Bearmouth by Liz Hyder
Liz Hyder’s Bearmouth is closer to my usual genre – fiction aimed at YA but equally brilliant for those of us a (bit😊) older. The main character, teenager, “Newt” (great name) navigates this world - an underground society where they are forced to work the coal seams, and where order and control of the workers is maintained in part through organised religion (their ‘God’ is referred to as the ‘Maker’) – with questions and challenges most others bury deep. It’s written in first person with a semi-phonetic spelling throughout so you really get under the skin of Newt and live it with her.
Dystopian, with complex subtexts on religion, worker rights and class - more than that it’s a fantastic and engaging read.