Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

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Another amazing installment in the Underland Chronicles. Well written with a jaw dropping plot twist. ( )

A boy and his toddler sister return to a fantasy world at war.

3/4 (Good).

It's darker and heavier - near full Hunger Games levels of trauma and horror. As a side effect, it loses the sense of humor that seemed so important to me in making a story about talking animals and a Prophesied Hero work. This is an objectively better book than the first two, with complex issues and Big Emotions, but it's probably my least favorite of the series so far. ( )

This review is for Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, and Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Underland Chronicles, #2-4).

I've really enjoyed reading this series to my kiddos! We're on the last book now (Gregor and the Code of Claw) and had stop due to uncontrollable crying (mine). I don't think I'll be able to keep reading this one to them before bed, because my tears make them think something is wrong with me. It's hard to explain that nothing is physically wrong, just Suzanne Collins shredding my heart. She has a knack for making you love characters, and then destroying you with them later on.

This series does have some darker aspects, so I've had to be selective about what I read out loud. They're still a little young to hear about mass murder and excessive violence. It's meant for middle grade readers, and I think it's perfect for that age, but there is a lot of death and sadness (feelings a five-year-old might not be ready to address).

I love everything about this series. The characters, the world, the individual prophesies -- all amazing, detailed, and expertly executed. I try to figure the prophesies out as I read, but nothing is clear until the very end (not for me or the characters). The giant bats, rats, and cockroaches are all very unique and interesting. Boots, Gregor, Luxa, Henry, Ares, Temp, Ripred, Twitchtip -- I really do love them all! Everyone brings something to the story, and this series wouldn't be the same without every single one of them. Collins has created a story that I will remember for the rest of my life, and one that I look forward to revisiting in the future.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on March 23, 2019. ( )

In the third book in the Gregor the Underlander series, Gregor finds himself once again returning to the Underland to fulfill his role in a prophecy. This time there is a plague that threatens to wipe out all warmblooded creatures in the Underland. In order to save those he loves, Gregor must join together with rats, bats, cockroaches, and Regalians on a dangerous mission to find the cure. My eight year-old son really loves this series. It has humor, adventure and giant cockroaches. What could be better than that. I am impressed at how Collins tackles real world ethical issues involving war and conflict. Many of the situations that the Underland people find themselves in are echoes of conflicts throughout history and current events. There are the ethics of biological warfare, withholding humanitarian aid, when to fight and when to try to achieve peace. In this book alone I found myself discussing Israel and the Middle East and the way Native Americans were treated by European settlers and the American government with my son. The series offers us many teachable moments and offers views of both sides of tough issues involved with war. ( )