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.