I was skeptical about this story when I picked up the ARC. But it won me over with a fantastic dystopian world, strong, unique characters, and great suspense. This is a must-read for fantasy and scifi fans of all ages! 
 Somehow Reese has managed to combine The Little Mermaid with an action dystopian. It sounds crazy, I know. But it works oh-so-well. It's not just mermaids, though, there are harpies, centaurs, even half-dolphin half-human creatures we don't even have a name for. All have their own unique society and culture that blends seamlessly without being overwhelming. There's almost a Gulliver's Travels vibe at some points as our main characters move from place to place into different worlds. 
 The characters themselves are phenomenal. Aluna reminded me a lot of Tris from Divergent. She has an innate strength and self-sufficiency that cannot be dominated. Her need to protect the people she loves sees her through incredible trials and dangers. She is an admirable role model for young women readers. At her side is the adorable, geeky Hoku, a young absent-minded professor who possesses the same strength of character and heart that Aluna does. I related to him instantly as the kid who's too smart to have friends his own age, but he proves his strength over and over again. The secondary characters are never lacking in development, and the romance is understated and perfectly young in its depiction. Boys and girls alike will find something, and someone, to love here. 
 The suspense doesn't let up for a page. The author's experience with martial arts enriches the fight scenes with just the right amount of detail. The world is at stake, and the story never loses sight of that, but there are also intense moments of one-on-one life or death battles. All of them written with a very readable style that is accessible to younger readers but never bores adults. 
 As with all good dystopians, this book has some significant things to say about the state of our modern world. In the end, this story is about the world coming together despite our differences. It manages to be a post-apocalyptic story with a message of hope. 
 Highly recommended for... basically everyone!