Gregor and the Code of Claw - Suzanne Collins

[goodreads]

Title: Gregor and the Code of Claw
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 412, ~9hrs
Date read: April 2013, November 2019

Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep "The Prophecy of Time" from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. Now, with an army of rats approaching, and his mom and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. The entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars.

Dark and sad. I found myself crying more than once. And I didn't care terribly for the ending. This is one series where I would have liked an epilogue, because to have it end where it did was just depressing... although I guess it was just open enough to leave room for hope. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself.

That aside, as a whole, I think this was the best book after the first one. If my rating doesn't reflect that, it's because of the sad mood I've been left in after turning the last page. I literally sat pressing the button 4-5 times, because I couldn't believe this was the end. Lizzie was amazing in this one, and I loved how Suzanne Collins planted small seeds in earlier books to create a relationship between her and Ripred. Beautiful :)

An excellent series. I'm glad to have read it.

Reread 2019: I didn't find it nearly as sad this time around. I don't know if part of that was because I heard it as an audiobook rather than read it myself, if it's because my opinion has changed, or if it was just because I knew what was coming. On this reread I actually felt like the ending was sufficiently open to allow for hope - although I definitely wouldn't mind if Suzanne Collins ever decided to return to the series.

It's definitely not a children's book though! I was going to recommend the series to my niece, but apart from the very first book, I think that'll have to wait awhile yet.