Dark Life: Rip Tide

Written by Kat Falls

Narrated by Keith Nobbs

Ty has always known that the ocean is a dangerous place. Every time he swims beyond the borders of his family's subsea farm, he's prepared to face all manner of aquatic predators-sharks, squid, killer whales . . .





What Ty isn't prepared to find in the deep is an entire township chained to a sunken submarine, its inhabitants condemned to an icy underwater grave. It's only the first clue to a mystery that has claimed hundreds of lives and stands to claim two more -- lives very precious to Ty and his Topsider ally, Gemma.





Now in a desperate race against the clock, Ty and Gemma find themselves in conflict with outlaws, Seaguard officers, and the savage, trident-wielding surfs -- plus a menagerie of the most deadly creatures the ocean has to offer.





Kat Falls brings to life the mysteries, marvels, and monsters of the deep in this fast-paced and inventive action-adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Release date: Aug 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780545383820

Reviews for Dark Life

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one has a lot more topside action than the first. Also brought the government regulations into it more, while keeping the action level high.

[loveofreading · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rip Tide is the second book in Kat Falls’ Dark Life series. This sci-fi/dystopian YA novel is set in a world made up of land-dwellers, ocean-dwellers, and uncivilized "barbaric" people who are suspicious of everyone else. The division of people adds an interesting quality to the book and seems to comment on how we as humans fear and thereby cause conflict with people who are different from us. The book is accessible to both male and female readers and is full of suspense, excitement, and dangers found deep in the ocean (drowning, monsters, hypothermia, etc). Who doesn't love a good scene where the character almost gets eaten by a murderous squid? If you enjoyed Rick Riordan’s son-of-Poseidon type of mythology), you’ll enjoy this series. Some people possess “dark gifts” which are supernatural talents that make them slightly more than human. The main character, for instance, possesses an ability to use sonar. Technology is now capable of providing humans with a substance that when inhaled, allows a person to breathe underwater. There’s sea monsters, mystery, kidnapping, and murder. There’s also a light teen love story accompanying this action/adventure story, but it’s definitely secondary to the storyline. When Ty and Gemma accidentally uncover an entire settlement that was trapped and sunk to the bottom of the ocean (a chilling scene involving frozen corpses found chained inside the homes of their sunken township), they find themselves part of a dangerous plot as they attempt to rescue Ty's kidnapped parents. I jumped into this series with Rip Tide, but the book is fairly accessible for new readers. The plot is slightly complex, despite the length of these novels. The conspiracy aspect and the different types of people in this aquatic world require a slightly more advanced reader who can handle a multi-layered plot. An interesting book to say the least, full of colourful characters and featuring the dark and deadly side of the ocean-- without frightening young readers. I loved the setting and the world that Kat Falls created. She is a skillful writer and I look forward to reading her latest book, Inhuman.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

More action-packed, exciting, page-turning aquatic adventure in this sequel to Dark Life.

[book_zone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 2010 I posted a review of Dark Life by Kat Falls. I loved that book and said at the time that I would be very disappointed if it didn't turn out to be the first book in a series, and I am glad to say that thanks to Kat Falls and Simon and Schuster I have been spared that feeling of disappointment, and even more so because its sequel, Rip Tide, it is just as good as its predecessor.

After the events of Dark Life Gemma managed to mere three months living with Ty and her new adopted family before panic attacks forced her to move back above the waves. Since then she has been sleeping in little more than a large cupboard at the Trade Station, although is still happy to make the occasional submarine trip with Ty as long as she doesn't have to enter the water physically. Unfortunately events at the beginning of this sequel leave her with no option but to don a dive suit and within minutes she is again seemingly paralysed with fear and vowing never to go in the water again.

Apart from missing Gemma living with him and his constant worrying about her terror of the sea things have moved on quite nicely for Ty, his family and the other settles since the end of Dark Life. The government has given them permission to sell their agricultural produce on the open market, and his parents are looking forward to their first big deal with the inhabitants of Drift, a floating township. However, on the day before the deal is due to go down Ty and Gemma stumble across another one of these townships, deliberately sunk and hidden in 'the biggest trash vortex in the Atlantic' with all of its inhabitants still on board. Things go from bad to worse when the very next day Ty's parents are kidnapped midway through their deal with the people of Drift, and so begins Ty's quest to find and rescue them.

I likened Dark Life to a western beneath the waves, with the story of the settlers and their problems with bandits very reminiscent of some of the western films I watched when I was younger. Whilst there are still some of those elements present in Rip Tide, this time around the story is more of an action/adventure tale with barely a page going by without Ty or Gemma facing one kind of danger or another.

Kat Falls has a wonderful economy with words. If this were a fantasy story written for the adult market we would have to endure endless chunks of text about the world and its politics and the book would probably have ended up twice as long as its 314 pages. This is the perfect example of quality over quantity and Kate Falls delivers a story where the locations are well developed and easily pictured in mind of the reader. Her characters are also all perfectly realised, and there are some new additions in this book, some good, some bad and some downright nasty. As well as finding out a little more about Gemma's brother Shade and the members of his Seablite Gang, we also meet Mayor Fife and his nasty righthand man Ratter, Captain Revas of the Seaguard and Hadal, chief (or sachem) of Drift. Kat Falls weaves a plot where it is nigh impossible to work out the motives of these various people, and it isn't until the very last chapter that we finally discover exactly what is going on and why.

I think that Rip Tide would make a really good class reader for an 11 english group. Not only is it very well written with a brilliantly imagined futuristic setting, but it would also give rise to many class discussions relevant to the world in which we live, on such topics as discrimination (e.g. the prejudice faced by Ty when surface dwellers see his shine), corruption (the way the government and various other characters in power act), and poverty (the members of the townships have a fairly low quality of life) and sustainability (for the township dwellers nothing is ever thrown away if it can be reused, recycled or repaired).

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At the beginning of this book, Ty and Gemma find the remains of a township bolted to the ocean floor. In their race to find and save another missing township and Ty's parents (who have been kidnapped by topsiders) they encounter not only dangers of the deep, but also the dangers of humankind. This one was a little darker than the first book in the series. Although I liked how the story grew beyond the conflict in the first book, it was more intense and grusome than Dark Life.

[smheatherly2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The sequel to Dark Life, Ty and Gemma are in for another adventure to save the ones they love. This time, their up against outlaws who don't seem to care who they take down in the process, even if it means whole communities. This is a quick paced, adventurous, mystery that will leave you wanting more.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got an advanced reading copy of this series through the Amazon Vine program. This is the second book in the Dark Life series by Kat Falls. If you liked the first book, Dark Life, I think you will really enjoy this book too. This book is fast-paced, action-packed and full of wonderful sea life and technology.Ty knows life under the ocean is dangerous but when he and Gemma stumble upon a township chained shut on the ocean floor and full of dead people they know something horrible is happening. When Ty's parents are kidnapped while out selling their catch the plot thickens. Now Ty and Gemma will have to outsmart legal and illegal government groups in order to uncover the mystery of the sunken township and get Ty's parents back alive.For some reason I keep hoping that this series will be more about living under the sea and what it is like than about government conspiracy. I am not sure why I keeping hoping that. This book is definitely more of a conspiracy type mystery than anything else. There is some cool discussion about underwater technology and there are some encounters with dangerous sea creatures; but most of the dangerous encounters involve people who are trying to take him and Gemma out so that they don't spoil their plans.Ty and Gemma are fairly likable if not completely engaging characters. They have a bit of a romance going off and on throughout the book; this is hampered by Gemma being terrified of being undersea (which is Ty's home). Both are very capable and noble characters that strive to do the best they can. Ty can be reckless at times, but usually not stupidly so.The plot moves very quickly, making the book tough to put down. The mystery is very well done and takes a number of unpredictable twists and turns.I would recommend for older middle grade set (probably 10+ years old) just because the story is very violent at times. There is a lot of people killing each other or getting mauled by sea life, also threats of torture.Overall this was a solid addition to the Dark Life series. It is full of action, adventure, and mystery. The story is more focused around a conspiracy going on between two groups of humans than anything else. Think of this as an undersea conspiracy thriller of sorts. The characters are solid, but not completely engaging. The plot has some nice twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes. This book was more violent than the first, so just something to be aware of. I personally like the series but am not completely in love with it just because I am not a big conspiracy thriller fan. Those who love ocean adventures and thrillers will find a lot here to love.

[susankayequinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rip Tide by Kat Falls is the action-packed sequel to Dark Life, an undersea fish tale that made me give a cheer for the resurgence of science fiction in middle grade. Ty, the pioneer boy born and raised subsea after The Rising flooded the earth and made land scarce, is the center of the story. Ty's Dark Gift of biosonar is put to good use in Rip Tide as he battles surfs (surfeit population), topsiders (those who live on the scraps of land left) and a severe SeaGuard Captain (the Commonweath's police) in a desperate search to find his kidnapped parents. Falls brings to life the Wild West lifestyle of this amazingly realized world, and her crisp, fast paced storytelling makes this novel breathless to the end. Where's my liquigen (Ty's deep-sea breathing liquid)?I love the way Falls packs her story with undersea creatures and technology that kids will love. Her inventive use of slang draws you deep into the pioneer mindset, while she paints a world that is rugged, yet beautiful. Ty is a boy who loves the sea, is part of it, and his sense of joy in the wonders of the deep comes shining through.There are a few chaste kisses in this story and Ty's achingly sweet love for topsider Gemma gives this story appeal for both boys and girls. There's quite a bit of violence in Ty's brutal world, so I wouldn't recommend for readers who are disturbed by shark attacks or bad guys willing to kill to get what they want. For that reason, I recommend Rip Tide for readers 10+ (same as my rating for Dark Life). But I can't recommend this book highly enough and I hope to see many more great novels from Falls in the future. I hear there's a movie in the works for Dark Life!! Which would be awesome with a shine (the glow that undersea pioneers acquire).

[callmecayce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Dark Life and was pleased to see there was another book by Falls that included the same characters. It'd been long enough ago that I didn't remember much from the first book, so Rip Tide was interesting. I did miss the time spent under water, but I liked the way Falls dealt with (and later resolved) Gemma's problems being underwater. I was intrigued with Shade's return and where Falls can go with that. I also liked the romance Falls worked into the book which changed the series from more juvenile to young adult (and not in a bad way). I'll read a third book in this series if it's published.