Luke is a 12 year old boy who has been kidnapped, along with many other children, and spends his life shovelling coal under Battersea Power Station, run by the evil Tabatha. Life is hard and every child dreams of escape by winning one of the coveted amber tickets which will send them home. However, when Luke tries to help Jess who is new, this earns both of them a punishment. They are sent to the clean the sewers in the East Wing which is reportedly haunted. Whilst there, Luke discovers he can see ghosts and, as a result, befriends Alma. However, when Luke discovers exactly what Tabatha is doing with the power station and what her intentions are, can Luke and his friends stop her before it's too late?
This book really gripped me! From the dark and scary underground coal seams where the children live and work in terror, with coal dust underground and smog dominating the city of London above ground, life is not easy. This is a dystopian world where the war with Europe has damaged London, leaving only two of the chimneys at the power station working; parts of the city have been flooded and The Channel Tunnel is closed. The setting most definitely helps to create the tense atmosphere.
Luke is a resilient character; determined to escape with one of those coveted amber tickets, but also kind and caring, and friendship means a lot to him, which is why he reaches out to help Jess. His love for his family also shines through. However, in complete contrast, there is Tabatha. For me, the name conjures up innocence (I'm showing my age here but perhaps it stems from one of my favourite childhood programmes: Bewitched!), but this Tabatha couldn't be more different! She is one of those evil characters who causes me to panic! I genuinely felt my pulse rising when she was in the story, especially towards the end of the book. The control she exudes over everyone is scary and she will undoubtedly be a character that readers will love to hate.
This is a gripping book where the desperation to escape oozes out of the pages; it's full of hope and friendship, and the end of the book kept me up way past my bed-time as the need to know what was going to happen left me speechless! I sincerely hope there will be a sequel!
Released on the 7th October, this will be a great book to curl up with as the nights draw in.
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