Undertow by
Michael Buckley is one of those books that readers pick up and cannot put down.
I read it in a day after having originally chosen it due to its beautiful cover
and positive reviews. This could be categorized as a futuristic, dystopian
novel; after all, it focuses on the Alpha, an alien race who arise from the sea
just off of Coney Island. But a significant plot line concerns efforts to
integrate the Alpha into a New York public high school and that recalls the
protests and violence associated with similar actions during America’s Civil
Rights movement.
The main character is Lyric, whose Dad is a New York cop and
whose Mom ... well, read the story and find out. Lyric also struggles with
boyfriends and has a best friend, Bex, whom she tries to protect from an
abusive relationship. And then there are Lyric’s interactions with the Alpha,
especially with Fathom, Arcade, and Ghost – as Lyric tries to understand their
principles and rituals while dealing with “fear of the other” and hatred as
expressed by many classmates.
This is a great book for middle school students and
reluctant readers in high school. The pace moves along; there is much to
visualize due to the various “monsters,” and yet it raises important parallels
to historical events, homeland security, and even domestic abuse. Undertow
received a starred review from School Library Journal, where its “perfect
amount of romance and danger” is suggested for fans of The Hunger Games. While students are waiting impatiently for
the sequel to Undertow, they should definitely look for Full
Tilt by Shusterman, another fantasy adventure with amusement park
connections. Or choose from amongst the
works of the YA writers Buckley credits with providing inspiration: Libba Bray,
E. Lockhart, David Levithan, Adele Griffin, Andrew Smith and Liani Taylor.
