Weekly Round-up: Freefall and The Chestnut King
Posted by panaura on March 29th, 2010
If you’re one of those kids who likes to read HUGE books–big, juicy books that are so thick, they’re almost hard to hold–then you should check out Freefall by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams, and The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson.
I’m all for a long book, but sometimes there’s such a thing as TOO long. If a book has a solid, fast-paced plot without too much unnecessary description and down time, then bring on 600 pages! The Inkheart series is a good example of long books that never grow boring. But I didn’t have as much luck with this week’s selection.
Freefall, the 3rd book in the Tunnels series, would have been a great read if it wasn’t so long. I’ve said this about every book in the series: the length is unnecessary. The books could have been cut down by 200 pages each and told the same story. But behind all the extra 
words, the story is very unique. It follows Will Burrows and his friends Chester and Elliot after they fall down the “Pore” (a deep hole leading closer and closer to the Earth’s core). It’s warm down there, and gravity is moon-like. They’re searching for a way out, but escape seems impossible.
The Chestnut King, book 2 in the 100 Cupboards series, is a different cup of tea. It isn’t as long as Freefall but I found it harder to get through. Parts of the story were captivating, and I couldn’t book the book down. But other parts were bizarre and it left me a little confused. The confusion may not have been the author’s fault. After all, I didn’t read the first two books in the series. In the book, Henry and his family must find the Chestnut King, and ask for his help in defeating the evil Nimiane. Meanwhile, Nimiane and her team of fingerlings are after Henry and his family.