Katy Haye

The truth won't stay submerged forever City is the last civilised place left on a drowned Earth, a floating town built from metal and plastic from the Time Before. It's the only home doctor's daughter Libby Marchmont has ever known or wanted - until her father helps the wrong patient and she's forced to flee. Cosimo came to City for one reason. Then he should have vanished back to his people on the Wastes. But what about his promise to Libby's father? Stranded in the middle of the sea, can the two enemies learn to trust each other? And can they survive long enough to uncover the truth: City isn't the safe haven Libby always believed it to be ... Readers' Favourite described Rising Tides as: "a compelling read [with] cool and ingenious concepts, a captivating plot [and] vivid and engaging characters." YA Books Central called it "a gem of the YA genre"

Rising Tides

Anwesha 

**I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**
The cover of Rising Tides was the first thing that drew me to it.And then the blurb happened to be quite interesting too.And then realised it is set in a dystopian world.Perfect combo!I had to read the book.So,if you’re a reader who picks up books by their cover,do pick up this one,cause it’s really worth it!

The writing is simplistic and pleasant,something I loved about the author,Katy Haye,in her other book,The Last Gatekeeper.The story starts right off in the world,a world where City is supposedly the only live-able place and the world as we know it is under water,yeah,exactly what we are being warned about now is what happens…rising sea levels..global working…accumulation of trash and plastic..and the like.I love how the author manages to weave a simple but highly enjoyable story with so few elements…the details aren’t cluttered ..there’s just enough for you to know about the world and at the same time enjoy the story.And guess what,this book doesn’t follow the norms of a dystopian society…there isn’t a love triangle on the book,people don’t die much,no big rebellion…at least not ome on a large scale…and yeah,it has got plenty of other differences which you yourself can find out while reading it.And I love the characters…there’s such simplicity alongside a burning life in them.Libby ,despite being slightly bossy at times,is a really interesting character,a character who you can easily fall in love with,and Cosimo,he has of course got his own charm,do I even need to mention that you’ll love him.It has great side characters too.Josiah for one was a side character I loved above others.I don’t know what drew me to him exactly,but I did wish at times Libby and Josiah would get together,but then decided against it,’cause you know,Cosimo and his charm

Jessica Nottingham

Absolutely stunning. Rising Tides peaked my interest with its premise, but totally blew me away with the execution. Katy Haye has some serious writing chops! Dystopia was getting to be a bogged down genre for me. Too much of the same thing being done over and over, plus a lot of characters that I just couldn't get behind. Haye managed to smash right through that preconception, and I couldn't be happier.

What struck me right away about Rising Tides was how human Liberty was, as a character. She was loving towards her father, skeptical of new people, slightly selfish at times, and yet completely understanding of that fact that she could come off as cold. Liberty was a real person. Someone flawed, who could accept that, and try to make the best decisions for herself at the time. I can't deny that initially her privileged attitude bothered me. That was soon replaced by acceptance and awe though, the further into this journey that she traveled. It's nice to see a character who actually grows and, better yet, uses that knowledge to do something right.

Then there was Cosimo. The reamer boy, the shunned, the initial bane of Liberty's existence. I loved how Haye pushed these two together, but no in an uncomfortable way. There was no insta-love here. No crazy flight into a random relationship. Instead, these two had to learn to get along. They had to understand one another, and make compromises. I loved watching their little relationship grow. Plus, well, Cosimo is pretty dreamy. Reamer boy or not. These two stole my heart with little to no effort.

Oh, and the plot! I could gush for days about the way that the idea of political subterfuge was handled here. People blindly following a leader, simply because he promises to keep them safe. Never questioning whether he has their best interests at heart. Things were so perfectly paced here. Just enough action, interspersed with real human interactions. This book flew by, and I was honestly sad when I'd finished.

Is there more? I hope there's more. I would love to see if Cosimo and Liberty get a happy ever after. They would definitely deserve it.

Rising Tides

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