Way Down Dark by JP Smythe is set on a space ship called Australia, where the inhabitants are stuck until they find a habitable planet, as their ancestors escaped a dying earth.
After hundreds of years the ship has been wrecked, ripped apart for metal, and parts of it have been taken over by gangs. Chan's mother, Riadne, is a hero to the free section of the ship, but is dying, and for Chan to show her strength she must kill her, to prove to the gangs that she is strong. She promises to her mother to be selfish and not to die, but as time passes and a brutal gang called the Lows gains power, she finds it harder and harder to keep these promises as so much death surrounds her. As life gets worse on Australia, Chan must test her morals and discover more to the ship than she thought.
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable, all the characters were very interesting and there are several different back stories that you discover throughout the book, as well as all the different things about the ship. I read the whole thing wanting to know more about everything in this book, as every character was interesting and the plot, though at the start a bit slow, was exciting.
Though the book was quite dark, Smythe kept a good balance of darkness and Chan being the hero by saving people. I also liked that it didn't have any romance in it compared to most YA books, where it seems like the female lead can't last five minutes without romance. Chan is a strong independent female, who loves the people in her life like family and cares for them over her life. This book left me searching for more, so the next book better come quick as I can't stop thinking about the different possibilities!
Overall I would give this book 4.5 out of 5.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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