Welcome to the Next Chapter Book Club’s new Rate & Review series!
Each month, we will bring you one club’s thoughts and opinions about a book they read together. This month, we hear from a Thursday evening book club that meets in the Hilliard area.
Book or series of books: The Underland Chronicles (series of 5 books)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Please tell our readers a little about your book club.
“We eat, we read, we celebrate”, the group agrees. This close-knit group loves to celebrate together, whether for a birthday, holiday, or the finishing of a book. Sometimes, members meet at a theater to watch the movie version of a book they have read or plan to read.
Kevin joined the club in 2009. He shares, “It was a very different group at the time. We were meeting at Tim Horton’s in Dublin. When Nichele came along, it became our permanent group.”
Nichele began co-facilitating the club over 10 years ago. As Kevin said, membership in the group has changed very little since then. These NCBC members and facilitators know about each other’s lives and keep track of each other’s whereabouts. Clearly, they have all become true friends.
From left to right: Kevin, Nichele, Zach, Nadia, Bob, Taylor, and Jason (aka Jay-Dog). Missing from photo: Bec
Nichele also notes, “Our group likes dystopian novels.” Over the years, this club has read many books about dark, imaginary worlds, such as the Divergent series, The Maze Runner series, and The Hunger Games series. The latest series of books the club will soon finish is The Underland Chronicles.
What are The Underland Chronicles about?
“The Underland Chronicles revolve around a young disadvantaged boy who discovers that he is the center of a series of prophecies in the Underland where the “humans”, or Underlanders, are in constant war with the Gnawers,” Kevin said.
It should be noted that “Gnawers” are giant rats! Located below New York City, the Underland is home to humans who have adapted to live in harmony with some of the oversized creatures, while they battle with others. The main character, Gregor, is a human from “the Overland” who becomes the Underlander’s best hope for peace.
How easy is this series of books to understand?
Taylor states that the books are not easy or hard to understand, but “somewhat in the middle.” Some members nod their heads in agreement. Others say the books are easy, especially compared to other books by this author, such as The Hunger Games.
When Nadia began co-facilitating, the club was already reading the fourth book in the series. She adds, “I had to catch up on the vocabulary!”
What do you like about the series?
Speaking of vocabulary, club members agree that the names and sizes of the animals and insects in the Underland are unusual, to say the least. With 13-foot-tall “Gnawers” (rats), 5-foot-long “Cutters” (ants), and enormous “Fliers” (bats) that carry humans, the Underland is a dark and strange world full of giant, often quirky, creatures.
One of the gnawers, Ripred, is a favorite among club members. Kevin notes that he is “a likable jerk.”
Taylor and Jason “Jay-Dog” like that this story takes place in a separate world, like the arena in The Hunger Games.
Nichele says, “I like that each book keeps us coming back. They end on a cliffhanger, so you need to keep going.”
Are there any parts of the book that you don’t like? If so, what are they?
While some members say they are not bothered by the violence in these books, Taylor and Nadia point out that there are some very gory parts. Kevin notes that he disliked one scene in particular with a volcano and many of the “Nibblers” (mice).
If another Next Chapter Book Club was thinking about reading this book, what would you tell them?
Jay-Dog says that other book clubs should be ready for “action and fighting!”
Bob shares, “I’d definitely recommend it. It’s interesting to see how the technology is different in the different climates [Underland vs. Overland], how the humans, or “Regalians”, in the Underland interact with all the creatures, how alliances change, and how some of the groups of animals have such peculiar personalities.”
Please rate this book on a scale from 1 to 5 stars.
This Next Chapter Book Club gives The Underland Chronicles 4.25 out of 5 stars.