Tunnels (Tunnels 1) [Paperback]

 

 

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Barry Cunningham is best known for being the publisher who brought Harry Potter to the world by signing then unknown writer J.K. Rowling after she had been rejected by numerous other publishers.

Since then, I'm sure he's been on the lookout for the "next big thing". Apparently the wait is over. In what's touted to be the "next Harry Potter", Mr. Cunningham has signed another unknown author, or rather pair of authors, Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. Gordon and Williams had previously self-published their book as "The Highfield Mole". After what I'm sure was exhaustive marketing analysis, the book's title has been changed to "Tunnels".

It's an unfair comparison to call a new book the "next Harry Potter". It's akin to saying a company is the "next Microsoft" or an up-and-coming band is the "next Beatles". There is no way any book will live up to the hype. And this book should not be compared to Harry Potter. It is its own animal. And it's pretty good.

"Tunnels" is interesting and entertaining - eventually. I won't recap the plot here because you can read the official description above. The problem is that it takes 170 pages before anything happens. I almost gave up on it. None of the characters introduced in the first third of the book are compelling. They just don't come to life.

Also, the writing in the first part of the book isn't that great. It's too wordy and over-laden with adjectives. It also suffers from "adverb disease" ("Will said quietly", "Rebecca said triumphantly", "Chester said awkwardly"). It's a chore to read.

Then Will and Chester go underground. The writing improves in the second half of the book as things begin to happen and some interesting characters emerge.

"Tunnels" is good, but you're left hanging at the end, waiting for Book 2, which is supposed to be published in 2008.

I predict that "Tunnels" will find its audience, but it will not be a huge success.

The universal appeal of Harry Potter was its magical world, co-existing with the regular world, but hidden from us Muggles. The magical world was whimsical, mysterious and fun. Readers escaped into that world and, when they were finished reading, couldn't wait to visit again and again and again.

"Tunnels" also has a hidden world, but there's nothing magical about it. It is mysterious, but it is also brutal and violent. People are tortured and killed. Vicious dogs attack with intent to kill. Even the regular world depicted in "Tunnels" is bleak. Here is a sample description of a neighborhood near Will's house:

"It was also the favoured spot for kids on their track bikes and, increasingly, stolen mopeds, the latter being run into the ground and then torched, their carbon-black skeletons littering the far edges of the Pits, where weeds threaded up through their wheels and around their rusting engine blocks. Less frequently, it was also the scene for sinister adolescent amusements such as bird- or frog-hunting; all too often, the creatures were slowly tortured to death and their sorry little carcasses impaled on sticks in sadistic youthful glee."

Yuck.

One of the main characters, Chester, whiles "away the time...by swatting bluebottles and wasps with an old badminton racket, easy targets as they grew lazy in the noonday heat." Later, he flicks "the mutilated remains of a large fly off the frayed strings of his racket."

Yuck again. Does this sound like someone you'd want your kids to hang out with?

Regarding the physical book, I have one major complaint about the softcover edition. I have an original copy of "The Highfield Mole" that includes many illustrations by Brian Williams. The softcover edition of "Tunnels" contains almost none of these illustrations. What a shame.

Finally, I couldn't help feeling a sense of déjà vu while reading "Tunnels". It evoked memories of Jeanne DuPrau's "The City of Ember".

I recommend "Tunnels", but be aware of what you're getting yourself into - bleakness, darkness, dirt, grime and violence - with the promise of a rip-roaring adventure story.

I can't believe that there are so many reviews saying it's poorly written and dull. Give them a try they are fantastic. This was a really exciting read. I had to go straight out and get the next 2 in the series and now I have a long wait till the 4th one comes out. It is a really good storyline, with loads of twists along the way. Both myself and my 11 year old son have loved them. Since reading Alex Rider and Harry Potter he's been trying to find a worthy alternative and this is definately it.

Few books that I have read were as compelling and addictive as this one, and with 3 more published in the series and a 5th on the way, it will provide many more hours of entertainment. This book was hard to put down. I just kept saying to myself as reading, one more section, one more chapter, and yet kept reading when I should have put it down. I had to stop reading it at work because I would not want my break or lunch to end. The story is fast paced, the plot twists uncanny, the characters incredibly interesting and the concept chilling.

Will Burrows (pun intended I am sure) is obsessed with archaeological digs, a passion his father has encouraged. His father is the curator at the local museum and dreams of finding something to put his academic career back on track. But they dig in secret, hiding their tunnels and their finds. Will works on projects for his father but also has his own side digs in areas of interest for himself. And in some ways he feels more at home underground than above. But when his father goes missing, and Will discovers a mysterious tunnel and journal, he and his friend Chester go digging, looking for Dr. Burrows. What they find will surprise them and just might cost them their lives.

The greatest strength of the story is the uniqueness of the story line. The plot is so enticing. Discovering an underground world and civilization is not a new plot, but how this one came about, and its interactions with topsiders, is unique and fascinating. Overall it was an excellent read and I cannot wait to read more books in the series. (Note this book was originally published as The Highfield Mole.)

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4.0 out of 5 stars My son really enjoyed this book
It is very difficult to persuade my 11-year old son to read and I have found only a few authors/series of books that my son has responded to, so far. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Y. Moscatelli

5.0 out of 5 stars Tunnels
I LOVED this book. I first picked it up in a bookshop, desperately looking for something to read. I was interested to know that it had been written by two people, so I bought... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Mrs. Sarah J. Harrison

4.0 out of 5 stars surprised
I brought this book at a charity book sale in aid of haiti that was held at my local pub. Not knowing nything about the book except what was written on the back cover i thought i... Read more

Published 22 months ago by S. L. Andrews

4.0 out of 5 stars good but the start of slow pace
its a good stry line but the start and slow pace of the story let it down

Published 22 months ago by Shahrul Choudhury

5.0 out of 5 stars I read the first three books in a week and a half.
I am a bit surprised to see all of the negative reviews on this book. I had bought Tunnels from a branch of The Works just because it looked alright (I hadn't been aware of any... Read more

Published 23 months ago by Earth Angel

1.0 out of 5 stars Too erratic
So this is "the next Harry Potter"? For all the criticisms I can and have made about Harry Potter I really enjoyed reading them and actually cared. This book - not so much. Read more

Published on 7 Nov 2009 by Sulkyblue

4.0 out of 5 stars Bury yourself in this intriguing book!
Indicated as possibly the next Harry Potter, I was eager to burrow into the pages of this book and discover what mysteries lied within. Yet, sadly, I was disappointed. Read more

Published on 25 Aug 2009 by A Vidler

4.0 out of 5 stars I like it, I'll continue with the 2nd book
Very good, and beneath London this story is, better yet. I'll continue with the 2nd book (Deeper) soon.

Published on 2 Aug 2009 by J. A. Diz

3.0 out of 5 stars A dark and gritty tale that takes too long to get going
Fair-skinned, white haired Will has little in common with his neat-freak younger sister, Rebecca or tv-obsessed mother but his father relies on Will's love of digging to help him... Read more

Published on 9 July 2009 by quippe

3.0 out of 5 stars A good idea, at times gripping but too long IMO
As a teacher and someone who is always looking for new purchases for the library, this one is a worthy addition. Read more

Published on 26 April 2009 by J. Vincent

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