Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic pages. What Julie Otsuka has accomplished here is both an artful, intimate portrait of individual lives and a piercing indictment of history. Paula Fox, Desperate Characters pages. Scraping through with a pub date, one of my all-time favorite novels about a woman who may or may not have rabies.
Toni Morrison, Sula pages. Who centered, who whole-heartedly said this story is hers, and hers, and hers, and they—we are allowed to be as complex as we need to be, and hold the ground in the story. Because I feel like everything is very deftly placed, but even within that, I feel a sense of wonder in here. Jeanette Winterson, The Passion pages. A sly little historical fairy tale, in which a web-footed Venetian pickpocket named Villanelle has lost her heart literally to a noblewoman, and a stumbling soldier named Henri will try to get it back.
James Welch, Winter in the Blood pages. Permafrost in the blood and mind—why and how and what to do? Max Porter, Grief is the Thing with Feathers pages. Valeria Luiselli, tr. Christina MacSweeney, Faces in the Crowd pages.
Tobias Wolff, Old School pages. An unnamed senior, an unnamed boarding school, a literary world so close you could almost offend it. As Michael Knight put it last year, this is the perfect campus novel I ranked it twelfth on my list of the best , both fulfilling and transcending the expectations of the genre.
We even have a plagiarism case, hardly exotic to the genre. Penelope Fitzgerald, The Bookshop pages. A perfect jewel of a novel about a woman who opens a bookstore in a small town in Suffolk, fights with a local bigwig, and ultimately spoiler alert gets evicted.
Stephen Graham Jones, Mapping the Interior pages. Ron Hansen, Mariette in Ecstasy pages. For while its descriptions dazzle, they never preen or degenerate into overblown virtuoso riffs. The greatest beauty—and the fundamental success—of this gripping novel is that its author has managed to find a voice that is entirely at the service of its strange and elusive subject.
I remember reading this novel when it came out in , and gasping audibly at the audacity of its rule-breaking: this was a novel unlike any I had read before, and boy was it fun, and weird, and gross, and punk.
Justin Torres, We the Animals pages. Another skinny novel that made our list of the best debuts of the decade —a barbaric yawp of a book that celebrates and sings boyhood in all its grimy glory. Marie Redonnet, tr. Ottessa Moshfegh, McGlue pages. McGlue, a transient drunk with a crack in his head, beats at times quite literally against his own possibility with overconsumption, nihilism, self-destructiveness, and utter depravity.
Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature. By Emily Temple. You can buy it here. It would I'm not really sure how to explain my feelings about this book. It would be another disappointing pick in a decade of disappointing winners. When I really enjoy a book, I can usually whip through it pretty quickly.
Not so with The Underneath. It took me a long time to read for several reasons: 1 I have a tendency to take a break from reading a book when a chapter ends. With incredibly short chapters, that adds up to a lot of breaks. I didn't really care one whit about Grandmother Moccasin's story, even though she ended up playing a key role in the Ranger and cats story.
I would have rather read a simple story about a hound and his kittens and have Appelt find some other plot device to wrap up the story. Apr 14, Kwoomac rated it it was amazing Shelves: , dark , animal-as-main-character , award-winning , reviewed , childrens , of-course-i-cried , survival , great-dog , favorites.
This book had me crying on page one. It's a dark story about an abused dog, an abandoned cat, and her kittens who come together to try to forge a life under the porch of a creepy, damaged man who enjoys killing things. It's powerful and disturbing and there's an awful lot of death for a children's novel. The story meanders back and forth between years ago and today.
It has an interesting rhythm to it as the story builds to its ultimate climax. I loved the writing, I loved most of the chara This book had me crying on page one. I loved the writing, I loved most of the characters. Did I mention that the dog sings the blues? Oh, I woke up on this bayou, Got a chain around my heart. Yes, I'm sitting on this bayou, Got a chain tied 'round my heart. Can't you see I'm dying? Can't you see I'm crying? Can't you throw an old dog a bone?
This book was like a chain around my heart. Jan 20, Julia L. A novel for children, young people and yes, an old gal like me. I found this story to be almost poetic in its telling. It certainly is full of the cliches of poetry: music of nature, the sound of great symphonies heard in the wind of trees, the kettle-drum rage of a storm and the purity of death coming to take one away from the pain of living when it is necessary Its short chapters seem to me to be purposfully written that way to carry us along quickly f A novel for children, young people and yes, an old gal like me.
Its short chapters seem to me to be purposfully written that way to carry us along quickly from scene to scene I have never read a book where the sorrows of life, the ugliness is expressed in such a way that just when it is about to become too much, Kathi interrupts it with something of great beauty, softens the scene with something inherently gentle, kind and lovely.
I am not a technically educated person about writing. So I can't tell you all the proper, educated things about this book and the craft of writing if you put it to that test. I can only tell you that reading it I was surrounded by the forest, the characters from nature and carried back and forth with wonder from the first thousand years to the evil present.
It was fascinating to see how it all came together so ingeniously at the end. I recommend it for kids over ten and maybe some younger. Sorrow is a fact of life, evil is a fact of life, so is the will and the power of love to overcome those things and triumph.
This book triumphs. Nov 18, Kristi rated it did not like it Recommends it for: unclear. Hmmm, couldn't decide whether to give this 1 star or 5. A lyrically written book however devastating the words may be. Rumor has it that this might win the Newbery this year why I read it. I can't imagine ever giving this book to a kid.
There's child abuse, animal abuse, animal death, betrayal, every bad thing a human could do to another human or animal. Can't imagine who this book was written for Shelves: childrens-fantasy , animal-fiction , newbery , childrens-fiction.
In alternating chapters and using alternating perspectives, Kathi Appelt spins a heartbreaking tale in The Underneath , following various creatures caught up in a dance of cruelty and kindness, love and hate, community and solitude.
Weaving in and around one another, the various story strands here include that of a tiny calico cat, pregnant and abandoned by her human family; the hound-dog Ranger, chained up for years by his abusive owner, who in his loneliness adopts the cat and warns her of the In alternating chapters and using alternating perspectives, Kathi Appelt spins a heartbreaking tale in The Underneath , following various creatures caught up in a dance of cruelty and kindness, love and hate, community and solitude.
Weaving in and around one another, the various story strands here include that of a tiny calico cat, pregnant and abandoned by her human family; the hound-dog Ranger, chained up for years by his abusive owner, who in his loneliness adopts the cat and warns her of the dangers of his small world; and the cat's kittens, Puck and Sabine, who are born and raised in the eponymous 'underneath,' the space beneath the derelict shack where Ranger's owner lives.
Here too is the story of that owner, the human Gar-face, an angry and malicious soul whose inner nature matches his deformed face, itself the product of the terrible abuse he suffered as a boy. The ancient Alligator King, the cunning survivor of a thousand years in the bayou; and Grandmother Moccasin, a lamia - a mythological being who is half snake, half human - trapped in a buried jar for that same time, also contribute their stories to the mix.
Scenes from the present alternate with flashbacks to the past, as Grandmother's rejection of love in favor of vengeance, many years before, which resulted in the destruction of her daughter's family, is paralleled by the struggles of Ranger's canine-feline family to stay together despite seemingly impossible odds.
Terrible things happen in The Underneath , such terrible things, and so many of them, that I often found myself wondering, whilst reading, whether it would make a good selection for young readers. Certainly, those of a more sensitive nature will be traumatized by the cruelty to be found within these pages.
There is a darkness to many of the characters, especially Gar Face and Grandmother Moccasin, that can be very hard to take, particularly as it is so unrelieved. Although Grandmother Moccasin does have her moment of redemption toward the close of the book, Gar Face, the only human character, is depicted as wholly evil, even when a still child. There aren't really any happy endings here, and although a few characters do escape total destruction, most die during the course of the book.
Despite the dark and disturbing content, this is a beautifully written book, one with a poetic cadence that I found intensely rewarding, as I continued to read. Each chapter opens with a philosophical observation, or a note on the realities of living in the world, which does sometimes give the book a contemplative feeling, although the visceral experience of suffering is never too far removed.
For my part, I am glad to have read it, and think that for some children it could be an immensely moving experience. I myself would have devoured it as a girl, and pondered its story of suffering and in some cases survival long after. I think that it's a book which improves the further in you get, not because it becomes less dark, but because the beauty of the language and the continuing striving of the characters against the soul-crushing tragedy of life, prove so powerful.
View all 12 comments. May 03, BookishStitcher rated it it was amazing. This story of an unlikely trio is so incredibly sad. I did love the magic that was woven throughout.
I read this for extra credit for one of my classes. Jun 03, babyhippoface rated it liked it Shelves: kids-fiction , fantasy. I finished this book about 4 hours ago, and I'm still a bit bumfuzzled about how to respond to The Underneath.
I need to be able to choose three-and-a-half stars. I had read so much lofty praise that perhaps my expectations were too high. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. I think I reacted to much of it as was expected: I loved the calico cat, Puck and Sabine, and the first line killed me and I don't even like cats ; I loathed Gar Face and Grandmother Moccasin, the Alligator King made me ver I finished this book about 4 hours ago, and I'm still a bit bumfuzzled about how to respond to The Underneath.
I think I reacted to much of it as was expected: I loved the calico cat, Puck and Sabine, and the first line killed me and I don't even like cats ; I loathed Gar Face and Grandmother Moccasin, the Alligator King made me very nervous, and I especially loved the noble Ranger. I wanted to keep reading; I wanted to know how everything would end. It just took so darn long to get there. By the time Grandmother Moccasin became mobile, I was quite weary of her. My thinking was along the lines of, "Somebody smash the stupid jar already, and have a big, sharp hoe handy.
Oh, I know, she played an extremely important part in the story, but couldn't someone else have played that part? Couldn't the two stories have stood on their own, separately? And then I could've skipped cranky old Grandmother. That part just didn't interest me. And on top of that, I'm not sure very many kids will read this.
There's something about it that makes it Even with all the action it's very cerebral, and I'm not sure your average kid will stick with it. I'm sure others will disagree, and that's the thing about books. No book is for everyone. Not everyone likes Harry Potter. Not everyone thinks Love You Forever is the sweetest book ever.
Not everyone likes the same books although I'll admit that it is quite annoying when people don't love certain books as much as I do. I liked this one, quite a bit. I just didn't love it. And if I have any say in the matter, our next dog will be named Ranger. Feb 01, Jill rated it it was amazing. I loved this. I wasn't sure about all of the "magical" themes because I was planning to read it aloud to my year-old and my eight-year-old.
But we really enjoyed it. They were so enthralled by the story and the rhythm of the prose is really captivating. I think this book is best enjoyed when read aloud. So many children's books are written so awkwardly that they're just not fun to read aloud. So glad we tried this one and I'm planning to read other books of hers my girls!
Warning animal lover I loved this. Warning animal lovers: There is some descriptive heart wrenching animal cruelty in this book.
May 18, Lynn rated it it was amazing. The Underneath is one of the best children's books I've read in a long time. How'd she do that? I'll be posting an interview of Kathi Appelt asking her just that.
Lynn Wow. View all 3 comments. Jun 01, Becky rated it it was amazing. Appelt, Kathi. The Underneath. The Underneath is a novel that I would have avoided at all costs as a kid. I was a wimp. Seeing the dog and two kittens on the cover?
That would have made me suspicious or wary from the get go. Reading that it is for folks who love, "Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling" would have sealed the deal. I wouldn't have gone near this one.
No way. No how. As an adult, however, how can I help but fall in love with The Underneath? It's beautiful. It's simply b Appelt, Kathi. It's simply beautiful. Like a love letter to the English language. Appelt's poetic style suits this prose novel achingly well. Appelt has written several poetry books, a short story collection, and more than a few picture books. I've had the pleasure of meeting her as well and have quite a few autographed copies.
Appelt's storytelling is powerful, effective, and oh-so-magically spellbinding. A small calico cat. Her family, the one she lived with, has left her in this old and forgotten forest, this forest where the rain is soaking into her soft fur. It's bittersweet but beautiful. It's sorrows and joys are pure and heartfelt.
For cats, a hound is a natural enemy. This is the order of things. Yet how could the calico cat be afraid of a hound who sang, whose notes filled the air with so much longing? But when she got to the place where the hound sang, she knew that something was wrong.
She stopped. In front of her sat a shabby frame house with peeling paint, a house that slumped on one side as if it were sinking into the red dirt. The windows were cracked and grimy. There was a rusted pickup truck parked next to it, a dark puddle of thick oil pooled beneath its undercarriage.
She sniffed the air. It was wrong, this place. The air was heavy with the scent of old bones, of fish and dried skins, skins that hung from the porch like a ragged curtain. Wrong was everywhere. She should turn around, she should go away, she should not look back. She swallowed. Perhaps she had taken the wrong path? What path should she take? All the paths were the same. She felt her kittens stir. It surely wouldn't be safe to stay here in this shabby place. She was about to turn around, when there it was again--the song, those silver notes, the ones that settled just beneath her skin.
Her kittens stirred again, as if they, too, could hear the beckoning song. She stepped closer to the unkempt house, stepped into the overgrown yard. She cocked her ears and let the notes lead her, pull her around the corner. There they were, those bluesy notes. Oh, I woke up, it was rainin', But it was tears came fallin' down. Yes, I woke up, it was rainin', But it was tears came fallin' down.
Can't you see I'm tryin'? Can't you hear my cryin'? Can't you see I'm all alone? Can't you throw this old dog a bone? Then she realized, this song wasn't calling for a bone, it was calling for something else, someone else.
Another step, another corner. And there he was, chained to the corner of the back porch. His eyes were closed, his head held back, baying. She should be afraid, she should turn around and run, she should climb the nearest tree. She did not. Instead, she simply walked right up to this baying hound and rubbed against his front legs. She knew the answer to his song, for if she could bay, her song would be the same.
Right here. Oct 31, Wendy rated it liked it Shelves: newbery-honor , award-possibilities. It's good, if you're in the mood to be patient with poeticness. Contrary to what this seems like from the cover, you don't have to be an animal lover.
Actually, if you are an animal lover, it might be too much for you--or if you're someone who gets very emotional about books. Usually, when I read a book, I have a pretty secure feeling that even though terrible things might happen to the characters, it's all going to turn out all right in the end.
But when the worst happens early in the book, you j It's good, if you're in the mood to be patient with poeticness. But when the worst happens early in the book, you just don't know that anymore. I could not stop little moans of dread coming out of my throat at several points in this book.
I was expecting The Incredible Journey, here. It isn't like that, and it isn't anything like Shiloh or Sounder, both of which are mentioned in the jacket matter. Probably I'll wake up in the middle of the night with a good book to compare it to, but it won't be an "animal" book. Maybe The Bell Jar. It is very, very poetically written. It took me a few minutes after finishing to be able to step out of the spell of the writing--and it was a real effort.
The story is mostly interesting, and it's difficult to stop reading. The sense of setting is so strong as to be overwhelming. I'm sure there's a lot of conflict about whether this book is really suitable for children, and that's really the main thing that would or could affect whether it's chosen for Newbery honors.
I'm not sure, myself. I'm interested to hear what children think of it--whether it's too sad and scary. I recall being in the 5th grade and reading The Underneath for the first time; When I finished I was teary and refused to look at the book for months. Yet, it Continue reading. Report this review. Parent of a 8-year-old Written by Muttiblus September 27, Not what I expected Book store recommended this to me to read with my daughter. Arguably, my daughter might be a touch more mature than average.
She was a few months from turning Teen, 14 years old Written by catagent August 11, Kid, 11 years old December 28, Best Book Ever!!!
Though it's sad and has a little violence, it's also meaningful and really really good. It goes back and forth through times, and that's why I th What's the story? Is it any good? Talk to your kids about Our editors recommend. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Dramatic story of forgotten teen civil rights hero. Award-winning bio of Darwin as a family man is a bit dry. Powerful story of slavery in New York. Sisters romp through summer in old-fashioned charmer.
For kids who love animal stories. Children's Books About Animals. Best Animal Movies for Kids. Cats, Dogs, and Mice. Misfits and Underdogs. Science and Nature. Wild Animals. About these links Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase.
Read more. DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Candlewick, The Tale of Despereaux. Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. Farrar, Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Atheneum,
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