Tunnels (Tunnels #1)
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4.6 • 51 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The New York Times Bestseller! The story of an outcast boy, his eccentric dad, and the scary underground world they discover through secret TUNNELS.14-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 Dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a secret subterranean society. "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 cultlike overclass, the Styx. Before long--before he can find his father--Will is their prisoner....
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' tre 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.
Customer Reviews
Full of twists and turns at every momoment
After leading a seemingly normal life, Will Burrows is plunged into a barbaric, secretive, underground society. The antagonists are the Styx, who act like real people and easily blend in with society. This is one of many factors that make you wonder if it could actually be happening. My favorite character was Will’s protective pet, Bartleby because he always tries to help Will even if it will put himself in danger. After I got through the suspenseful beginning, it was full of twists and turns. It was really exciting and I had to be told to stop reading each night, so I could get some sleep.
Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams did an amazing job creating a 472 page Tunnels. This challenging read is the first book in the series, Tunnels. This fantasy story is geared to young adults as it has many disturbing details like the fact that many of the main characters eat rat. This story felt complete except for the fact that many of the characters I thought were dead were not really dead, so when they really died, I kept thinking they would come back to life. This book really made me question society as everything in this story was possible although it defied science. Overall, this book has an interesting concept and terrific story for almost everyone.