Gregor and the Code of Claw Quotes

“The War Has Been Declared.
Your Ally Been Ensnared.
It Is Now Or It Is Never.
Break The Code Or Die Forever.


Time Is Running Out
Running Out
Running Out


To the Warrior Give My Blade
By His Hand Your Fate Is Made
But Do Not Forget the Ticking
Or the Clicking, Clicking, Clicking
While a Rat's Tongue May Be Flicking
With Its Feet It Does the Tricking
For the Paw and Not the Jaw
Makes the Code of Claw


Time Is Standing Still
Standing Still
Standing Still


Since the Princess Is the Key
To Unlock the Treachery
She Cannot Avoid the Matching or the Scratching, Scratching, Scratching
When a Secret Plot is Hatching
In the Naming Is the Catching
What She Saw, It Is the Flaw
Of the Code of Claw


Time is Turning Back
Turning Back
Turning Back


When the Monster's Blood Is Spilled
When the Warrior Has Been Killed
You Must Not Ingore the Rapping
Or the Tapping, Tapping, Tapping
If the Gnawers Find you Napping
You Will Rot While They Are Mapping
Out the Law of Those Who Gnaw
In the Code of Claw”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Never," said Gregor. "I'll never get rid of you, no matter how hard I try." It was no longer an effort to say the words. "I love you."
"I love you, too," said Luxa.
After that there was nothing left to say.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Remember that even in war there is a time for restraint. A time to hold back your sword.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“If you hit bottom, there's a whole lot of people here to help you up”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Even in war there should be lines you didn't cross.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“He was safe for the moment, here in the playground, but 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. Would it ever change? What would it take to make it 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. Like Vikus said, nothing would happen unless you hoped it could. If you had hope, maybe you could find the way to make things change. Because if you thought about it, there were so many reasons to try.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“You're really going to do it, aren't you? You're really going to go back to war?" Gregor said. He could feel something boiling up inside of him. "So, we'll just forget about what happened. The jungle, the Firelands, the Bane." His voice was rising and he could feel the rager side of him taking over. "Forget about everybody who's dead! Tick and Twitchtip and Hamnet and Thalia and Ares! And your parents, Luxa! And your pups, Ripred! Let's just forget about everybody who gave their lives so that you could have this moment where you could — could make things right again! So you could stop the killing! We were fighting for the same thing, remember? You two owe each other your lives! You owe me your lives! And now you stand there and ask me to choose between you? To help you kill each other?" Gregor yanked Sandwich's sword from his belt and swung it so violently that even Luxa and Ripred stepped back. "Well, guess what? The warrior's not fighting for either of you!”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“All of the creatures were staring fixedly at Boots. She was standing on the back of her loyal cockroach friend, Temp, smack in the middle of the octagon, singing "The Itsy-Bisty Spider" at the top of her lungs. The green spider, to whom the song principially was directed, seemed to be cringing. Boots was somewhat off-key, but Gregor was pretty sure it was the loudness that was making the arachnid hunch down and contract.

"She has been going on like this for hours," whispered Nerissa. "Days more like it," said Ripred in disgust.

"Next I will sing one for you!" announced Boots, pointing at the bat, who actually flinched.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“If you had hope, maybe you could find a way to make things change,. Because if you thought about it, there were so many reasons to try.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“And don't you let your guard down for a second because you think anything's inevitable.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“It's just me and the Bane. And I'm fighting him because he killed all of those innocent mice and people, and I have to stop him. Not because Sandwich says so but because I say so.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“In theory, sure, Gregor could still go home. Pack up his three-year-old sister, Boots, get his mom out of the hospital, where she was recovering from the plague, and have his bat, Ares, fly them back up to the laudry room of their appartment building in New York City. Ares, his bond, who saved his life numerous times and who had had nothing but suffering since he had met Gregor. He tried to imagine the parting. "Well, Ares, it's been great. I'm heading home now. I know by leaving I'm completely dooming to annihilation everbody who's helped me down here, but I'm really not up for this whole war thing anymore. So, fly you high, you know?" Like that would ever happen.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“He wanted to stay there forever, letting her soothe him, pretending he was just a kid and his mom could make everything okay.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Ripred held up his paws in mock surprise. “Oh, dear. Is this where we fight to the death? I didn’t expect it so soon.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Four can be as stupid as ten. No need to crowd the room.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Suddenly Gregor smiled. “Hey, Boots,” he said. “Hey. You can finally say my name.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“There was nothing to do but keep moving forward and make the moments count.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Lost them all. All gone. No chance to even say goodbye." There was a long pause, then the rat continued. "I went off alone for months. I wanted to die. I tried to. But it takes a lot to kill me.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“They will come up with a plan. No one will like it. Everyone will feel they have been treated unfairly, but will be happy that their neighbors feel the same. And that is the nature of compromise.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“What did I tell you?” said the rat, and stuffed a clawful of shrimp into his stupid mouth.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“And he would put his arms around her and hold her, but he had no idea what to tell her. In his mind, Gregor knew how to kill things, not bring them back ti life.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Fly you high," said Gregor. He wished he could have said more. About how grateful he was to Howard for all he'd done, about how if he'd had a big brother, he would have wanted him to be just like Howard. Someone who was kind and brave and not afraid to say he cared about things or to admit he'd been wrong. But now Luxa would have Howard for a brother, and that was more important.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Man, these rats want me dead!” Gregor remarked to Ares when they had lifted above the fighting to take a breather. On the ground, a snarling group of two dozen rats ran to stay directly under Ares. “Has this only just occurred to you?” asked Ares, and Gregor could hear the rare Huh-huh-huh that meant Ares was laughing. Gregor laughed, too. They were both in uncharacteristically good moods.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“That explained it. The beautiful, blue light wasn’t from another world; it was from Photos Glow-Glow’s butt.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“mumbo jumbo”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Move. Now.” Ripred held up his paws in mock surprise. “Oh, dear. Is this where we fight to the death? I didn’t expect it so soon.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Maybe it was impossible. But maybe it wasn't. Like Vikus said, nothing would happen unless you hoped it could. If you had hope, maybe you could find the way to make things change. Because if you thought about it, there were so many reasons to try.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“He struggled to get ahold of himself. This had to stop! He couldn't flip out every time he thought about what lay before him. Of all the people he would never see, or all the things he would never do. He would be worthless. Of no use at all. He had to have something in his mind to hold on to. Something that gave him strength.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“WHEN THE WARRIOR HAS BEEN KILLED,”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw

“Hey, Boots,” he said. “Hey. You can finally say my name.”
― Suzanne Collins, Gregor and the Code of Claw