Taken to Antarctica by the man she thinks of as her uncle for what she believes to be a vacation, Symone--a troubled fourteen year old--discovers that he is dangerously obsessed with seeking Symmes's Hole, an opening that supposedly leads into the center of a hollow Earth.Taken to Antarctica by the man she thinks of as her uncle for what she believes to be a vacation, Symone--a troubled fourteen-year-old--discovers that he is dangerously obsessed with seeking Symmes's Hole, an opening that supposedly leads into the centerof a hollow Earth.

- Deception; Juvenile fiction.
- Survival after airplane accidents/shipwrecks/etc.; Juvenile fiction.
- Deception; Fiction.

To her astonishment, Symme's Uncle Victor is taking her to Antartica, the place they have read about and dreamed of visiting for years. What should be the trip of a lifetime, however, has puzzling and sinister overtones. Why did Uncle Victor decide to embark on the journey so suddenly? How can Symme get word to her mother of where they are? Why is almost everyone in camp so sick?

My sixteen year old son handed me this book saying "This is a really creepy book. Read it and see what you think." I must admit, this book is not Geraldine McCaughrean's standard fare. She is best known for her artful, yet faithful, retellings of myths and legends. This book is more of a mystery / suspense / thriller paced like an Alfred Hitchcock movie than an adventure story or a myth. My son was right. There are aspects of this book that are decidedly "creepy," especially the ambiguity present in much of the early story line. Because it is so difficult to discern truth from deception, fact from fiction, the suspenseful pace is all the more unsettling. Aspects of the plot support this sense of impending doom: fourteen year old Symme's crush on a long-dead Antarctic explorer; Uncle Victor's obsession with Antarctica and his carefree yet threatening approach to the trip; the odd Norwegian father and son who have come to film any discoveries; and the unseemly way Uncle Victor keeps pushing Symme and Sigurd Bruch (the Norwegian son) together. My definite preference is for the historic Antarctic exploration stories (see Related Themes), but this is a book that is hard to put down. It is targeted to a teen-aged audience and has a good deal of innuendo that might be considered inappropriate for a younger reader. The denouement is exciting as all the strands are coming together, but (from an adult perspective) the ending is a little contrived. Nonetheless, it is a good, page-turning read.

Stream of consciousness style as told by fourteen year old Symone Wates.

1. What facts do you know about the Antarctic? What facts did Symme know that helped her to survive the difficult terrain and climate? How had she learned those facts? 2. Titus Oates was a true hero in the grand, romantic sense, bravely sacrificing himself for the good of his comrades. Can you think of other heroes who sacrificed themselves for the good of the group? 3. Read some of the stories of the early Antarctic and Arctic explorers (see Related Themes).

Antarctic Exploration: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, Admiral Richard Byrd Alone in the Antarctoc by Paul RInk, Mawson's Will by Lennard Bickel, Roald Amundsen b