Freefall (Tunnels Book 3)
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.