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Thursday, 23 March 2017

Beck Valley Book Review: Into The Air by A. K. Downing




Like everyone else in the world, Mia Bryn lives in the dark. Buried in an underground compound, her life is spent in brief allotments of florescent light and dwindling food supplies. But when a letter arrives, Mia and her father are invited to embark on a journey that no one else has been allowed to take for over a hundred years. They are asked to leave the ground and travel into the air. But the outside world is more surprising and dangerous than Mia could have ever imagined. To survive, she must trust her instincts, learn about a world she knows nothing about, and accept her destiny.

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“Downing’s Into The Air is that fresh take on the YA post-apocalyptic vision we’ve all been waiting for. Mia Bryn is a wonderful character—one who starts out charmingly mortal but soon becomes the heroine we, and her people, need her to be. Can’t wait for the next Mia chapter!” Bruce McAllister, Author of the Cybils-nominated The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic

“There’s a new star in the Young Adult firmament—A. K. Downing’s series, beginning with Into The Air, is sure to be a reader favorite right up there with The Hunger Games and The 100 trilogy.” Richard Snodgrass , Author of There’s Something in the Back Yard

WHAT IF YOU ENTERED A WORLD YOU DIDN'T KNOW
“Did you ever feel so lost that you didn’t know if the ground was above your head or below your feet?”

My Review

Despite the fact that this is story is written for young adults, I have to say I barely noticed, I was so engrossed with this debut novel.  My resolution this year has been to read a wider range of fiction and I am enjoying the challenge immensely.  

Set in a post apocalyptic world where the air has been contaminated and the population forced to survive underground, change is afoot and whilst mutants roam the forests, the government has plans to rebuild and regenerate their world.  

The heroine, 17 year old Mia, is feisty, brave and determined to stand up for herself.  Let loose from the compound in which she has been forced to survive with her father Marshal, she finds herself a fugitive on the run from unseen forces, desperate to find him at any cost to her own safety.  

Her flight takes her deep into the forest where she rescues a little girl and joins forces with a band of renegade guards who find her more than a challenge.  Are they helping her or just waiting to hand her over to the authorities?

I loved that Mia is a well-drawn, modern female character and although the ending of the novel didn't answer all my questions, I suspect Mia's story may continue in further novels.  As the mother of a 9 year old daughter, I would be perfectly happy for Caitlin to read Mia's story.  There is a hint of romance but it is entirely appropriate to the story and not overdone.

I thought the novel was a refreshing change from many of the more saccharine and traditionally 'female' stories available for young adults. This one is certainly an adventure with a bit more bite.

About the author


A. K. Downing is the author of the young adult, adventure novel Into the Air. She grew up in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania and spent her summers exploring the fields, woods and orchards of her grandparents' farm. She studied graphic design at Kent State University and currently works as a Creative Director. She enjoys history, camping, and walking through fields of tall grass, and feels there is no better way to see the world than from the top of a horse. She currently lives in the woods with her husband, daughter, two cats and five chickens. Into the Air is her first novel.


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I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

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