The Light at the Bottom of the World

It's the end of the 21st century, and the world is underwater.  The people who survived this catastrophic event live in underwater habitats with the hope of one day returning to the surface.  Leyla McQueen doesn't know any other life.  For her, it's completely normal for sea creatures to swim in and out of the landmarks of Old London.  Humanity lives in a careful balance between hope of returning to the surface and fear of the dangerous creatures in the ocean. 

When Leyla's name is chosen to race in the annual London Marathon, she is determined to win.  Each year the winner gets a prize of his or her choosing, and Leyla plans to ask for her father's freedom.  He was arrested and imprisoned for preying on those suffering from seasickness, despair that affects those who can no longer accept this new way of life. 

The race is just the beginning, and after an unexpected twist, Leyla is off on an illegal quest to find her father and uncover the truth about his imprisonment.  Her companion is the brooding and unwelcome Ari who has promised Leyla's grandfather he will protect her, but Ari has a few secrets of his own.

I really liked the concept of this novel by London Shah, but the execution was a bit clunky for me.  I have consumed a lot of science fiction in my time, so I might be more critical than other readers.  In a world where you aren't tied to living on land, I found it odd there were not more people living off the grid in their own submarines.  It was also a bit unbelievable that a girl who doesn't even have a vehicle could win a race.  In fact, Leyla has no real skills, but she thinks she just takes off on her own and magically overcomes every obstacle in her path, even obstacles people with experience and training have failed.  Add to that a love plot that just feels obligatory, and this wasn't my favorite.  I didn't hate it; I just spent a lot of time rolling my eyes.