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    Aquifer
    Aquifer
    Aquifer
    Audiobook9 hours

    Aquifer

    Written by Jonathan Friesen

    Narrated by Paul Doherty

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Only He Can Bring What They Need to Survive.

    In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world’s fresh water. But he has learned the true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion and art in the name of keeping the peace. And this Council has broken his father’s spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart.

     

    But when Luca’s father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets, lies, and mysteries that cause him to reevaluate who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council’s control. But Luca’s mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlink
    Release dateAug 6, 2013
    ISBN9780310731863
    Author

    Jonathan Friesen

    Jonathan Friesen is an author, speaker, and youth writing coach from Mora, Minnesota. His first young adult novel, Jerk, California, received the ALA Schneider Award. When he’s not writing, speaking at schools, or teaching, Jonathan loves to travel and hang out with his wife and three kids.

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    Reviews for Aquifer

    4/5

    15 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      The Synopsis:

      “In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world’s fresh water. But he has learned that true control rests with the Council above ground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion in the name of keeping the peace. This Council has broken his father’s spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart.

      But when Luca’s father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets and mysteries that cause him to question who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council’s control. But Luca’s mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.”

      Excerpt (back of the book :-)):

      “We are often reminded how peaceful our world has become, a world without a police force or prison, where crimes and uprisings have nearly disappeared. But we’ve paid a price. The emotional root of all conflict–fear, anger, love, especially love–is prohibited. The goal of our schooling is to master a life of total self-control. A life without wrinkles, without feeling, without soul. The exercises in school are endless.

      But in truth, for most, they’re no longer needed. Generations of life in an emotion-neutral world have bred these dangerous urges out.

      Why do I still feel them so strongly?

      My Review:

      I am not a huge fan of fantasy books, but this one was amazing! Aquifer is full of Christian morals and is a book that makes you think. It is written as if Luca is writing in his own diary, so you know only what Luca knows, you discover what he discovers, and really, you feel like you are Luca as you read through the story.

      The storyline was fantastic and so were the subplots. Nothing was predictable and it had a great ending. The only negative thing I have to say about it, is that I had a little trouble understanding what they called everyone, like instead of saying this person was killed, you were to say that they were “undone”, or instead of saying this person was 11 years old, they were simply called an “Eleven”. So it took me a minute to figure those things out, but once I did, the rest of the book flowed smoothly.

      As for action, there was quite a bit towards the end, and some of it graphic, but not horrible. Nothing sexual in it either, except one kiss at the very end and holding hands (if you classify that as sexual…). This is a Christian book, so there was also absolutely no cussing or any other bad language.

      I highly recommend this book to all my friends and acquaintances!

      “I received this book from Book Sneeze/Thomas Nelson for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are my own.”
    • 4/5
      Although there were some plot points that I feel could have been fleshed out a bit more, this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking storyline with an element of spirituality that was not expected. Luca was a character that the YA reader will identify with and ultimately care for by the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author described this dystopian future of a world without freshwater on Earth’s surface and a tenable hold on a limited supply underground. It takes place on and around the coast of Australia. It wasn’t fully explained how the world came to be in such a state, but that was likely due to the lack of knowledge of Luca, who tells the story in first person narrative. In this world, the written word had all but been destroyed, as it is seen as a method that could incite rebellion. This was understandable, once the reader learned the extent of Luca’s and his fellow New Pertian’s figurative and sometimes literal imprisonment.The religious undertones are subtle throughout, and although God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ are never mentioned, they are hinted at often. That was a pleasant surprise for me, since it isn’t billed as Christian literature, and that may be in order to market to a larger YA population. However, some of the hints are so subtle, some YA readers may not make the connection if they’ve never been exposed to church or the story of Christ. The only religious connection actually named is the song Talya sings near the end. The story ends with some questions and many other reviewers have assumed it means there is a sequel. I didn’t immediately jump to that conclusion, and I’m not sure if one is planned or not. I felt as though the questions are more for the reader to ask him or herself, and complete the story in their own mind. Overall, an enjoyable read, and I would continue the story if sequels are written at some point.Rating: 4HEAT Rating: NoneReviewed By: Daysie W.Review Courtesy of: My Book Addiction and More
    • 5/5
      This is a delightful story. The premise is that all the water is controlled by a group of miners called Rats and that those on the surface must pay tribute in order to continue to receive water. The story revolves round around Luca, the son of a Deliverer and his hunt for his father who "disappears" after he allegedly returns from delivering the tribute. It is a fast-paced story that will delight all children and even adults who like fantasy stories
    • 5/5
      Once I started this book I had trouble putting it down. The only reason I did was because I was sick and had to go to bed. I spent today in bed finishing the book. The worlds the author created were very fascinating. The Toppers lived in a deprived world. Deprived of any free thought, deprived of emotions. Lucas thought he was cursed as the son of the Deliverer, and the next in line to carry on the duties. When forced to go underground to perform the duties his father has performed he finds a world completely different from what he has been led to believe actually exists. He soon finds out that not everything is as beautiful as it seems and that the underground world holds just as many secrets. These are secrets that set Lucas on a predestined path to help change the world. This was an allegorical read. It was one that has stayed with me all day and one that I believe I should recommend to everyone.