, a huge thank you to Heather Carson for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Heather. I love the way your mind works, honestly. You've created yet another awesome world that I absolutely cannot wait to explore more of. The world building wasn't in your face, no big info dump, but it slowly expanded as it went and I appreciated that. One thing I would LOVE for this, a map!
Brooke was a great character, at first she annoyed me with her mindset and her decisions, but that changed pretty quickly and it was nice to see her progression once she started making decisions for herself. She's determined and headstrong and out for answers and I can't wait to see where her journey goes.
And I'm so stoked for more information on that last little tidbit! Aghhhh.
Heather. I love the way your mind works, honestly. You've created yet another awesome world that I absolutely cannot wait to explore more of. The world building wasn't in your face, no big info dump, but it slowly expanded as it went and I appreciated that. One thing I would LOVE for this, a map!
Brooke was a great character, at first she annoyed me with her mindset and her decisions, but that changed pretty quickly and it was nice to see her progression once she started making decisions for herself. She's determined and headstrong and out for answers and I can't wait to see where her journey goes.
And I'm so stoked for more information on that last little tidbit! Aghhhh.
October 16, 2021
The City on the Sea is a YA Dystopian set in a future where sea levels have risen so much that little land is available on which people can live. I quickly fell in love with the story and was invested with the characters. This is a short, quick read, made even more so because I kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. This is book one in a 5 book series and I can't wait to read the rest. Warning, this book ends on a cliffhanger which means I will have to get book 2 ASAP.
Carson writes realistic characters full of passion and wit. She does a great job describing the world without info dumps.
Must read for anyone who loves dystopian fiction.
Carson writes realistic characters full of passion and wit. She does a great job describing the world without info dumps.
Must read for anyone who loves dystopian fiction.
May 18, 2021
I love ya dystopian, and it seems like it has become harder to find good ones. This one is definitely one of those rare good ones! I found once I got a few pages into it, I couldn’t put it down. It’s such an original story, and keeps you asking questions, along with the main character, Brooke. The world building is excellent, I can picture it so well. And it’s like these people have gone backwards in many ways. Why did they stop reading and writing? What are the Watchmen really about? I need to read more!!!
November 29, 2022
Literally, what can't Heather do with a dystopian series?
This was a fun, quick read that got my wheels turning. A cli-fi, dystopian book where the climate change created the melting of ice caps and land to basically become non existent except for the few who retire and children under 6. Heavily guarded by a wall, everyone else lives on a city on the sea.
But something is amiss.
I have a few theories but basically this is giving off major The Giver Quartet vibes and I'm here for it. I can't wait to delve into the next book. And finish it in a few hours.
This was a fun, quick read that got my wheels turning. A cli-fi, dystopian book where the climate change created the melting of ice caps and land to basically become non existent except for the few who retire and children under 6. Heavily guarded by a wall, everyone else lives on a city on the sea.
But something is amiss.
I have a few theories but basically this is giving off major The Giver Quartet vibes and I'm here for it. I can't wait to delve into the next book. And finish it in a few hours.
May 28, 2021
I loved this book! I'm normally not a huge dystopian fan, but I loved this book. I was so intrigued about what happened to her father and why the watchmen work following her. The plot and the characters were amazing! It was a super quick read and I loved that. Can't wait to read the next book.
dnf
June 25, 2023DNF at 14%. Unfortunately, it’s really hard for me to tolerate when conversations are filled with exposition, and that was the case here. None of the conversation felt natural up to the point I read. That’s really important to me. So this is a DNF. Sorry :(
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February 9, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/9/2021)! 🎁
June 1, 2021
I really enjoyed this! Looking forward to reading the rest of this series! If you are looking for a quick dystopian book! Check this series out!!
September 27, 2021
This book ending on a cliff hanger when im on a book buying ban is just mean. Hoping for an enemies to lovers theme as the series goes on, but this was really good!
April 13, 2025
This was a quick read that left me wanting more. I don’t feel as if I’ve quite gotten enough of the characters, but I’ll definitely be reading the next book!
August 23, 2022
I really enjoyed following Brooke's journey and seeing how she interacted with the other characters. The worldbuilding is spread out over the story which gives you time to process and remember what has happened so far - it doesn't hit you all at once which is nice. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to start the next one.
December 13, 2020
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The City on the Sea was a wonderful start to this young adult Dystopian series. The world is basically under water and the resources are scarce, so the inhabitants on the island have to get creative to survive. They are primitive in alot of ways but not as primitive as the watchers believe them to be. They are a thriving growing community who live each day to the fullest and are grateful for what they have. However they are dark and dangerous elements they live with each and every day. They are constantly watched and everything they do is carefully studied like fish in an aquarium to make sure they don't get out of line. They live in constant fear of doing something to anger the watchers because they might disappear.
Heather Carson did a great job building this world and letting us get to know the main character Brooke. We come to love her and her family. We feel for her and understand the pain she deals with on a daily basis from the struggles she has had to grow up with that are more than any child should have to face. My only complaint about this book was that it left me with a ton of questions and not a single answer. The entire story leads up like we are going to get a big pay off in the end and we will finally get answers to everything happening around us, however nothing is answered and we are left waiting for the next book. I am all for cliffhanger endings but I was left with irritation when I finished because it felt like nothing was answered. It made it hard for me to write this review ,but I decided to just be completely honest and try to explain why my score is not higher. If this story would have just wrapped up some of the loose ends and gave some closure, I would have felt better with the cliffhanger ending. I am sorry .. I hope the second book clears things up and I feel more at peace with the story.
The City on the Sea was a wonderful start to this young adult Dystopian series. The world is basically under water and the resources are scarce, so the inhabitants on the island have to get creative to survive. They are primitive in alot of ways but not as primitive as the watchers believe them to be. They are a thriving growing community who live each day to the fullest and are grateful for what they have. However they are dark and dangerous elements they live with each and every day. They are constantly watched and everything they do is carefully studied like fish in an aquarium to make sure they don't get out of line. They live in constant fear of doing something to anger the watchers because they might disappear.
Heather Carson did a great job building this world and letting us get to know the main character Brooke. We come to love her and her family. We feel for her and understand the pain she deals with on a daily basis from the struggles she has had to grow up with that are more than any child should have to face. My only complaint about this book was that it left me with a ton of questions and not a single answer. The entire story leads up like we are going to get a big pay off in the end and we will finally get answers to everything happening around us, however nothing is answered and we are left waiting for the next book. I am all for cliffhanger endings but I was left with irritation when I finished because it felt like nothing was answered. It made it hard for me to write this review ,but I decided to just be completely honest and try to explain why my score is not higher. If this story would have just wrapped up some of the loose ends and gave some closure, I would have felt better with the cliffhanger ending. I am sorry .. I hope the second book clears things up and I feel more at peace with the story.
December 27, 2020
This is book one of the City on the Seas series and is a futuristic dystopian story in a world destroyed by climate change and extreme flooding, leaving most of the planet’s land covered in water. Only small areas of land are left and they are highly protected by huge walls. Only the youngest of children can visit the area behind the wall, to experience what it is like and to see some animals and vegetation. Nothing is supposed to be removed from the land and high penalties are given to anyone who breaks a rule, no matter how young. The main character if a young woman called Brooke, who still lives with her mother, who is quite mad and makes her life very difficult. Her mother has gotten much worse since her husband disappeared one day, while working on his machine, a device he had invented to bring ground from the bottom of the sea, back to the surface, to help rebuild land. Brooke’s sister is married and heavily pregnant with her second child and her husband is a fisherman. She has repeatedly offered to let Brooke stay with them, but they don’t really have the room and Brooke doesn’t want to leave her mother alone. That is until she does the unimaginable, just to hurt Brooke.
The walls are guarded by watchmen, who work in an area for a limited period and are then rotated to another wall, elsewhere in the world. There are a number of these floating cities, but she has never been to another one. She has been brought up to always do the right thing and then you won’t disappear. People who cause any sort of trouble in the city, disappear and are never seen again. She is worried though, that the same watchman seems to be closely watching her and she doesn’t know why. She hasn’t done anything wrong, has she? She wants to live a good life and have the chance to live on the other side of the wall, when she retires, as all who reach retirement are offered the choice to do. Some, like her friend Tordon’s father, prefers to stay in the city on the sea and continue working and watching people. Brooke works with her friend Lena, as spinners, spinning plastic found in the sea, with remnants of rope, which is in short supply. Life with her mother ends in her kicking Brooke out and she finally finds herself a room at the inn and extra work to earn her keep. She does find her father’s old workbag as she packs up her few belongings, and finds diagrams of his invention and the plastic sheets he used to teach Brooke and her sister Meghan how to read. A skill that is no longer used, as there is no printed materials left in the world, as water destroyed everything many years ago. Life and history are remembered by stories passed down by word of mouth through the generations.
It seems her father’s invention and anything else that might make life easier, are not encouraged and her father’s invention was constantly being sabotaged before his mysterious death. Her mother’s behaviour has gotten increasingly worse since his death and she begin to think her mother might be the reason the watchmen have a certain predisposed opinion of her. Revealing her father’s plans is a dangerous move and one she is warned against making any mention of to anyone. The watchmen seem to think the local women are no more than easy women, there for their use, for the six month stint in their city, then they will move on somewhere else! Brooke is not like her friend Lena in that regard and finds herself having words with the one watchman who seems to be paying her and her every move, very close attention. Another woman who created a way of growing food using water (hydroponics) goes missing and her son destroys all the equipment, so he can’t get into trouble with the watchmen like his mother seems to have. It seems Brooke is not the only one in their community who isn’t happy with how things are run and why they have to be afraid of doing anything wrong, in case the watchmen make them disappear. She is finding out that her safe little city on the sea may not be quite as it seems and invention is severely discouraged, in any form! It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book and what truths Brooke finds out about her life and the watchmen. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
The walls are guarded by watchmen, who work in an area for a limited period and are then rotated to another wall, elsewhere in the world. There are a number of these floating cities, but she has never been to another one. She has been brought up to always do the right thing and then you won’t disappear. People who cause any sort of trouble in the city, disappear and are never seen again. She is worried though, that the same watchman seems to be closely watching her and she doesn’t know why. She hasn’t done anything wrong, has she? She wants to live a good life and have the chance to live on the other side of the wall, when she retires, as all who reach retirement are offered the choice to do. Some, like her friend Tordon’s father, prefers to stay in the city on the sea and continue working and watching people. Brooke works with her friend Lena, as spinners, spinning plastic found in the sea, with remnants of rope, which is in short supply. Life with her mother ends in her kicking Brooke out and she finally finds herself a room at the inn and extra work to earn her keep. She does find her father’s old workbag as she packs up her few belongings, and finds diagrams of his invention and the plastic sheets he used to teach Brooke and her sister Meghan how to read. A skill that is no longer used, as there is no printed materials left in the world, as water destroyed everything many years ago. Life and history are remembered by stories passed down by word of mouth through the generations.
It seems her father’s invention and anything else that might make life easier, are not encouraged and her father’s invention was constantly being sabotaged before his mysterious death. Her mother’s behaviour has gotten increasingly worse since his death and she begin to think her mother might be the reason the watchmen have a certain predisposed opinion of her. Revealing her father’s plans is a dangerous move and one she is warned against making any mention of to anyone. The watchmen seem to think the local women are no more than easy women, there for their use, for the six month stint in their city, then they will move on somewhere else! Brooke is not like her friend Lena in that regard and finds herself having words with the one watchman who seems to be paying her and her every move, very close attention. Another woman who created a way of growing food using water (hydroponics) goes missing and her son destroys all the equipment, so he can’t get into trouble with the watchmen like his mother seems to have. It seems Brooke is not the only one in their community who isn’t happy with how things are run and why they have to be afraid of doing anything wrong, in case the watchmen make them disappear. She is finding out that her safe little city on the sea may not be quite as it seems and invention is severely discouraged, in any form! It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book and what truths Brooke finds out about her life and the watchmen. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
December 16, 2020
3.5 stars
I received this book as an ARC
I'm giving this three stars because I had a blast reading it, but there were a couple things that I think could have been done better; the main thing being the character depth. I really didn't feel connected to any of the characters in the way I do with other books. I felt like the main character, Brooke, was just telling me how she felt instead of showing me. However, I do have hope that I will be more emotionally connected to the characters in the sequel.
Aside from that, I think the plot was pretty good and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. I actually thought I had guessed the plot twist multiple times, but in the end, I was surprised. I think it could have gone more in depth to explain some of the things that were important to the story, but I'm hoping that will happen in the next book.
As for the writing style, I'm a little bit conflicted. Sometimes it was cheesy and redundant but others it was riveting and beautiful.
By far, my favorite part of this book was the world building. I think it was almost completely flawless and the whole time I was just waiting to find out more about how the earth had gotten to that point. I'd say this is one of my favorite dystopian settings I've read.
The last thing I want to say is I think the ending was really beautiful and it made look forward to reading the next book.
Thank you, Heather Carson, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I had a great time.
I received this book as an ARC
I'm giving this three stars because I had a blast reading it, but there were a couple things that I think could have been done better; the main thing being the character depth. I really didn't feel connected to any of the characters in the way I do with other books. I felt like the main character, Brooke, was just telling me how she felt instead of showing me. However, I do have hope that I will be more emotionally connected to the characters in the sequel.
Aside from that, I think the plot was pretty good and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. I actually thought I had guessed the plot twist multiple times, but in the end, I was surprised. I think it could have gone more in depth to explain some of the things that were important to the story, but I'm hoping that will happen in the next book.
As for the writing style, I'm a little bit conflicted. Sometimes it was cheesy and redundant but others it was riveting and beautiful.
By far, my favorite part of this book was the world building. I think it was almost completely flawless and the whole time I was just waiting to find out more about how the earth had gotten to that point. I'd say this is one of my favorite dystopian settings I've read.
The last thing I want to say is I think the ending was really beautiful and it made look forward to reading the next book.
Thank you, Heather Carson, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I had a great time.
November 27, 2022
I rarely finish a book in one day and even more rarely in one sitting. This book had me glued to the pages and I finished it in a few hours only taking a couple breaks to do mom stuff.
This book follows Brooke, a teenage girl living in a land where the ice caps have melted and land is a precious commodity. The people go about simple lives without progress. Then there are the watchmen, where do they come from? They rotate out every 6 months and they keep an eye on the people. Don't get out of hand or you disappear. Work hard and keep your nose clean then at 60 you can choose to retire to a special land for only retirees. Brooke's father has recently died and she comes into possession of a project he was working on. Little does she know this project has been deemed unsafe by the watchmen and even though she has no idea about any of it they're watching her.
Theories and possible spoilers to follow.
First of all this retired thing is clearly not the sunshine and happiness these people belive it is. I'm not saying it's soylent green but these people aren't making it to the land of grass and trees.
Second the little bits of information the watchman, Calder, keeps letting slip are really making me mad. Clearly there IS a land of grass and trees but for some reason these people are cut off from it. Why? What did they ever do? Why do the watchmen think they are dumb and feral?
Guess I better grab book 2 off the shelf and see what happens next.
This book follows Brooke, a teenage girl living in a land where the ice caps have melted and land is a precious commodity. The people go about simple lives without progress. Then there are the watchmen, where do they come from? They rotate out every 6 months and they keep an eye on the people. Don't get out of hand or you disappear. Work hard and keep your nose clean then at 60 you can choose to retire to a special land for only retirees. Brooke's father has recently died and she comes into possession of a project he was working on. Little does she know this project has been deemed unsafe by the watchmen and even though she has no idea about any of it they're watching her.
Theories and possible spoilers to follow.
First of all this retired thing is clearly not the sunshine and happiness these people belive it is. I'm not saying it's soylent green but these people aren't making it to the land of grass and trees.
Second the little bits of information the watchman, Calder, keeps letting slip are really making me mad. Clearly there IS a land of grass and trees but for some reason these people are cut off from it. Why? What did they ever do? Why do the watchmen think they are dumb and feral?
Guess I better grab book 2 off the shelf and see what happens next.
February 22, 2021
Thank you Heather Carson who did a special and gave the first book in her series away for free for a day!
This book was a quick and easy read and I read about half of it in one sitting! The plot for this series is very promising and sounded very interesting so I immediately was hooked.
The setting is a world after climate change where a small island holds everything but everyone has to live on the coast? I may have misread but I was a bit confused on that part. The island has watchmen who keep control and if people act up they disappear. Once you’re old enough you can retire to the land. My theory is they’re actually being The Giver’d. 💉 Main character lives with her abusive mother after her dad mysteriously died. The book follows her gaining independence and possibly building her fathers legacy; a machine to make land.
The book had great promise but there were flaws. I felt the book didn’t have a lot of direction and things just happened. A lot of scenes and dialogues happened that did not impact the plot at all. The world building could be a little better, I am really interested in the watchers. I felt a lot of the book was just conversations of “I’m worried about you” and following a girl do some of her jobs.
I am still planning on reading the second very soon.
This book was a quick and easy read and I read about half of it in one sitting! The plot for this series is very promising and sounded very interesting so I immediately was hooked.
The setting is a world after climate change where a small island holds everything but everyone has to live on the coast? I may have misread but I was a bit confused on that part. The island has watchmen who keep control and if people act up they disappear. Once you’re old enough you can retire to the land. My theory is they’re actually being The Giver’d. 💉 Main character lives with her abusive mother after her dad mysteriously died. The book follows her gaining independence and possibly building her fathers legacy; a machine to make land.
The book had great promise but there were flaws. I felt the book didn’t have a lot of direction and things just happened. A lot of scenes and dialogues happened that did not impact the plot at all. The world building could be a little better, I am really interested in the watchers. I felt a lot of the book was just conversations of “I’m worried about you” and following a girl do some of her jobs.
I am still planning on reading the second very soon.
August 3, 2022
If I'm understanding this right there are floating cities. It seems that there has been a major rise in the ocean level and a lot of land now lies under water. The polar caps have melted and written language has been lost. There also major storms they have to put up with.
It also seems that the people in the city live under a totalitarian form of government. There are Watchmen, which seem to be somewhat like the Gestapo, and people can disappear and never be seen again. There is also a situation where people can 'retire' after been going citizens for long enough and are taken to some kind of paradise city but, if I'm right, they are just taken out somewhere to see and executed.
Brooke is a girl whose father had developed a special machine that could help the city/island but ended up disappearing. She wants to find out what has happened to him and a device he was working on but it could alert the watchmen and she might end up disappearing.
What is going on in the story is kind of obvious and what has happened to the retirees and those who have fallen under the watchful eye of the government thugs is also pretty obvious. I think it could have been done in a slightly less heavy-handed matter.
It also seems that the people in the city live under a totalitarian form of government. There are Watchmen, which seem to be somewhat like the Gestapo, and people can disappear and never be seen again. There is also a situation where people can 'retire' after been going citizens for long enough and are taken to some kind of paradise city but, if I'm right, they are just taken out somewhere to see and executed.
Brooke is a girl whose father had developed a special machine that could help the city/island but ended up disappearing. She wants to find out what has happened to him and a device he was working on but it could alert the watchmen and she might end up disappearing.
What is going on in the story is kind of obvious and what has happened to the retirees and those who have fallen under the watchful eye of the government thugs is also pretty obvious. I think it could have been done in a slightly less heavy-handed matter.
December 1, 2020
Brooke is a girl of 18...by chapter 6, I haven't a clue what she looks like. Her best friend, Lena, also must be 18, again no idea what she looks like. I'll just assume Lena is black because she and her sister's hair is braided in styles that imply they are black. The friends live on a floating world of boats and visit land only when really young or really old. Land has been swallowed up by global warming. The last pieces are reserved for special times. There's a wall surrounding the surviving land guarded by watchmen. Brooke just wants to not disappear, as citizens who are unruly do. Brooke's mom is a nutcase and her dad has died. What's a girl to do?
There is humor in this unique story. A mystery that leaves the reader hanging. I have often complained most authors tend to over describe, this one failed to describe enough. That is the only complaint I have about this book. Other than that, I loved it! It's interesting to the point of reading it all in one sitting. I want book 2 already!
***I recieved an ARC copy for an honest review***
There is humor in this unique story. A mystery that leaves the reader hanging. I have often complained most authors tend to over describe, this one failed to describe enough. That is the only complaint I have about this book. Other than that, I loved it! It's interesting to the point of reading it all in one sitting. I want book 2 already!
***I recieved an ARC copy for an honest review***
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2021
Heather Carson has once again created a dystopia with really likeable characters and enough questions to keep you guessing. This book is mostly world building and character introductions, but it is a very engaging and quick read! And that CLIFFHANGER!!! 😫
This story follows Brooke, a young girl who values doing the right thing. She keeps her head down, goes to work, and cares deeply for her friends and family. She lives in a city that is floating at sea because many years ago, an apocalyptic event happened which put most of the earth under water. Shortly after her father dies, she notices that she is being followed and closely monitored by the watchmen that protect the city on the sea. Why is she being followed? How did her father ACTUALLY die? And why are so many people afraid of the invention he was working on?
Heather has a way of drawing you into a story immediately, making you fall in love with her characters, and then writing a giant cliffhanger that will have you FLYING to the next book for answers. Any dystopian fan will love this series! 5 stars 🌟 🤩
This story follows Brooke, a young girl who values doing the right thing. She keeps her head down, goes to work, and cares deeply for her friends and family. She lives in a city that is floating at sea because many years ago, an apocalyptic event happened which put most of the earth under water. Shortly after her father dies, she notices that she is being followed and closely monitored by the watchmen that protect the city on the sea. Why is she being followed? How did her father ACTUALLY die? And why are so many people afraid of the invention he was working on?
Heather has a way of drawing you into a story immediately, making you fall in love with her characters, and then writing a giant cliffhanger that will have you FLYING to the next book for answers. Any dystopian fan will love this series! 5 stars 🌟 🤩
February 2, 2021
Emotional Rollercoaster
Brooke lives in a somewhat dystopian city on the sea. The Earth has collapsed and land is sparse. Only certain people are allowed to stay on it (kids and the retired). The people live in a floating city and are guarded by watchmen, who make those who cause a disturbance disappear. Brooke's father, who died recently, had plans for a machine that would fix things with the land. When she finds those plans, the watchmen have their eyes on her.
This is such an emotional rollercoaster of a story. We go from Brooke having loving, caring people, to her being watched by the watchmen for unknown reasons. Her mother's horrible treatment of her and her sister's persistent protectiveness, mixed with her daily struggle missing her father creates a story that pulls you in. The story is fast paced, but you can see character development in Brooke and you want to know more and find out what the watchmen are really up to.
Brooke lives in a somewhat dystopian city on the sea. The Earth has collapsed and land is sparse. Only certain people are allowed to stay on it (kids and the retired). The people live in a floating city and are guarded by watchmen, who make those who cause a disturbance disappear. Brooke's father, who died recently, had plans for a machine that would fix things with the land. When she finds those plans, the watchmen have their eyes on her.
This is such an emotional rollercoaster of a story. We go from Brooke having loving, caring people, to her being watched by the watchmen for unknown reasons. Her mother's horrible treatment of her and her sister's persistent protectiveness, mixed with her daily struggle missing her father creates a story that pulls you in. The story is fast paced, but you can see character development in Brooke and you want to know more and find out what the watchmen are really up to.
December 14, 2020
Wow! This was such an engrossing read. “The City on the Sea” by Heather Carson was truly such a captivating and creative story. By page 10 I knew this was going to be a five star read for me. Carson’s incredible imagination absolutely shines in this novel! The story and world are so unique, I’ve never read a dystopian tale quite like this before! I always admire how brilliant Carson’s writing is. Her language is enchanting and lyrical. Her storylines are fast-paced and gripping. Carson’s characters are always so multifaceted and original, I love and appreciate how much depth each character is given. Typically, I am not a fan of cliffhanger endings...that being said, this figurative and literal ending was so perfect! I am very invested in Brooke and cannot wait for the sequel, “The Wall That Divides Us”!
February 3, 2021
Short book with a lot of story, and a lot of questions, that don't get answered. I'm guessing that's book two.
I absolutely love Brooke, she's fearless, daring and everything you can hope for in female heroine.
Great story but all lead up to the next book, no resolutions in this book, hence the four stars.
That said the dystopia in this book is unlike any before, and the way Brooke navigates it is absolutely flawless. She doesn't let anything knock her down.
The ending has a good moment but not that mini win you get from most first books in a series that leads to the big bad. If her next book is anything like others I've read where it all leads to cliffhangers, it's well worth the read, well worth the wait later on.
- Moxienboots on Tiktok
I absolutely love Brooke, she's fearless, daring and everything you can hope for in female heroine.
Great story but all lead up to the next book, no resolutions in this book, hence the four stars.
That said the dystopia in this book is unlike any before, and the way Brooke navigates it is absolutely flawless. She doesn't let anything knock her down.
The ending has a good moment but not that mini win you get from most first books in a series that leads to the big bad. If her next book is anything like others I've read where it all leads to cliffhangers, it's well worth the read, well worth the wait later on.
- Moxienboots on Tiktok
November 28, 2020
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the world that HC creates for this series and I'm definitely looking forward to more books.
I think that, as the first book of the series, I was left with so many more questions than answers than I usually find which is why I gave it 3 stars (meaning I solidly liked it!) vs 4 (I really really liked it).
The main character is a strong protagonist who is stumbling on truths that didn't even cross her mind before she lost her dad and I'm excited to see what everything means. (Also hoping there's a good Brooke/Calder romance in the making)
This world is so interesting and I really am looking forward to more!!!
I really liked the world that HC creates for this series and I'm definitely looking forward to more books.
I think that, as the first book of the series, I was left with so many more questions than answers than I usually find which is why I gave it 3 stars (meaning I solidly liked it!) vs 4 (I really really liked it).
The main character is a strong protagonist who is stumbling on truths that didn't even cross her mind before she lost her dad and I'm excited to see what everything means. (Also hoping there's a good Brooke/Calder romance in the making)
This world is so interesting and I really am looking forward to more!!!
December 29, 2020
Thank you, Heather for sharing your world with me. I truly enjoyed immersing myself in the story and life of Brooke. Your take on a dystopian society was interesting and unique (and for that extremely refreshing!)
I enjoyed meeting the characters, however, I never felt like I truly got to know them. I found myself wanting to know more, wanting to better understand the people and relationships. I would love to see more character development.
Also, can anyone say cliffhanger!?! I read through this book very quickly as I was excited to have some answers at the end. But I think I have more questions! Agh! Hurry with book 2 :)
I enjoyed meeting the characters, however, I never felt like I truly got to know them. I found myself wanting to know more, wanting to better understand the people and relationships. I would love to see more character development.
Also, can anyone say cliffhanger!?! I read through this book very quickly as I was excited to have some answers at the end. But I think I have more questions! Agh! Hurry with book 2 :)
February 8, 2021
Heather Carson has developed an amazing knack for mixing genres. I can best describe this story as some hybrid of Dystopian/Mystery/Thriller/Coming of Age/Very Post Apocalyptic.
The prose is fast paced and very easy to read while getting into the heart and mind if Brooke, the main character. She is inquisitive and artistic, desiring to reconnect with her dead father through his work while simultaneously trying to understand who she is in her new surroundings. Her mother is ailing, her sister has her own family, and she doesn’t quite fit in. Meanwhile, she’s very much aware of being watched though naive to the true dangers that are present around her.
I highly recommend this series!
The prose is fast paced and very easy to read while getting into the heart and mind if Brooke, the main character. She is inquisitive and artistic, desiring to reconnect with her dead father through his work while simultaneously trying to understand who she is in her new surroundings. Her mother is ailing, her sister has her own family, and she doesn’t quite fit in. Meanwhile, she’s very much aware of being watched though naive to the true dangers that are present around her.
I highly recommend this series!
February 10, 2021
The best part is the world they live in
This was a decent story. It was meandering in places and didn't seem to always know where it was going. The main character is intriguing and those around her always have an idea of what she should be doing. But she's determined that she will make decisions for herself. The world they live in is the most interesting part of the story. You get the idea that it is a post apocalyptic water world and many resources have been lost. However there are surprising indicators that there might be more out there but Brooke only knows this island village.
This was a decent story. It was meandering in places and didn't seem to always know where it was going. The main character is intriguing and those around her always have an idea of what she should be doing. But she's determined that she will make decisions for herself. The world they live in is the most interesting part of the story. You get the idea that it is a post apocalyptic water world and many resources have been lost. However there are surprising indicators that there might be more out there but Brooke only knows this island village.
February 14, 2021
I felt this was a great quick read and a great introduction to the series. Personally felt the story was too short as it kind of ended as it was beginning but it is what it is.
The world building was so unique that I would like to see more of when I read the other books. I loved Brooke's character developments in such a short space of time and I yet again Carson has given a really unique twist to Dystopia.
Only negatives was a slow start which I'm not a huge fan of in books. Plus being confused about The Watchmen but I feel like that was intentional, and I feel like this confusion will be cleared up in future books.
Overall, I highly recommend to give this a read.
The world building was so unique that I would like to see more of when I read the other books. I loved Brooke's character developments in such a short space of time and I yet again Carson has given a really unique twist to Dystopia.
Only negatives was a slow start which I'm not a huge fan of in books. Plus being confused about The Watchmen but I feel like that was intentional, and I feel like this confusion will be cleared up in future books.
Overall, I highly recommend to give this a read.
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