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THE WORLD BELOW
One day is all it takes to change a life. During this one day, Julia's life as she knows it is completely turned upside down and nothing will remain the same.
Julia is an eighteen year old, on the brink of adulthood, who lives in an underground community. She is excited for her future and becoming a cherished member of the Society.
The Society has other plans for her and she must navigate through this perilous journey. She finds an inner strength to face her fears through life threatening challenges, risks, and dangers. She struggles through the dark passageways of the underground in hopes to escape and see a future where she is able to sit beneath a sky full of stars.
This gripping story is the first installment in author Natalie L. Morris epic, suspense THE WORLD BELOW series.
Julia is an eighteen year old, on the brink of adulthood, who lives in an underground community. She is excited for her future and becoming a cherished member of the Society.
The Society has other plans for her and she must navigate through this perilous journey. She finds an inner strength to face her fears through life threatening challenges, risks, and dangers. She struggles through the dark passageways of the underground in hopes to escape and see a future where she is able to sit beneath a sky full of stars.
This gripping story is the first installment in author Natalie L. Morris epic, suspense THE WORLD BELOW series.
225 pages, Paperback
Published November 11, 2024
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Natalie L. Morris
2 books33 followersI am so thrilled to be here! My debut novel,
The World Below, takes you into a dystopian Underground society. Julia, the MC, is forced out of this community and stumbles upon unanswered mysteries and unexpected dangers at every turn!
My most recently published novel, The World Above, continues Julia's journey as she discovers even more mysteries that surround her entire existence. I can't wait for others to experience my story and love it as much as I do!
The World Below, takes you into a dystopian Underground society. Julia, the MC, is forced out of this community and stumbles upon unanswered mysteries and unexpected dangers at every turn!
My most recently published novel, The World Above, continues Julia's journey as she discovers even more mysteries that surround her entire existence. I can't wait for others to experience my story and love it as much as I do!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 13, 2025
First of all I’m rating this a 4 1/2 star read. The World Below is an original take on the dystopian genre and that in itself is to be applauded. Morris’ tale of the downward spiral from the perfect (too perfect one might argue) to the “omg what happened here” is a little slow in coming (the only reason for the loss of a star) but once it begins the descent it is fairly masterful. There are some surprises and twists, and just enough questions unanswered, to keep the reader thinking about it after the last sentence drifts away. I can’t compare it to any one dystopian novel for comparison, which is a solid nod to Morris (thank you for that), but if you are an aficionado of how society might fowl things up after it fowled things up, this is a wonderful read!
October 9, 2025
This is the first installment in a series chronicling the struggles of Julie, an 18 year old girl living in a strictly controlled dystopian society. The reader is introduced to the orderly planned out existence of Julie and the other residents living their lives out in a huge complex below the ground. Her complicated relationships with close friends, co-workers, and her adoptive father provide insight into this community and her life in general.
Julie has been recruited by Jack, the Head Librarian to fill the position of a recently deceased librarian, a very important position in the Underground. As one of the keepers of all written knowledge from the world above, and protectors from possible dangers from those still living in the Above, she must learn many new lessons and skills. Including how to wield weapons for her own and others' protection.
The Underground has been isolating itself from the world above for many generations for reasons known only to a few of the highest ranking Council members. Members who are keeping deadly secrets as their ever more controlling and manipulative leader devises a dangerous plan involving the bizarre yearly ritual known as The Selection. An unusual celebration and gathering where by tradition one resident is chosen to make their way to the exit out of the Underground to make contact with those above. When the Councilor names Julie as the Chosen One, a plan to help her forms and is set in motion by Jack.
But a conspiracy evident from the very beginning plays out as Julie makes the treacherous journey accompanied by her two best friends. There are dangerous twists in the labyrinth to the surface fraught with traps and hidden evils.
The author has created an elaborately detailed dystopian adventure complete with a thrilling ride at the end leading into the next book. I am truly impressed by the writing skill and remarkable talent of this young author. I will be reading the rest of this series and highly recommend it for readers of both young adult and adult fiction.
Julie has been recruited by Jack, the Head Librarian to fill the position of a recently deceased librarian, a very important position in the Underground. As one of the keepers of all written knowledge from the world above, and protectors from possible dangers from those still living in the Above, she must learn many new lessons and skills. Including how to wield weapons for her own and others' protection.
The Underground has been isolating itself from the world above for many generations for reasons known only to a few of the highest ranking Council members. Members who are keeping deadly secrets as their ever more controlling and manipulative leader devises a dangerous plan involving the bizarre yearly ritual known as The Selection. An unusual celebration and gathering where by tradition one resident is chosen to make their way to the exit out of the Underground to make contact with those above. When the Councilor names Julie as the Chosen One, a plan to help her forms and is set in motion by Jack.
But a conspiracy evident from the very beginning plays out as Julie makes the treacherous journey accompanied by her two best friends. There are dangerous twists in the labyrinth to the surface fraught with traps and hidden evils.
The author has created an elaborately detailed dystopian adventure complete with a thrilling ride at the end leading into the next book. I am truly impressed by the writing skill and remarkable talent of this young author. I will be reading the rest of this series and highly recommend it for readers of both young adult and adult fiction.
October 31, 2025
Review of The World Below
Natalie L. Morris’s The World Below presents a gripping dystopian tale in which an eighteen-year-old girl named Julia, born and raised in a tightly controlled underground society, is thrust into a single day that irrevocably changes everything.  The world Morris builds is claustrophobic and urgent — the underground “Society” with its hidden rules and shadowed architecture becomes a character itself, forcing Julia to confront her fears, rally her inner strength, and ultimately seek the sky-above that she’s only ever glimpsed in dreams.
What the novel does particularly well is world-building and tension: from early passages, you feel the weight of confinement and the yearning for open air and stars. The premise (“one day is all it takes to change a life”) sets the stakes high and keeps momentum.  Morris doesn’t just rely on action; Julia’s internal journey—her hesitation, her awakening, her clash with the Society—is the emotional core of the story
The Verdict
The World Below is a compelling debut in the dystopian genre with a strong premise and a heroine worth rooting for. If you enjoy stories of underground societies, escape to the surface, and young characters facing overwhelming systems—this will likely satisfy. While it may not reinvent the genre, it executes its core idea with clarity and earnestness, and leaves you eager for what comes next in Julia’s journey.
Now onto the next THE WORLD ABOVE
Natalie L. Morris’s The World Below presents a gripping dystopian tale in which an eighteen-year-old girl named Julia, born and raised in a tightly controlled underground society, is thrust into a single day that irrevocably changes everything.  The world Morris builds is claustrophobic and urgent — the underground “Society” with its hidden rules and shadowed architecture becomes a character itself, forcing Julia to confront her fears, rally her inner strength, and ultimately seek the sky-above that she’s only ever glimpsed in dreams.
What the novel does particularly well is world-building and tension: from early passages, you feel the weight of confinement and the yearning for open air and stars. The premise (“one day is all it takes to change a life”) sets the stakes high and keeps momentum.  Morris doesn’t just rely on action; Julia’s internal journey—her hesitation, her awakening, her clash with the Society—is the emotional core of the story
The Verdict
The World Below is a compelling debut in the dystopian genre with a strong premise and a heroine worth rooting for. If you enjoy stories of underground societies, escape to the surface, and young characters facing overwhelming systems—this will likely satisfy. While it may not reinvent the genre, it executes its core idea with clarity and earnestness, and leaves you eager for what comes next in Julia’s journey.
Now onto the next THE WORLD ABOVE
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews