Audio Book: Undertow by Michael Buckley

Audio Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Recorded Books
Format: Audible
Narrator: Jennifer Grace
Length: 12 hours 4 minutes
Genre: Fantasy YA
Buy: Kindle | Paperback | HardcoverAudio

Synopsis: 

First, we feared them. Then we fought them. Now they might be our only hope.

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s best chance for survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

 Review:

This is a great set up for this semi-new trilogy.  The Alpha come to shore in Coney Island dividing this small community. There are those who don't want anything to do with the "Fish Heads" and an armed and violent group of "red shirts" forms. If you ever wondered how the US got away with interning the Japanese during WWII just read this book.  The us vs. them mentality is scary.

The Alpha culture is very interesting and very well developed.  The American's are either tolerant and welcoming or afraid and join the red shirts who want the Alpha to go back to the sea.  However, the Alpha aren't the only "fish" in the sea.

I thought this was a fun listen, not sure how reading it would be but I definitely attribute a lot of the flow to the narrator Jennifer Grace whose reading really brought the story to life.  I think this would make a great beach listen.  Looking out across the ocean wondering if an alien race is going to come walking out of the surf at any time.

The book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger and I'm anxious to see how the 2nd book picks up the story.