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The Tunnels Below
How do you find your way out of the dark?
On her twelfth birthday, the last thing Cecilia expected was to find herself lost in a labyrinth of tunnels beneath London. Afraid, alone, but determined, she sets to work on her escape, and soon realises that perhaps there is a reason she and the mysterious marble her sister gave her have ended up so far from home.
Deep in the darkness roam the terrible Corvus, tyrants of the magical realm below. Cecilia’s struggle to return to her family becomes a mission of great danger and adventure, as she tries to help her new friends to free themselves and their beautiful, unique world. But will her heart be brave enough to ensure she doesn’t stay trapped in the darkness forever?
On her twelfth birthday, the last thing Cecilia expected was to find herself lost in a labyrinth of tunnels beneath London. Afraid, alone, but determined, she sets to work on her escape, and soon realises that perhaps there is a reason she and the mysterious marble her sister gave her have ended up so far from home.
Deep in the darkness roam the terrible Corvus, tyrants of the magical realm below. Cecilia’s struggle to return to her family becomes a mission of great danger and adventure, as she tries to help her new friends to free themselves and their beautiful, unique world. But will her heart be brave enough to ensure she doesn’t stay trapped in the darkness forever?
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 6, 2021
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was a lovely story of adventure. I had a bit of a tough time getting into it, but after a while, it really gets going. What I loved best were the stunning pencil illustrations at the end of each chapter. Cecilia goes down into another world as she disappears in the tunnels, and it's a magical and very colorful world. All the citizens are sort of humans with animal heads, so it makes for some very interesting characters. Music makes you taste things and you can basically fly on magical carpets. All of it was so imaginative and colorful! It truly was fun to read.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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This was a lovely story of adventure. I had a bit of a tough time getting into it, but after a while, it really gets going. What I loved best were the stunning pencil illustrations at the end of each chapter. Cecilia goes down into another world as she disappears in the tunnels, and it's a magical and very colorful world. All the citizens are sort of humans with animal heads, so it makes for some very interesting characters. Music makes you taste things and you can basically fly on magical carpets. All of it was so imaginative and colorful! It truly was fun to read.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
December 24, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin Children's Books for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I expected a different kind of story just by interpreting its cover, but I didn't know the story itself could be more amazing than what I thought of initially. It's a fast-paced, exuberant storyline and a whole of adventures to take in accompanied with strings of wisdom words that can teach us how to adapt ourselves in changing environments. What I can say is, when I was reading this book, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland because of how eccentric, bizarre its journey is but at the same time wonderfully crafted for life-learning lessons.
It's all started when Cecilia Hudson, a 12 years-old-girl, who's supposed to spend her birthday trip with her family but then a commotion befalls her that she's suddenly transferred to another world, the tunnels under the train station, in which its world-building is significantly different to the world she's living in. The transmigration is stemmed from her recent gift given by her lovely 8 years-old sister, Hester - the mysterious marble. The marble has an inkling of how and why Cecelia being in the magical realm.
The inhabitants inside this magical realm are called dwellers, they come out in many forms of animal-faced but exuding human attributes. To be precise, they're human-sized animals. They can speak, sing, eat, play some jokes, in short, they can do everything that humans can do, you name it. In Cecilia's journey, she has met a number of human-sized animals ranging from the one who has met her first, called Kuffi, a six-foot-two fox-faced man, Luke; a stag-faced boy who seems in her age and always gets on her nerves but finally intertwining a long-lasting friendship with her all the way, and many more; feline, birds, chimpanzee, etc. There are also a few dwellers who can make flavours by singing. In this world, the term 'hear' is deemed as 'taste'. That's mean any form of musical instruments is imbued with food references such as the fruitolin player (violin player), flutsical (trombone), and marsh-cello (you guys guess!). Kuffi doesn't know what piano is XD.
The conflict is unveiled when Kuffi is in the hands of the evil community lead by a magpie-faced named Jacques d'Or. Jacques d'Or has something up his sleeve, planning to exploit the goodness of the dwellers for his own benefit. Plotwise! I would say the execution of the story is clean. The story doesn't feel like dragging and It does keep me on my toes because I'm looking forward to seeing how Cecilia would be able to return to her home. And thank goodness, the ending is satisfying, a star for that.
What falls short to me that since this is written from the omniscient view, I couldn't relate with the characters. Suffice to say, it's a plot-driven story. However, the author successfully delivers her story through classical yet easy to digest writing and her imagination that can bring us beyond the mundane existence. I also have a soft spot for a heartwarming story about family and this book nails it. To wind up, The Tunnels Below has taught me that in order to cope with changing environments is to accept the circumstances you're in for in order to move forward. I think this message can be applied in our daily lives especially for those who haven't found a sense of belonging they truly desire. Do I recommend this book? A big yes.
I expected a different kind of story just by interpreting its cover, but I didn't know the story itself could be more amazing than what I thought of initially. It's a fast-paced, exuberant storyline and a whole of adventures to take in accompanied with strings of wisdom words that can teach us how to adapt ourselves in changing environments. What I can say is, when I was reading this book, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland because of how eccentric, bizarre its journey is but at the same time wonderfully crafted for life-learning lessons.
It's all started when Cecilia Hudson, a 12 years-old-girl, who's supposed to spend her birthday trip with her family but then a commotion befalls her that she's suddenly transferred to another world, the tunnels under the train station, in which its world-building is significantly different to the world she's living in. The transmigration is stemmed from her recent gift given by her lovely 8 years-old sister, Hester - the mysterious marble. The marble has an inkling of how and why Cecelia being in the magical realm.
The inhabitants inside this magical realm are called dwellers, they come out in many forms of animal-faced but exuding human attributes. To be precise, they're human-sized animals. They can speak, sing, eat, play some jokes, in short, they can do everything that humans can do, you name it. In Cecilia's journey, she has met a number of human-sized animals ranging from the one who has met her first, called Kuffi, a six-foot-two fox-faced man, Luke; a stag-faced boy who seems in her age and always gets on her nerves but finally intertwining a long-lasting friendship with her all the way, and many more; feline, birds, chimpanzee, etc. There are also a few dwellers who can make flavours by singing. In this world, the term 'hear' is deemed as 'taste'. That's mean any form of musical instruments is imbued with food references such as the fruitolin player (violin player), flutsical (trombone), and marsh-cello (you guys guess!). Kuffi doesn't know what piano is XD.
The conflict is unveiled when Kuffi is in the hands of the evil community lead by a magpie-faced named Jacques d'Or. Jacques d'Or has something up his sleeve, planning to exploit the goodness of the dwellers for his own benefit. Plotwise! I would say the execution of the story is clean. The story doesn't feel like dragging and It does keep me on my toes because I'm looking forward to seeing how Cecilia would be able to return to her home. And thank goodness, the ending is satisfying, a star for that.
What falls short to me that since this is written from the omniscient view, I couldn't relate with the characters. Suffice to say, it's a plot-driven story. However, the author successfully delivers her story through classical yet easy to digest writing and her imagination that can bring us beyond the mundane existence. I also have a soft spot for a heartwarming story about family and this book nails it. To wind up, The Tunnels Below has taught me that in order to cope with changing environments is to accept the circumstances you're in for in order to move forward. I think this message can be applied in our daily lives especially for those who haven't found a sense of belonging they truly desire. Do I recommend this book? A big yes.
December 13, 2020
This was a wild ride. I want to say Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz with a Tim Burton twist. Cecilia and her family go out to celebrate her 12th birthday. A special marble her sister gave her falls. As she runs to catch it, she ends up down a mysterious and pretty magical tunnel. She meets all sorts of interesting characters, but she does need to get home. I think older elementary grade children would love this adventure! You just want to know what is going to happen next. It was very easy to read in one sitting for me. Great for those who like adventure and imagination!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 5, 2020
A big thank you to the publishers, Pushkin Books and Pushkin Children's Books, for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a cute little story - I'd say it's like a more light-hearted - child friendly - version of Neil Gaiman's Neverworld. We follow twelve year old Olivia who accidentally gets on a train that takes her to another world filled with weird and fantastic creatures. She sets out to find her way home with the help of some of the people she meets on the way.
I did like the fantastical elements – this is just the sort of thing you hoped would happen to you when you were twelve (and later on too…). Just to experience adventures and trusting yourself as Cecilia has to do in this world where some things are the same but some things are not, and where you can be the hero of your own story and be important. That’s a good message to children.
This is a cute little story - I'd say it's like a more light-hearted - child friendly - version of Neil Gaiman's Neverworld. We follow twelve year old Olivia who accidentally gets on a train that takes her to another world filled with weird and fantastic creatures. She sets out to find her way home with the help of some of the people she meets on the way.
I did like the fantastical elements – this is just the sort of thing you hoped would happen to you when you were twelve (and later on too…). Just to experience adventures and trusting yourself as Cecilia has to do in this world where some things are the same but some things are not, and where you can be the hero of your own story and be important. That’s a good message to children.
December 20, 2018
I received this proof at the beginning of December as part of a super secret panel I can't mention much about yet. This is the first of 20 books I'm reading for this panel, and I'm glad I started with this one.
Let's start with the front cover, the beautiful illustration caught my eye straight away, I will have to find the artist because it's gorgeous.
We're promised a main character with gorgeous brown skin and huge curly hair, but where does this crow come into things I wonder?
Cecilia is celebrating her 12th birthday at the start of the story, her sister gifts her a large, old, funny looking marble, which is insists the birthday girl must wear on this special day.
After a seemingly uneventful train ride with her family Cecilia takes off her necklace as it is quite the burden, this is when everything starts going wrong.
Cecilia has an "Alice in Wonderland-esque" experience, finding herself below ground, quite lost in tunnels. She befriends a 'fox-face', finds her coat buttons are a form of currency and discovers a corrupt corvid constabulary.
There are themes of poverty, police corruption, there's an energy crisis, the wealthy, shiny upper class are keeping the poorer classes downtrodden, trying to make them fill a lake with tears for some inexplicable reason.
I think this fast-paced story will go down well with middle-graders, it's got that social awareness that a lot of our kids want from stories these days, but enough fantasy that it keeps them entertained for the entire book.
Let's start with the front cover, the beautiful illustration caught my eye straight away, I will have to find the artist because it's gorgeous.
We're promised a main character with gorgeous brown skin and huge curly hair, but where does this crow come into things I wonder?
Cecilia is celebrating her 12th birthday at the start of the story, her sister gifts her a large, old, funny looking marble, which is insists the birthday girl must wear on this special day.
After a seemingly uneventful train ride with her family Cecilia takes off her necklace as it is quite the burden, this is when everything starts going wrong.
Cecilia has an "Alice in Wonderland-esque" experience, finding herself below ground, quite lost in tunnels. She befriends a 'fox-face', finds her coat buttons are a form of currency and discovers a corrupt corvid constabulary.
There are themes of poverty, police corruption, there's an energy crisis, the wealthy, shiny upper class are keeping the poorer classes downtrodden, trying to make them fill a lake with tears for some inexplicable reason.
I think this fast-paced story will go down well with middle-graders, it's got that social awareness that a lot of our kids want from stories these days, but enough fantasy that it keeps them entertained for the entire book.
June 25, 2019
Cecile Hudson- Gray a Londoner takes to the mysterious tunnels below London underground on her 12th birthday. Here she meet some fascinating creatures, in particular Kuffi and his Wasp 79. The tunnels below is a magical place where music is tasted and not heard, like a combination of strawberry cupcake, salt and vinegar crisps along with pineapple juice. The home of creatures like Miss Lady- Bird whose voice has the power to touch your soul and taste of tears. Water is scares and light is limited, but life carries on regardless. Kuffi a foxed face man tall and handsome with spiky black whisker and amber eyes, is a kind heart, good Samaritan who takes Cecile under his wing in this strange world protecting her from the self-righteous Jacques D’or and the crows who appear to be the police of the underground but drunk on power. Cecile discovers that here they trade with buttons and eating earth worms as if they were spaghetti. When her friend Kuffi is imprisoned by Jacque D’or, Cecile adventure really begins as she is helped by the stag-faced teenage boy Luke who’s motives maybe questionable, as he shows an interest in the mysterious marble that Cecile got from her sister Hester on her birthday. Along with his friend Jasper who is a human but chose to settle in the tunnels, they set off to rescue Kuffi, meeting many interesting characters along the way, but never really sure who is friend and who is foe.
This wonderful imaginative story takes you on a great adventure in a world that is connected to London underground, which will delight many Londoners. Its clever and creative, allowing its readers to get lost in this make-believe world, and putting no limitations on the imagination. The ending is amazing and will not disappoint. This is a great read for 8-12yo, even for those that are young at heart, who love adventure and embrace the world of imagination with no boundaries.
This wonderful imaginative story takes you on a great adventure in a world that is connected to London underground, which will delight many Londoners. Its clever and creative, allowing its readers to get lost in this make-believe world, and putting no limitations on the imagination. The ending is amazing and will not disappoint. This is a great read for 8-12yo, even for those that are young at heart, who love adventure and embrace the world of imagination with no boundaries.
September 1, 2020
Copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
The real rating is 2.5 stars. This was a light-hearted and whimsical story. It felt like I was reading a more accessible and less confusing 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' for modern-day kids.
Cecilia was a great lead heroine, and I was surprised (in a good way) that one of her main defining traits was her love for science. She also liked dressing up and looking pretty, as well as wearing jumpers, which is another plus.
The place she ended up at was very magical and imaginative. Most of the Middle-Grade stories that end up taking their heroes to another land are full of unwelcoming and mean characters. Not this time! Cecilia makes some very good friends and meets a lot of nice people who help her.
The dialogue, particularly between kid characters, felt out-of-place and inorganic at times, and the big villain wasn't that intimidating. There were a lot of new characters introduced in the last 50 pages of the story, which threw me off a bit.
That said, 'The Tunnels Below' was a very nice and quick read, and the title makes the story sound scarier than it actually is.
February 12, 2021
The Tunnels Below was a quite imaginative and eccentric story that gave a Neil Gaiman/ Alice in Wonderland vibe. The plot was eventful, fast paced but nothing too unique. It was the classic 'saving the fantasy world and finding a way to return to the normal world' kind of story. I've read quite a few books similar to this so it wasn't anything new for me. The world building, however, was fantastic. I loved the way it was strange yet had a mystical feel. The main character was a feisty science lover so that was a big yes from me! The only thing that fell flat was the plot. I was stuck at 65%, wondering why I was reading on as it was quite predictable but I made it through. It got a bit boring at places but maybe that was just me.
Overall I enjoyed the world and character and I give it a 3.5* rounded up to 4*.
Overall I enjoyed the world and character and I give it a 3.5* rounded up to 4*.
January 17, 2022
I picked this one up because I fell in love with the cover. The story is a wildly imaginative journey into an underground world where animal-faced dwellers are oppressed by the Corvid Community. Twelve-year-old Cecilia unintentionally finds her way there and ends up saving the day before finding her way home. Great imagery and some delightful details but a lot of connective tissue was missing for me. I had no sense of real urgency or danger even though there clearly was supposed to be. Plot points jumped along rather quickly, subsumed under the colorful detail, with little in the way of character development or even insight. Cecilia's jump into the Deep being the greatest exception to that. But, when she returns, why is absolutely no one surprised that she returns from a place no one has returned from before? A fine read but not a fully engrossing one.
March 17, 2019
Three and a half stars.
Our young heroine shows great promise in that the adventure she features in - one where she is left alone in an underground existence peopled by anthropomorphised animals that nobody could ever suspect existing - really can engage for the young reader. But before long that target audience (and anyone, in fact) will wonder why she has to have a male helper on almost every bloody page.
The world-building is wonderful, but the agency afforded our heroine is far too weak. Still, the author's inventiveness can only bode well for better in the future.
For more proof, please feel free to click through:-http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Our young heroine shows great promise in that the adventure she features in - one where she is left alone in an underground existence peopled by anthropomorphised animals that nobody could ever suspect existing - really can engage for the young reader. But before long that target audience (and anyone, in fact) will wonder why she has to have a male helper on almost every bloody page.
The world-building is wonderful, but the agency afforded our heroine is far too weak. Still, the author's inventiveness can only bode well for better in the future.
For more proof, please feel free to click through:-http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
April 6, 2021
Such an imaginative book - it's like a child version of Neverwhere. So many themes in here, approachable for children but with enough complexity adults will enjoy it too - power, knowledge sharing and trust. The world building is just complex enough to draw you in without confusing you.
The only downside is, particularly considering it's for children, there is a complete lack of stranger danger - Cecilia can trust the first person she comes across, and all the good characters look after her. She never seems urgent to return home, or in any real danger. A bit of the initial Mr Tumnus/Lucy style wariness wouldn't've gone amiss.
Would recommend for anyone wanting 'light' sci-fi for themselves, or to introduce young readers to the genre.
The only downside is, particularly considering it's for children, there is a complete lack of stranger danger - Cecilia can trust the first person she comes across, and all the good characters look after her. She never seems urgent to return home, or in any real danger. A bit of the initial Mr Tumnus/Lucy style wariness wouldn't've gone amiss.
Would recommend for anyone wanting 'light' sci-fi for themselves, or to introduce young readers to the genre.
September 15, 2019
I thought there were some really nice characters and potential here, but the story flow was more stilted than I would have wanted given the clear influence of the underground train and tunnel and cave setting. Basically, I felt more world-building was needed. Read this over a 5-6 days, which for me means not a grab you and shake you book. But there is some lovely, non-fussy artwork in the book, which adds some basic character embellishment. Sorry that it is not a 5 star.
June 21, 2019
Sometimes you forget you're actually reading a book for children. While, in this case, it was clear that it was a children's book, as the writing was a bit simple at times, I did highly enjoy it. The small world created in this book was whimsical and creative and lovely. And it's also just really cool that the writer has the same first name as I have.
October 10, 2019
The Tunnels Below is about a girl who finds herself in another world after a mishap on her twelfth birthday. The plot is in the vein of Alice in Wonderland, with echoes of The City of Ember. Wild-Palmer is the most unique writer I’ve come across in a long time. She created colourful and vivid imagery unlike anything you’ve encountered. It was a real pity that the ending was so abrupt.
February 17, 2020
Dan: What I particularly liked about this book was the creativity in creating the bizarre but also familiar world in the 'tunnels below'. A good range of interesting characters and I particularly liked the way that the narcissistic and cruel Corvus Community were developed - not very nice characters at all!
June 3, 2019
Wonderful adventure and brave as heck. Dropped into a world where she knows absolutely nothing, Cecilia fights for what is right for people who she just met. Not to mention a whole civilisation in the tunnels underneath London is a great idea!
February 19, 2021
It has strong components as a strong girl who helps the people in the new world. A mix of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland. It started well with mysterious elements but the world itself was okay, not perfect but not bad either.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
April 8, 2019
Cecelia is a brave and resourceful character.
July 31, 2019
3.5 stars
This gave me some mild Alice in Wonderland vibes.
This gave me some mild Alice in Wonderland vibes.
August 27, 2019
Very Alice in Wonderland, and creative/bizarre. I loved it.
January 26, 2020
Really imaginative and fantasy story.
April 15, 2024
This book reminds me of Alice in wonderland and I love it so much.Definitely one of my comfort books even though it is a kids book. It’s strange and comforting at the same time.
September 24, 2019
Tunnels below London? Feels like I've seen that before...
(Un Lun Dun, The Girl at Midnight off the top of my head)
Well it ended up feeling more like Wildwood crossed with The City of Ember. Story was nice, writing felt really weird at many points. Just a bit meh.
(Un Lun Dun, The Girl at Midnight off the top of my head)
Well it ended up feeling more like Wildwood crossed with The City of Ember. Story was nice, writing felt really weird at many points. Just a bit meh.
March 2, 2021
terrific read
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews