Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
14-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when Dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a secret subterranean society. "The Colony" has existed unchanged for a century, but it's no benign time capsule of a bygone era--because the Colony is ruled by a cultlike overclass, the Styx. Before long--before he can find his father--Will is their prisoner...
Is Tunnels (Tunnels #1) appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
This underground adventure features a middle-grade protagonist investigating his father's disappearance and discovering a hidden dystopian society. The book includes moderate peril, captivity, and cult-like control by the ruling class, but violence remains age-appropriate for middle grade readers.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include kidnapping, captivity, and parental abandonment (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Readers who love mysteries, underground exploration, and discovering secret civilizations will find this archaeological adventure thrilling.