Gregor and the Code of Claw

Underland Chronicles #5

by Suzanne Collins

Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. Now, with an army of rats approaching, and his mom and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. The entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Audiobook

412 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days.

While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.

Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find...? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part series, The Underland Chronicles. Suzanne also has a rhyming picture book illustrated by Mike Lester entitled When Charlie McButton Lost Power.

She currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.

The books she is most successful for in teenage eyes are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. These books have won several awards, including the GA Peach Award.

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of beginning back in New York, a few months after the previous novel, the fifth, and final, book in The Underland Chronicles takes place almost immediately after Marks of Secret. After declaring war against the rats and their hitler-esque leader, The Bane, the Underlanders are preparing for the mighty war that Sandwich predicted. Gregor, Boots and the gang (joined by a surprise member of Gregor's family) rush to decode the Code of Claw according to the final prophecy. FIlled with nonstop action, Gregor and The Code of Claw is a wonderful and thought-provoking ending to the series.

I can honestly say that this book shook me. After spending so much time with Suzanne Collins' amazing characters, I was quite sad to see them go. I was perhaps more dissapointed that for most of them, there was no happily ever after, no perfect ending. Despite all they have done, Gregor and Luxa are still preteens at the end of this book, so their stories cannot have an ending. They have growing up to do, new struggles to face, and as much as I crave a happy ending, I do respect Collins for not slapping it on there, because to do so would cheapen the novels. I believe that his experience with the Underland has made Gregor into a perceptive young man who is able to see beyond the traditional presentation of right and wrong. Being in The Underland allows Gregor to think more critically, and to make his own decisions, instead of just blaming fate or a prophecy. I also believe that reading this book has helped me to challenge some of the things I once believed and to more thoroughly explore both sides of any issue.

I highly recommend this series to young readers and older readers alike because I think it is a well-written, thought provoking series. I hope that Suzanne Collins will at least consider continuing the Underland Chronicles (perhaps through a prequel or spin-off series, I'm not sure a sequel to Code of the Claw would be wise), or, at the very least, work on a new series that captures some of the elements that made this one outstanding.

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this last book in the Gregor the Overlander series, Suzanne Collins achieves the impossible. She made me cry over the reported death of a rat. It is a testament to her skill at writing these characters in such a way that they seem so real, so believable, so sympathetic. She does a fantastic job of painting each creature in shades of gray. There is no one that is all good or all bad. Perhaps that is what makes them seem so real. I fought tears for the entire last half of this book. I'm sure part of it was because it did feel very final. But more of it was because I could feel the pain contained in the story and relate so easily to the suffering described. Gregor has grown from an impudent child to a mature emissary, struggling with issues of right and wrong; war and peace; justice and injustice. You can't help but like him.

I read the first Gregor book on a recommendation from my sister-in-law. I wasn't all that impressed with the first one, although it was entertaining enough that I wanted to give the rest of the series a chance. I am so glad I stuck with it. I didn't sob aloud for the tragedy in this book as I did when reading of a certain Hogwart's funeral, but I love these characters. I am so sad that there are no more stories about them. Collins' writing improved markedly with each book and I hope she continues to write many more.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this series a lot, and I liked this book for the most part. I think that I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. The ending didn't give me the closure that I'd like.

SPOILER ALERT - - - - SPOILER ALERT - - - -

I felt like Gregor's connection with the Underland after the final battle wasn't clear. You're not sure if he's moving, if he'll ever go to the Underland again, if he'll ever see Luxa again, how he'll handle trying to be a normal 12 year old again after all that he has been through and all the death/killing, how he's supposed to act normal and not like he's riddled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and how he'll explain the fact that he's covered in scars from head to toe. Essentially, I didn't have to have all of that explained, but I needed to have a tad more closure than I got. Considering that this book is geared toward juveniles, I can't imagine them going with the "Cast Away" type ending that you god here.

All that being said. This series was totally worth reading!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series! Suzanne sure has a way with her characters and I loved so many of them here. Especially Ripred - I cried when I thought they had lost him. Deep down I figured he would make it out okay. And the ending - It left me wanting more, but that's because I wasn't ready to let these characters go. I do feel they will be alright and that Gregor will return to the Underland some day. I just can't see him not going back to Luxa and his friends. Great story! :)

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you hit bottom, there's a whole lot of people here to help you up."

°•*⁀➷

What an epic end to this series. This book felt a bit slow in the beginning, but once it gets going it doesn't stop. And I loved it. I loved experiencing this world through Gregor and cannot believe it took me so long to get to it. Suzanne Collins, I love you.

This entire series has been full of such incredible lessons that I think this one felt slow only because it was the conclusion, when all of those lessons need to put into action and followed through on. Gregor found it very difficult to trust, to fight for people that don't trust him, and to fight a war he didn't necessarily believe in either. Let me tell you that when I was 11... I wasn't fighting a war. But he was, and it's kind of a metaphor for when you come to an age when you need to start taking in information and doing something about it.

We saw him confused, struggling with grief and expectation, and all while taking care of his entire family. There's one point where he flat out says that he's the parent, and he was, and in the end his parents tell him he has to get used to having parents again and I just don't know if he'll be able to. I like that it was included because the reader can jump out of it and appreciate their parents just a little more, and all the hard work they do. I don't think a lot of us really get to see how hard are parents work for us. It's nice to sort of have it thrown in your face.

I can't wait to share this with kids like I do Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. It's right up there with one of the best middle grade series I've ever read. I wish I had read it then, but I'm so glad I've read it now.

- Paige

[Carie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm not sure what to rate this...maybe 4.5? It was just as wonderful and thoughtful as all of the books in the series, but the ending was SO unsettling and disturbing to me. I can't help but be plagued by the question: "What happened next?" There was also quite a lot of violence and sadness (neither of which was unexpected, given the way the series progressed). I would love to have had an epilogue or revisiting of the characters several years after the events of the book. I didn't feel quite satisfied at the end of the series not knowing what happened next, although I can definitely see why the author would think a neat, tied-up, happy ending wouldn't work for this sobering series.


SPOILER:

I was near tears through much of the last section of the book, but I think the saddest thing of all was the state of Gregor at the very end. Yes, he was more grown up and had learned some important lessons, but, although he had been bad off at the beginning of the series, he seemed SO MUCH worse off emotionally and physically at the end. At least his family was together, but how would they manage? Would health and happiness return for them? Would they ever be able to get by financially? Would Gregor EVER see the friends he loved in the Underland again? Was it fair (or healthy) for Gregor to fight so hard for the Underland and then never know what happened to his friends after he left? Gregor was such a good, decent kid throughout all the horrific events that unfolded in these books--didn't he deserve a little peace and happiness at some point?!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I plan on owning this entire series. I want all my kids to read it. I loved the 5th book SO MUCH...I give it 5 stars!!! The combination of humor, tragedy, suspense, adventure, mystery, drama, and romance had me glued to each page, staying up WAY TOO LATE because I couldn't put it down. I'm so sad the series is done. I would LOVE to see some more books about Gregor and his Underland friends.

The ending was my favorite kind: Bittersweet. Lots of sadness and tragedy (I admit I cried several times throughout the book!!!) but lots of sweetness and hope as well. The ending was terrific, it really pulled everything together fabulously. I was just so sad that Gregor and his family didn't stay permanently in the Underland, but everything the author did was well done; it all had a concrete purpose. My opinion of her writing and her storylines just sky rocketed! (This gave me great hope for a spectacular 3rd intallment in the Hunger Games Trilogy)

The ending really made me think. The themes of this book are war and peace, revenge and forgiveness, hope and despair...submission, service, and self-sacrifice. Luxa and Gregor's memories, hopes, dreams, and nightmares will haunt me for a while. It's the kind of haunting I like, though. I like endings that really stick to you, really make you feel deeply. It's this kind of ending that makes the entire series so great. To me, it's a classic.

[HaMiT · Rating 5 out of 5]

دیدم همه سراغ هانگر گیمز کالینز رفتن، گفتم من این سری رو شروع میکنم به خوندن :دی
من کلا از موجوداتی که توی کتاب استفاده شده بود بدم میومد، سوسک ها و موشها و عنکبوت ها و انواع موجودات موذی دیگه
خیلی با خودم کلنجار رفتم که کتاب اول رو خریدم، ولی بعد خوندنش
چهارتا کتاب بعدی رو پشت سر هم و بدون وقفه خوندم
ظاهرا داستان پر از کلیشه است
مثل افتادن از یه سوراخ به یه دنیای دیگه
جنگ توی اون دنیا و نقشی که گریگور داره و این چیزا
ولی کالینز اینقد کتاب رو جذاب و عالی نوشته که این کلیشه ها اصلا به چشم نخواهد اومد
تغییر توی روند داستانش بسیار عالیه
شخصیت پردازیِ فوق العادست
خصوصا ریپرد که بسیار شخصیت جذاب و بی نظیریه
و همچنین اینکه اکثرا از پایان هانگر گیمز ناراضی بودن، ولی این کتاب که آخرین کتاب سری آندرلند بود، به زیباترین شکل ممکن تموم شد.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the last of the 5 Underland books, and I enjoyed them all immensely. They were recommended to me by a 3rd grader who knows his stuff.

I would definitely place these up there among my favorite children's/fantasy series. They walk a really interesting line between being meant for children (the protagonist is 12) and being pretty violent. I'll have to compare them some to my other faves: The writing isn't as quick or cerebral as in the Lemony Snicket books, but I think it is generally better quality than Harry Potter. While the Underland is maybe not as instantly sexy as Hogwarts, the characters are just as immediately charming and prove to be much deeper and more realistic than those in the Potter books. The books are hilarious and generally "hipper" than the Potter's as well. The protagonist is a dork, to be sure, but he is from New York after all. Be forewarned that there is a great deal of dialects, and some baby talk, but the former is often humorous and the latter easy to look over. We're not talking Jar Jar Binks here. These books also aren't as deep as the Dark Materials series, but I do think that they are excellent for their lack of the Good Versus Evil dichotomy that Harry Potter tends to display. Also, along with Snicket, this shows children taking control of situations and not depending constantly on adults, as well as thinking for themselves despite what is told to them by figures of authority, both of which I find far more valuable to young readers than the classic Judeo-Christian bs you get from Potter and the like.

I recommend these highly. Ultimately a brilliant anti-war commentary, but without being preachy. They are humorous and earnest, which is hard to come by in these oh-so ironic days.

[Darren Hagan-Loveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

*No spoilers*

I always judge series endings way more harshly, otherwise it would've maybe been a 5 star. It was a great ending filled with action and battles and a large amount of bloodshed, but I personally think the battle between Gregor and the Bane was over too quickly. I also think they killed off someone else rather unspectacularly. The last chapter was nice, but not what I wanted to happen. Or perhaps a nice little epilogue with Gregor going back to Underland would've done it for me. I love me an end of series epilogue :)

I cannot stress enough how much I have loved this series as a whole though. It deserves a way bigger fanbase than it has. I dare say that I love it as much as The Hunger Games. I'd struggle to pick a winner of the two - it enthralled me that much. It has been a nonstop adventure from the first page of Gregor the Overlander and I will definitely reread this series.

Lastly, sh*t gets real with this quote from the penultimate page..."People all over the world were suffering, starving, fleeing, killing one another as they waged their wars. How much energy they put into harming one another. How little into saving. Will it ever change? He thought of Luxa's hand pressed into Ripred's paw. That's what it would take. People rejecting war. Not one or two, but all of them. Saying it was an unacceptable way to solve their differences. By the look of things the human race had a lot of evolving to do before that happened. Maybe it was impossible. But maybe it wasn't."...I'm like dude you're 13, you're more deep and thoughtful than I am at twice your age :')

[max theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was going to write some review about gregor and the bane as foils (kids who get shoved into war too young; both have to fight but one chooses hate and the other chooses peace) and about how this book after five books of prophecies is like "actually the prophecy guy was a genocidal monster and your fate is what you make it and self-fulfilling prophecies can doom you" and about how collins excels at endings that are like "and the trauma was never ever going to go away but there is still hope and there is still so much love" but . dude. my god. i forgot so much of the end of this book and it rode over me like a mack truck

what can i say. um. everyone is always talking about peeta's "if it wasn't for the baby" but the most iconic suzanne collins slay line is in fact "I do," said Ripred. "I speak for the gnawers." and i remember the exact swell of triumph i felt reading that for the first time. perhaps one of the best characters ever written. i have nothing else to say about this book i need to lie down

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to the series! Ripred rocks!

[Caylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregor didn't know how to tell his father that he didn't even want to go back to New York. That the boy who had fallen down the air shaft on a hot summer's day was gone, replaced by someone who could never find a home anywhere.

There's never a day that goes by where I don't get teary eyed by the ending of this book. I've reread this entire series like 9 times and in never fails to amaze me. This is a middle grade novel, yet here I am, enjoying it like it's the first time after so many rereads.

Code of Claw is honestly one of the most brilliant series finales I've ever read. Its got sacrifice, war, plenty of deaths, fighting, humor, avenging, team ups you never expected, perfect endings for each of the characters, loose end tie ups, a little bit of love, a battle to the death that doesn't disappoint, a slightly open ending that'll keep you guessing, and an amazingly accurate depiction of children dealing with a broad spectrum of emotions that are thrust upon them.

Each book in this series focuses on an important issue (or multiple issues) that we as humans have a hard time dealing with. And each one does a spectacular job of describing those issues in a way that young readers can comprehend, and adults can enjoy and be impacted by as well.

Gregor the Overlander- capture, betrayal of loved ones, what really starts a war, racism, etc
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane- the impact of first impressions, segregation of species/races, alienation, the effects of trauma on prisoners of war, etc
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods- biological warfare, war crimes, sacrifice, the idea of war versus peace, the effects of brutal crimes on insanity, the unnecessary deaths of loved ones during battles, etc
Gregor and the Marks of Secret- genocide, shock, overwhelming mass murders, torture and imprisonment, etc
Gregor and the Code of Claw- PTSD in children, full frontal war, brutal death and dismemberment, the aftereffects of mass murders and attempted genocide, refugees, panic attacks, autism, etc

I honestly could go on and on and on and on about everything that's brought up and written about in this series, but that would be a whole book on its own. The first time I read this series (especially the third, fourth and fifth books) I was constantly going to my mother, teachers, and other adults and asking them questions well beyond what I was learning in school. Suzanne Collins knows how mature children can be when treated right, and she isn't afraid to bring up such controversial topics like racism and genocide for children to learn about. Of course, she explains these issues in such a way that these children are capable of digesting them on their own, but this is definitely a series that parents should read as well so that they can talk about these things.

Code of Claw takes every thing- every singular plot point- from the previous books and ties them all together in an unforgettable final climax. All of the characters that we've met and lost have their time to shine in the end battle, with plenty of death scenes being heart wrenching and tear jerking. The relationships that were formed over the span of four books are tried and tested, and some are broken for good because of necessary decisions made for the protection of that specific character or the whole population. Gregor realizes that actions do have consequences, and consequently has a hard time digesting the fact that he has set in motion a- quite frankly- inevitable war to end all wars.

This book doesn't shy away from the mental side of warfare either. A lot of people don't seem to realize that younger human beings suffer from this kind of shit as well. Gregor has SEEN HORRIBLE THINGS. He's had friends killed in front of him, he's seen the Underland's verison of gas chambers while they're in use. He's learned that humans are more the monster than actual monsters at times, and he's seen what said humans are capable of during crisis. Obviously, he's not going to come out of this unscathed, if at all.

"It's okay," Gregor whispered to himself. "It's okay." A feeling of peace slowly descended on him. He realized his death was not only okay, it was for the best. He was never going back to New York, anyway. How could he go back after all that had happened? Where would a twelve-year-old kid, a warrior, a killer, ever be at home? Because no matter how much the humans loved him during a war, who would want him around on a regular basis?

And, on top of Gregor's PTSD, we've got his younger sister Lizzie with her severe anxiety attacks when she's forced underground due to her father's declining health.

There's the Bane's insanity, a product of having his mother AND father brutally murdered before his eyes as a baby and growing up with a godlike complex while being trained to believe that all the species of the Underland hate his own kind.

There's Luxa's inability to trust anyone besides her bat Aurora after her parents are killed by rats, her best friend and cousin betrays her for the rats after the promise of being king, and her grandmother is the person blamed for using biological warfare. With the title of queen thrown on her head before she's even 10, she never gets to enjoy any semblance of childhood.

Baby Hazard's entire family has all been killed in various methods because of this war, and he has to learn to hold those he's loved in his heart and believe that they're watching over him.

Hamnet went insane because he was pushed by his own mother to commit heinous war crimes and he watched innocents washed away in a flood of his own causing. He had to fucking flee to the jungle to escape his own family before he would decide that killing himself was the only way to be free.

I mean, I could honestly go on, but you get the idea. The diversity of these characters and their personalities is INSANE, and I love each and every one of them with all of my heart.

I will never shut up about this series, because it is EXTREMELY underrated for its brilliance. My verdict, even after yet another reread:

[Igel :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die ganze Reihe ist einfach meine Kindheit 🥹

(außer Teil 4 weil den hatte ich damals komischerweise nicht? Was mir aber im Nachhinein eine Menge Trauma erspart hat 🫠)

Die Reihe steigert sich sehr über die Bände hinweg, es wird immer spannender aber auch brutaler. Wenn ich an Band 1 zurück denke, und ihn mit diesem Band hier vergleiche, ist Band 1 wirklich ein Kinderbuch.( Obwohl Band 1 auch recht brutal an manchen Stellen ist)

An manchen Stellen war die Reihe echt viel zu brutal * Band 4 hust hust * , man sollte sich vorher ein bisschen darauf einstellen, und wenn man das Buch mit Kindern liest manche Parts abändern oder auslassen. 😬😶*Massengrab Szene in Band 4 hust hust *
*Kannibalismus Szene in Band 4 hust hust*
*Massenvergasungs Szene in Band 4 hust hust*

Die Charaktere mochte ich in allen Bänden sehr, auch Gregor ist mir irgendwie sehr ans Herz gewachsen.

Das Ende fand ich echt richtig gut, als Kind mochte ich es irgendwie nie, aber naja manche Sachen ändern sich. 🤷‍♀️😊

[Sakina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE best middle grade series I have ever read. I am literally at a loss for words. I don't think I have ever read something so profound and thought-provoking and real in my entire life. I just need everyone to read this. Like I mean everyone. All of you reading this, this series better be on your tbr.

I don't even know where to start. This book is the darkest, saddest, most depressing book in the series. It takes the whole "main character is the hero of the story" and makes it realistic. I find a lot of books don't delve much into the emotional and mental aspect of a character's development. Considering everything Gregor has gone through, his thought process, his reactions, his anxiety, his PTSD...just everything, felt right, realistic, and true to not just his character but the situation as a whole. How many times have we read a book where a character goes through all these horrible things and then the book ends with "and they lived happily ever after"? This series doesn't do that. It not only shows the difficult decisions and choices that need to be made, but it also leaves the reader thinking at the end.

The last half of the book was a series of stabs to my chest. Everything was a mess, there were so many sad and precious moments, so many deaths. I'm still not over the words "I'm okay", not just because Gregor is only 13 years old and has had to go through so much, but also because they're the same words I find myself repeating sometimes when things are really ba. The last chapter itself was classics Suzanne Collins. I love perfectly resolved happy endings, but in reality, those don't happen so frequently. And just like in the Hunger Games, we're left wanting more closure, wanting to know what will happen next, how the characters are going to cope, etc. etc. That last chapter was worse than death. I swear if I had it in me, I would have been bawling my eyes out on the bus. I even contemplated writing fanfic. It affected me that much.

Besides everything that happens in the last chapter, we're given a lot of moments when Gregor reflects on what he's gone through and how that is going to affect him afterwards. He applies everything he's learned to the Overland, and we sort of get an idea where we might see his character in the future. That being said, there were so many questions I had. And while I can totally imagine what might have happened, I wish Suzanne would continue this series. It is better than anything I have ever read and I can't stress enough how important this book is.

I don't really want to go into the plot or the other characters too much. Luxa has grown a lot throughout the book and I'm really happy with how things ended. Ripred is my man. I love him so much. THE DEATHS. Will always pain me for the rest of my life. Except for one aka Solovet can choke, I don't care what her intentions, and the couple good things she did in her life, I'm just glad she wasn't redeemed in the end and forgiven for everything and reinstated as the head of the military. Her death was deserved and a good end for her character.

Also, Suzanne has a way with poems and riddles. I don't know how she does it, but it's amazing. And the whole Code of Claw too.

The last couple sentences in the final chapter were so precious and pure and I absolutely love Boots and she can now say Gregor properly and I seriously just want to die cause it was too good

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I love this more then Harry Potter and Percy Jackson? Not quite, but I have to admit, I've really enjoyed myself with this entire series. Not only was it action packed, suspenseful and has some really great humor, but it's also a fun creepy world that you can't help but get lost in, even though reading about giant rats and bugs still gave me the willies here and there.

Gregor and The Code of Claw was an excellent ending to a wonderful series. It's not quite the happy ending that I admit I was hoping for, but lets face it, this is one of Collins books so I guess I shouldn't have been shocked. I cried, and that's all I'm gonna say about that. Still, I thought the ending was very well done and it's something I can actually say I'll miss.

Gregor, his friend and his family are just amazing characters and I was thrilled to share there experience by reading these awesome adventures.
A must read for any fan of Collins and any fans of fun fantasy that is like no other!

My Applause!

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think people would have been prepared for Mockingjay if they had read the Underland Chronicles first, especially this book.

And I remember people complained about the epilogue in Mockingjay, and well...at least it got an epilogue. :(

I had a couple of questions about the ending, and I planned on listing them in this review. But I think I probably just need some time to really think about it and figure it out. (Use my imagination. What Suzanne Collins would probably say to me if I asked her these questions. :p)

Anyway, great series! Wonder what her next book or series will be about.

[Clara Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was left wheezing & empty, phenomenal.

[moi, k.y.a. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu son neydi Suzanne? Oldu mu böyle? Hem Ares... 😢

Serinin son iki kitabı kangren eden İsmek kayıtlarının açılmasını beklerken okudum. Sitenin açılmamasının verdiği sinirin ve uykusuzluğun üzerine çekilecek bir final yazılmamıştı. Daha ayrıntılı ve uzun, geçiştirimemiş final yakışırdı bu seriye.

Yazar her ne kadar son kitapta olayı çocuk kategorisinden taşırmış olsa da bu türde yazmaya devam etmesini canıgönülden isterim. 👌

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong finish for this series. Honestly, I think that the first book was the weakest, and that's really a shame, because I fear it may turn some people away from finishing the series. One thing is for sure, this little series is not nearly as popular as it deserves to be. I hope to recommend it a lot in the future, because it has slowly made its way to one of my favorite fantasy series.

Of course, the fact that this is the last book in the series makes it difficult for it to be satisfying. There was so much more I wanted, and so many things I wished could be different. These feelings can mostly be chalked up to the pitfalls of being a last book. Upon reflection, the only true complaint I have is Collins's handling of the prophecies. I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt like she'd brought the readers along a certain path for the first four books, then overturned all our assumptions in the last one, expecting us to chalk everything to this point up to coincidence. Not cool.

Rather than reflecting any further upon this book, I'd like to comment on the series as a whole in this review. I think it has several elements that set it apart from standard fantasy fare.

First, the strong inclusion of family in each book. So many fantasy books conveniently get the family out of the way, by orphaning, or otherwise afflicting the hero, so he or she can go on adventures by himself. Collins, on the other hand, includes Gregor's family, and it ends up being one of the best elements of the series. It serves to show another side of Gregor, as someone who doesn't just slay monsters, but has the tenderness to take care of a three-year-old sister. This same sister, Boots, goes on almost every quest with Gregor, and she adds most of the humor to the book. This is something that is really needed to balance out the dark parts of the books. It's good to have a hero that is conscious of the responsibilities of family, and it adds a fresh element to the fantasy feel.

Another strength of these books is that they have such real conflict. Collins is not afraid to ask the tough questions. Like, what affect does all this killing have on the psyche of a twelve-year-old boy? And are these actions ever justified? Is war necessary to gain peace? These are things that Gregor struggles with all through the books, and there are no light answers. The asking of them gives a depth to this series that most fantasies lack.

The last thing I'll mention is that Collins does some pretty awesome characterizations. And boy, she has to in order to make us become fond of some of these characters. I mean, a giant cockroach? A rat? The path to liking them is sure to be an uphill climb. Yet, by the last book, I couldn't help but love them and want more of them.

Along with all these things, The Underland Chronicles also contains all the action, excitement, and battles scenes prevalent in other fantasy. It's just that there's so much more with it.

So count me as a big fan of these books. I would consider this a 5-star series. I'll be recommending them to any hapless children at the library who stumble over and want to know what to read after Percy Jackson, or Harry Potter, or any of those other guys.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the plot and characters just as much as the previous books, but I was a little disappointed in the ending.

It's an ok ending for a book in the middle of a series, but not complete enough for the end of a series - I'd be much happier if she'd write another book to answer the questions she left at the end. I mean, she makes such a big deal about Gregor and Luxa not being able to stand the idea of being separated earlier in the book, and then at the end it's like, oh we'll just go our separate ways after all, hum de dum? They didn't work through the issue at all. (Although isn't 12 a little young to be in love anyway?) And is Gregor's family moving or not? Because it seems like it'd be a pretty big deal if they'd still live close enough to access the Underland. And Collins points out how Gregor no longer fits in the Overland, and then oh well, in the last couple of pages she just wraps up the story and he'll just figure out how to move on with his life even though we don't see how he does it? Why not just leave him in the Underland if there's not going to be any denouement?

Oh, and one other complaint - it was a little too convenient how Gregor had a whole new theology introduced to him right before he's going off to face what he thought was his death. We've got the whole book predicting his death, he's trying to resolve himself to the fact (even though we all know he's not really going to die), and now conveniently Ripred says, by the way, you don't really have to believe Sandwich's prophecies. Here's a nice, non-messy way out of a contradiction the author has been stringing us along with the whole while - Gregor's death. Not quite believable.

All right, I'm done with my rant, but other than these two complaints, seriously, I did enjoy the rest of this book as much as I enjoyed the earlier ones - it was still a fun read.

[Trevor Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummm the prophecy gives you CHILLS

This book is BRUTAL, like Suzanne being a savage out here. But also please someone help Gregor he’s just a kid.

I do feel it worth mentioning that most of the younger characters throughout the books I age up around 4/5 years except Boots, probs because it’s too ferocious a world for kids to adequately navigate within reason (in my humble opinion).

Overall the series is spectacular, although I am biased by childhood nostalgia. It’s heavy, it’s fierce, it’s bonkers, both laugh out loud funny and tears down the face sad. Had a great time remembering why I’m so fond of having it on my shelf

[Jax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like some of the other reviewers of this book/series, I was unsettled by the ending of the book. There were so many loose ends, unanswered questions, that when I shut the back cover, I leaned back and thought, "This can't be the end." I've convinced myself that it has ended this way because it's the only way that makes sense. Life goes on, after the plot of a book/series comes to an end, doesn't it? The "problem" is that we've come to love, adore, sympathize so much with the main characters (not to mention a few minor ones, e.g. Temp, Lapblood, etc.) that we want to know more about the rest of their lives and every detail of what happened to them during the adventure we took with them. This attachment to fictional characters is a testiment to a writer's adeptness in her craft. I'm in awe of you, Suzanne Collins! Thank you for giving us Gregor, a hero who didn't want to be a hero, and Boots, a Princess through and through.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have nothing but unadulterated respect and admiration for Suzanne Collins. I read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in fifth grade, and Mockingjay in sixth grade almost as soon as it came out. In retrospect, I was too young to be reading them. I just flat-out didn't get the first two books of the trilogy when I first read them - was cheering for the violence and destruction, the same way I did in Percy Jackson or Maximum Ride. Mockingjay finally hit home with me, and I realized just how terrifying it all truly was. Mockingjay disturbed me; I remember not reading anything for weeks afterword, because all the violence started feeling so empty. No book before or since has impacted me the same way. And now I get the whole anti-capitalist and anti-war analogies, but when I was a kid reading the trilogy, I had no way of understanding any of it. The series was my brutal introduction.

It wasn't until years later that I thought to find Collins' other series, Gregor the Overlander. It's a significantly younger series, and at first, although I liked it, I found it underwhelming at first. It didn't pack the same punch that The Hunger Games did; this wasn't going to change anyone's perspective on violence or war the way The Hunger Games did. But the previous book in the series, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, was a big step-up, suddenly showing complex heroes, and genuinely disturbing violence. There wasn't much buildup to the change in tone, but I was grateful for it. It was the first time that it felt like Collins was putting in the same effort that she put into The Hunger Games. And now, similarly to Mockingjay, this is the explosive finale. And boy, is it a tour de force.

Collins writes violence in a way that you couldn't possibly support it, even if you're a kid. The ways she paints the violence as traumatizing for Gregor aren't subtle, but in a kids book, they can't be. The violent scenes pack exactly the punch they need. Collins' writing is so intense that you feel the trauma and despair along with Gregor. I complained that Gregor was getting to be a Gary Stu in the last review, but here, I couldn't imagine a more relatable narrator for the reader. He's no audience avatar, but Collins writes about him with such empathy for his situation that it's impossible not to feel like you're going through the battles with him. I've never been in a war myself, so I can't speak to how accurately Collins captures the fear involved, but she convinced me. She has something to say, and almost as much as Mockingjay, she'll be damned if she doesn't say it. This still isn't as intense as Mockingjay, but that kind of intensity would be inappropriate for an MG audience. Collins does the best she can with the audience she's writing for, and it works better than I could've imagined.

I've compared the series to Animorphs a couple times throughout my reviews of it, and nowhere has it felt more apt than here, particularly in the ending after the battles are over. It's not a long-term portrayal of PTSD and detachment that Animorphs' finale was, but it captures a similar feeling. After the battles were over, I felt genuinely out of place as Gregor returned to New York. I felt the same way Gregor did, that it was hard to believe that the real New York City even existed. It's a testament not just to how immersive Collins' worldbuilding is, but also to how much I empathized with Gregor. And a relatable narrator is probably the most important aspect of an MG book. That's what engaged me the most as a kid at least. Looking back, it wasn't how action-packed the plot was, or how simple the language was, it was whether I could relate to the main character. In such a message-driven novel, that kind of connection is important, and Collins pulled it off.

This ending certainly has balls, as far as kids books go. Other than Harry Potter, I can't think of any MG series with an ending as brutal as this one. (Actually, I'm not even sure if Harry Potter is as brutal as this. At least Harry himself seems to be weirdly unscratched at the end.) I guess I just deeply admire Collins for writing something where there's legitimate loss, and not everything is automatically okay just because the bad guy is technically defeated. It's an admiration I felt as I gradually realized just how unusual Mockingjay was, but that was years ago, and I haven't felt that admiration in a long time. This book serves as a nice reminder that Collins really is one of the very best authors we have today. What other author could write a kids book with so much death? And before you say J.K. Rowling, the death of side characters here is felt far more harshly than it is in Harry Potter. Rowling rarely shows Harry grieving (except perhaps when Sirius dies); very little of the death has real impact. Here, Collins portrays all the death as it is: horrifying and crippling. Harry Potter always existed in an alternate universe where emotions just don't seem to matter as much. The climax of The Deathly Hallows is about how big and epic everything is; it's more fun than anything else. Collins writes her climax with a purpose. The climax is far more realistic, focusing on the horror rather than the epicness. It's clear that Collins has a far better handle on how scary violence can be than Rowling ever did.

Other than Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant, I can't think of any MG authors I respect more than Suzanne Collins. This is a phenomenal finale to a very good series, and if you haven't read it, you're missing out, especially if you like The Hunger Games. This isn't quite as good as The Hunger Games; The Bane is a fairly one-note villain, and there's a lack of cohesion between the books. But this is still one of the best MG series I've ever read.

[Morgan ♓︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action-packed and emotional finale. I don’t know what to do with myself now that I’ve finished this series 😢 If you want a fierce cast of characters in a story about war, fate, and morality, then read these books!!

I’m surprised it’s not more popular than it is because it was truly an incredible journey and it was written by Suzanne Collins! I don’t need another percy jackson or harry potter adaptation 😩 Give me a gregor the overlander show and make it animated 🙏🏻

[Nicole Patterson]

shocked to see that this series for 10 year olds was darker and more bleak than suzanne’s series about killing people for sport

[Moniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Istnieją pewne zakończenia książek, które lubią zostawić czytelnika w chwili, którą ciężko opuścić. Nawet jeśli to doświadczenie tylko jednej osoby, to spełnia się z całą siłą, zastyga w pamięci. Na przykład, pamiętam dobrze tę noc z głową ukrytą pod kołdrą, lata temu, gdy dotarłam do ostatniego akapitu Po tej stronie raju Scotta Fitzgeralda i nie mogłam uwierzyć, że Amory Blaine zostawi mnie na zawsze w takim momencie, z pozoru nieważkim. Na myśl przychodzi również tamten wieczór, kiedy przeczytałam ostatnią scenę z udziałem Davida Prentissa w Monsters of Men autorstwa Patricka Nessa, kiedy w szoku spoglądałam w ciemność i pustkę przedpokoju, próbując zrozumieć. Widzicie, zakończenie ostatniej części serii o Gregorze Suzanne Collins doprowadziło u mnie do takich emocji, że jeszcze następnego dnia czułam specyficzny ciężar na sercu i pustkę w żołądku. I jeszcze teraz, długi czas po skończeniu książki, czuję, że czasami mnie nawiedza.

Nadszedł czas pożegnania Gregora z Podziemiem, ale czy oznacza to, że wróci do domu? I czym właściwie jest dom, co z niego zostało? Wątpliwości nachodzą młodego wojownika, kiedy odczytuje on ostatnią przepowiednię. Nadszedł czas pożegnania, ale przedtem Gregor ma jeszcze jedną misję do wypełnienia i bałagan do posprzątania. Kierowany twarzami istot, które zdążył pokochać.

Wiem, doskonale wiem o tym, jak już zdarzało mi się wychwalać tę serię pod każdym aspektem, co być może was dziwi i zastanawiacie się, czy o to podpytać. Jednak te książki naprawdę stają się coraz lepsze, a to sprawia, że jeszcze bardziej żal mi jest się z nimi żegnać. Och, wybaczcie, jeśli się powtarzam. To niewiarygodne, z jaką pasją, mądrością i precyzją Suzanne Collins prowadzi tę historię o dzieciach w podziemnym świecie oraz konflikcie międzygatunkowym. Underland Chronicles jest tak solidne i dopracowane, a opowieść tak żywa i poruszająca do głębi, że może być stawiana jako wzór dla innych twórców. A to, jak wiernie i stanowczo autorka stoi za własnymi wartościami i wierzeniami, czyni serię jedną z najwybitniejszych tego gatunku.

Mogę wykorzystać tę szansę zrecenzowania ostatniej części serii, by jeszcze raz wspomnieć, jak pięknie napisani są bohaterowie tych książek. Nie tylko łączą w sobie naturalny urok osobisty, cechy do bólu ludzkie i wątpliwość, tak należącą do człowieka, ale również doświadczają świetnego rozwoju postaci, wciąż odkrywają swoje karty i otrzymują wspaniałe pożegnanie od autorki. To, że nadal rozwijany jest wątek Hamneta, poruszyło moje serce do głębi i znowu skruszyło je na setki fragmentów; powrót do wcześniejszej historii Ripreda pozostawił mnie z wrażeniem, że ta opowieść dla dzieci jest jeszcze dojrzalsza, niż sądziłam, że to tak postacie zostają z nami na zawsze. Oczywiście zdążę się też nachwalić, jak to sceny i kolejne zdarzenia powieści są napisane tak naturalnie, żywo i nienachalnie, że budzą prawdziwy zachwyt i w okamgnieniu budują więź między czytelnikiem a światem przedstawionym. Naprawdę, żeby tak gładko przechodzić od samotności i lęku do słodkiej goryczki i śmiechu przez łzy, z wrażeniem, że to wszystko należy do życia i jest na swoim miejscu… Suzanne Collins pozostawiła w tej serii tyle serca, ile tylko mogła. Odnoszę wrażenie, że dała z siebie wszystko dla tej niepozornej historii o podziemnym świecie, jego dzieciach i dramatach, i jestem pewna, że napisanie jej zakończenia musiało być bardzo ciężkie. Chociaż z tyłu mojej głowy nadal pojawia się wątpliwość, to jednak wiara w jej decyzję jest silniejsza.

Nie byłaby to prawdziwa i pełna recenzja książki o Gregorze, gdybym nie wspomniała o motywie wojny, w tej części przedstawionym w tak porażający sposób. Suzanne Collins wracała do tej opowieści w każdej kolejnej książce, ale nigdy wcześniej jej głos nie zabrzmiał tak wyraźnie, stanowczo i bezkompromisowo; można by wrócić do ostatnich stron powieści i powiedzieć, że wręcz za bardzo to podkreśliła, nie pozostawiając po sobie niepewności, lecz przecież mamy do czynienia z powieścią dla młodszych czytelników. A patrząc na to, że to zakończenie ma jeszcze istny klimat prozy Hemingwaya po doświadczeniach I wojny światowej, jest to jeszcze bardziej imponujące. Tych wątków około wojennych mamy tutaj mnóstwo, a wśród nich pojawia się historia potrzebnej ofiary i żałoby za tymi, którzy odeszli, oraz za przyszłością, która się nie ziści, kiedy już się wie. Ten wątek szczególnie wyrywa serce z piersi, bo przecież tyle głównych postaci to przecież dzieci; to, jak Gregor próbował przywołać spokój ducha i ciszę, która kiedyś go ogarnie, doprowadzał mnie to do nieprawdopodobnych łez i żalu, nie wstydzę się tego przyznać. Równie silnie przedstawia się tu opowieść o rolach, które przyjmujemy podczas konfliktu, o motywach przekazanych nam przez przodków i osoby nad nami, którym nie do końca chcemy wierzyć; wątek odkrywania niewygodnej prawdy oraz kwestionowania nienawiści, która została nam przekazana z pokolenia na pokolenie, podążania za prawdami i stawiania na ich losu, jest prawdziwie pięknie napisany i wydaje się szczególnie ważny w naszych czasach oraz wobec konfliktu w Gazie. Postać Ripreda wyczynia tu rzeczy wspaniałe. A potem, po tym całym roller coasterze emocji, przychodzi chwila pożegnania i pytania, na co przyszła pora, co teraz ma się zdarzyć i jaka droga będzie tą właściwą? Ten ostatni motyw dochodzenia do siebie po wojnie i traumie oraz próby zaczęcia od nowa, jest dla mnie ogromnie trudny, wykańczający i pełny wątpliwości. To on zostawił mnie z pustką w środku i ciężarem na sercu, iskierką złości i poczucia zdrady, próbą dostrzeżenia czegoś więcej za ostatnimi słowami. Nie znalazłam w nich żadnej odpowiedzi, ale odkryłam przebłysk nadziei, jak rozdarcie, a to przecież ona pozwoliła tej opowieści dojść do końca, niosła ją na swoich barkach. Napisanie tego zakończenia musiało być dla Suzanne Collins ciężarem, lecz wierzę, że postąpiła słusznie.

Seria o Gregorze była czymś więcej niż tylko podmuchem świeżego powietrza, chciałabym jedną stopą zostać tam na zawsze, lecz nie mogę w taki sposób, jaki by mi się marzył. Zaszczytem było jej recenzowanie i przybliżanie nowym czytelnikom, a ja sama, hmm, zerkam jeszcze w stronę autorki, czy przyjdzie jeszcze odpowiedni czas na powrót. Może i zniszczyłby on efekt końcowy, ale uda się uzyskać przebaczenie.

[Olivia Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s hard to exaggerate how important this series is to me. i’ve loved it since middle school, but haven’t reread it since mid-high school. now at 22, this visit to gregor and the underland is even more meaningful. this is a beautiful story about resisting fascism, combatting hatred, and what it means to truly love people.

my favorite history professor says that she loves studying history because it makes the structures and institutions that we take for granted, unfamiliar. just because things have been one way for a long time, does not mean they have to be that way. i was reminded of this during my reread of the code of claw. as an outsider, gregor makes the structures of hatred and war unfamiliar to the underlanders, and provides them with some much needed perspective about they way they coexist.

finally, in an era of increasing authoritarianism, with a fascist leader pointing out one group as the cause of all our issues, this story is more important than ever.

suzanne collins might be better known for the hunger games (and honestly i get it), but this series is a masterpiece.

[Becky Ginther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to begin by saying that I was pleased with this book. I think it's always rather hard to end a series, but this final book felt pretty fitting and I thought it really worked. There was a lot that I liked about it, and it ended up being my favorite of the series.

I loved that we got to see the character of Lizzie a bit more. She had only been mentioned briefly in earlier books, but I always really liked her character probably because I related to her the most. She was scared and hesitant about what she heard of the Underland - a refreshing change, since I suspect most people would be terrified of giant rats and cockroaches rather than as heroic as Gregor and others have been. She's also extremely smart and has a huge heart. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she ends up trapped in the Underland to help unravel the Code of Claw.

Although she is the most scared out of any of the characters, she's also the only one who seems to have any affection for Ripred. I will admit that he wasn't exactly likable in the beginning, but his character definitely grew on me throughout the books until he was one of my favorites by the end. He's extremely smart, and though he never really pledged loyalty to Gregor, it was pretty clear throughout that he was on Gregor's side permanently. But now we learn a bit more about him. It turns out that he had a wife and kids who died. And he has an interesting position on the prophecies.

Throughout the series the books have followed a predictable pattern - we get a prophecy, they go on a quest to fulfill the prophecy, realize somewhere along the way that part of the prophecy may have been misinterpreted, and realize what it truly meant. The prophecies were always well written and left a lot of room for mystery and speculation on meaning. This book also brings us one final prophecy, with a section that doesn't seem too mysterious at all. It states that the warrior, Gregor, will be killed. So from the beginning of this book Gregor is resigning himself to death. However, their comes a moment when Ripred shares some interesting information with him - that he doesn't believe in the prophecies at all. Suddenly we're shown that the prophecies are all garbage that were just made up hundreds of years ago, and people have just been twisting them or interpreting them to fit certain situations. It makes a ton of sense, and gives some interesting insight to what people are like and how they will blindly believe what someone else "higher up" tells them.

This is most definitely a war story, and we see some interesting points of view on that. There are some extremely gruesome parts of the story. But we are also shown how things aren't so black and white in war. There is no "good" side and "evil" side. People take questionable tactics to win. It's painful to watch and just downright awful. But what, Gregor ponders, is the alternative to war? Is there another way to effectively deal with problems? Once again, there is a gray area. We leave thinking that there must be, but we don't know what it is or what could possibly work.

Inevitably, we lose one major character, and it's heartbreaking... if not because the audience has grown attached to the character, at least because Gregor has.

The ending seems about right for the series, though it does leave you wanting a bit more. It's hard because authors don't want to keep writing about their characters forever, tying up every single loose end, but readers often want to know what happened to these characters. We are left with a picture of Gregor's family that is bleak and broken down, but still with a glimmer of hope. If the hope shined through and gave them good lives again we'll never really know, but it's pretty clear that their lives have been changed forever by the events in these novels.

[Bakeshow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was I the only person totally annoyed by the romance between TWELVE YEAR OLDS???? I mean, Come ON! I dont care who you are- twelve year old's do not know what it really means to be in love- heck I dont know what it really means.

I thought it was gory and gross and not well played out. I read through all the books just because I had to see how it all ended up. Personally, i thought the humans should have left the underworld. They dont really belong there anyway. And nothing was resolved with the family... and Gregor. Was he to go around the rest of his life not being able to talk about these horrific things that he was a part of? That's going to leave all kinds of scars on anyone. Adults have issues for the rest of thier lives because of things they see in war- how is a kid supposed to have a normal life after that- after killing beings who can talk and think for themselves? After seeing these creatures behead each other and use the body parts as weapons? He's gonna need major therapy, but what therapist wouldnt throw him in a looney bin if he goes around telling stories like that? And he'll end up going crazy anyway thinking about it and not being able to discuss it with anyone.

I know, I know, it's fiction- but to make it believable... anyway, I love Collin's style of writing, and the worlds that she creates but this one fell a little flat for me.