In the small mysterious town of Nelson Gap, three ghost-hunting high school friends-Kevin, Lara, and Simon-are compelled to investigate a haunted, abandoned mine to find Kevin's missing father. What they discover far below the town is an unknown civilization and a terrifying demonic power fighting to enslave it. Will the three friends be able to rescue Kevin's father and destroy the malevolent entity, or will all be lost for Kevin and the inhabitants of the hidden world?
The Hidden World is a young adult paranormal novel by Til Turner with adventurous and oftentimes horror elements. The author perfectly describes a completely new world hidden underneath the town of Nelson Gap, discovered by three youngsters and best friends, Kevin, Simon, and Lara. The Crew, as they call themselves, embark on a grand adventure the outcome of which could save lives, including their own. They devise a plan to investigate the old mines near the town, said to be haunted, in search of Kevin's father, the town sheriff, who mysteriously went missing while on duty. Kevin and his friends descend into the cold, dark abyss of the mines, where they stumble upon a girl called Emmy. She helps them find their way through the vast darkness of the underground tunnels. What they find down there will change their lives and the lives of the town's population forever.
Til Turner develops an extraordinary story of three youngsters who, for the first time in their lives, experience what responsibility, caring for a fellow human, and the value of human life means in this strange world of ours. As they travel through the mines, Kevin, Simon, and Lara are forced to grow up at the speed of light and face the consequences of their actions and the choices that they make along the way. It is an exciting life lesson that will teach them the true meaning of friendship, love, loss, family, and how to conquer dark forces lurking in the abyss they courageously ventured into on their own. Turner brings his writing and the whole story to light with detailed descriptions of the unknown spaces, the strong emotions that the characters experience, and creating the dark, suffocating atmosphere of claustrophobic and dangerous spaces that they are sucked into eventually.
There is not one thing I haven't enjoyed or liked while reading The Hidden World; it is truly a wonderful novel to read...and to read again. The characters are real and relatable, and there is a feeling of being present inside that underground space as a reader, which creates a more enjoyable and overall more exciting reading experience.
-Reviewed by Tanja Jurkovic for Readers' Favorite
