Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Underland Chronicles (book 2)
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 2 April 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1407121147
Synopsis
Spies have reported the sighting of a Rat King in the Underland, a character who has been legendary since the Middle Ages. Recognizable by its tremendous size and snow-white coat, the Rat King is destined to bring a World War to the Underland. Gregor eventually comes face to face with the Rat King, and to his surprise, he finds he is unable to kill this creature. Gregor's heart tells him he's making the right decision. Will it be a decision he lives to regret?
My Review
After staying up until 1 in the morning to finish book 1 I was eager to dig into book 2. I was at work today and had to go out in my lunch break, but luckily I finished early today so once I got home at 3.30 I got to sit down and get stuck in. By 5.00 I was over halfway through. This one is 50 pages longer than book 1, coming in at 308 pages, but that is still not a lot for me.
I stopped for dinner then picked the book up again and was finished by 7.00. Once again I had powered through it, swept into the pages and taken on a journey with Gregor. The evening seemed to flash past me.
Gregor thought getting his dad home would change everything for the better but his dad is suffering from a strange Underland illness and can barely walk round their tiny apartment, they are struggling to pay the bills and running out of food. It is early December and a light snow has fallen, Gregor takes his baby sister Boots to the park to go sledding, but whilst there she goes missing. Gregor finds a trail leading to the entrance to Underland and knows he must go back down and find his sister. Turns out there is another prophecy once more believed to be about him, he must save the Underlanders once more and fight off the monster that is the 'Bane'.
Being book 2 I feel like I know Gregor better and can understand his quirks and opinions and I continue to like him as a character and he is definitely developing into a promising hero.
This book is just as good, if not better than the first, the Quest seems filled with danger, but Gregor has his companions beside him.
I really liked teh bickering Fireflies they made me laugh, and little Temp - the Cockroach, strange to thing of a roach as sweet, but he really is endearing. Boots is growing up and developing more of a personality, often coming out with something seemingly random but actually helpful. Luxa is still ignoring all the rules and doing her own thing and I liek that about her.
There are new monsters and powers revealed in this book and it's just made me hungry for more.
There were moments in this book that literally had me gasping and gripping the pages. It ends with a bit of a mystery and I can't wait to get stuck into the next one and find out what has happened.
These books would be great for children who loved Harry Potter, Percy Jackson etc and are looking for something different.
My Rating
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