The water from the tides guides Coe's existence. Daily, Coe and the other survivors of a long forgotten past gather themselves into formation and hope that this will not be the day that the tides take them away. Coe is unique among the 496 survivors of the island of Tides as she isn't physically as hardy as the others due to missing part of one of her arms. Unfortunately, the king of their island is now ill and things are about to change for everyone on Tides. Will Coe survive the shifting tides of change?

Wow! Nichola Reilly has crafted a very unique dystopian/post-apocalyptic world with DROWNED. The world building is expertly drawn as we see jobs and a culture emerge in a world very unlike anything we've ever seen. The Scribblers provide an additional threat from the sea as they keep the survivors from embracing life in the water.

Coe is a phenomenal heroine! She's the quintessential survivor, handling a very difficult life with a disability that could have destroyed others. She's loyal, almost to a fault, as she is willing to do anything for those she cares about, even if it causes her pain. She's torn between her loyalties as Finn and Tiam have plans for the island, and I like how Nichola Reilly pulls us into Coe's dilemma over what to do. And I couldn't help but love how Coe uses the knowledge from fairy tales and the book from her father!

DROWNED is one of the most imaginative young adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic tales I've read in quite a while. Nichola Reilly breathes new life into the genre with this fascinating story. And oh, just wait till you read the twists and turns Nichola Reilly throws at you in the last portion of the book! DROWNED is highly recommended!