Aqua Marsden defies her mom to pursue a degree in marine biology but life has other plans for her. Battling rabid humans and drowning in toxic air, she and her friend Mark struggle to find a hidden marine facility that may hold the key to saving humankind.Aqua Marine is an apocalyptic young adult novel set in the near future, written by Melanie Dixon. Since she started reading adult books as a young child she now shamelessly reads the kids' and teens' books that she missed back then. She also enjoys writing for teens, but feels that certain themes are overdone. Instead, she has created an apocalyptic novel where a powdery blue substance rains down upon the city, suffocating everyone in its path. In Aqua Marine, (included and book one of The Aquaria Chronicles), the novel begins with a traditionally rebellious teenage girl named Aqua. She's already discovered what she wants to do in life, against the wishes of her mom. At the start of the disaster she loses contact with her mother, and her friends. After the city goes into lockdown, she and her cat are refused entry to the city bunker. Aqua and her newly found friend Mark, who is wheelchair-bound, must find access to another bunker. Along the way they are attacked by zombies, which is the least of their worries. Often writers are told to write about what they know, but this wasn't the case for Mel. She chose to do research about sea creatures and aquatic life. She also created a fictitious powdery blue substance, called bleed in the books, which is the main antagonist of the story. In order to go outside when it is raining bleed, a human must suit up with a respirator. Strangely, animals and plants are not affected by the bleed. Aqua and Mark must survive outdoors until they can find the entrance to a bunker run by the Canadian Marines. Readers will quickly find that The Aquaria Chronicles isn't your standard teen supernatural thriller novel. While it does have zombies, it also has an apocalyptic theme with a unique twist, as it's set in a gigantic world called Aquaria, located beneath the city of New Westminster.Aqua Marine will be a refreshing read for those seeking a different type of young adult novel that has a unique setting, and a diverse list of characters. There are four books (all included in this purchase) that comprise The Aquaria Chronicles. If the characters were here right now, they would say that the safest place to be is in the water.