Review Detail

“Atlantis Rising” was a surprising paranormal YA hit! I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but I ended up really enjoying it. We follow Alison in the first person POV. Alison is 17 years old, adopted when she was little after a few years in foster care. The family that adopted her is amazing, and she loves them a lot. A few years ago, she learned from a stranger that she is not actually human but is instead Dewing, a descendent of Atlantis. Her abilities as a Dewing make her a target, and the stranger advises her to hide to protect herself and her family. Scared by the revelations, Alison has done her best to make herself invisible and fly under the radar.

That is, until at school, the new students are unsusceptible to her method of pushing suggestions into their minds and they refuse to ignore her. Alison finds herself pulled in by their charms and learns more about the Atlantians than she knew was possible. The flow of the story was perfect- we learn about this whole other (but very similar) species at the same time Alison does, and her perspective is great. She’s neither too trusting nor too reticent, so the plot continues moving at the right pace. She primarily learns about this culture and abilities from Ian and Brandy, who are posing as high school students, but she also learns from their parents to an extent, so we get a broader idea of the community.

Alison’s scope is limited, and the plot flows extremely well and quickly because of it. It would be interesting to learn more about the species and their history, although we do get some by what is taught to (and relevant to) Alison. I found the idea of the Atlantians really fascinating and believable (in terms of paranormal), and I am really loving this series! The relationship between Ian and Alison is a nice of balance of getting-to-know-you and teenage lust, although it does take a backseat overall to the larger plot of the story. And good news for people who don’t like cliffhangers, because this book sets up for the rest of the series with an ending that feels complete! I really loved how a whole story happens in this one book and we get closure, but since the characters were so much fun, I can’t wait to see where they will go in the future books.

Overall, this was an enthralling paranormal series that I look forward to continuing! Please note that I received a copy from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.