The Den

LoveReading4Kids Says

Reading Age 8 Interest Age 11+

Vivid, punchy and infused with empathy, Keith Gray’s The Den does a whole lot at once, for a huge range of readers — from demanding, dedicated book-lovers, to those who struggle to get into fiction.

On one level, The Den is a fabulously pacey adventure. A story of two thirteen-year-old friends who are looking forward to the freedom of the summer holidays. At the start of the break, Marshall is in “escape-mode”. With his homelife not so great, he wants “to be as far from my house as possible”, and to “do something new and amazing and different.” Rory understands Marshall’s situation and suggests they check out Skelter Cottage, an abandoned house on the edge of the woods.

Among the ruins, the boys discover a trapdoor that leads to an underground bunker, the finding of which makes them feel like they’d “discovered the world’s most amazing secret.” Readers will feel a sense of “what next?” energy alongside the boys, and they’ll also empathise with the way the boys argue and fall out.

Alongside the sizzling suspense, The Den is also a book about how friendships and fractured families can be fixed, and deals with big emotional themes in a relatable, impactful, easy-to- digest manner.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About The Den

Marshall feels the need to escape because things are so tough at home. Rory is just happy it's the first day of the summer holidays. While out on their bikes they stumble across a long-forgotten underground bunker at the edge of the woods.

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