Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward (review)

Sixteen-year-old geology nerd Eliza is the middle child, and her two best friends have made her feel like the middle friend, that is, often left out and generally inferior, which doesn't help her social anxiety at all. When peer pressure and poor decision-making find Eliza swallowed by a sinkhole and transported deep into the Earth, however, her concerns shift from the social milieu to survival. In secret and mysterious underground caverns, she happens upon a colony of a dozen survivors of similar falls that have simply given up on ever reaching the surface again. It's unclear whether there's something preternatural at hand, but as Eliza befriends the three other teens and gets close to the resident scientist, who is the only one who seems to notice how weird it is that everyone has so thoroughly settled into underground life, the ripple effects of a new person in this tight-knit community cause palpable tension. Eliza is a relatable protagonist, as her self-doubt makes her wary of taking the leadership role, but her knowledge of (and excitement for) geology makes her perfect for the perilous journey back to the surface—encountering deadly beasts, giant insects, and glowing human-like creatures along the way. A novel as much about interpersonal relationships as it is about (literally) exploring new pathways in our relationship with the Earth, this survival adventure story is both exciting and emotionally mature. WJ