Beneath by Roland Smith

Pages: 264

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Adventure

Notes for Parents: Contains implied violence and some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Pat O’Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop. Coop is…different. He doesn’t talk on the phone, doesn’t use email, and doesn’t have friends. He’s never really cared for anything but the thrill of being underground, and for Pat of course. So it’s no surprise to anyone that after a huge fight with their parents, Coop runs away. One year later, Pat receives a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother. He follows the clues to New York City and soon discovers that Coop has joined the Community, a society living beneath the streets. Now it’s up to Pat to find his brother—and bring him home.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series. It was nominated for the Oregon Spirit Book Award for Middle Readers in 2015 and for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award in 2018.

What’s good?

Pat has one goal – find his brother. But it isn’t so simple when he tracks him to New York and discovers he’s somewhere in the mysterious underground where a community of people have settled. The underground is a fascinating place full of interesting people like Posty, Lod, Kate, and the Librarian. The chapters are short – sometimes very short – so it’s a quick and easy read. The plot is simple (find Coop!) and the pace is quick. There’s plenty of adventure, danger, fear, and intense moments. The ending is good, wrapping up most of the story but leaving it open for further adventures.    

Best Part: Pat was very likeable.

What isn’t good?

The geography of the underground was a little confusing.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)

The description of the story didn’t sound very interesting, so it took a while before I picked up this book. But once I did, I was sucked into the story almost immediately. The short chapters and fast pace make it very easy to read, and the premise is captivating. Definitely recommended.

Smith, Roland. Beneath. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2015.