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albon's review
1.0
2019 review:
UH NO THANKS
I didn't rate the previous book in the series because I knew it was a book I probably would've enjoyed if I was younger, and it wouldn't have been fair to let my adult self rate it low.
But this. This one I just hated.
First of all, Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams just can't write female characters. It's painful. Did they not have editors who told them that this just isn't how girls and women act? One example from one of the last chapters in the books; Elliott has lived her entire life below ground. She knows nothing about modern comforts. But as soon as she's in a normal house above ground she spends hours in the bathroom in front of the mirror, "like all teenage girls". Barf.
Also there are some weird nazi-things in this book? Like they run into this underground society of germans who "escaped" during WW2 and have just lived underground since. I say "escaped" because they weren't really fugitives, as in they weren't a group at risk in Germany at the time, they just decided to leave for some reason (idk???) and just go underground in 1945! They say they aren't nazis, and they don't exactly say anything particularly pro-nazi in the book, but Hitler is clearly a style icon and they're very much an ideal nazi-Germany society. There are a lot of unecessary references to the war too, which would mean nothing to most middle graders reading this. None of that was needed. It was just weird.
Another weird thing; most of Will, his dad, and Elliott's plot. First of all, they just did nothing in the first 1/3rd of the book. And Will is supposed to be our main character. Secondly, there was no reason for Will's father to be jealous of Elliott. It didn't make any sense. I don't get it. I also don't get the Will/Elliott romance. It's a very mild romance, you could probably not even notice it if you were really young and not used to picking up on those kind of signals, but there were there. They have nothing in common and it would make more sense for them to just annoy each other. They remind me slightly of Percy and Annabeth actually. Obviously I like Percy/Annabeth, but the thing about them is that as much as they were different, they supported each other and understood each other. I didn't see any of that with Will and Elliott.
Lastly; Drake and Eddie are adult characters who are completely uninteresting to read about, and the twist was too obvious, because I think even as a middle grader you would read what Eddie said and just immediately be confused and go ["Pregnant, nobody said anything about Fiona being pregnant. And Lukey?? Did I miss something?" (hide spoiler)].
TL;DR: Bad.
UH NO THANKS
I didn't rate the previous book in the series because I knew it was a book I probably would've enjoyed if I was younger, and it wouldn't have been fair to let my adult self rate it low.
But this. This one I just hated.
First of all, Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams just can't write female characters. It's painful. Did they not have editors who told them that this just isn't how girls and women act? One example from one of the last chapters in the books; Elliott has lived her entire life below ground. She knows nothing about modern comforts. But as soon as she's in a normal house above ground she spends hours in the bathroom in front of the mirror, "like all teenage girls". Barf.
Also there are some weird nazi-things in this book? Like they run into this underground society of germans who "escaped" during WW2 and have just lived underground since. I say "escaped" because they weren't really fugitives, as in they weren't a group at risk in Germany at the time, they just decided to leave for some reason (idk???) and just go underground in 1945! They say they aren't nazis, and they don't exactly say anything particularly pro-nazi in the book, but Hitler is clearly a style icon and they're very much an ideal nazi-Germany society. There are a lot of unecessary references to the war too, which would mean nothing to most middle graders reading this. None of that was needed. It was just weird.
Another weird thing; most of Will, his dad, and Elliott's plot. First of all, they just did nothing in the first 1/3rd of the book. And Will is supposed to be our main character. Secondly, there was no reason for Will's father to be jealous of Elliott. It didn't make any sense. I don't get it. I also don't get the Will/Elliott romance. It's a very mild romance, you could probably not even notice it if you were really young and not used to picking up on those kind of signals, but there were there. They have nothing in common and it would make more sense for them to just annoy each other. They remind me slightly of Percy and Annabeth actually. Obviously I like Percy/Annabeth, but the thing about them is that as much as they were different, they supported each other and understood each other. I didn't see any of that with Will and Elliott.
Lastly; Drake and Eddie are adult characters who are completely uninteresting to read about, and the twist was too obvious, because I think even as a middle grader you would read what Eddie said and just immediately be confused and go ["Pregnant, nobody said anything about Fiona being pregnant. And Lukey?? Did I miss something?" (hide spoiler)].
TL;DR: Bad.
simo96's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
metazoan's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bethcartwright's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
camila_emm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
serena2286's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alparks's review against another edition
4.0
Things get super crazy in this book. There's even the descendants of Nazis living in an inner-planetary paradise. The last two books better get a move on.
iraboklover's review against another edition
3.0
Sinopsis
Setelah penyerangan mendadak oleh Will dan Elliot, kembar Rebecca terpaksa harus melarikan diri. Parahnya lagi, Rebecca Satu terluka. Rebecca Dua pun berusaha menyelamatkan saudaranya dan akhirnya berhasil tiba di suatu tempat yang penuh dengan pasukan Jerman.
Sementara itu, Chester dan Martha berhasil menuju permukaan bumi. Malang bagi Chester, begitu sampai ke permukaan, kelakuan Martha semakin menggila. Martha menyandera Chester untuk memastikan agar anak itu tidak kabur. Martha memberi makan Chester daging setengah matang yang ternyata adalah daging manusia dari pemilik rumah tempat Chester disandera. Meskipun kemungkinannya kecil, Chester berusaha mengirimkan sinyal kepada Drake untuk meminta pertolongan.
Jauh di pusat bumi, tempat di mana terdapat sebuah dunia baru dengan matahari yang bersinar sepanjang hari, Dr. Burrow masih menikmati kegiatan penelitiannya tanpa menyadari bahaya yang ada. Untung Elliot diam-diam sudah menyediakan tempat perlindungan untuk keadaan darurat. Sementara Will Burrow merasa terjebak di pusat bumi dengan ayahnya yang semakin tergila-gila dengan semua hal baru yang dia temukan.
Pasca penyerangannya yang gagal terhadap Styx, koloni bawah tanah mengerikan yang ingin menguasai topsoil, Drake mulai bangkit kembali. Drake berhasil selamat berkat seorang Styx pengkhianat yang ternyata adalah ayahnya Elliot. Drake menerima sinyal yang dikirimkan Chester dan berhasil menyelematkannya dari Martha. Chester pun akhirnya bisa pulang ke rumah. Sayangnya Styx telah melakukan Cahaya Gelap, semacam metode pencucian otak ala Styx, terhadap orang tua Chester sehingga mereka tidak mengenali Chester lagi.
Sementara itu dengan bantuan tentara Jerman, kembar Rebecca bersama pasukan Styxnya menuntut balas kepada Will. Will dan Dr. Burrow yang tengah asyik melakukan penelitian dengan mudah terkepung. Elliot berusaha menyelamatkan mereka dengan membuat kesepakatan dengan kembar Rebecca. Will dan Dr. Burrow akan ditukar dengan virus dominion, virus berbahaya buatan Styx yang digunakan untuk menghancurkan topsoil, yang berhasil direbut oleh Will dan Elliot dari si kembar beberapa waktu yang lalu. Dr. Burrow yang sudah buta dengan keadaan mengira percecokan mereka dengan kembar Rebecca hanyalah permainan dan jauh tidak penting dibandingkan penelitian yang tengah dilakukannya. Rebecca Dua yang sudah muak dengan Dr. Burrow akhirnya menembak ayah angkatnya itu. Elliot akhirnya terpaksa harus menyerahkan virus dominion kepada para Styx untuk menyelamatkan Will.
Will dan Elliot kembali ke permukaan dan bergabung dengan Drake dan Chester untuk menyelamatkan topsoil dari serangan Styx.
Kesan
Tidak ada yang salah dengan petualangan Will. Hanya saja setting petualangannya yang berada di bawah tanah, yang semakin lama semakin dalam saja, memberikan efek susah bernapas. Belum lagi dengan adanya koloni bawah tanah yang pintar, kejam dan menyeramkan. Ditambah dengan sikap Dr. Burrow yang begitu menyebalkan. Dan kelangsungan hidup topsoil yang bergantung pada pahlawan-pahlawan yang tampaknya kurang meyakinkan....ckckckck sebaiknya ambil napas yang panjang atau sedia masker pernapasan sebelum membaca buku ini.
Setelah penyerangan mendadak oleh Will dan Elliot, kembar Rebecca terpaksa harus melarikan diri. Parahnya lagi, Rebecca Satu terluka. Rebecca Dua pun berusaha menyelamatkan saudaranya dan akhirnya berhasil tiba di suatu tempat yang penuh dengan pasukan Jerman.
Sementara itu, Chester dan Martha berhasil menuju permukaan bumi. Malang bagi Chester, begitu sampai ke permukaan, kelakuan Martha semakin menggila. Martha menyandera Chester untuk memastikan agar anak itu tidak kabur. Martha memberi makan Chester daging setengah matang yang ternyata adalah daging manusia dari pemilik rumah tempat Chester disandera. Meskipun kemungkinannya kecil, Chester berusaha mengirimkan sinyal kepada Drake untuk meminta pertolongan.
Jauh di pusat bumi, tempat di mana terdapat sebuah dunia baru dengan matahari yang bersinar sepanjang hari, Dr. Burrow masih menikmati kegiatan penelitiannya tanpa menyadari bahaya yang ada. Untung Elliot diam-diam sudah menyediakan tempat perlindungan untuk keadaan darurat. Sementara Will Burrow merasa terjebak di pusat bumi dengan ayahnya yang semakin tergila-gila dengan semua hal baru yang dia temukan.
Pasca penyerangannya yang gagal terhadap Styx, koloni bawah tanah mengerikan yang ingin menguasai topsoil, Drake mulai bangkit kembali. Drake berhasil selamat berkat seorang Styx pengkhianat yang ternyata adalah ayahnya Elliot. Drake menerima sinyal yang dikirimkan Chester dan berhasil menyelematkannya dari Martha. Chester pun akhirnya bisa pulang ke rumah. Sayangnya Styx telah melakukan Cahaya Gelap, semacam metode pencucian otak ala Styx, terhadap orang tua Chester sehingga mereka tidak mengenali Chester lagi.
Sementara itu dengan bantuan tentara Jerman, kembar Rebecca bersama pasukan Styxnya menuntut balas kepada Will. Will dan Dr. Burrow yang tengah asyik melakukan penelitian dengan mudah terkepung. Elliot berusaha menyelamatkan mereka dengan membuat kesepakatan dengan kembar Rebecca. Will dan Dr. Burrow akan ditukar dengan virus dominion, virus berbahaya buatan Styx yang digunakan untuk menghancurkan topsoil, yang berhasil direbut oleh Will dan Elliot dari si kembar beberapa waktu yang lalu. Dr. Burrow yang sudah buta dengan keadaan mengira percecokan mereka dengan kembar Rebecca hanyalah permainan dan jauh tidak penting dibandingkan penelitian yang tengah dilakukannya. Rebecca Dua yang sudah muak dengan Dr. Burrow akhirnya menembak ayah angkatnya itu. Elliot akhirnya terpaksa harus menyerahkan virus dominion kepada para Styx untuk menyelamatkan Will.
Will dan Elliot kembali ke permukaan dan bergabung dengan Drake dan Chester untuk menyelamatkan topsoil dari serangan Styx.
Kesan
Tidak ada yang salah dengan petualangan Will. Hanya saja setting petualangannya yang berada di bawah tanah, yang semakin lama semakin dalam saja, memberikan efek susah bernapas. Belum lagi dengan adanya koloni bawah tanah yang pintar, kejam dan menyeramkan. Ditambah dengan sikap Dr. Burrow yang begitu menyebalkan. Dan kelangsungan hidup topsoil yang bergantung pada pahlawan-pahlawan yang tampaknya kurang meyakinkan....ckckckck sebaiknya ambil napas yang panjang atau sedia masker pernapasan sebelum membaca buku ini.