A crash landing in the antarctic. No power, no people but something very, very scary lying in wait under the ice. We review Below Zero a chilling adventure story by local author Dan Smith.
Below Zero – the blurb
When Zak’s plane crash-lands on Outpost Zero, a small Antarctic research base in one of the most isolated places on Earth, he discovers a cold, dark nightmare. The power’s out and the people who live there have disappeared. Worse, as he searches for answers, bizarre visions suggest a link to something else – deep beneath the ice – which only he can understand …
No cuddly toys here
Ooh this is good! It’s the perfect side of scary for the braver middle grader. It’s adventurous, has strong male and female role models and reminded me a little of Aliens/Prometheus. If your child is bored of magic, finds tales of badly behaved children too babyish and gives you the eye role when you suggest a book about talking horses, this is the book you need (or should that be the book they need?)
Twice the brilliance
If you follow Book Social you will know that we read and loved She Wolf last year. Our second dose of Smith doesn’t disappoint. It’s completely different yet equally as good. Dan isn’t afraid of scaring children or taking them to tough terrains and putting them through the mill. Yet he does it balances it perfectly and takes adults along for the ride. The book is very visual, yes there’s tech, science and a very remote terrain, yet it’s all understandable and somehow relate-able. And best of all in Below Zero, THERE ARE TWO PERFECTLY NORMAL PARENTS!!!! Well for the most part of it anyway!
On top of the action packed adventure, there is an underlying good story with a perfect ending although surely a sequel is in order?
Dan’s our man
We really recommend Dan Smith to children. He’s local to Book Social (always a winner with us) whose life adventures spill over into his books making for brilliant story telling. If you get the chance to hear him speak jump at the chance, you won’t be disappointed. Until then we are adding Boy X to our want list, a jungle adventure involving a kidnapping and a deadly virus, what’s not to love?