Reviews

Gr 5-9-Pale, stocky Will Burrows, 14, never felt that he belonged at school or at home. In his predominantly self-absorbed family, Will's younger sister, meticulous Rebecca, maintains the house while Mrs. Burrows languishes in front of the TV and stereotypically scattered Dr. Burrows is preoccupied with archaeological paraphernalia. Will is happiest in tunnels he excavates beneath town with the help of friend, and fellow outcast, Chester. Though he and his father share a mutual obsession with archaeology, they separately engage in secret digs and both unearth "The Colony," a dangerous society hidden since the 1700s in an impressive network of tunnels and caverns. Its people have their own theology, social hierarchy, and a disdainful superiority complex. The Colonists and Styx (the more powerful, arrogant, malicious class) fear and revile "Topsoilers," lying in wait for their destruction. Revolutionary, "Topsoil"-friendly thinkers exist but most of the people fall in line in this grimy, Dickensian society. Although the story is slow to start, once Dr. Burrows disappears and Will (with Chester) stumbles into the Colony's perilous outpost, the pace of the adventure picks up. Readers will root for loyal, impetuous, overwhelmed Will as he discovers his roots, faces betrayal, and struggles to save those he cares for. Purchase this for the intriguing plot (including a surprising twist) and subterranean settings. Several still-buried mysteries, fates unknown, and the final gripping chapters promise an anticipated sequel.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Although it arrives from the U.K. amid plenty of fanfare-and to fandom here, too (see Galley Talk, Dec. 10)-this first in a planned series seems full of holes, as if its raison d'etre were to set up the action for future books. The plot builds on a secret subterranean culture, a cruel, hierarchical English society that is deeply hostile to "Topsoilers." As the book opens, the punningly named Will Burrows and his archeologist father are tunneling beneath a disused train station, as this is Dr. Burrows's passion. Their bond established, these two major characters soon go off in different directions; as they do later, the authors lengthily follow one protagonist and seemingly abandon the others. Dr. Burrows, having discovered underground passages in local cellars, disappears after a quarrel with his useless wife; Will and a friend go after him. Encumbered by verbose and flat descriptions ("His whole being emanated evil, and his dark eyes never left Will's, who felt a wave of dread wash over him.... {Will] was unable to tear his gaze from the sinister man, whose thin lips twisted into a sardonic smile"), the novel is nearly one-third over before the boys enter the underground Colony-where they are promptly imprisoned and tortured. The narrative at last begins to twist and turn, but the authors still have trouble tracking their cast-and because the offstage characters seem to figure so punily in the others' thinking, readers have little incentive to stay invested in their fates. Ages 8-14. (Jan.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.