I must not like mystery books much as I found this book a bit slow for my liking. I think though that that's probably a comment on me not wanting to spend time working out the mystery more than anything (call it laziness or being too busy).

Having said that, the character development was good and easy to follow. The characters and the conditions they found themselves in, which for many people would break their resolve, only proved to be a source of strength and faith building for this little community.

The ending brought with it a sense of relief and joy as the community was able to come out of the caves and live above ground again. They were able to build houses for themselves and live normal lives again. They did live near the caves just in case they needed to go underground again. So whilst there was hope and joy amongst the community again, there would always be that nagging question of whether they would need to return to the caves again in the future.

It may not have been my cup of tea entirely but I can see it would be a very enjoyable read for those who like mystery stories. Unfortunately I'm not one of them. ( )

We live in a world where it is hard to trust others. Will this lack of trust become necessary in the future years?

This story's setting is in the United States of America, in future years and, frighteningly, could very easily happen in the not-so-distant future. It is a very realistic story with an unexpected ending.

The story mysteriously opens and the reader is not certain which "direction it is headed in". It soon becomes apparent to the reader what is happening. The plot slowly adds more key characters. The tale slowly but steadily builds as "the plot thickens". There is a steady flow and build up until the very end. The ending was good but a little abrupt and weak.

The characters were well defined, giving the reader that sense of connection needed for a great book. It was written mostly in the first person by three individuals, but it wasn't always clear at the very beginning of the chapter, which person was speaking.

To elaborate much more it would "spoil" the book for some. What would your family do if suddenly threatened with separation or under control of others? Would you be prepared?

The title is explained toward the end but I felt it needed a clearer title. The cover page was good but, again, better choices could have been made for the two small pictures... however, it is quite a unique cover.

With a stronger, smoother conclusion and clearer definition of the "first person" , this book could easily rate Five Stars.

As it stands, I can only offer a strong Four Stars rating. from this book reviewer.

Parents would enjoy this book and have nothing to be concerned with even a very young YA reading it. It is totally "Family" oriented.

This book was sent by the author for an honest review, of which I have given. ( )