A dark and dystopian tale, this feels like a deep dive into a Dickensian social commentary, where the boys and men are being exploited in the grimy, claustrophobic confines of the Bearmouth mine. We are immersed in the world of Newt, our protagonist, who has grown up in the mine since they were four. Hyder renders a harsh, gritty setting for a novel that centres on the friendship and camaraderie between a group of men and boys who know little of the daylight above them or why they are even there, until a new arrival to the mine begins to question their situation. This is a truly thought provoking and atmospheric fable of hope in dark times.

Roger, Little Unity