Warrior Cats:

Into the Wild

By Erin Hunter

-NOT PART OF THE TRIP TIME CHINA-

Yes, I know-at first it sounds like some super cheesy rubbish storyline Hollywood-style book about cats fighting each other, but once you get to know it, it’s a lot more complex and the surreal detail of it just adds to its endless list of pros.

There are four clans (or are there?-erm…ignore)  in the forest, and Rusty, a cat who lives on the edge of the forest, dreams of one day becoming one of the rumoured ‘warrior cats’. However, his ideas of a good comfy life are soon replaced by hunger, betrayal and loyalty as he struggles to cope with the massive differences between a pussycat and a wildcat. Friendships are made, and battles are fought, but in the end, there is only one thing to know-only one clan can rule the forest.

The author (s, actually, but instead of saying ‘Warrior Cats by John Smith and Alexander Brute and John Angles and Mary Ale etc etc will be a bit long-winded) makes an stark and believable contrast in every cat’s personality-for example, Longtail, a member of Thunder Clan, is jealous and has a short temper, but he is loyal to the clan at whatever cost, whilst Silverstream, a River Clan cat, is proud but willing to help anyone, whoever they may be…

There are lots of books in the series, a couple of which are based on Manga things and alike as such (I don’t approve of Manga, I have to say, sorry goths), so I will say this is not for the soft-hearted. Young teenagers should probably enjoy this, boys and girls alike. It certainly is thrilling, and once you start reading ‘you can’t put it down again’ as they always say.

A lot of people do complain that the endless list of characters is hard to remember, especially if twenty are dying, fourteen are being born and fifty-six are getting new names, and that it is makes the story more and more confusing as you go along. More fool them. The authors are trying to generate a realistic environment, and it’s not like writing those average everyday books which go: “There was a guy called Bob. He passed twenty other people in the street as he walked through the office. A year later, one tried to kill him, and six months after that one of his best work-mates won the lottery.” (Yes, weird story. Just read on please.) You don’t realise how important every single character is until you get up to a specific part and go ‘I wonder who this guy is?’ or ‘I really don’t know which ‘guy’ this author keeps on saying about, this is such a confusing book: “this guy said to that guy, “What are you doing?” I mean what is he even talking about?’

There you go. Problem solved.

So that’s the story. Sorry for the big delay, had a big exam. Planning to write another book review, called Elsewhere, and a couple of film reviews and places to visit over the next few weeks or so. Also, hoping some Christmasy stuff will find its way to the front of my blog page. Hopefully.