mb101's review against another edition
5.0
So this book took me by suprise. I could tell I would enjoy the book because a) Neal Shusterman wrote it and he is one of my favorite authors, and b) the topic. The idea of an entire society thriving below New York City facinates me! Talon was relatable. His problems and responsibilities, though obviously different from my own, were easy to connect to and emphasize with. The ending, though not the one I wanted or expected, fit in its own way.
firstrosegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
I’d recommend this to my younger siblings, Schusterman’s early stuff that I’ve read is just fun clean fiction. A little slow for me but I think it would have been fascinating in middle school.
dunnalotofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
blaarrosir's review against another edition
3.0
I read Downsiders because I'd enjoyed other books by Neal Shusterman like Bruiser and Unwind. Bruiser and Unwind are both books that have a strong moral to tell. I like how the author goes about it telling it. Downsiders wasn't bad, but it deviated from the way he'd written in the other two. For me it fell flat. It was interesting, but it wasn't great.
vance_31's review against another edition
3.0
The concept of the book is not that interesting, but it's still a fun read.
whenlexiemetbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It lets our imaginations soar. I kind of relate this book to Schooled. A new kid in a different world that he doesn't know and finds he doesn't like it.
duffypratt's review against another edition
3.0
Shusterman imagines that a part of the underclass really become an underclass - living in deep tunnels underneath the subways of New York. To preserve themselves, the Downsiders minimize their contact with Topsiders. Of course, this delicate situation threatens to blow up when the main character gets too curious about life above, and falls for a Topside girl.
While good, this lacked both the depth of character and the cleverness of either his Skinjacker or Unwind books. In general, this felt like an early work. It almost completely lacks a sense of danger, even when the main character is tried, sentenced to death, and executed. Similarly, I thought the treatment of the main girl and her family was thin and too stereotyped. It's a decent book, but not anywhere as good as some of the other things I've read of his.
While good, this lacked both the depth of character and the cleverness of either his Skinjacker or Unwind books. In general, this felt like an early work. It almost completely lacks a sense of danger, even when the main character is tried, sentenced to death, and executed. Similarly, I thought the treatment of the main girl and her family was thin and too stereotyped. It's a decent book, but not anywhere as good as some of the other things I've read of his.
mousie_books's review against another edition
3.0
The story was fun but formulaic.
I liked the real facts that snuck in, like Alfred Ely Beach, and his 'secret' subway, and that the skyline reflects the topology of the underground (although apparently the soft ground is not blocker for skyscrapers just slightly more expensive).
Random, subway tokens are mentioned in the story, and I had a moment of HOW OLD IS THIS BOOK? Followed by, OH GOD I'M SO OLD.
The B plot is Railborn is Talon's friend betrays him, but flees to the Topside to save their friend Gutta. Now, both are 'stuck' in an orphanage. I guess it's more setup for him to be a villain of sorts.
I liked the real facts that snuck in, like Alfred Ely Beach, and his 'secret' subway, and that the skyline reflects the topology of the underground (although apparently the soft ground is not blocker for skyscrapers just slightly more expensive).
Random, subway tokens are mentioned in the story, and I had a moment of HOW OLD IS THIS BOOK? Followed by, OH GOD I'M SO OLD.
Spoiler
Talon is a teenaged Downsider, but is fascinated with the Topside (of NYC). He meets (and ha falls for) Lindsey, who newly moved to the city with her father and step-brother. Downsiders are forbidden from having contact with the Topside although that seems pretty regularly secretly violated for looting. During a construction project, the Downside is exposed, and they have to scramble to protect their way of life. Lindsey discovers their lost history that the Downside was the brainchild of Alfred Beach, and after his subway was thwarted, he continued construction anyway. His underground became a haven for the lost and rejected in society, and they rewrote their past to say they had always been there. At the end, Talon has the Downside blow up the buffer between Topside and Downside to seal themselves off. They do eventually find their way out again, and have expanded to occupy abandoned rooftops and cisterns. (This seems less plausible. Manhattan rooftops are rather easy to see and coveted, unlike the sewer system.) Talon hides their history 'for now' to protect their way of life, but he influences their society to be less insular.The B plot is Railborn is Talon's friend betrays him, but flees to the Topside to save their friend Gutta. Now, both are 'stuck' in an orphanage. I guess it's more setup for him to be a villain of sorts.
thatweirdlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This book reminded me of another book City of Ember. However, this one only a few hundred people are underground. I will recommend anything from Shusterman he's a genius.
wrenlee's review against another edition
4.0
Good read if you like new worlds. Read with caution because Shusterman puts in love (hint: Talon and Lindsay! *spoiler!*)