Juvenile Fiction
643 pages
2009
Here's the sequel to Tunnels, and every bit as good! Will's adventure underground continues as he and Chester, with Cal in tow, attempt to find Will's father, Dr. Burrows, who has gone down even deeper than the Colony to explore and dig. All the evil elements are still present; Rebecca, the Styx, the Stalkers, and some new ones, the Limiters. They're even worse than the Styx, if that's possible. Will comes across some new characters down there who are definitely on the "Good Guy" side, thank goodness, and we learn that "renegades" exist, those who stand in constant defiance of the Styx. His real mother, Sarah, plays a big part in this book. She returns to the Colony, after Rebecca makes a deal with her, one we suspect from the beginning is not entirely sincere. She works with the Styx and searches for Will and Cal. The story goes back and forth from down deep underground to up top where Mrs. Burrows is in a "hospital". I can only assume that Mrs. Burrows, a most unlikeable character (what a horrible mother!) has a more important role to play in the third book (due out in Feb. of 2010 - I can't wait!) because she doesn't do much in Deeper, except further demonstrate her selfish, neurotic ways.
Deeper ends in typical 2nd installment fashion - smack dab in the middle of the climax!
I thought Deeper was a bit less detailed than Tunnels, but equal in fast pace and surprises at every turn. The sheer length of this book will deter some young readers, kids judge a book by its thickness, but I say, "Read it anyway!" You'll feel like you read a REAL book at the end. Too much children's and YA literature today is written to the evolved short attention span of our youth. Thank you, Gordon and Williams, for telling a great story with all the rich detail, mulitple characters, and constant twisting plot lines! If you two guys can get Chicken House to send me an ARC, I'll review it before it comes out and build up the anticipation!
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