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ashley_choo's review against another edition
5.0
The saddest story I’ve ever read in my entire life. It hits the most tender spots and I wanna hug my little kitten and my old dog so hard
cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely, lovely book. "Poetic" isn't a good enough word to describe it; "lyrical" just about does it, but I can't find a word to perfectly capture how melodic the writing is. The dog and his cats are sweet but not cloying; they love each other and do all they can to take care of each other.
The book is not just about how cute animals are, nor is it a basic animal adventure tale. It is a tale of love, longing and belonging, created with care, the layers of ingredients added a bit at a time over a long period of simmering until the whole is a thick, warm - well - gumbo (it IS set in the bayous of western Louisiana/eastern Texas - and the setting is just about a whole character of its own, it is such a vital part of the book).
Though the book is not overweening with cuteness, Appelt clearly loves her animals; the kittens and their kitten ways are captured with aplomb and warmth.
Heartily recommended.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/underneath-clean-young-adult-book-review/
The book is not just about how cute animals are, nor is it a basic animal adventure tale. It is a tale of love, longing and belonging, created with care, the layers of ingredients added a bit at a time over a long period of simmering until the whole is a thick, warm - well - gumbo (it IS set in the bayous of western Louisiana/eastern Texas - and the setting is just about a whole character of its own, it is such a vital part of the book).
Though the book is not overweening with cuteness, Appelt clearly loves her animals; the kittens and their kitten ways are captured with aplomb and warmth.
Heartily recommended.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/underneath-clean-young-adult-book-review/
greerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Had to read this for an adolescent literature class and still really enjoyed it despite it being a children’s book!
cassf's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, poetic and magical. My son read this and recommended it. I liked the three stories and how they were woven together, even if I didn't completely follow the one about the snake at times. They all came together at the end. For those who wondered if kids would like it, mine did. Even though the subjects were tough (abuse, death, abandonment) , I think they were dealt with gently for a kid about 10.
ellwynautumn's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written! One of the best books I've read. Powerful!
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Anyone who has read a Kathi Appelt book knows that she is amazing at two things: weaving a story together in a way that only she can & pulling at heart strings causing definite mood swings while reading. The Underneath is the epitome of her excellence, and I am sad it took me so long to get to this book. Once done, I was very excited to ask Kathi about this masterpiece, and my questions and her answers show more about what makes this book the award winner that it is.
Full review with author interview and book trailer: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=15976
Full review with author interview and book trailer: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=15976
cradman's review against another edition
3.0
liked it for older kids - thought the imagery of native cultures was intriguing.
lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
I am still unsure how I feel about The Underneath . It was very imaginative and I read it very quickly, but the entire time I was reading it, I had mixed feelings about it. The writing style wasn't really for me, but I did like the picture the author painted of the swamp. I could vividly picture the characters, including the sad and evil Gar Face (am I the only one who felt sorry for him?. The smells and sounds of the swamp jumped off the page. There was just something I couldn't quite get into it. I think if I were a young adult, I guess the intended audience, I would have been crying. It's also a pretty violent and dark book. I'm just...not sure!
katec9999's review against another edition
1.0
I feel that I should like this book – the reviews have been great, and it won a Newbery honor and a National Book Award. But I quite frankly did not like this book. First of all, the cover is very deceiving. Looking at the illustration of the sad-eyed hound dog and his two kitten companions, you’d think it would be the cute story of an unlikely animal family. While that is part of the story, the rest of the story is dark and depressing. The pregnant calico cat has been abandoned, driven out to the woods and left there by her owners. She finds the dog, Ranger, chained to the porch of a run down house. Ranger’s owner physically and emotionally abuses him, as he himself was abused as a child. There’s also a subplot about a thousand year old snake trapped in a jar that I’m just not even going to get into. The book jacket states that this is a “tale about the power of love.” More like a tale about child and animal abuse, abandonment, alcoholism, deceit and death. Most of the reviews praise the authors writing style, but I found it repetitive and boring. I felt impatient while I was reading it, like I was just waiting for it to be over. Perhaps children who like sad animal stories will like this tale, although it’s certainly not one that I would recommend. I think that the main audience for this book is adults who are interested in children’s literature. In fact, I did not find one review that was written by a child or young adult, which I think is telling.