A review by penguin_horowitz
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
5.0
This book is spectacular. This book beautifully melds poetry and prose into a magnificent tale of determination and love.
Plot:
Ranger, an abused dog kept beneath a drunken, abusive man's house in the bayou near Texas. One night, a pregnant cat, fascinated by the blues he is singing, and in need of shelter from the rain, finds him and keeps him company. She births twins, and Ranger treats them as his own children. But when the abusive man, 'Gar-face' finds out, all three are in danger. Intertwined with this modern day anthropomorphic tale, is an older one, of a snake species that can become human. As the past is revealed, its characters in the present, and the consequences of their actions long ago slowly become clearer.
Conclusion:
This book is a page turner and its characters, though animals, feel very real. The world Appelt creates is fascinating, and the conclusion did not disappoint. I would recommend this to almost anyone, but especially to animal lovers and people fond of poetry.
Plot:
Ranger, an abused dog kept beneath a drunken, abusive man's house in the bayou near Texas. One night, a pregnant cat, fascinated by the blues he is singing, and in need of shelter from the rain, finds him and keeps him company. She births twins, and Ranger treats them as his own children. But when the abusive man, 'Gar-face' finds out, all three are in danger. Intertwined with this modern day anthropomorphic tale, is an older one, of a snake species that can become human. As the past is revealed, its characters in the present, and the consequences of their actions long ago slowly become clearer.
Conclusion:
This book is a page turner and its characters, though animals, feel very real. The world Appelt creates is fascinating, and the conclusion did not disappoint. I would recommend this to almost anyone, but especially to animal lovers and people fond of poetry.