This series came out a while before Collins' hugely successful Hunger Games series came out. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games series and didn't know if I would be pleased stepping back in experience and skill level to read the first in the Underland Chronicles. In some ways, this dark fantasy was exactly as I expected. The story is not quite as complex as her more recent series, but then, it seems to be aimed at a younger audience. It still has much to digest. Gregor, older brother to a toddler named Boots, follows her down a vent one day in their building's laundry room. They fall into the world beneath ours, the Underland, where humans, spiders, cockroaches, bats and rats struggle to find a balance for power through alliances and war. Initially, Gregor's only plan is to get out of the Underland and back home as quickly as possible. His escape turns into a complete disaster and in the midst of the chaos, he finds that he is part of a much bigger plan. The Underland has been waiting a long time for him. The goal of the quest he finds himself is too precious for him to say no to. It's a great first book with an ending that is far more satisfying than most other first books in a series. I can't wait to devour the second one!
This series should be made into a movie! I hope its on the radar, even though it's "old". It's got everything- magic, adventure, prophesies, royalty, family and giant creatures! I am on the last book and am very disappointed that there are no more after this. I am actually reading it really slowly, to savour the series.
ReplyDeleteAbout time you got busy and posted some reviews! :-)
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