Tunnels by Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams

From the Publisher

Fourteen-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when his dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a subterranean society that time forgot. "The Colony" has existed unchanged for a century, but it's no benign time capsule of a bygone era. Because the Colony is ruled by a merciless overclass, the Styx. Will must free his father—but is he also about to ignite a revolution?

KIDS DIG TUNNELS!

"My eyes were my gray metal shovel and my dark unexpected tunnel was the book. I kept digging my way deeper into the plot to find out what was going to happen next."—Alexa, age 12

"...a unique mix of fantasy and adventure that keeps you wondering what's going to happen next....the vivid descriptions will transport you to a whole new world."—Matt, age 14

"...I was on the edge of my seat until the last page. It was intricately mystifying. Full praise to TUNNELS—I want more!"--Garrett, age 12

Publishers Weekly

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'être 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.)

Children's Literature

Fourteen-year-old Will Burrows has a passion for digging around his small town of Highfield, which is so old it dates back to Roman times. He and his father, curator of the town's history museum and archaeologist, spend their spare time looking for ancient artifacts, abandoned underground train tunnels, or maybe something more interesting: evidence of ancient settlements. Outside of his exciting hobby, Will's life is dreary. His family is dysfunctional. His older sister Rebecca does all the shopping, cleaning, and cooking while their mother spends her time in front of the TV. Will's appearance works against him—he is pale with white hair, and his only friend is big, bumbling Chester who is also on the outside of teen society. Suddenly, Will's humdrum life turns dark and desperate. His father disappears, their family is without any money, and Will suspects that his father may be in danger connected with some secret excavation. Can he find his father with Chester's help? Some mysterious figures begin to tail Will; the new-found father's journal also mentions being followed by the same furtive strangers. Will and Chester persevere in their search and are suddenly thrust into a dark, frightening underground world filled with people who look like Will. Some claim to be his family. Some, the Styx, are truly frightening: they use torture to get information from Will and Chester. How will Chester and Will escape? Can they find Dr. Burrows? What about the foreign yet familiar underground people that claim to be Will's grandmother and younger brother? Meanwhile, what is happening topside to Rebecca and Mum? The underground world becomes deeper and deadlier and Will wonders if he will eversee the sky or sunlight again. This is a beautifully written young adult novel, so compelling and realistically drawn that the reader will not be able to put it down. Black-and-white illustrations add wonderfully to the dark fantasy world. A sequel, Deeps, is scheduled to be out in 2009. Wow! Reviewer: Judy Crowder

VOYA

AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 15.

Meet fourteen-year-old Will Burrows, who certainly lives up to his name. He loves to burrow underground, digging tunnels on archaeological expeditions beneath London with his museum curator father. When his father mysteriously disappears, Will sets out to find him, accompanied by Chester, his only friend from school. Their expedition underground leads to the discovery of a subterranean society, capture by the merciless Styx who control this underground world, painful interrogations, and the threat of banishment to the Deeps. But then, much to his surprise, Will is released to the "family" from which his real mother escaped, taking a very young Will topside with her. This father hates Will, but his younger brother worships him and wants to escape to the surface with him-one of Will's priorities. His other goals are finding his missing father, rescuing Chester, and surviving, especially after he discovers the identity of his real enemy. The nonstop action involves archaeological digs, tunnel exploration, sibling rivalry, missing parents, finding out who one really is, and so much more. Major characters are murdered, and evil appears to be in the ascendant, at least at the end of this book, which, in true cliffhanger style, is really just the beginning. This incredible debut fantasy is written by two authors who first met at college in London, have remained friends, and are now collaborating on a fantasy series that will have quest fans eagerly waiting for the next installment, Deeps, due out in 2009. Reviewer: Bonnie Kunzel
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9- Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams' fantasy (Chicken House, 2007) is an exciting story about two 14-year-old boys, Will and Chester, who discover, while digging a tunnel, a strange and dangerous civilization underneath modern London. Will's father, Dr. Burrows, has recently disappeared, and the boy has reason to believe that his dad may have discovered the entrance to this underground city and is being held captive there. The two boys set out to find him and are soon captured by the Styx, a barbaric class of scythe toting soldiers. After undergoing interrogation by the Styx, Will is sent to live in "The Colony" where he learns that the Burrows are not his real family and that his mother escaped from this underground prison with him shortly after he was born. Chester, however, doesn't fare so well. He is doomed to be banished to the deepest, darkest part of this terrifying world. Driven by guilt over Chester's fate, Will vows to rescue him. Narrator Steven Crossley's performance is brilliant. His seamless transition between the characters' voices and his dramatic presentation bring the story to life. Perfect for classroom discussions about despotic governments or issues of trust and loyalty, listeners will eagerly await the sequel to this unresolved tale. For public and middle school libraries with fantasy audiobook collections.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS

Kirkus Reviews

Will finds his way into a frightening underground world in this fantasy adventure. Will's family may be dysfunctional, but he and his father are drawn together by their shared love of tunnels. Father and son dig not-quite-legal tunnels around London, unearthing Victorian jars, Codswallop bottles, 18th-century nails and other detritus of the city's history. When Will's father vanishes, Will and new friend Chester follow his trail into an underground city, the Colony. Will's fascination quickly gives way to dread, as the boys discover the Colony is peopled by xenophobic zealots and policed by the Styx, cruel magical despots. Will is determined to rescue Chester, and his quest leads him up against gruesome cruelties and startling betrayals. Dense but exciting. (Fantasy. 10-12)First printing of 75,000

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