On the other hand, even though Ranger, the calico, and the kittens seem destined to live in the 'underneath,' their lives are loving and meaningful. He lives an ugly life, even brutalizing the bloodhound that had once been his trusty hunting companion. The bad guy is clearly bad, and the good guys are good. Nature is harsh enough, but the cruelty of damaged, lonely characters driven by revenge make it worse for themselves and everyone around them, especially for small, dependent creatures like kittens. The world can be a brutal place, especially this place. The reader is there in the bayou with the abandoned cat, the baying hound, the swaying loblolly pines, and feeling the lonely mystery of their world. And that's exactly what good literature does. Appelt doesn't just tell us how the characters are feeling, or what the swamp is like she shows us. Those readers will find this book a real page-turner.įrom the beginning, the threat of danger is jarring and gripping, and from there, expressive language weaves a vivid, passionate story that's both eloquent and haunting. If readers are mature enough to follow the threads, they most likely are mature enough to deal with the harshness of the more gothic moments. Three different threads move back and forth between the reality of the swamp, the world of the 'underneath,' and the mythical world of shape-shifters, and they intertwine in short chapters that follow no obvious pattern.

However, it also has a dark, almost gothic brutality that might be difficult for younger, more sensitive readers in the course of the book, a drunken man deforms a child, a cat is drowned, and there's much menace. It has a poetic beauty that is both realistic and mystical, and tells a gripping, suspenseful story that's full of heart. But it's not simply a cuddly dog/cat adventure that the cover picture implies it might be. Parents need to know The Underneath, a finalist for the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor Book, and an ALA Notable Book, is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel. He also hangs out every night in a saloon in the swamp, where he trades pelts for liquor, and sits in the corner alone drinking and becoming more vengeful and morose.ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide. Some drinking by adults, but it's not glamorized: A brutal man drinks vodka on many occasions and becoming uglier and even more brutal with each swig.

The underneath appelt