Reviews

3.5 Stars. I read this as a bedtime story to my 13 and 11 year old sons, who both liked it as well. This time Gregor needs to find a cure for a plague that causes some pretty gross stuff to happen to a body (and eventually death!). Gregor's mom has more of a role in this, and since we've gotten to know his dad a bit by this point, that was a fine change.

Boots, Ripred and others are back, though I really enjoyed the new characters that were added, even though they brought with them some more drama. The family drama runs thick in this title, but doesn't detract from the quest, which is as engaging as ever.

One thing I've especially noticed about reading these books aloud, is how heavy on dialogue they are. This is fine, though Collins may rely just a touch too much on the "so and so said" mechanism. I tried to use different tones for each character, and since so many of the spoken lines end the same way, my kids would often blurt out (correctly, too) before I had finished, "said Gregor" or "Ripred said". Becoming familiar with a writer's style is no crime, though, and we'll be starting the fourth book tonight.

rchluther's review against another edition

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4.0

Light, elementary school reading, but still pulls you right in. Normal plot and characters, but you just fall in love with them and want to know what happens next. Can't wait for book 4!

Update with 2021 reading: I don't care if her books are formulaic, this one may be my favorite. I love the quest, I love the supporting characters, I love the new characters, and even though I had guessed at parts of the "twist" I was still a little surprised by it. LOL