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What Lurks Below
At Colony, no one knows where the children came from. No one talks about how they were babies when they were ripped from their parents to be raised in the Tin Can.
No one knows, that is, except Amelia. At thirteen, Amelia remembers a mother who loved her. She remembers fresh peaches and ice cream—not the calorically rationed food that tastes like stagnant swamp water and chemicals.
Desperate to hold on to her memories, Amelia shares her past with her younger brother, Alex. She teaches him about the reality of The Garden and its power to provide safety and love.
Soon, Alex learns that life at Colony is more dangerous than he thought. He spies an enormous, black ... something ... lurking in the water, while no one seems to notice it at all.
Fear of the creature has Alex thrashing his sheets in bed. His marks drop, and Council insists on Amelia telling them what is wrong. Amelia tries to keep up appearances, but Council refuses to believe her and locks her up.
If Amelia isn’t willing to forgo the love she felt and the life she had back Then, Council will throw her in the water to meet whatever it is that lurks below the Tin Can.
For fans of The Giver, this dystopian-charged fantasy will show readers the valiance of holding on to one’s beliefs and the value of true sibling love.
No one knows, that is, except Amelia. At thirteen, Amelia remembers a mother who loved her. She remembers fresh peaches and ice cream—not the calorically rationed food that tastes like stagnant swamp water and chemicals.
Desperate to hold on to her memories, Amelia shares her past with her younger brother, Alex. She teaches him about the reality of The Garden and its power to provide safety and love.
Soon, Alex learns that life at Colony is more dangerous than he thought. He spies an enormous, black ... something ... lurking in the water, while no one seems to notice it at all.
Fear of the creature has Alex thrashing his sheets in bed. His marks drop, and Council insists on Amelia telling them what is wrong. Amelia tries to keep up appearances, but Council refuses to believe her and locks her up.
If Amelia isn’t willing to forgo the love she felt and the life she had back Then, Council will throw her in the water to meet whatever it is that lurks below the Tin Can.
For fans of The Giver, this dystopian-charged fantasy will show readers the valiance of holding on to one’s beliefs and the value of true sibling love.
- GenresYoung AdultDystopia
274 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 14, 2024
I'm so torn between giving this a 3 star and a 4 star.
So this story follows Amelia and Alex as they discover secrets about their world and find out the truth. It's a powerful story, one that resonates after you've read it. There's an amazing parable in this book for real life and the Christian walk. It wasn't clear until the end but it was there and it was AMAZING. I just felt the style could use some work at times. Still, it's worth the read.
So this story follows Amelia and Alex as they discover secrets about their world and find out the truth. It's a powerful story, one that resonates after you've read it. There's an amazing parable in this book for real life and the Christian walk. It wasn't clear until the end but it was there and it was AMAZING. I just felt the style could use some work at times. Still, it's worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2020
GORGEOUS writing. Every sentence is delectable. The plot is perfect with subtle layers, relationships, intrigue, and suspense. I immediately adored the protagonist and grew to love her more and more every page. Fabulous book!
June 8, 2021
What lurks below shows the power of persistence, intelligence, and storytelling.
Amelia lives in a world where storytelling is illegal. No one knows where they came from, no one talks about how they were babies when they were ripped from their parents to be raised in the Tin Can. Except Amelia, and now she tells her younger brother Alex in a safe haven under the bed.
💜Review:💜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 stars, a beautiful masterpiece.
I love the relationship between Alex and Amelia, I love that the relationship that keeps you reading isn’t a romantic one for once! It was an amazing change of pace. It’s so pure, It really captures the true and beautiful relationship of siblings, even if they aren’t siblings by birth.
The Writing was absolutely beautiful (it did use the ‘I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding,’ line, but I’ll give it a pass.) It’s interesting how we learn about Amelia through her explaining life to Alex instead of explaining it all to us in the beginning.
-Also it has an awesome audiobook I’d recommend checking out-
Amelia lives in a world where storytelling is illegal. No one knows where they came from, no one talks about how they were babies when they were ripped from their parents to be raised in the Tin Can. Except Amelia, and now she tells her younger brother Alex in a safe haven under the bed.
💜Review:💜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 stars, a beautiful masterpiece.
I love the relationship between Alex and Amelia, I love that the relationship that keeps you reading isn’t a romantic one for once! It was an amazing change of pace. It’s so pure, It really captures the true and beautiful relationship of siblings, even if they aren’t siblings by birth.
The Writing was absolutely beautiful (it did use the ‘I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding,’ line, but I’ll give it a pass.) It’s interesting how we learn about Amelia through her explaining life to Alex instead of explaining it all to us in the beginning.
-Also it has an awesome audiobook I’d recommend checking out-
July 11, 2025
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
I think, the best way to describe this book is.... Fascinating.
It's very different, than anything I've ever read before. And that's part of what I like about it, although there were a few things lacking.
It is an allegory, to the spiritual walk. I think the author does a very good job at portraying the danger of being, "comfortable."
It was sort of refreshing to read something with zero romance and the sibling bond in this book is amazing 👌
I would have liked to know more about how and why things happened in this book. Like I get that it was supposed to portray evil. But there is a colony where everyone is sort of brainwashed except our FMC, and her little brother. They all follow the council blindly. I would have liked to know how that went about, or even the reason why this colony exists in the first place.
It's loosely based off a book called, "The Giver," so maybe I'll read that one-day to get a better idea of
I think, the best way to describe this book is.... Fascinating.
It's very different, than anything I've ever read before. And that's part of what I like about it, although there were a few things lacking.
It is an allegory, to the spiritual walk. I think the author does a very good job at portraying the danger of being, "comfortable."
It was sort of refreshing to read something with zero romance and the sibling bond in this book is amazing 👌
I would have liked to know more about how and why things happened in this book. Like I get that it was supposed to portray evil. But there is a colony where everyone is sort of brainwashed except our FMC, and her little brother. They all follow the council blindly. I would have liked to know how that went about, or even the reason why this colony exists in the first place.
It's loosely based off a book called, "The Giver," so maybe I'll read that one-day to get a better idea of
March 9, 2020
Ah! There aren’t enough words for how much I love this book! Thompson has such a beautiful, crisp, literary style. I feel her power and passion in just a few words and her combination of dystopia inside a fantasy world is just dang beautiful!
It’s one of my favorite books I’ve EVER read, and I so look forward to reading more from this author!
It’s one of my favorite books I’ve EVER read, and I so look forward to reading more from this author!
May 5, 2021
2nd Review
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 Stars
Performance 5 Stars
Story 5 Stars
One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.
I previously read What Lurks Below by Jordan Thompson but it was a whole new experience hearing it narrated by Delaney Hagy. With her articulate and haunting prose, Hagy brought this story to life. I was lost in Thompson's story all over again.
The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest were beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved Amelia's rebellious nature. She was a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.
_____________________________________________
Well written, deeply developed characters brought this middle grade dystopian leaping out from its pages (and speakers).
The blurb fascinated me but it took me a bit to really get into the story itself. Because the children in the Colony do not interact and have idle chit-chat like normal kids do, there is not a lot of dialogue in the first part of the book. The reader sees everything through Amelia's eyes and learns of the Before from the stories she tells her little brother Alex from under her bed.
However, Chapter 21 brought it all together and left me wanting to go back to reread and see if I could find additional clues. I blew through the remaining chapters.
The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest are beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I love Amelia's rebellious nature. She is a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.
What Lurks Below is a smartly written dystopian.
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 Stars
Performance 5 Stars
Story 5 Stars
One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.
I previously read What Lurks Below by Jordan Thompson but it was a whole new experience hearing it narrated by Delaney Hagy. With her articulate and haunting prose, Hagy brought this story to life. I was lost in Thompson's story all over again.
The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest were beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved Amelia's rebellious nature. She was a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.
_____________________________________________
Well written, deeply developed characters brought this middle grade dystopian leaping out from its pages (and speakers).
The blurb fascinated me but it took me a bit to really get into the story itself. Because the children in the Colony do not interact and have idle chit-chat like normal kids do, there is not a lot of dialogue in the first part of the book. The reader sees everything through Amelia's eyes and learns of the Before from the stories she tells her little brother Alex from under her bed.
However, Chapter 21 brought it all together and left me wanting to go back to reread and see if I could find additional clues. I blew through the remaining chapters.
The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest are beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I love Amelia's rebellious nature. She is a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.
What Lurks Below is a smartly written dystopian.
April 27, 2020
Jordan’s debut Young Adult novel is deliciously deep, with layers of rich symbolism and allegory, making this a great book to read multiple times! Are you a fan of dystopia? Sci-fi? Fantasy? This book expertly blends all of these genres together, giving you just enough to ponder, but not too much, keeping the narrative in a state of tight tension all the way until the very end. If you are a fan of books that delve into abstract concepts, while grounding its message in a gripping tale, then this is the book for you! Amelia is such a selfless and confident character, and her courage and love for her brother really brings this story to life!
*Content Disclosure:
While this is a very clean read for a Dystopian novel, it does contain the following:
Violence: there is a scene where someone is eaten alive (off screen) and there is also a pretty intense chase scene at the climax.
Thematic Material: surveillance, commentary on societies controlled absolutely in an isolated compound, magic, and human/genetic experimentation are all present.
*(Note, this disclosure is based off of my background and bias from a Christian worldview. As this is just my personal opinion, it is not intended in any way to negatively reflect on the author, publisher, or anyone else who worked on this book. This is simply to provide transparency about content and let you, the reader, decide if you are comfortable with reading the book or not.)
If this sounds good to you, give it a read!
*Content Disclosure:
While this is a very clean read for a Dystopian novel, it does contain the following:
Violence: there is a scene where someone is eaten alive (off screen) and there is also a pretty intense chase scene at the climax.
Thematic Material: surveillance, commentary on societies controlled absolutely in an isolated compound, magic, and human/genetic experimentation are all present.
*(Note, this disclosure is based off of my background and bias from a Christian worldview. As this is just my personal opinion, it is not intended in any way to negatively reflect on the author, publisher, or anyone else who worked on this book. This is simply to provide transparency about content and let you, the reader, decide if you are comfortable with reading the book or not.)
If this sounds good to you, give it a read!
May 9, 2020
WHAT LURKS BELOW is another beauty from Monster Ivy Publishing!
This little book was my reading buddy for several weekends leading up to the release of my debut novel, and I enjoyed getting lost in the world (and forgetting all the craziness of my to-do list!). The writing is beautiful, and I SO enjoyed the relationship between Amelia and Alex! Also, it has some amazing allegories to spiritual warfare that got me praying - and can you ask for anything more powerful from a book?
I really enjoyed seeing the story from Amelia's POV. Without giving any spoilers, there's this one scene in a jail cell where this girl is SO. DANG. COOL! I love how completely unintimidated and snazzy she is!
This book is a quick read, and to me, it felt like a very intriguing novella. There's a lot going on in this world - most of which is left unexplained - and I would love to see it fleshed out in a longer sequel.
This little book was my reading buddy for several weekends leading up to the release of my debut novel, and I enjoyed getting lost in the world (and forgetting all the craziness of my to-do list!). The writing is beautiful, and I SO enjoyed the relationship between Amelia and Alex! Also, it has some amazing allegories to spiritual warfare that got me praying - and can you ask for anything more powerful from a book?
I really enjoyed seeing the story from Amelia's POV. Without giving any spoilers, there's this one scene in a jail cell where this girl is SO. DANG. COOL! I love how completely unintimidated and snazzy she is!
This book is a quick read, and to me, it felt like a very intriguing novella. There's a lot going on in this world - most of which is left unexplained - and I would love to see it fleshed out in a longer sequel.
August 4, 2020
I really enjoyed What Lurks Below. It was a little bit difficult to follow, but that desire to want to know what was going on kept me reading. The underlying message and story is beautiful. Ultimately it's about faith in The Truth. Amelia holds strongly to her faith. No matter what she sees in the natural, she knows the Truth and doesn't let anyone take it away from her.
I would definitely recommend reading What Lurks Below.
I would definitely recommend reading What Lurks Below.
April 30, 2021
"They gave life to something they couldn't understand. It began to grow and overpower them. They called it a monster, an abomination, a mistake. But there are no mistakes when creating life, Alex."
"What Lurks Below" is a delightfully written story, reminiscent of "The Giver" with similar worldbuilding and apocalyptic themes, but for every similarity, there is just as much to set it apart.
The characters were beautifully constructed (Alex is adorable ok? And I should know. With like...five younger brothers, I'm basically an authority on them.)
Although the story is written in first person, the narrator doesn't give up her secrets all at once, often leaving you guessing as she slowly unfolds her council approved world, inside a council approved 'tin can' with a council approved family, and council approved conversations.
The tried and proven (or has it?) recipe towards becoming effective members in their council approved society. (Praise be to The Council🙌)
There were some scenes that didn’t quite speak to me (not sure why) and the ‘not like other girls’ vibes were strong in the beginning, but slowly, you start to understand why Amelia doesn’t fit in with the rest, why she's the only one who seems to see through The Council’s thin facade, and why she has a longing for another world when this (council approved) world should be all she’s ever known or wants.
(By now you might be picking up on the Christian themes entangled through the worldbuilding and storyline.)
Thankyou Monster Ivy Publishing for sending me the audiobook❤ it was a lovely opportunity to dabble in a genre I rarely dip my toes into!
"Because, the human soul-no matter how one tries-cannot be destroyed...it's the very lacing of our being."
"What Lurks Below" is a delightfully written story, reminiscent of "The Giver" with similar worldbuilding and apocalyptic themes, but for every similarity, there is just as much to set it apart.
The characters were beautifully constructed (Alex is adorable ok? And I should know. With like...five younger brothers, I'm basically an authority on them.)
Although the story is written in first person, the narrator doesn't give up her secrets all at once, often leaving you guessing as she slowly unfolds her council approved world, inside a council approved 'tin can' with a council approved family, and council approved conversations.
The tried and proven (or has it?) recipe towards becoming effective members in their council approved society. (Praise be to The Council🙌)
There were some scenes that didn’t quite speak to me (not sure why) and the ‘not like other girls’ vibes were strong in the beginning, but slowly, you start to understand why Amelia doesn’t fit in with the rest, why she's the only one who seems to see through The Council’s thin facade, and why she has a longing for another world when this (council approved) world should be all she’s ever known or wants.
(By now you might be picking up on the Christian themes entangled through the worldbuilding and storyline.)
Thankyou Monster Ivy Publishing for sending me the audiobook❤ it was a lovely opportunity to dabble in a genre I rarely dip my toes into!
"Because, the human soul-no matter how one tries-cannot be destroyed...it's the very lacing of our being."
April 30, 2022
This book was great. I love all the suspense and mystery. I also like how everything ties together past, present, and future. I highly recommend it.
I think that a book told from Cameron's (one of Amelia's friends at the Colony) point of view would be great. She is satisfied with Colony life and thrives. What does she think when Amelia disappears? Does she question it or just put her faith in the Concil?
I think that a book told from Cameron's (one of Amelia's friends at the Colony) point of view would be great. She is satisfied with Colony life and thrives. What does she think when Amelia disappears? Does she question it or just put her faith in the Concil?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2022
Join Amelia as she fights to remember her past while fighting for the future.
Life at Colony is bland. Simple. Easy. Follow the rules. Keep your head down. You’ll be fine.
But Amelia knows. She knows what everyone else does not. She knows about the outside world and the creature lurking beneath the surface; she knows about the Councils intentions. Stories told to her younger brother, stories of the real world of the Before, keep her memories alive. But how far is too far?
Life at Colony is bland. Simple. Easy. Follow the rules. Keep your head down. You’ll be fine.
But Amelia knows. She knows what everyone else does not. She knows about the outside world and the creature lurking beneath the surface; she knows about the Councils intentions. Stories told to her younger brother, stories of the real world of the Before, keep her memories alive. But how far is too far?
April 5, 2020
There were so many layers to this book. There is no wrong interpretation. The writing is phenomenal. The relationship between Amelia and Alex is tight. There were so many twists and little hints. My mind is blown. For being a Middle Grade book of sorts it kept my interest right to the end.
I recommend this to anyone 10 and up!
I recommend this to anyone 10 and up!
April 16, 2020
What a fresh take on the dystopian genre. You'll get sucked into the culture and world, curious to find out more about Amelia and her knowledge of the Before. The underlying religious themes will truly get you thinking in a good and positive way.
August 24, 2020
My 10 yr old daughter and I read this book together. It was so amazing finding a book both my daughter and I could enjoy reading and discussing together..
December 7, 2022
Find my review here: https://saffronsirenreviews.wordpress...
February 19, 2020
What Lurks Below is a story about a young girl name Amelia who is trapped in a sterile, cold society. Referenced as the Tin Can, Amelia is unsatisfied with her complacent life, knowing there is so much more on the world than Colony has to offer.
From the beginning, I love the 1984-feel of this book. The monotony and complacency of Colony gave me chills and Amelia's snarky personality and comments were a fun addition to the drab society around her. I loved Amelia's loyalty to Alex and that even though he wasn't her real brother, she did everything she could to teach him of the amazing world outside of the Tin Can.
My favorite theme of this entire book was the significance of stories. Amelia teaches Alex about The Garden through story snippets. She later reveals her past through stories, as well. Stories have such an impact on our lives and the lives of those around us and Thompson does an amazing job of exemplifying that.
Each chapter kept me on my toes and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Well done!
From the beginning, I love the 1984-feel of this book. The monotony and complacency of Colony gave me chills and Amelia's snarky personality and comments were a fun addition to the drab society around her. I loved Amelia's loyalty to Alex and that even though he wasn't her real brother, she did everything she could to teach him of the amazing world outside of the Tin Can.
My favorite theme of this entire book was the significance of stories. Amelia teaches Alex about The Garden through story snippets. She later reveals her past through stories, as well. Stories have such an impact on our lives and the lives of those around us and Thompson does an amazing job of exemplifying that.
Each chapter kept me on my toes and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews