Book: Warriors: Into the Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
My Rating: 3.5 Claws
I read a book recommended to me by an 8 year old. Her recommendation went something like, “It’s about warrior cats and it’s SO GOOD. Like, really really good.” And then I said I would download it and read it sometime, and she insisted on watching me download it right then in front of her. So, here we are!
First of all, I feel like I was bound to enjoy this book because I am a cat lady. I fully embrace the crazy cat lady life – ain’t no shame in my game. But other than my love of cats, I genuinely had no idea what to expect from this book. I also, don’t read a ton of Children’s books nowadays. So, I’m going to do my best on this review.
The premise is that there are four clans of cats that all coexist, but one clan decides to start trouble. There’s a prophecy about fire saving the clan, and then a house cat named Rusty joins the Thunderclan and is given the name “Firepaw.” *Here’s where you gasp at the fire reference and wonder if it has anything to do with the prophecy.* Firepaw/Rusty becomes a warrior apprentice and we learn about the clans’ culture and politics along with him. This is the first in a series so there are a lot of loose ends and unanswered questions by the last page, but that’s to be expected in an epic series.
I thought this book was so clever, but at the same time a teensy bit confusing. So, the biggest reason for my 3.5 star rating is that all the characters had names like Firepaw, Yellowfang, Greyclaw, etc. and there are a ton of characters. Also, there are fights and characters actually die. I was kind of expecting it to be like a kids’ movie where the characters don’t ACTUALLY die. Nothing is written in gory detail, so I’m not saying it’s inappropriate but emotionally I was blindsided. And had I read this as a child, I probably would have been sad. Despite keeping up with all the names, I was pretty impressed with the story. It was complex with real character growth and development. I also enjoyed things like referring to humans as “twolegs.” I now imagine my cat, Roxanne calling me that all the time! There are like more than twenty books in this series, so I don’t really see myself reading all of them. But I could actually see myself finishing out the original six.
So, there you have it. I read a book recommended to me by an eight year old, and I enjoyed it. If you’ve got kids who like to read, give it a shot – especially if they like cats. I will say that online I saw several sources recommend it for 5th grade and up(I’m guessing that’s because of the fighting and dying parts.) I don’t have a child that young, so maybe read it first and decide for yourself if it’s appropriate for your family.
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.