book cover

Bunker Diary

by Kevin Brooks

Interest age: 15+
Reading age: 14+

Published by Penguin, 2013

  • Diaries and journals
  • Thriller

About this book

Linus wakes up in a cold, dark, underground bunker with no recollection of how he got there.

The last thing he remembers is helping a blind man get his case into the back of a van. The only way in and out of the bunker is a lift, controlled by whoever has captured him. Linus’ theory that he has been kidnapped for ransom is soon dismissed as the lift delivers five more prisoners, from completely different walks of life, with absolutely nothing in common. Pushed to the limits of human endurance with constant physical and mental torture, how long will the six survive being the playthings of their captor?

This is the sort of book that demands to be read in one sitting, only to haunt you for days after finishing it. With believable, although not always likable, characters, Brooks makes us share the terror, confusion and claustrophobia they experience, and feel emotionally invested in their survival. But be warned: with frequent swearing, and scenes of violence, torture and death, this is not a book for the faint-hearted.

About the author

Kevin Brooks was born in Exeter, Devon, and he studied in Birmingham and London. He had a varied working life, with jobs in a crematorium, a zoo, a garage and a post office, before – happily – giving it all up to write books. Kevin is the author of many critically acclaimed novels including Martyn Pig, Lucas, Kissing the Rain, Candy and The Road of the Dead. He now lives in North Yorkshire.

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