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REVIEW: Beneath the Earth

Beneath the Earth
by H.S. Stone

 get it here

 BOOK SUMMARY

 Laura and her classmates have been looking forward to their senior camping trip for weeks. Three days on an island paradise, away from school and their parents. What more could they ask for? 

The camping trip starts out well enough. The island is scenic and just the kind of escape to nature that Laura had hoped for. However, cracks soon begin to appear in her plans. Her boyfriend ditches her to hang out with his friends. She has to share a room with one of the teachers. But those are the least of her worries. 

A student disappears, and no one can find him. Soon, Laura and the other students realize that the camping trip is anything but a dream vacation. There’s something else on the island. Something large and frightening. Something that lurks unseen beneath the earth. Something that welcomes the presence of the students because they will satisfy its appetite.

 BOOK REVIEW

4 STARS

A fast-paced story that surpassed all my expectations.

I expected a Young Adult book, something twisted and a story-line that was predictable. Instead, it was like a rollercoaster - you think that all is going well and the next moment you're heading towards an unexpected drop. One moment you think that Laura and her friends are having a good time, the next moment everyone is screaming and running for their lives.

The story was descriptive. Earlier in the book, Stone described the surroundings well and familiarize the readers with the setting of the story. We were given the impression that Aislado Island was just like any old island, surrounded by nature and the perfect getaway. The boys' and the girls' cabins were separated from each other and no school trip is complete without the teacher with them - it was all very typical. The students settled in really well and some even went exploring to have some alone time away from the adults, that's when the first attack happened.

I like that it was written in first person from Laura's point of view. It delves into the mind of a teenager who cares about her popularity, friendship and relationship. Although it was not the primary focus of the story, it played a huge part in the way Laura acted. In my opinion, Laura was a likable character. She was brave, intelligent and a great friend, but when it came to the opposite sex, she made the wrong choice of dating someone for popularity but it added on to the character growth.

As for the story-line, I love that there was no instance where it was boring. One moment the characters are caught up with teenage drama, the next moment they'll be running away from the monster. One big aspect to why I enjoyed reading Beneath the Earth was because of the resourcefulness of the characters. This story really emphasized on the importance of being resourceful and having survival skills. Also climbing trees, that's important too!

What I didn't like was the unnecessary romance towards the end of the story. As much as I love their chemistry and how the two of them resonated with one another, it felt unnecessary. Although, I do see and could understand the reason behind it. I personally believe that Laura is a brilliant person and it is totally alright with her not ending up with anyone, even though the romance was extremely cute.


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