Parents' Guide to

The Underneath

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Gripping story is loving, lyrical, but has brutal violence.

Book Kathi Appelt Animals 2008
The Underneath Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 15 parent reviews

la figure A.
la figure A. Adult
March 3, 2018
age 9+

Impactfully heartbreaking.

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 was one of the best books I've ever read. Good literature should be engaging and impactful- Appelt's book is so. This is no fluffy mass-manufactured YA book, dependent on the questionable stability of love triangles, nor an overly farfetched, pointlessly violent work of fiction. Rather, each act of violence has importance and develops the characters and the multitude of views emphasize both the solidarity of the characters and the complexity of their situation.

This title has:

Great messages
Muttiblus
Muttiblus Parent of 8-year-old
September 27, 2016
age 9+

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 9 when we read it. She did find a few parts upsetting and did cry at least once, but she loves this book. It ended up being a game, "how many extra chapters will Mom read after she says, 'okay, this is the last one'." During the intense parts we talked how "this ain't no Disney story." Teaches about family/love.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 15 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three different stories intertwine, and they all take place in the swampy darkness of the Louisiana bayou. After a pregnant calico is dumped by the side of the road, she finds her way to THE UNDERNEATH, which is a safe haven she shares with Ranger, a kindly bloodhound that's been chained to the porch by her cruel owner, Gar Face. There she has two kittens. Their story becomes one of how to survive the harshness of nature, but even more the brutality of Gar Face. Meanwhile, Gar Face, who's a sad, angry, brutal drunken swamp dweller, is on a mission to hunt down and kill the monstrously large alligator that people only talk about. He is driven by hatred and revenge. And he owns the shack under which Ranger lives and the kittens hide. The third story is that of a shape-shifter, Grandmother Moccasin, who has been trapped for thousands of years in a jar caught in the roots one of the loblolly trees. She's a dangerous character, full of loneliness and poisoned by hate and revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (17 ):

From 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. Appelt doesn't just tell us how the characters are feeling, or what the swamp is like; she shows us. And that's exactly what good literature does. 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.

The world can be a brutal place, especially this place. 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 bad guy is clearly bad, and the good guys are good. Gar Face is lonely, sad, and mean. He lives an ugly life, even brutalizing the bloodhound that had once been his trusty hunting companion. 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. They all make selfless choices that help them build a family, and survive the menacing world around them. The shape-shifting Grandmother Moccasin is a little more complicated. But her story underlines the primary theme that hatred poisons one’s life, while love and compassion heals.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the mismatched elements of the book. The picture on the cover makes it seem like a story for little kids -- but the violence and sophisticated storytelling are targeted more toward older tweens. Why do you think the publisher chose the image?

  • Parents might want to discuss the different kinds of violence in a book. Is reading about violence different from seeing it in a movie? Is it easier to handle if you know it's fiction?

Book Details

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