It happened so long ago that almost no one can remember what life on earth was like before the Tripods arrived. The Tripods--huge, three-legged machines--seemingly came from nowhere, took over the earth, and enslaved all adult humans. Now, as children be... Read More

It happened so long ago that almost no one can remember what life on earth was like before the Tripods arrived. The Tripods--huge, three-legged machines--seemingly came from nowhere, took over the earth, and enslaved all adult humans. Now, as children begin to enter adulthood, they take part in a Capping Ceremony, a mysterious event during which anyone who is of age is taken away by the Tripods and Capped--meaning that when they return they have a metal plate attached to the top of their skulls. Anyone who undergoes the ceremony is left docile and subservient--a perfect vessel to do the work of the Tripods. However, there are a few who attempt to escape this fate and dream of life in the White Mountains--the one place on earth said to be inaccessible to the Tripods. As he nears the year of his own Capping, a boy named Will learns about life in the White Mountains and decides to make the perilous journey towards them--and freedom. This is the first book in the Tripods Trilogy, which continues with THE CITY O Short description