Customer Reviews

Gregor And The Curse Of The Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles, Book 3)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't give too many things five stars and I had to think this one over a bit, but upon reflection, I think it deserves it. Although you do have to read the first two not just for the backstory, but to see why it rates higher, the way it's more developed, the writing more mature.

While the first book had a focus on us getting to know Gregor and the Underland, the second on Gregor's growth emotionally and mentally, this one is all about disillusionment, the realities of politics and human greed, and Gregor truly leaving most of his childhood behind.

The Underlanders, for all that they look different are, inside, no different from the rest of humanity. That's the lesson I came out with, anyway, and it's a good one. In this latest quest, any remaining illusions Gregor (or the readers) might've had about Underland are irreversibly shattered. The human Underlanders are mostly decent people, the same as the rest of humanity as we know it, but there are enough bad apples in power there to make them all look bad, the same as here in the Overland. There's prejudice, blind, unthinking hatred, rifts between families, murder, malicious deception, pure greed, and it all gives the story such a good feel of reality. In a world filled with giant creatures, that touch of reality grounds the story and makes it easier for the reader to relate to, makes the suspension of disbelief much easier to maintain.

A plague is mowing its way through the warmbloods of Underland and yet another prophecy says that Gregor and Boots must be there to stop it. Only this time, their mother isn't letting them go alone.

Her inclusion, and the way she's yanked suddenly from the story by contracting the plague, I found particularly interesting. Gregor is afraid of how it will make him look, the "warrior" with his mother hovering over him. And then she's not there and he's on his own again, put in the position of rescuing her, as he once had done for his father. I see this as the final severing of Gregor's ties to his childhood. He's truly the caretaker here, his own person with his mother out of the picture for almost the entire story. And he fills the roll well.

Gregor's an old hand at questing now and knows how to deal with it. Yes, he makes a few mistakes along the way, but that's a lack of experience and wisdom. Both of which he gains at a heavy price. And throughout the journey he reinforces in his own mind (and ours) that he's not a child anymore, no longer one of the "pups." It's something that you can see visibly saddens the adults around him, but it's also something they accept, because what's done is done and this was necessary.

The ending isn't truly a surprise, not if you read one of the characters right in the beginning, but it's disheartening and you can really feel for the ones who were betrayed. All of them, even the non-humans. It's also a good bit of social commentary, sobering when you look at it.

Gregor's return to the Overland and the problems left for him and his family aren't glossed over, I was happy to see. In fact, things are worse off now than before he left. It paves the way towards a decision I thought he was wise to make. But I suppose we'll have to wait for the next book to see how that one pans out.

The writing continues to improve with each book, as does the pacing and the character development. As Gregor matures, so does the text. He's twelve now, at the end of this story. Twelve fast going on thirty, and while you're sad for him, it's what has to happen, and what will undoubtedly get him through whatever comes next in the Underland.

Following "Gregor the Overlander" and "Gregor and the Phrophecy of Bane", this third story is truly one that will leave readers in awe of how Collins sculpts such a creation to life.
Oddly enough, though, "Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods" is truly a darker story than the previous two, at times being eerily exciting. There's action, and Gregor's newfound Rager-instincts are taking their toll at the most unpredictable moments possible.
And who would expect in the middle of this inspiring adventure. . .a little family reunion?
Things are never what they seem.

The third book in the Gregor series picks up shortly after the last one ends and quickly tosses the reader into familiar territory. Once again, Gregor takes up a task underground in order to save a family member. In the first book it was his father, in book two his sister Boots, and now it's his mother, who in accompanying him down to the underground contracted a seemingly fatal disease that threatens to wipe out the warmbloods.
As foretold by a prophecy (another familiar element from the other books), Gregor joins a group made up of rats, crawlers, humans, and bats who have put aside (somewhat) their hatred for each other to seek the cure to this plague that strikes them all. The quest will take them deep into a dangerous forest, the only place where the plant that supposedly holds the cure grows.
The strengths of book three are the same as the earlier books. The story moves along smoothly at a quick pace with almost no lagging moments. The main characters continue to grow in complexity, maturing with age and experience as well as revealing previously concealed aspects of personality and experience. The new characters obviously don't have the same depth, but are also fully drawn as Collins manages to avoid the flatness of character that mars so many other young adult fantasy books, even those that are three times the length and so should have time for more complex characters.
The setting remains somewhat too vague for my liking; as in books one and two I wish Collins had sacrificed a little speed of story for a more vivid sense of place. The plotting in this one is not quite as strong as in the others--a bit more straightforward (though with a nice darkly cynical twist at the end) and containing a few scenes that seem a bit sketchy, not quite fully thought out or drawn out. As in previous books, death is not simply an insincere threat hanging over a quest where you know all will survive. Characters die in this book as they have in others and though Collins in my mind glosses over one a bit too easily, others have more impact, some surprisingly so.
The end of the underground section seems a bit abrupt, but as is usual, Collins doesn't neatly tie things off in a happy bow. Some questions from book two have been answered, others have not. Some characters have survived but not untouched (Gregor's father, for instance, has still not fully recovered from the events of book one, a welcome bit of realistic shading). And new questions and problems have arisen. There is at least one more book to come obviously, but there is no sense of padding an over-worked story. The characters and problems remain interesting and in some cases have grown more so. Strongly recommended for older young readers. Younger readers won't have a problem with following plot, but may be truly frightened by an early vivid scene involving rats in the walls and also may be upset by the deaths that take place.

I have been following Gregor through his many adventures. This new book did not let me down. Gregor must find the cure for a deadly disease or he will lose his mother, friends, and Aries. He has no choice put to put his life in danger once again. Gregor show so many wonderful qualities in a character. Along with the some of the other characters from the previous books this book is full of new adventure and tough decisions. While it is a childrens adventure story I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys a good adventure novel.

It all starts when Gregor goes to the Underland with Boots adn his mom. The cockroaches won't attend a meeting unless Princess Boots is there. When one of Gregor's family members gets infected with a deadly plague, Gregor understands his roll in the Prophecy of Blood. Many amazing creatures come along on his quest. They face many sad deaths in this book so I would recommend this book to people ten or older. This is an action packed book with a little mystery. I could not put this book down until I finished it. The moral of this story is bravery. Two examples of bravery are Gregor fighting off poisonous frogs and him battleing vicious blood thirsty rats. If you are a fan of Suzanne Collins, this is her best book yet. Who will end the never ending war, Gregor or the plague?

After reading the first two books in the Underland Chronicles ("Gregor the Overlander" and "Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane") I was waiting for a third one to come out. At my school library I was looking for a good book and asked my librarian if she recommended this one. She said that she didn't think Suzanne Collins could surprise her again, but she did! Certain images of the scenes in the other books stay stuck in my head, but the events in this book are still reeling through my mind! It's very vivid. It also puts Gregor in more of a heartfelt, urgent quest because the lives of his mother and his bond, Ares, are at stake when they contract the plague, as well as Howard and Andromeda. Yes, people do die, but that makes it even more real to me. This book is somewhat "darker" than the previous two-- not victorious, as Gregor has more experience and is more aware of the danger. He is still attempting to harness his raging abilities. And there are some unexpected surprises. I was shocked to hear where the plague had started, but I won't give it away-- I'm sure there are some eager readers out there now! This book was 358 pages, but I read it in 4 hours straight-- I hope that gives you an idea of how entertaining it was! I also wonder how many people will agree with me: I think there has to be another book, especially with the cliff-hanger ending!

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods is an awesome book!!!!! I love it! This is the 3rd book in the Underland Chronicles. It continues the story of Gregor and his family. Gregor is anticipating to get a note from the Underland about the dissapperence of Luxa. Then Gregor is called down to go for a meeting, but his mom won't let him. Then Gregor's mom agrees, but she will go with them this time. A mysterious plague a broken out in the Underland, making all warmblooded creatures sick. When Gregor's mom is sticken with it, Gregor and Boots must go on a quest to fufill the Prophecy of Blood. Brewing with more scarier moments then the first two, fans of Suzanne Collin's series will agree with me that this is the best book out of the entire series!

It is a great book. I rated it five stars. It has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Once you read this book you will love it. It is one of the best books I have ever read. When my parents ask me to go to bed I never want to put it down. You just cant stop reading. Everybody in my class loves this book. And every other Gregor book. She illustrates a picture in your mind. You cant stop thinking about what is going to happen next.

The Underland Chronicles have become my current favorite children's books. You have to be cautious about heaping too much praise on an uncompleted series, but I can say that at this point I rank these books on par with Narnia for sheer magic. Lacking the theological underpinnings, Collins' series does share some superficial similarities--mundane children entering another world through secret portals to discover that they are part of something grand. In the case of 11-year-old Gregor, he must cope with the unexpected difficulties of being the prophesied "warrior," burdened with quite a bit more responsibility than he would like. Themes of sacrifice and honor are heavily explored.

This novel, like the others in the series, has an engaging plot with rapid movement that should keep readers of most ages involved and entertained. But the real strength here lies in the characters. Gregor in particular is very real and sympathetic. His struggles to balance his personal needs and desires with his greater sense of what is "right" are deftly handled--not so heavy-handed as to weigh the story down, they impart messages without preaching. The characters around him are fleshed out in part by Gregor's empathy. His efforts to understand others makes his companions three-dimensional as well. As near as I can determine, Collins is careful to give consideration to the motives of everyone in her stories. Her villains are not particularly noble, but they do make sense. One word of warning to those considering these books for very young readers: while I am comfortable sharing these stories with my 8-year-old son, I believe that some more sensitive audiences may find the intensity of Gregor's adventures hard to handle. Characters do die in these stories--indeed, sometimes Gregor kills them. Violence is not glorified in these books--far from it--but there are moral dilemmas and tragedies that parents might want to read for themselves before sharing these treasures with their children. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend against them even for very small children, but parents of the more sensitive might want to prepare and judge for themselves.

I can't say where Gregor's adventures will take him or if at the end of the journey I will have enjoyed them as much as I'm enjoying them now, but I will say that there are no other books on the market that I anticipate as keenly as I do these. I would invite readers of any age to share the experience with me. But do start at the beginning. Coming in on the middle of this series would only deprive you of a lot of the texture that makes this world wonderful.

Thus far, all of the books in The Underland Chronicles have been great breaths of fresh air in the fantasy genre. Books One and Two were both fun and fulfilling reads, and Book Three is ranked as high as those two. Let's examine some of the great parts of this book.

+ Gregor- his annoying pride is finished with!
+ There is a conflict that makes it harder for him to get to the Underland than usual, and that makes for a suspenseful few opening chapters.
+ As this is the third book, our (the readers) relationships with the characters grow and grow (both love and hatred).

Some good plot points from the other novels make appearances again.

+ Interesting new setting? Check!
+ Heart-breaking death? Check!
+ Ripred? Check!
+ A quest full of suspense? Check!
+ A new prophecy? Check!
+ A cliffhanger? Check!

If any of the above hasn't even sparked your interest, I hope this will: Get the book. It's good. Very good.

9/10