REVIEWED BY GABRIEL, 12, NSW
Mars Underground by HM Waugh, A&U Children’s, ISBN 9781761067105
Gabriel received a review copy of this book.
Mars Underground is a sequel to Mars Awakens written by HM Waugh. The main characters Dee, Holt and Chayse live in the Davinci colony on Mars. The colony will soon die out due to radiation-tainted genetics. However, there is hope. Holt has a set of special genetics untainted by radiation. Half a separate colony carries these genetics – the Newtonians, where Holt and Chayse originally came from in the first book. The only problem is the Newtonians are halfway around the world. Distance is the least of their concerns though. Others block the way. The Others are mutated bacteria that cause human bodies to malfunction. On top of that, no one has tried to contact the Newtonians for a long time. Unfortunately, Holt and Chayse are kept by the Davicians for their genes in “capture”. This is because Holt is an X and Chayse’s genes have no trace of radiation. It’s almost like Mars is trying to stop them, still Holt, Dee and Chase embark on this quest. In a world full of enemies can they survive the complex web of tunnels in order to travel and escape?
Will Dee, Holt and Chayse reach the Newtonians in time to save the Davinci colony? Can they escape the tight grasp of the Davinci? Why is there an age-old vendetta between the two settlements? Why have they been trained to hate each other? Will the Newtonians help the Davincians who are seen to be taller, have better senses, and breathe the air of Mars without a “Dome”?
Challenge after challenge is loaded into this action-packed novel. I recommend this book for children ages 8–14 who love suspense, Sci-Fi and dystopian books. I would rate this book highly as there is a complex story and subject that is engaging. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it up late in the night. You can buy a hard copy book or download an ebook.
Read our July 2023 interview with the author of Mars Underground.
Gabriel is a regular book reviewer at Alphabet Soup. You can read more of his reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!