The Light at the Bottom of the World (Light the Abyss, 1)

Review

“A work of fathomless imagination”
–SAMANTHA SHANNON, NYT bestselling author of 
The Bone Season and 
The Priory of the Orange Tree
 

“Expertly pairing catastrophe and courage, Shah tells the story of intensely personal problems in a truly perilous world. I love this book.”
–E. K. JOHNSTON, #1 NYT bestselling author of 
Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow and more
 

“A heart-racing adventure that reveals compelling and necessary truths about several critical issues of our times, while delivering all the thrills and twists of an epic quest. A stand-out, must-read book that engulfed me in its enthralling world and characters. Leyla McQueen is queen of the (under)seas!”
–S. K. ALI, NYT
 bestselling author of 
The Proudest Blue and more
 

“Shah’s debut is a fast-paced masterpiece from start to finish. Readers will fall in love with passionate, persistent Leyla as well as her secretive, swoon-worthy companion, Ari. Shah has skillfully shaped a gorgeous world unlike any those fans [of dystopian fiction] have seen before. But be forewarned: the book ends on a jaw-dropping cliff-hanger. Highly recommended.”
–SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
 

“A thrilling post apocalyptic tale, vividly described and emotionally rich.”

–PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
 

“Still waters run deep with this novel. Shah is a remarkable worldbuilder. With her cast of intriguing characters, she deftly explores complex situations and ideas. This may be Shah’s debut novel, but it sparkles with skill.”

–TOR.COM BOOK REVIEW
 

“A thrilling journey packed with unexpected discoveries”

–KIRKUS REVIEWS
 

“One of the most unique debuts of 2019”

–TOR.COM

“This is a fine post-apocalyptic novel. There could easily be more stories in this undersea dystopian world.”

–BOOKLIST
 

“A genre-blending stunner of a novel”

–BOOK RIOT
 

“Boasting a lushly-imagined dystopian world, Shah’s novel delivers a thrilling narrative to get lost in. We’ve never read anything quite like it, and we can’t wait for people to fall for this debut as hard as we have.”
–PASTE MAGAZINE
 

“A spectacular debut, with some of the most inventive worldbuilding we’ve ever read.”

–BARNES & NOBLE TEEN
 

“Science-fiction at its best–a strikingly crafted world, a tenacious heroine in Leyla McQueen, and an intensely engrossing story.”

–POP CULTURALIST
 

“A remarkably assured vision of a world. The story Shah tells is so full of wisdom and adventure. The best YA novel of the year.”

–OPEN LETTERS REVIEW
 

“A fascinating YA dystopian novel. This great book makes excellent use of its intriguing concept–very inventive, and a fantastic read.”

–CANBERRA WEEKLY
 

“Delivers with waves of suspense and action.
 This fascinating page-turner is an action-packed adventure and a tender teen romance. A perfect novel for fans of high-octane dystopias.”
–VOYA REVIEWS
 

“Waterworld  meets The Hunger Games. The world-building is stunning.”

–YALSA, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
 

“Shah creates a timeless world all of her own, with insurmountable beauty, realism, and deep emotion. This is one of the year’s most exciting reads.”

–THE INDEPENDENT VOICE NEWSPAPER, CA
 

“Engrossing, compelling, and fantastically built. A book that raises interesting questions all while entertaining the reader completely. Incredible characters and beautiful world-building.”

–YA BOOKS CENTRAL
 

“Cinematic and incredibly vivid. If you’re craving an original dystopian universe, then you don’t want to miss this terrific debut.”

–THE NERD DAILY
 

“Truly remarkable”

–LITERATURE APPROVED
 

”
A fantastic fast-paced journey through the depths of the world. Shah has given us a tale of hope and family that will stick with the reader long after the last words have been read.”  
–ASSEMBLY ON LITERATURE FOR ADOLESCENTS OF THE NCTE
 

“For the teen who’s going to change the world”
 
–BOOKishFIRST

From the Inside Flap

The Light at the Bottom of the World
  is a Junior Library Guild selection

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A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adu