When Eliza's "friends" drag her to the swamp near her house on a dare, she tries to put on a brave face even though she knows the legends about the sinkholes. When the ground really does swallow her and drop her into a vast network of caves, she must rely on her love of geology to survive, a task that proves increasingly difficult as the caverns and their inhabitants ant insects and glowing humanoids gin to defy known science. But Eliza isn't alone; there's a small group of people who have similarly disappeared and found one another, and while their pseudosociety is at first a welcome relief, Eliza must resist the temptation to lose hope of returning to the surface world, as they have. Eliza's literal journey through the dark tunnels mirrors her emotional journey as she reflects on social anxiety, cruel friends, and the lies she believes about herself. Though at times repetitive and lacking in subtlety, this empowering story of survival boasts a refreshingly realistic teenage voice and a lot of heart.

A teenager battles social anxiety disorder and giant bugs in a subterranean world.When two bad friends to whom she's been clinging trick her into venturing into the ominously named Drowners Swamp, Eliza falls into a sinkhole that leads into a seemingly endless cave system. Being an avid fan of caves and geology, Eliza is as enthralled as she is terrified—a mix of emotions that remains unaltered as she encounters a small community of likewise trapped people surviving on a diet of outsized spiders and cave insects. Weeks later she is captured (briefly, thanks to a conveniently timed spider attack) by bioluminescent humanoids. All the while, despite having been in therapy for years, she continually denigrates herself for panic attacks and freezing up around others. Her emotional reactions take up so much of the narrative, in fact, that for all its lurid, occasionally gruesome turns, it's hard to tell whether character or action drives the story more. In the event, Eliza is surprised to find reserves of inner strength—and a chance at personal transformation—through her ordeal. The first-person narration is punctuated with excerpts and sketches from Eliza's journal. Except for one character with brown skin, the nonglowing cast defaults to white. Warring themes and elements give this outing a distinct feel of multiple stories yoked together by violence.Melodramatic but definitively all over the place contentwise. (Science fiction. 12-14)

Gr 7 Up-Timid caving enthusiast Eliza lets her friends talk her into going to a dangerous swamp on a dare, only to fall into a sinkhole and subsequent caverns deep underground. She stumbles onto the Colony, a ragtag collection of subterranean survivors like herself. Quickly accepted into the odd underground settlement, Eliza is confused by the group dynamics and puzzled at their lack of desire to find freedom. She bonds quickly with fellow teens Eleanor and good-looking Grayson and becomes an intern to the cryptic geologist Mary. A routine of hunting and fighting off massive insects, cleaning the cave, and social interaction becomes her new normal, until Eliza rebels. She leads a small group on a bloody and deathly journey filled with animal and humanoid enemies, while constantly battling the desire to return and live safely at the Colony. Diary entries contain reflections about her friendships, mental health, and tidbits from famous geologists. This is a survival story that works on several levelsphysical survival and overcoming negative self-perception. With a scenario similar to Land of the Lost, this adventure novel will have some readers suspending disbelief in some places, despite references to actual geological science. The constant obstacles Eliza and her group face can veer toward the tedious rather than being suspenseful. But many will root for Eliza to reach the surface so she can be the person she became underneath it. VERDICT A solid purchase for middle and high school libraries where survival fiction is in demand. Lee De Groft, Jamestown High School, Williamsburg, VA