Dark Life by Kat Falls is a futuristic story of life after the east coast of North America has fallen into the sea (presumably because of the effects of global warming and/or major earthquake activity). Because land is at a premium and crowded with people in every direction, a group of settlers have built a "territory" on the ocean floor. Ty, the main character, is the teenage son of one of the founding families. He was born under the sea and is very comfortable with living there. There's a good deal of concern, however, because the Commonwealth is taxing the settlement at a high rate, and on top of that, a group of outlaws is threatening people above and below the water... stealing and damaging property whenever it is in their path. 
 There are many things that make this book memorable. Falls does an amazing job of imagining and describing these underwater structures, vehicles, and other technologies that make the underwater settlement work. Her descriptions of the sensations, the sealife, and the colors and hues underwater are vivid and convincing. It is easy to believe that a settlement like this could be possible because of Falls' attention to detail. Most importantly, as is the case in all good stories, the characters are believable and well-developed. I felt as if I knew Ty, his sister, Zoe, his parents, his neighbors, and his new friend Gemma. It was easy to care about these characters and cheer them on through their adventures and struggles. 
 My experience was with the unabridged audio production of the book, which was very well-done. I was sorry for the book to end, but am excited to get Riptide, the sequel in the near future! This was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in quite some time!