Beneath: A Secret Society

by Madelyn Rose

In the Fortress, an underground society unmarred by the Government’s clutches, there is a rule that looms over everyone’s heads like a dark cloud: join or die. There is no inbetween. When Rosabella Porter and Aire Gil discover the underground society, the two women make the most logical decision to stay alive. They join.

Rosabella doesn’t expect to fall in love. The freedom and independence the Fortress provides are like a dream she can’t wrap her head completely around. Although one man, Clayton Taylor, the ignorant, conceited man she simply can’t stand, has no problem snapping her out of her dream-like state. He and Rosabella don’t always see eye to eye; what right does he have to treat others with such disrespect? And worst of all, how could Aire Gil, her best friend, like him? Their thoughtful leader, Bernard, does his best to keep the peace, but when relationships crumble and the pressures of the outside world come rushing in, will he be able to maintain order within the society he helped to build and swore to protect?

437 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

This contemporary dystopian YA novel is light on the dystopian and heavy on the teen romance to the point of being soap operatic by the novels end. Rosabella and her best friend Aire are hanging out at a party when it is attacked by droids and they are rescued and taken to an underground place called the Fortress. Rose meets Clayton, who is brusque and demanding, but once she gets to know him she falls in love. The dystopian aspects of this novel are fleshed out: where are killer droids coming from, how did the above ground totalitarian Government get that way, and the how and why of the Fortress come into being. High school teens may enjoy the various love entanglements but might be disappointed in the dystopian narrative.