Aquifer by Jonathan Friesen

Stand alone novel

Summary: 

Only He Can Bring What They Needed to Survive.

In 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world's fresh water. But he has learned the true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion in the name of keeping the peace. This Council has broken his father's spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart. 

But when Luca's father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground, and discovers secrets and mysteries that cause him to question who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and a very alluring girl, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council's control. But Luca's mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined. 

Opening Lines:

"Stop the winch!" 

Mape pounded the hull of the boat and dropped his hook-end pole with a clank. He squinted through the netting. THousands of flopping shrimp dripped and glistened, reflecting the last rays of sunlight. 

But the grotesque creature, the white beast bound in wee--it didn't move at all.

"I think you oughta come up here, Jasper." 

"I'm in no mood for whinin' tonight." Jasper sloshed across the deck toward his ship mate. "I hired you to haul, not to feel sorry for the poor little fishes, or to complain about the by-catch. You wanted to shrimp off Scoff Reef, and that means scoopin' a dolphin or two. "He pointed at the net. "Now wing that haul over the floor and dump..."

Japser's eyes winded then narrowed as the catch flowed onto the boards. He had seen everything the sea owned.

Almost everything. 

"That's no dolphin." Jasper angled himself closer. "That beastie has a claw."