This is going to be a bit odd. Deeper is the second book in the series with Tunnels being the first. Angel got Tunnels from the library on CD and listened to it on her commute. As she picks me up on her way home (I ride the bus in) I got to hear various parts of it. When she got Deeper on Audible I decided to give it a try figuring that I had gotten enough of the plot of Tunnels to understand it. Apparently I did get enough because I enjoyed Deeper and didn't feel at all lost. It is important that you understand Tunnels before you start Deeper, but as the series has been quite fascinating I have no problem recommending it. Here is the link to Audible's page for the book. The book was narrated by Steven Crossley and while it took a little bit of time to get used to his voice, it fit the characters well and was well done.
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Plot: In Tunnels, Will Burrows learned that there is a secret world underneath our feet. A society ruled by a thin, pale, haunting people called the Styx who are religious fanatics who believe that the surface world will be scoured clean and allow them to take their rightful place as rulers. They believe this so much that it doesn't matter if they have to create the scourge themselves. Will, his brother, Cal, and his friend, Chester, begin the book headed for the Deeps, the place were people are banished from the underground colony, and a dangerous place where heat, radiation, plants, and animals are all deadly. Will is in pursuit of his father, Dr. Burrows, who is bumbling around discovering that this underground world has a bigger history than anyone thought. They are met by Drake, a "top-soiler" who was kidnapped and escaped to the Deeps and Elliott, a young lady who he rescued from an unknown horror. With their help the three boys learn many of the dangers of the Deeps and try to stay one step ahead of the styx patrols that appear to be killing everyone they find. It appears that the styx are are cleaning house and their most powerful leader is set on hunting down Will, even if she has to use his mother to get him. Will finds himself the center of destruction and death as he and his friends try to survive. But what happens when it looks like everything that goes wrong is your fault? And where does the Pore go?
Personal favorites: The story is well written and quite intense at times. All of the different points of view provided a good look at the situations going on and weren't confusing or problematic. I loved how they got me to hate some of the characters. The villains in the story are very well done and truly villainous. The reactions of the boys as they experienced different things was believable and I could accept them to be teenagers and wasn't annoyed by them. Considering the situation they were facing I thought they acted like their age and that their reactions were understandable. Elliot's character in particular was awesome without being too over the top - She was human and had her weaknesses. The story was intriguing to begin with and the characters just made it very good.
Considerations: In some ways these books are an example of the edgier side of young adult literature. While there are no graphic descriptions of gore, there is a decent amount of violence. The descriptions of the violence is somewhat minimal and is not gratuitous, but I do mention it for those that might be concerned. Also, the styx are really ruthless and their plots are both sinister and somewhat ghoulish. I can't say that the level of concern for these considerations is beyond that of many other young adult books. I would say somewhere between David Eddings' Belgariard and Elenium series, both of which I read as a teenager. I only mention them for reader awareness.
A good listen and an intense story, Deeper, kept me engaged for the whole time. I've already got the next one downloaded, but am detouring through a non-fiction for a bit, just to break things up. Such is the result of juggling multiple books. That and I want to give Angel a chance to get a good start on Freefall before I dive in. The total length was just under 19 hours.
Plot: In Tunnels, Will Burrows learned that there is a secret world underneath our feet. A society ruled by a thin, pale, haunting people called the Styx who are religious fanatics who believe that the surface world will be scoured clean and allow them to take their rightful place as rulers. They believe this so much that it doesn't matter if they have to create the scourge themselves. Will, his brother, Cal, and his friend, Chester, begin the book headed for the Deeps, the place were people are banished from the underground colony, and a dangerous place where heat, radiation, plants, and animals are all deadly. Will is in pursuit of his father, Dr. Burrows, who is bumbling around discovering that this underground world has a bigger history than anyone thought. They are met by Drake, a "top-soiler" who was kidnapped and escaped to the Deeps and Elliott, a young lady who he rescued from an unknown horror. With their help the three boys learn many of the dangers of the Deeps and try to stay one step ahead of the styx patrols that appear to be killing everyone they find. It appears that the styx are are cleaning house and their most powerful leader is set on hunting down Will, even if she has to use his mother to get him. Will finds himself the center of destruction and death as he and his friends try to survive. But what happens when it looks like everything that goes wrong is your fault? And where does the Pore go?Personal favorites: The story is well written and quite intense at times. All of the different points of view provided a good look at the situations going on and weren't confusing or problematic. I loved how they got me to hate some of the characters. The villains in the story are very well done and truly villainous. The reactions of the boys as they experienced different things was believable and I could accept them to be teenagers and wasn't annoyed by them. Considering the situation they were facing I thought they acted like their age and that their reactions were understandable. Elliot's character in particular was awesome without being too over the top - She was human and had her weaknesses. The story was intriguing to begin with and the characters just made it very good.
Considerations: In some ways these books are an example of the edgier side of young adult literature. While there are no graphic descriptions of gore, there is a decent amount of violence. The descriptions of the violence is somewhat minimal and is not gratuitous, but I do mention it for those that might be concerned. Also, the styx are really ruthless and their plots are both sinister and somewhat ghoulish. I can't say that the level of concern for these considerations is beyond that of many other young adult books. I would say somewhere between David Eddings' Belgariard and Elenium series, both of which I read as a teenager. I only mention them for reader awareness.
A good listen and an intense story, Deeper, kept me engaged for the whole time. I've already got the next one downloaded, but am detouring through a non-fiction for a bit, just to break things up. Such is the result of juggling multiple books. That and I want to give Angel a chance to get a good start on Freefall before I dive in. The total length was just under 19 hours.
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