Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Gregor and the Prophecy Of Bane by Suzanne Collins

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE! Please do not forget about the Reading Challenge! For more information, you can click the link in my sidebar or click here. I know that some of you are already participating, as I have had quite a few e-mails with questions, so I plan to do an FAQ post by the end of the week to clear a few things up and hopefully get more of you joining in. I've also had some contact with a few people that may really help make the prize a LOT more sweet, so I'm trying to hold off on that post until I've made the final arrangements on that! But keep tuned more, so much more to come!

Gregor And The Prophecy Of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Book Two in the Underland Chronicles
(BCC)

Months have passed since Gregor first fell into the strange Underland beneath New York City, and he swears he will never go back. But he is destined to be a key player in another prophecy, this one about an ominous white rat called the Bane. The Underlanders know there is only one way to lure Gregor back to their world: by kidnapping his little sister, Boots.

Now Gregor's quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, and the rebellious princess, Luxa. They descend into the dangerous Waterway in search of the Bane, and Gregor knows what is at stake. If he does not fulfill the prophecy, his life, and the Underland, will never be the same.

When Gregor and Boots fell down the vent in the laundry room, his family was changed forever. Gregor discovers an entire world beneath our own, a world inhabited not by magical creatures, but real humans and their human sized enemies and allies, such as rats, bats, cockroaches, spiders, mice, and so much more. He also discovered that the strange light haired, violet eyed people and the huge animals believe him to be the warrior that has been spoken of in their prophecies. So while after that first trip to the Underland Gregor may have taken away one good thing - his father. Gregor also took away a few bad things. His father may be with them now, but he is not the same man and Gregor has nightmares of the people he met and their world.

Gregor doesn't care what any prophecy says, he is NOT their warrior, and he will NOT go back to the Underland. He plans to keep as far away as he possibly can. But then Boots disappears, and Gregor knows just where she went and who has her. So, against his mother and father's better judgment, Gregor heads back to the Underland to get his sister and to get home.

But the Underlanders have a different plan for Gregor. They don't intend for him to go anywhere, let alone home, until he fulfills the second prophecy. Only this prophecy could mean the death of his beloved sister and also calls for him to kill. Seeing no choice in the matter if Gregor has any hope for himself and his sister to make it home, he and his "team" head out on this next quest to hunt the Bane and hopefully stay alive.

Gregor learned in the first book that the Underland was nothing like his own, the Overland, and the difference only become more clear as he is attacked by giant sea creatures, a swarm of mites, and so many more dangers than even he could imagine.

One thing is for sure, if Gregor and Boots survive, he will never be the same again, neither will the Underland.

In this second installment of the Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins grabs you from the get-go and it's nearly impossible to quit reading once you've started. In fact, I've mentioned before that this series is one we are reading aloud as a family, and I read this book out loud to them in only two sittings! Talk about a sore throat! But, oh was it worth it!

Suspense, friendship, courage, and compassion fill each and every page, that had my family glued to this world. And even though there is no magic involved in the creation of the Underland, it's end result is pure magic as I watch readers young and old come together in my household for more.

Grab the first book in this series and be prepared to want the rest immediately. Grab the first book in this series no matter your age, and even if you don't have a child to read with. You won't be sorry you fell head first through the pages just as Gregor and Boots did with the vent. But trust me on this, it's a thrill ride like never before!

Take Care


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