Way Down Dark by J.P. Smythe
Genre: Sci-Fi
Reviewed by Evan S., 12th Grade
Rating: 8/10
I had won this book from a Kinderhook Library raffle quite some time ago, and it took me roughly three years to finally get around to reading it. I also managed to win the book’s sequel, and after reading Way Down Dark, I’m looking forward to it.
This book takes a post-apocalyptic tone, and asks the perplexing question: What if the Earth was much older than we thought? The prologue opens by briefing the reader that the Earth had become an unstable planet, and had forced its inhabitants onto hastily made spacecrafts, in an attempt to leave Earth and find a safer, habitable home. Unfortunately, a new planet wasn’t found, and people were forced to survive on these ships. Chan’s home, The Australia, has become a hostile environment. Factions were made and groups fight for control over the ship.
The story follows Chan: a seventeen year-old girl whose mother recently passed away. Chan is a resourceful person, and is understanding of the way things work in The Australia: nothing can’t be solved through violence. The novel’s plot discusses Chan’s discoveries as she explores The Australia. Chan’s mother-figure Agatha acts as a travel companion, and brings some interesting dialogue to the bleak story.
Smythe writes the novel in the first person point of view of Chan, and does a great job at making the narration feel like Chan’s inner voice talking to herself. This helps build Chan’s character as a strong and thoughtful adventurer. I love that the point of view also helps in dialogues, because it makes it easier for the reader to understand Chan’s lies or true intentions. There are also a couple of sections that reveal Agatha’s thoughts or past stories, which add to the depth of the story’s world. In my opinion, Smythe does an excellent job at using these flashbacks to build the world of the novel. I will admit that at times I felt overwhelmed by the amount of details Smythe included in these stories, but I still found them to be very interesting.
I’d definitely recommend this book to any science-fiction enjoyers or post-apocalyptic novel fans. This book did a great job of keeping my interest throughout the entire story, and kept the stakes high. Smythe does a great job of building The Australia to sound like a treacherous environment, and the constant feeling of danger kept the book from getting boring as the story progressed. The novel is totally worth a read.
Want to read Way Down Dark? Request a copy with your library card today!