Underwater fantasy with a western feel - Caudill 2013

Dark Life by Kat Falls is a fast paced mix of old West frontier life and futuristic life under the ocean. 15 year old Ty is the first human born and raised sub-sea. His family is part of group of "settlers" establishing a ranching community in Benthic Territory.  Life above the ocean is difficult. Land is scarce due to the rising ocean levels. Most people live jammed in crowded cities with few resources. Gemma, also 15, is a "topsider"; a ward of the state called the Commonwealth.  She has runaway to sub-sea to find her missing older brother who holds the key to her independence. Gemma and Ty soon run into each other. Their unlikely pairing sets them on a journey involving dangerous undersea gangs, corrupt government officials, and hard working undersea ranchers.  The author succeeds in creating a believable underwater world of homesteads, transportation devices and creatures. Part 2, available soon in the LTC, is called High Tide.