Freefall (Tunnels Book 3) - Hardcover

Roderick Gordon; Brian Williams

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0545138779 ISBN 13: 9780545138772

Publisher: Chicken House, 2010

Synopsis

Taking it down a whole 'nother level, Will and Chester journey to the center of the earth in FREEFALL. By the authors of the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller TUNNELS and its sequel DEEPER!

DEEPER sent Will and Chester into FREEFALL-- tumbling through the subterranean Pore with the evil Rebecca twins in hot pursuit, both toting phials of the lethal Dominion virus. When, where, will they ever land?! Just when the drop seems infinite, the boys hit bottom, and find themselves in a realm of near-zero gravity atop a giant spongy fungus stuffed with artifacts from some lost golden age. But they are not alone. And above ground, black-clad Styx are sprouting like poison mushrooms, dead-set on spreading their plague!

About this title

About the Author

RODERICK GORDON and BRIAN WILLIAMS are coauthors of the international bestseller TUNNELS, which Roderick followed with the sequels: DEEPER, FREEFALL, CLOSER, SPIRAL and, finally,TERMINAL. He lives with his wife and children in Norfolk, England. Follow him on Twitter @RoderickGordon or find him on Facebook.

Reviews

Grade 5–9—At long last, the third installment in the subterranean "Tunnels" epic reunites Will, his errant father, and his resilient mother—briefly. Then, as she stays on the surface to battle, and then become a captive of the sinister order of Styx, the two squabbling explorers and various companions embark on a long fall to a fabled land at Earth's center that is lit by an inner sun and anchored by centrifugal force rather than gravity. No, science is not the strong suit here—nor is credibility, as Earth's innards are apparently riddled with tunnels and littered with conveniently placed, mysteriously abandoned military equipment—but the overall tale nonetheless gains momentum as it goes, propelled not only by chases, attacks, explosions, cunning deceptions, and acts of heroism and stupid bravado, but also by run-ins with the vicious Styx (a secret society poised to rid Earth of its environmentally destructive "Topsoilers" with a plague) and several types of deadly, eldritch creatures unique to the planetary depths. The occasional drawings of faces or objects add nothing significant, but that's a minor bobble in a fantasy that has yet to show signs of flagging despite its high page count.—John Peters, New York Public Library
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Will and Chester, along with their injured friend, Elliott, are pushed into the chasm known as the Pore, where they encounter the evil Rebecca twins, who hold vials of the Dominion virus intended to obliterate earth’s population and free the planet for the sinister Styx. Now, in addition to finding their way topside and locating Will’s wandering archaeologist father, the friends must keep the Rebeccas from completing their mission. Readers of Tunnels (2008) and Deeper (2009) get more of the same with this third book: nonstop action, intertwined plotlines, repellent enemies, and a fascinating world down under. Grades 6-9. --Cindy Welch

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From Freefall

"That's far enough!" she ordered. She seized Dr. Burrows by the arm, bringing him to an abrupt halt, then aimed a kick that struck him just behind the knee. His leg buckled and he dropped to the ground. Before he had time to react, she had looped one arm around his forehead and pressed a scythe to his neck with the other...

Edition details

• Publisher: Chicken House
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0545138779
• ISBN 13: 9780545138772
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 608