Parents' Guide to

A Pack Divided: Survivors, The Gathering Darkness, Book 1

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Exciting post-disaster dog fantasy best for fans of series.

Book Erin Hunter Animals 2015
A Pack Divided: Survivors, The Gathering Darkness, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

Michelle Y.
Michelle Y. Parent of 11 and 11-year-old
October 24, 2018
age 8+

Great book series for animal lovers

Unlike me at her age, my daughter is -- or I should say was -- a reluctant reader. We went into Barnes & Noble, hoping to find a series that would keep her riveted. As we perused the shelves of the young adult section, a store employee approached and asked if we needed any help. He was a mature man, and seemed very well acquainted with the YA genre. This was the series he recommended, along with another, and also picked out a great one for her twin brother (Spy Kids), yet another reason to go to book stores! The Survivors books are dialog heavy, which kept my daughter turning pages. There is a mystery that continues throughout the series, which intrigued my daughter. She admitted that at first she had a hard time warming up to the characters but by the middle of the first book she was hooked.
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What's the Story?

Storm, a young Fierce Dog taken in as an orphan pup by Sweet and Lucky's pack, saved them in an earlier book by killing an enemy. Now, she faces a lot of day-to-day challenges. Many of her pack mates don't trust her because she's a Fierce Dog, and it doesn't make things better that another dog is a clingy, adoring fan. As this new series gets underway, Storm struggles to do the right thing and fit in, but a set of strange incidents, from an innocent dog being framed to the unexplained killing of puppies, has everyone on edge, as Sweet and Lucky, expecting their own puppies, struggle to maintain harmony in A PACK DIVIDED.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Fans of Erin Hunter's first Survivors series will lap up this tale of a young dog's coming-of-age struggles as her pack confronts danger in a post-disaster world. There are plenty of positive messages about duty, belonging, and the challenges of leadership in this first installment of the Gathering Darkness series. The tale keeps the pages turning with exciting scenes of hunting and peril, plus relatable situations, such as being afraid, confused, or misunderstood -- and finding wisdom and comfort from friends.

Those new to the series might want to read the original six Survivors books first, because the characters, relationships, and cosmology (involving formerly domestic dogs fending for themselves in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake, as well as canine myths about Sun Dog, Earth Dog, Fear Dog, and the like) might be a bit overwhelming. Never fear, because the relentlessly productive "Erin Hunter" (actually a six-woman syndicate of five writers and an editor) includes a whopping 12 pages at the back of the book promoting her complete works, catalog-style, which besides Survivors include Warriors (about cats) and Seekers (about bears).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why animal stories are so popular. How are they different from stories about human characters? How are they alike?

  • How would you feel if you were punished for something you didn't do? What would you do to make things right?

  • Have you read other books by Erin Hunter? How does this one compare?

Book Details

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