Gunther’s Cavern by Edward Etzkorn tells the story of a brother and a sister, Gunther and June. They have moved from one town to another throughout their lives because of their parents’ careers. All their moving, and the fact that their parents are a little strange, make it difficult to make new friends. Gunther and June spend most of the time together and consequently grow very close. They even invent their own language. One summer, when they are 14 and 16, they find the entrance to a cave on their property. The teenagers enter the cave which leads them on an adventure. They get lost in the cavern, and have to find ways to battle creatures that have evolved underground.

Gunther’s Cavern by Edward Etzkorn is a wonderful adventure story young people will love. The characters are appealing to the reader, especially to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. The many characters, both primary and supportive, are well developed. I got to know enough about each person including the irresponsible handyman and the spooky neighbor girl. I was able to picture each in my mind’s eye. The plot is fast moving and very imaginative. There are unexpected twists and turns which keep the reader from putting the book down. There were occasionally images that I didn’t understand, but there were many more images that worked well. I think I would have arranged the ending somewhat differently. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book very much.

Gunther is a 15-year-old living a quiet life on the edge of New York’s Catskill Mountains. He’s always been the butt of jokes and ridicule at school from the jocks and other elites, but becomes concerned when eleven of his fellow students disappear without a trace at the start of summer.
Gunther and his sister June love caves and are very excited to discover a cave entrance in the back of his family’s farm. Deciding on a quick recon, their excitement turns to fear when they become trapped inside and have no choice but to make their way through the cave in search of another exit. Their journey proves far more perilous than expected. They are soon captured by intelligent creatures, the four-foot-high tardigrades who have also captured the missing students and have confined them to a prison camp. Aligned with Hood, one of his least favorite people, Gunther and June become convinced that breaking out is their only option, forcing them to evade a powerful tardigrade army if they are to escape with their lives…

I found Gunther’s Cavern to be a very good YA read. The author has shown a thorough knowledge of caves and caving. I like his range of characters, from Gunther to sister June with their made up language to his flighty poem spouting mother to his laid back, slightly off-centered father. The dialogue is good and completely fits the story line, and the descriptive action of the story is well developed. Once I started reading I didn’t want to stop until the very end. Well done.