Customer Reviews

Into the Wild (Warrior Cats)

5 star:		(317)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Kids are pretty savvy when it comes to discovering books that fill a particular need. At the library where I work, I'd seen them taking out this "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter fairly regularly. For some reason it's near impossible to keep these puppies on the shelves. Curiosity got ahold of me, so I decided to sit down and read through the first of these somewhat odd stories. I would never have been able to guess that the secret lives of cats would be so interesting to children. Housecats, definitely not. But when it comes to the lives and loyalties of the feral variety, Hunter's definitely tapped into a rich resource of text.

Rusty has a fairly good life. He lives with a family of humans (or Two-legs) that love him. He gets regular feedings, even if it's yucky dry stuff. He even has his own little cat door to come in and out of. Rusty isn't content, however. He dreams of catching mice in the forest not far from his home. When a night's exploration of that forest ends with a confrontation with the wild cats that live without human interference, Rusty readily joins them and their clan. Renamed "Firepaw", the cat learns that he has dropped smack dab into the middle of a war. The clan he has joined is called ThunderClan and is ruled by the magnanimous Bluestar. Other clans like RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan fight continually for dominance over a rapidly dwindling food supply. ThunderClan needs recruits like Firepaw to stay alive, and through their training the new cat is on his way to becoming a warrior. Along the way he must face hunger, dismissal, and learn some shocking truths about the animals he's agreed to join.

Hunter conjures up a well-thought out world in which cats have their own system of governance. This is a kind of "Watership Down", but with drawn out fighting sequences. The cats here act like cats. They don't put on vests and waistcoats and discuss philosophy. They don't stand on their hind legs or use their paws like fingers. These are real animals. For the sake of keeping them alive, Hunter does create a kind of Medicine Cat for each clan, who rubs natural herbs into wounds. That's about as technically adept as these kitties get. At the beginning of the book, the author presents us with two maps of the area where this book takes place. A cat-view map lists everything in their terms. A second human-view map makes it clear where exactly the cats actually are.

This is not to say that the book isn't downright silly at times. Hunter loves giving these cats somewhat repetitive names like Nightpelt, Smallear, and Longtail. One cat, Lionheart, has the same name as a carebear from the 1980s. Poor planning on Hunter's part. She also falls into a classic children's literature trap. You know that when the main character has a vital piece of information that he should give someone as soon as possible and he says something along the lines of, "Oh good! Now I can tell this person this vital piece of information", that something's going to come up to prevent him. In this case, Firepaw is given to understand that a friend of his may be killed almost immediately. So does he immediately go out and tell the clan's wise leader? Heck no! He's given TWO chances to do so and each time he keeps quiet for obscure plot-centric reasons. That's really the kind of book that this is. It's fun to read, exciting, and with a new meticulously thought out world. It's also rather predictable.

If you've a kid who's a fan of the "Redwall" series but is more interested in animals that don't wear clothing, this is the book for you. Both boys and girls check it out at a fast and furious rate. It's one of the few series out there that both sexes enjoy fully. A better written book than all the "Magic Treehouse" and "Droon" series out there combined but still less good than, say, Avi's, "Poppy" books or "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH".

INTO THE WILD is the first volume of a large series of books in which writer Erin Hunter has conjured up an amazing world of feral cat tribes which struggle for survival literally right outside your own backyard!

The saga begins here with Rusty, a domestic cat (or as wild cats call them, "kittypets") who longs to be out on his own, free, eating what he kills, sleeping where he wants. One night, while exploring the nearby woods, he encounters members of ThunderClan, one of four feline tribes that struggle with each other for dominance of the area. Treated with contempt and hostility in the beginning, Rusty proves himself by fighting for ThunderClan in their war against the aggressive ShadowClan. Renamed Firepaw, he is accepted into the tribe to become one of their fiercest warriors.

This action-packed but intelligent book and subsequent volumes have delighted children, fantasy readers and cat lovers of all ages.

as rusty, a normal household cat, goes along with his daily routines, he encounters the cats that will change his life forever. the wild clan cats he meet whose stories had been told to him so many times have finally come to life for him. rusty is shocked and anxious when ask him to join thunderclan (the other wild cat clans of the series are riverclan, shadowclan, windclan, and starclan). he accepts and is welcomed to the clan by MOST cats as an apprentice named firepaw*. he meets graypaw, who will become a friend of a lifetime to him. firepaw goes through many obstacles, like convincing the clan that he was a true warrior at heart and not a kittypet owned by twolegs. this book is told from firepaw's view mainly, which i thought was very exciting and it captivated me from the very first page until the very last. firepaw discovers the dark truth of tigerclaw and redtail, the deputy of thunderclan before he was killed in a battle with riverclan. no one knows the truth of redtail's death except for an apprentice (in the beginning, it's not firepaw...) - this was when things really become suspenseful! i especially thought this book was tragic; there were so many lost lives in the first volume of a wonderful series. all of them were courageous and were respected as honoured cats of the clans. of all the books of the original warriors series, the second one was my favourite ("fire and ice"), although "into the wild" was really the one that got me into this series of adventure and fantasy.

*kits of the clan take the name "kit" ex. firekit, apprentices of the clan take the name of "paw" ex. firepaw, warriors take the name of many words, such as "heart" ex. fireheart, and "fur" ex. rainfur, and leaders of the clan take the name of "star", like bluestar of thunderclan.

Everybody should buy this adventurous book Into the Wild. This book is about cats fighting for survival. These cats follow a law of a clan named Starclan. Starclan is practically heaven but with no God only cats. A cat named Rusty lives with people, or Twolegs, and that makes him a kittypet. Rusty goes into the woods and joins a clan named Thunderclan. He is supposed to promise to protect his clan with his life. He makes new friends and finds out treacherous secrets that only he can reveal. He gets a new name from his clan and before he came the clans medicine cat had a vision that only fire can save the clan. Rusty is worried but will be ready when war comes to his clan.

My eleven year old daughter has been going through this series with a loyalty unmatched so far by other titles. When Harry Potter's last book was released she asked for the next Warriors book. I have not read the books but she tells me about the different cat tribes and their adventures. She laughs out loud, she gets worried, but most importantly she is loving reading these books.

My 9-year-old started the first book in the series a couple of months ago, and now she's read all of them at least once. She gets up in the morning and reads Warrior books instead of getting ready for school. She comes home and reads them instead of doing homework. She reads them at night instead of helping clean up dishes. She has organized her friends into clans. They have clan meetings and put clan marks all over the things in our back yard.

I've read the first couple of the books, starting with Into the Wild, and I can see why she loves them. The characters are so well drawn that you feel like you really know them. They face real moral dilemmas and behave in complex ways. Erin Hunter does not talk down to her readers. There's humor but no silliness. Very good books.

My daughter is in fourth grade, but she reads at sixth grade level. The reading level of these books is like 5.5 or 6.0. Great for anyone 5th grade or higher, and for the advanced 4th grader.

Looking for a great read? If you are, then this is the book for you. Warriors, by Erin Hunter, is a great book. Hunter has made this book worth reading by writing an amazing animal fiction story. This book is an amazing story about cats and has a great plot.

For generations, four Clans (ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan) have lived by a Warrior Code set down by their ancestors. The Code had not been broken until now. ShadowClan is forcing other Clans out of their territories and is increasing their hunting grounds. But when an adventurous young kitty-pet wanders into the forest, he meets the ThunderClan leader, Bluestar, and joins, leaving his old life behind. The kitty-pet's name is Rusty. The Clan is suffering and Bluestar needs all of the apprentices she can have. With Blustar ans his new mentor, Rusty is trained for battle against the menacing ShadowClan. Many mysterious deaths are ovvurring and spies sleep and eat inside the camp. ThunderClan needs help and only Fire alone can save them.

I love this book because I adore animals. This story has an enticing plot and should be read by by any animal or cat lovers. I read this book because I has no book to read and in the animal fiction setion of the class library this book popped out of the shelves like it was meant to be read. I love this book and am now currently reading the second book in the series. If you come upon this book ever, pick it up and I am sure you will never want it to end!

This is one of the most exceptional books I have ever read. The tale begins with a regular housecat "kittypet" named Rusty who ventures beyond his Twolegs' home and finds himself in the territory of the ferocious Thunderclan cats. Then he realizes that he has a chance to know more freedom than he has ever known. After defeating a seasoned warrior, Longtail, the clan's leader, Bluestar, grants him permission to be an apprentice in their camp. And so starts the adventure. Rusty, now Firepaw, along with his friends Graypaw and Ravenpaw venture out and trie to impress their gaurdians by catching fresh-kill and patrolling against the sly Shadowclan cats and eventually discovering a few secrets of them own such as the mysterious death of thunderclan deputy Redtail. This is a MUST READ book. To find out what happens next to Firepaw or Fireheart now, read the next books in the series, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, and Rising Storm.

A definate must-read!

Rusty, a common house-cat, takes a trip into the forest and ends up joining ThunderClan, a group of wildcats in the forest. There are four Clans in all, ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan and WindClan. This book is an instant classic, and I have never met a person who didn't enjoy it. The best part is Rusty's, or "Firepaw's" adventures don't end in the first novel. This is a six-book series, and I have only one thing to say:

READ IT!

Warriors: Into the Wild
Erin Hunter
C.Lim

This book is the best. When I started reading it I had my doubts. However, soon I was enveloped in the fierce yet ineresting society of the four great clans. This is a great book that should be read by anybody who is fascinated by how dangerous the natural world can be. Erin Hunter has truly made a great jump start on a brand new series.

The book starts out as a young housecat named Rusty finally succumbs to his curiosity of the forest and ventures in. He is soon attacked by a young cat called Graypaw. He uses his wits to defend himself by using his wits and succeeds in winning the match. Unbeknownst to him, to other cats were watching close by. However, he is offered by the leaders a chance to join their clan as a member. After he ponders this for one day, he jois their clan as Firepaw. After Firepaw learns the mysterious ways of the clans, he learns that the powerful Shadowclan is starting to control all the territories, and Wind clan has suffered from their wrath. Thunderclan is the only one that can stop it. Firepaw leads a small but determined army to stop it. I don't want to ruin the ending, but anybody should be able to enjoy it.