Tunnels

January 14, 2008
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.

Jack Davenport's narration adds the perfect haunting tone to this story of a secret subterranean city. The first sound in the production is Davenport's imitation of a swinging pickax. That sound is followed by the excited voices of William Burrow and his archaeologist father as they unknowingly tunnel their way to "The Colony," a civilization under London caught in an altered nineteenth century. The "Topsoilers'" voices are totally believable--from the hysterical voice of Will's mother to the eager voice of his friend, Chester. Davenport adds an effective dimension to the book by depicting the common people of The Colony with an Irish-sounding accent and its rulers with an intimidating aristocratic hiss. K.C. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine


Seeking his missing father, 14-year-old Will discovers a subterranean settlement below his British suburb. Once in "The Colony," Will reunites with brother Cal while fighting the Styx, the brutal police. Steven Crossley's crisp tones take on the challenge of a story with mediocre character development and dialogue. His delivery is even and clear, but he can't do much to redeem an unappealing cast of characters, who range from whiny to nasty. Crossley succeeds in imparting the delicious tension of Will's constant peril, but the melodrama in the story seeps in despite Crossley's professional reading. Listeners may be frustrated when this long audiobook ends in a cliff-hanger with most of the book's mysteries unsolved. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine