Book Review- Going Underground by Susan Vaught
Going Underground by Susan Vaught
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book in one day, in a matter of a few hours. I attribute most of this to the exquisite story telling of this author Susan Vaught.
I must say that originally, I was beyond drawn to this story, because the macabre side of me loves anything involving graves, cemeteries, and boys who live or dwell in them. But I wasn’t prepared for how good this novel actually turned out to be!
Vaught does an amazing job portraying the voice of a teenage boy. I fell in love with Del, the protagonist, easily. I also found it enjoyable the way she revealed much of the storyline. Del insists that he doesn’t want to tell the audience right away what he did that got him arrested, for fear of being judged by the audience, just like everyone else in his town judges him. But, as Del gains confidence in himself and his newfound love interest, we find out exactly what happened in a series of flashbacks and conversations.
Del is a teenage boy, obsessed with music, his bird Fred, and haunted by his past. In a digital age, one can’t help but relate to this story of living with the consequences of your actions, no matter how unprepared you may feel or how safe cyberspace may feel. This dark secret that Del keeps from the reader, webs the entire plot together, and threatens to come lose at the story’s climax.
I don’t want to spoil it for you, but trust me. You want to read this novel. It’s intriguing, it’s funny, it’s serious, and it’s well done.
I love you Del.