Cat Johnson Braves Doll Lil’s Word Association Challenge!

Author: Erin Hunter
Title: Into the Wild
Release: January 2004
Reviewer: Chrissy
Source: Library
Purchase: | Book Depository

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying– and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

or a bookworm, there is no greater gift than that of a book that is on your wish list. So when your boyfriend surprises you with not one but THREE books in a series that you have been pining after, then you know right away that he’s a keeper. I was lucky enough to have such an event happen to me over the summer. Jimmie surprised me with the first three books in Erin Hunter’s Warriors series, the first of which is entitled Into the Wild.

Being a cat lover I was overjoyed to be gifted with such a feline friendly book collection. I was even more ecstatic when I saw that the main character (Firepaw) looks a lot like my cat Pyewacket. So often in books, animals are present but make no real impact on the characters in the novels. They have no thoughts outside of eating, sleeping, and protecting their territory. But what happens when the animals become the central characters in a novel, when they have thoughts and feelings and come together for a common purpose for the greater good of their species? That is precisely what Into the Wild is about.

I’ve said it before, and I shall say it again. It takes a very special young adult series to captivate me. Into the Wild is the most exciting young adult book that I have read since I first became acquainted with Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series back in 2005. This book is remarkable! The cats take on human characteristics and allow the reader to become emotionally invested in their desires and fears.

Each cat and each camp bring something special and unique to the table. ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan remind me of the cat version of the districts from the Hunger Games series. Everyone loves an underdog story, and it doesn’t get more underdog (or cat in this case) than Rusty, the kittypet who leaves his warm home and ventures into the forest to become a warrior in order to protect the ThunderClan territory. His growth as a ThunderClan member earns him a new name: Firepaw.

Into the Wild has something for everyone. It is an emotional rollercoaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. There is war, love, higher powers, astrology, friendships, hardships, and betrayal. Once I reached the middle of this book I said to myself “it’s 10 p.m. One more chapter and then I’ll go to bed.” Needless to say I ended up staying awake all night just to finish this book.

This book is great for adult and young adult readers. There is a fair amount of violence in the battle scenes so I recommend this book to readers over the age of 12.

Chrissy fell in love with books at an early age. It all started with Judi Barrett’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. At the tender age of five she decided that she wanted to be a writer. Later, she graduated to books like A Wrinkle in Time, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and the Goosebumps series, participating avidly in her school’s Book It program. High school brought on new challenges and loves. She began writing for the school’s newspaper and literary magazine. The works of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Shirley Jackson quickly overran her bookshelves. But when Chrissy was introduced to the world of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, a grand love affair was set in motion. She is an avid reader of romance, urban fantasy, horror, erotica, and cozy mysteries. After working for the city library for six years and being surrounded by the works of greatly admired authors, she decided to devote her life to writing full time and hasn’t looked back since. When she is not devouring book after book, Chrissy loves to cook, bake, volunteer at the local animal shelter, and feed her addiction for horror movies. She lives in Maryland with her family and beloved pets.

Doll Chrissy

View all posts by Doll Chrissy
Christinas website