"Courage, rebellion and revolution run rampant in this boldly accomplished debut set in brutally exploitative Bearmouth mine"
October 2019 Debut of the Month | Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2020
Told in narrator Newt’s distinctive phonetic English, this dark debut dazzles with originality and delivers a potent case for combatting inequality.
Bearmouth is home to a grim mining business, where men and children labour under inhumane conditions to make their Master wealthy. They work under the earth, under the omniscient Mayker who - so workers are told - “sen us down into the dark Earf/To atone for the sins o our forefarvers an muvvers”.
Naïve Newt hasn’t seen daylight in years, but takes pride in being taught to read and write by fatherly Thomas, blithely accepting this lot until the arrival of new boy Devlin. Devlin’s talk of “revolushun” makes Newt feel that things are “unravellin slowly slowly lyke a bootlayce comin all undun.”
Life in Bearmouth is beyond bleak, but the sparks of Devlin’s revolutionary spirit catch light and drive Thomas to ask the Master for “more coinage” for the workers, to question why they must pay for essential clothes, to demand to know when the promised safety lamps are coming. Then when tragedy strikes, Newt too realises that things “ent bloody well ryte” and takes on Devlin’s insurgent tendencies, with explosive effects. Emotionally engaging, this searingly original novel about standing up to abuses of power and fighting for freedom is radiant with story-telling excellence.
Life in Bearmouth is one of hard labor and isolation, where daylight is a distant memory. Newt has lived in the mine since the age of four, and accepts everything from the harsh working conditions to the brutality of the overseers-until the mysterious Devlin arrives and Newt begins to ask "Why?" Against a background of creeping violence and rising tensions, this question drives a chain of events that confronts the pitiless Bearmouth system and threatens to destroy their entire world. With an utterly distinctive voice and propulsive storytelling, this darkly atmospheric thriller announces the arrival of a singular new talent in young adult literature.
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Life in Bearmouth is one of hard labor and isolation, where daylight is a distant memory. Newt has lived in the mine since the age of four, and accepts everything from the harsh working conditions to the brutality of the overseers-until the mysterious Devlin arrives and Newt begins to ask "Why?" Against a background of creeping violence and rising tensions, this question drives a chain of events that confronts the pitiless Bearmouth system and threatens to destroy their entire world.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Bearmouth and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Bearmouth features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Science Fiction, Star Books, Featured Books for Young Adults, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Gritty Reads
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
Bearmouth was written by Liz Hyder and published by Norton Young Readers an imprint of Norton Children's Books
Bearmouth has 251 pages
