6 Feet Deep

Rose Impey is one of those authors who has been writing for years but has never achieved the recognition she deserves. 6 Feet Deep is set to change all that. Jordan is an average 13-year-old, that is until his mum decides to be buried alive in a wooden box to break a world record originally set by her own father. Once she’s underground, with only two pipes connecting her to the world above (and the septic tank arrangements are fascinating if you can stomach that kind of thing!), Jordan’s life starts to fall apart. He falls out with his two best friends, the wonderfully drawn Martine and Anand, fights with his older siblings, and feels he has no one to turn to. He takes solace in fishing, but even that has lost its lustre as his Grandpa is no longer around to share it with.

Impey’s subplots also include bullying and weight problems, but these are woven skilfully into the main storyline, so it never feels like an ‘issues’ book. In less professional hands, the quirky buried-alive plot might prove too bizarre to be believable, but Impey carries it off with aplomb. But her real strength lies in her characters and their often fraught relationships. Even Jordan’s mum, who we only hear on the end of a mobile phone or through a pipe, is fully rounded and her motivation for putting herself through such an ordeal is wholly believable. And Jordan is a delightful teenager, any mother would be proud to have such a sensitive and caring son. A superb book and highly recommended.