Undertow by Michael Buckley

Four Stars!

As the title implies, Undertow subtly latches on to you and pulls you into its mystique. From the very beginning, you realize that there are monsters prowling everywhere and the world itself is in disarray. The iconic Coney Island, known for its fun amusements, is now the center of this apocalyptic demise. Trash-ridden, isolated, and filled with undesirables, Coney Island is part of The Zone, an area separated from the rest of the United States using military and police force. Caught in The Zone is Lyric Walker, a girl just wanting normalcy, but she suffers from terrible migraine headaches, so rough that they are classified like hurricanes. Beyond her migraines, Lyric and her family have a secret that they must keep at all costs as their very lives depend on it. All this is revealed in the very first pages, and the suspense just keeps going.

This is not your typical coming-of-age story, nor is it your standard dystopian novel, nor is it a thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat. It is, though, a combination of these elements that provides for a great thrill ride. The action is subtle but believable. Driving the plot is a sequence of events originating from fear: fear of the unknown, fear of aliens, fear of violence, fear of persecution, fear of mob mentality, and fear of insanity. Yet the narration provided by Lyric is almost hopeful despite the depressing events consuming her life. She is a strong but realistic character who approaches this issues with a matter-of-factness that seems reasonable under the circumstances.

Yes, I loved the strong action and the conflicts with the government and mob groups. It's always fun where there is a strong villain you love to hate. Yes, I loved the gentle unfolding as the secrets revealed themselves. This was exactly the right pacing! Yes, I loved both the main and secondary characters. They each had the right depth and interaction to provide a wonderful storyline.

Negatives? There weren't too many, but I think the tone of the ending was too different from the rest of the novel, and as such, it lost some of the punch that had been building steadily from the beginning. Nonetheless, this was a great story overall, and I can definitely recommend it. I'm really looking forward to the sequel as well, although I think you can stop at the first book and be totally satisfied.

Enjoy, my friends!