The Orchard Underground

'Is there anything better than reading about a group of buddies taking on the world for the first time? The Orchard Underground made me laugh, clutch my chest, get misty-eyed and wish for that wonderful, confusing time when I was on the threshold of big changes and huge possibilities. 
I cheered Pri, Attica and Slotcar on at every turn and grew to love every big weirdo in this strange town. Larkin has perfectly captured the novelty, mystery, growing pains, silliness and emotional rollercoaster of the tween years, and wrapped it up into one wondrously odd and unpredictable adventure.’ 
– Leanne Hall, author of Iris and The Tiger and This is Shyness

‘The Orchard Underground is a brilliant mystery that will keep you guessing, as good mysteries always do. It's fast-paced, utterly surprising in its plot, lush in its descriptions and packed with characters so real they step off the page.’
– Cath Crowley, author of Words in Deep Blue and the Gracie Faltrain series

‘Smart, mysterious and funny. This book will make you think, make you laugh, and keep you guessing.’ 
– Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me and Liar & Spy
 
‘I really enjoyed reading The Orchard Underground. It was fresh and funny, bursting with interesting characters, but Attica Stone stole the show. She's a Dangerous Idea, a Law Unto Herself, and probably a Very Bad Influence ... naturally, I loved her.’
– Penni Russon, author of The Endsister and Only Ever Always
 
‘The Orchard Underground is a funny and intriguing debut that’s mercifully free of a ‘tween’ sensibility but never patronising to its upper-primary readers. The two child characters are deliciously peculiar but still believable. Mat Larkin’s rich use of language will reward intelligent readers, but flows so smoothly it will also be accessible for those less confident. His humour and zany imagination are never a distraction from the narrative, which maintains an increasingly insistent pace as it approaches its (nearly too fantastical) conclusion.’
– Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, Junior Books + Publishing