What can I say about Tunnels except that it is an awesome dark adventure novel. Written for younger readers, it still satisfies the adult adventure lover as well. With an exciting plot, vividly wild locations and interesting, detailed characters, the book is a page turner that's hard to put down. It's the modern day version of Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth with the added touch of horror that gives the book a definitive edge when compared to most adventure novels being published today.
First self-published by the authors under the title The Highfield Mole in 2005, the book caught the attention of the publishers at Chicken House Ltd. who quickly signed the authors, then revised and re-released the book under the title Tunnels in 2007. It became a worldwide hit, and now is in the process of becoming a major motion picture.
The story centers around young teen Will Burrows. Will comes from a somewhat dysfunctional London family. His mum is a television addict who spends all her time in front of the TV. His younger sister is a strict taskmaster who basically runs the household. His father is an eccentric museum curator and ex collegiate archaeologist who bemoans his boring existence and the lost opportunities in his life. And Will, Will is a sad outcast and loner, ostracized for his unusual appearance and odd ways.
The only good thing in Will's life is his love of archaeology, a passion he inherited from his father. Father and son share this one common bond - a passion for digging, and it's this digging that leads them to a discovery that neither are prepared for.
When Dr. Burrows suddenly goes missing, rumors fly that he has deserted his family. Will refuses to believe this, so with the help of his only friend Chester, Will sets out to track down clues to his dad's disappearance. Stalked by mysterious tall, pale strangers who watch their every step, Will and Chester soon find themselves in more danger than they bargained for. And when he finds a hidden tunnel in his own basement, a tunnel secretly dug by his father, the danger becomes more real than ever, for this tunnel leads deep into the bowels of the earth where another world exists. There he discovers a world that is mysterious, timeless and vast beyond imagination, and its inhabitants are like the beings of dreams... and nightmares.
The story is a fast-paced and exciting adventure, if a bit scary and sinister at times, and is all in all a wonderful read. After reading Tunnels I'm hooked and can't wait to read the sequel Deeper. If it's anything like the first novel, it should be one helluva a great story.
My rating: 4 skulls on the creep meter. I'd easily give it 5 overall, but the story really is more adventure than horror, thus I shaved a point off.
Tunnels is available @ Amazon.com now, both new and used copies:
http://www.amazon.com/Tunnels-Book-1-Roderick-Gordon/dp/0439871778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222395679&sr=1-1
Deeper will be released in hardcover on Amazon February 3, 2009, but can be pre-ordered:
http://www.amazon.com/Deeper-Roderick-Gordon/dp/0439871786/ref=pd_sim_b_5
Tunnels Websites:
http://www.tunnelsthebook.com/
http://www.tunnelsdeeper.com/
http://www.topsoiler.com/
Cheers ~
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