Tag Archives: adventure

#BookReview ‘Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane’ by Suzanne Collins #fantasy #adventure

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A world war is coming to the Underland signified by the appearance of a giant white rat, the Bane. Only one person can kill it. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane is second in the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins and, at the end of the first book, hero Gregor knew he would one day have to return to Regalia from New York City. He just didn’t expect it to be so quickly. Suzanne CollinsThis inventive series takes Gregor on another death-defying adventure below ground, this time with favourite characters from the previous book unable to accompany him but travelling alongside people his either distrusts, or dislikes. This series is said to be for tweens and teens but the issues tackled will resonate with many families and adults: learn to live together, don’t judge others on appearance, don’t jump to conclusions, don’t patronise, always listen, that because someone looks scary or different or unattractive doesn’t mean they’re not a person in their own right with feelings.
Gregor’s band on this quest includes his newly-bonded bat Ares, an outcast since Gregor’s last trip below ground; two irritating and selfish fireflies, Photos Glow-Glow and Zap; and a quiet rat called Twitchtip, a scent seer who can navigate in total dark by scent alone and even distinguish colour. As always, little sister Boots adds the giggles. Again they follow a cryptic prophecy which says Gregor the ‘warrior’ must kill the white rat Bane or his baby will die; Gregor understands that ‘baby’ means Boots. If Gregor fails, Boots will die, the rats will win the Underland war and all the people and creatures will be killed. Gregor can’t sleep, worrying about how he might have to tell his parents that Boots is dead.
Collins writes in a simple style to be accessible to her younger readers but her plotting and characterisation are adult-level. The threat to characters we learn to love [yes, even the roaches] feels very real and the action is often violent. There are twists and turns, outcomes that make you gasp, characters that defy expectation and new terrifying enemies.
Just as exciting as the first book, Gregor the Overlander.

Here are my reviews of the other books in the series:-
GREGOR THE OVERLANDER #1UNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE CURSE OF THE WARMBLOODS #3UNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE MARKS OF SECRET BY SUZANNE COLLINS #4THEUNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE CODE OF CLAW #5UNDERLANDCHRONICLES

Read the first paragraph of THE HUNGER GAMES, also by Suzanne Collins.

If you like this, try:-
‘Beneath the Keep’ by Erika Johansen #PREQUELTEARLING
‘Insurgent’ by Veronica Roth #2DIVERGENT
‘The Winter of the Witch’ by Katherine Arden #3WINTERNIGHT

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview GREGOR AND THE PROPHECY OF BANE by Suzanne Collins https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-6GZ via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Bella Ellis

#BookReview ‘Gregor the Overlander’ by Suzanne Collins #fantasy #adventure

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As a lover of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, I decided to explore her other books and found this, her first novel. Gregor the Overlander, first in a five-book fantasy series for children but also suitable for young adults and adults, is a New York Times best-selling series. How quickly I raced through it. Suzanne CollinsEleven-year old Gregor lives in a New York apartment with his mother, grandmother and two sisters, Lizzie who is seven and Boots, two. His father disappeared without a trace and Gregor thinks of him every day. He has one rule, not to think of what will happen on the day his father comes home. Which means he never thinks about the future. Then one day, in the laundry room, Boots is chasing a tennis ball while Gregor is doing the washing. Until Boots disappears. Through a metal grate. Gregor follows her and falls down. Down into the Underworld where the first people he meets are cockroaches. Collins has created a fascinating world beneath the city streets. There are some meaty themes and the Underworld character list includes many giant animals and insects that usually provoke a squeamish human reaction. Collins encourages the reader to look beyond appearance to the real person inside. The world-building is fascinating, something that Collins did so well in The Hunger Games.
This is an adventure story so Gregor must go on a quest and face danger. The decisions he takes will affect everyone in this subterranean world. The Underworld is on the brink of war. Collins is not afraid to put favoured characters in danger, and to kill them. Gregor has a destiny, and purpose, of which he is unaware.
Gregor – like Katniss, like Harry Potter – is an unlikely hero, an ordinary kid without special skills. But he loves his sister deeply and this means he speaks up, and steps up, when others hesitate about danger.
Loved it.

Here are my reviews of the next books in the series:-
GREGOR AND THE PROPHECY OF BANE #2UNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE CURSE OF THE WARMBLOODS #3UNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE MARKS OF SECRET BY SUZANNE COLLINS #4THEUNDERLANDCHRONICLES
GREGOR AND THE CODE OF CLAW #5UNDERLANDCHRONICLES

Read the first paragraph of THE HUNGER GAMES, also by Suzanne Collins.

If you like this, try:-
‘The Queen of the Tearling’ by Erika Johansen #1TEARLING
‘La Belle Sauvage’ by Philip Pullman #1THE BOOK OF DUST
‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi #1LEGACYOFORISHA

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview GREGOR THE OVERLANDER by Suzanne Collins https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-6A9 via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- William Boyd