Customer Reviews

Downsiders

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Neal Shusterman crafts an unclassifiable book: It's not really fiction, juvenile or adult, fantasy, science fiction, or even satire. Rather it seems to mix in a little of everything, with a dash of social commentary and a little comedy as well.

Fourteen-year-old Lindsay is not pleased to be living in an under-construction house in New York, with her brat brother and distracted father. But her life takes an unexpcted twist when a strange boy appears in her house during a party, claiming that he needs medicine for his baby sister. Talon is a Downsider, from a primitive civilization that lives in New York's sewers, believe that they have always lived there, fear the sun, disdain the "Topsiders," and have their own culture and hierarchy that is unaffected by the world above.

Lindsay is intrigued by Talon's world, as he is with hers. But when Lindsay ventures down into the world of the Downsiders, Talon's friend Railborn reports that Talon has committed treason. At the same time, the very world of the Downsiders is threatened with destruction when a new aqueduct is dug -- right through their secret underworld. The Downsiders declare war on the Topsiders, and Lindsay seeks out the truth about their mysterious past.

This is one of those books that could have been botched so easily. But Neal Shusterman manages to not make the Downsiders cliched or stupid, nor does he make their culture too alien. An old theater with prismatic earring decorations, the vow that all "fallers" take, the different hairstyles and clothing styles, and the hunter-gatherer lifestyle (no more alligators in NY sewers, now they have herds of light-sensitive cattle).

Shusterman reserves his literary skill for when it's needed. New York "topside" is paid almost no attention, detail-wise. But he takes great care in his crafting of the strange civilization below the streets, and describes everything in it with loving care. Similarly, his idea for the Downsiders becomes a little too evident too early on the book, but is well-done also. Humor is sprinkled throughout the book when needed; one of the funnier moments has Talon commenting on how amusing H.G. Wells' "Time Machine" is, as it has savages below ground and beautiful creatures above -- unlike his view of the world. The finale screams for a sequel, after a surprisingly pulse-pounding climax.

Lindsay has enough wit and brains to almost instantly endear her to readers. Talon is a fully believable young boy who suddenly has everything he was taught challenged -- and not just little things either. His anger and fear and dwindling prejudice are skillfully drawn. I'm not sure what purpose Lindsay's obnoxious brother served; he appears briefly and then vanished. The father is a poignant figure; his life is going down the drain (literally), and his loneliness is the base of his persona. The scene-stealer is Champ, a sharp old homeless man who lives in a luxurious home in a swimming pool. (His cryptic hints seem a little needlessly mysterious, but otherwise the entire plot would be given away before it was ready)

"Downsiders" is a sharp, tense thriller, a clash of cultures in the same city. It's a good solid read for any age group, kids and adults alike.

This book really makes you think. I found it to be very odd, but at the same time I enjoyed it. It made me think, what if there really are other worlds in the midst of us? I liked the creativity that the author had with creating the downside. It is a very original place. It has its own rules, clothing, way of thinking, and pretty much everything else. This book wasn't one of my favorites, but I would recommend it.

It was a stumble though the first few pages of THE DOWNSIDERS for me. I couldn't bear not knowing why everything was happening the way it was. But as the story progressed, a real treasure of a book emerged from the pages. Hopping from Talon's to Lindsay's worlds became a pleasure, and I the differences between the two lives was a wonderful backdrop.

Reading THE DOWNSIDERS, I lost track of time completely. But, after all, Talon said that "time is of low importance." That is entirely true in reading this book. You'll never want to put it down for the night when you begin to realize that any world, above or below ground, has something to share with all of us.

"Downsiders" is an updated "Peter Pan" for our times. In it, a girl is approached by a boy from another world. The two become friends, and he takes her with him into a place that no Topsider has ever seen. When Lindsay (our protagonist) decides to discover the truth about the Downsiders, her actions have consequences far more reaching than she had supposed.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction. Not long ago I had the chance to see a remarkable documentary entitled, "Dark Days", by a Mr. Mark Singer. In it, the documentarian digs deep into the depths of New York City to reveal the homeless people that dwell in the abandoned subways stations below. The film is an amazing series of stories, showing people with running water and electricity and living their lives out of sight below. A year before this film came out, however, Neal Shusterman (children's author extraordinaire) wrote "Downsiders". A similar, if significantly different tale of underground dwellers. And, unfortunately, less amazing.

Shusterman is adept at weaving innovative ideas with actual historical fiction. The story of Alfred Ely Beach and his pneumatic subway system, as well as the Great Sinkhole Disaster of 1885 are taken and then stretched a little further into fantasy. Sometimes these stretches are inspired. For example, the Downsiders' world contains such splendid places of art as a crystal filled underworld theater and subway token studded walls. On the other hand, sometimes Shusterman stretches credulity into absolute goofiness. I'm sorry, but I'm having a bit of difficulty believing that somewhere in the depths of the New York City underworld there are herds of wild bulls stampeding in the sewers.

In the end, Shusterman doesn't stretch his tale as far as he could. He seems to be making some slight correlations between Lindsay's parents' divorce and the relationship between the Topsiders and the Downsiders but no real conclusions are made. Also, inconsistencies abound. At the end of the tale, Lindsay's mother appears (after hearing rumors of her ex-husband's notoriety) to whisk her elder child away leaving our protagonist to continue her own adventures. Why would a mother fear for only one child's safety? Especially when she spent years living with the other child as well? Also, the Downsiders write a language of mixed English, Russian, Chinese, and other hieroglyphics. Yet they not only speak English flawlessly (without even so much as an accent) but they also can read it without difficulty.

If you would like a good fun tale about a world not too distant from our own, "Downsiders" is a perfect Sunday afternoon read. If, however, you'd like something more enchanted and more entrancing, I highly recommend you seek out Mark Singer's "Dark Days". Why eat a hamburger when you can have steak?

I enjoyed the originality of the "Downsider's World". The author has created a unique place to coexist with the "Topsider's World". I found the different perspective of commonplace events and household items of our world sometimes humorous. The story was not great, but refreshingly different.

Underneath the streets of Manhattan lies a network of forgotten tunnels and passages. Unknown to the city's residents, these tunnels are inhabited by people who call themselves Downsiders. They keep to themselves and do not mix with the surface people except when catching the fallen who can join their ranks.

But the forces of change are upon both worlds as a Downsider boy becomes fascinated with a surface girl and a new water project begins to dig deep into the foundations of the city. Talon has always been somewhat of a wild child but now he has committed a great crime by letting a surface person know about the Downside. This act propels him and his friends through a series of events that lead them to unforseen acts and ideas.

This is a fascinating book about young people beginning to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. It also ties in some interesting true history of the world under the city although like many that deal with the subject, they miss some of the other facts (i.e. all of the water in Manhattan has to be brought in and comes through pumping stations located 900 feet below the surface). But despite such omissions this is still a wonder-filled book that will have readers paying a little more attention to the darker places in the world.

"The Downsiders" is about a boy named Talon, who lives underground New York City. His sister, Pidge, is very sick. So he goes above ground, meets a girl named Lindsay Matthias, and borrows some medicine, which is against Downside law. His friends, Gutta and Railborn, find out and tell on him after he brings Lindsay down underground. He helps fight in a war, and helps the Downside. You'll love this book!

This books is really great. I am only on the 9th chapter, and i am hooked. I haven't been able to put the book down since I got it, two hours ago. If you liked The Pigman, you would really enjoy this book. Well I need to go finish it!

"Downsiders" READ IT NOW

This is an awesome book! This book keeps you interested from page 1. There is always an adventure whether it is running from bulls in sewers or being pulled down a manhole by a stranger wearing smashed pop cans as a vest. This is the first book I have read by Neal Shusterman, now he's one of my favorite authors. This book has many messages and different view on our every day life. It taught me not to classify people by what they wear or look like. This book is definitely worth reading. It's kind of a shock almost to have people living in tunnels with a different set of laws and traditions.

The book Downsiders by Neal Shusterman is a fabulous tale of secrets, lies, and the fear of the unknown. A teenage boy named Talon was out on a mission with his friends completing their first few tasks in order to enter adulthood. They were patrolling the underground tunnels that they live in, looking for fallers. Fallers are people from the topside who the dowsiders save and make them convert into downsiders and vow to leave their other world behind. Including thier names, clothes, and memoris. During this task, Talon meets a topsider named Linsay and they become very close. Unfortunately, thier frienship seems to cause thier two worlds to collide into what the downsiders called a "war", in reality Lindsay's father was drilling into Talon's world and both their lives seem to crash and burn, until Lindsay comes top the rescue.