Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Newt has been eking out a living as an unskilled laborer in the bleak Bearmouth coal mine since the age of 4.Forced to work in appalling underground conditions in an alternate Britain for meager pay, Newt-also called "YouNuck" (eunuch) by others as a malicious nod to their perceived undefined gender-must split their earnings between essential purchases from the company store and wages sent to their family back home. Life in the mine is brutal, and each day seems to bring new injuries, assaults, or deaths. Newt is able to focus on the bright spots in the darkness: loving friendships, moments of joy, and caring fellow miners who treat Newt like family. Newt is encouraged to keep their head down and follow the rules so as to not upset the fine balance in the mines between exploited workers and those in power, but everything changes when a dangerous newcomer joins the team and begins asking provocative questions. When tragedy strikes, Newt begins to question their religious faith in the Mayker and yearns for change. Newt is taught their letters by Thomas, a fellow worker in the mines, and the story is told in Newt's own words through phonetically written prose. Thomas has brown skin; all other characters seem to be white.This grim and immersive thriller delivers suspense in the dark. (Dystopian thriller. 14-18)

ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

The days are long and dark in the coal mines of Bearmouth, where people work hard for paltry wages for the Master, under the all-knowing watch of their Mayker. As demand to increase production climbs and "axidents" in the mines rise, young workers Newt and Devlin begin questioning their claustrophobic world and the equally suffocating system exploiting them. With the lowly workers' livelihoods on the line and their faith firmly in the grasp of their almighty Mayker, the pair will have to do something extraordinary to lead everyone to freedom. Hyder uses idiosyncratic dialect and phonetic spelling, but don't let that deter you from reading on. This page-turning debut (initially published in the UK) will acclimate readers surprisingly quickly as the language changes in Newt's first-person telling and he becomes more literate, priming him to question the regime he lives under that is wrought with corruption, greed, and "mannipewlayshun." Delving into politics, religion, power, and revolution pecially during a time of our own civil unrest der's bleak world of dangerous coal mines and brutal labor provides the victorious ending we're yearning for.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Newt has been eking out a living as an unskilled laborer in the bleak Bearmouth coal mine since the age of 4.Forced to work in appalling underground conditions in an alternate Britain for meager pay, Newt-also called "YouNuck" (eunuch) by others as a malicious nod to their perceived undefined gender-must split their earnings between essential purchases from the company store and wages sent to their family back home. Life in the mine is brutal, and each day seems to bring new injuries, assaults, or deaths. Newt is able to focus on the bright spots in the darkness: loving friendships, moments of joy, and caring fellow miners who treat Newt like family. Newt is encouraged to keep their head down and follow the rules so as to not upset the fine balance in the mines between exploited workers and those in power, but everything changes when a dangerous newcomer joins the team and begins asking provocative questions. When tragedy strikes, Newt begins to question their religious faith in the Mayker and yearns for change. Newt is taught their letters by Thomas, a fellow worker in the mines, and the story is told in Newt's own words through phonetically written prose. Thomas has brown skin; all other characters seem to be white.This grim and immersive thriller delivers suspense in the dark. (Dystopian thriller. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

-Inspired by the real-life experiences of miners in Victorian times,- debut author Hyder-s ambitious coal mining thriller stars narrator Newt, a young person who questions the deplorable conditions in the Bearmouth mine. Newt, called a -YouNuck. Not one thing or the uvver,- by the other miners, lives down in the mine, receiving paltry wages, meager food rations, and barely adequate clothing, and using candles for light. Mining accidents and violence regularly cause death, and the miners largely accept their precarious fate, conditioned by the religion of -the Mayker- to yield to exploitation. Inspired by Thomas, a father figure (and the tale-s only person of color) who teaches Newt -my letters,- and Devlin, a new arrival with a rebellious spirit, Newt begins to ask why they must suffer. Hyder heightens the tension by juxtaposing homey, domestic moments with terrifying episodes, including a scene of sexual assault. Newt-s phonetically spelled first-person narration makes some words difficult to decipher, but persistent readers should relish Hyder-s ambitious, atmospherically rendered commentary on oppressive work situations and child labor. Ages 13-up. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary Studio. (Sept.)