Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, Book 5)

by Suzanne Collins

Paperback, 2008

Call number

JF COL

Genres

Publication

Scholastic (2008), Edition: Reprint, 412 pages

Description

When twelve-year-old Gregor finally learns the ancient prophecy, which foretells his death, he must gather his courage to defend Regalia from the army of rats, take his mother and sister home safely, and fight his own dark side.

User reviews

LibraryThing member librarybrandy
I'm moving this to Teen, instead of children's. It's about war. Horrible, violent, gory war. It's exciting, and the action is realistic to the plot--meaning it lets up just long enough for tactical discussion and then starts again.

What I really loved about this series as a whole is that it's a
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fantasy series with no magic whatsoever. Nobody is getting out of dangerous situations by casting a spell of protection or relocation or anything like that. Characters get themselves out of trouble by either fighting or fleeing, which makes sense when you encounter some giant rats who want to kill you. The rules that govern the worldsetting are clearly defined, and within those rules, everything makes sense. No particular class of characters (the rats, the spiders, the humans, etc) is All Good or All Bad--you can't look at any class and say "oh, they're mice, they're all on our side" or anything like that--each character we meet is an individual with an opinion.

Collins' habit of appending "said ____" to each line of dialogue wears a little, but I'm willing to overlook that, because I really love this series.
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LibraryThing member 99sheriff
hated the series having to end, but when it did, it was awesome
LibraryThing member patience_grayfeather
This is the fifth book of the Underland Chronicles, which my family started listening to on CD in the car while going from activity to activity. I had to read the last two books on my own since they haven’t been released to audio CD so far and I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! Just as addictive as
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the Harry Potter books. Here Gregor needs to save the Underland again, as well as his family, by sorting another prophecy and the Code of the Claw. I was so sorry the book ended where it di because there are so many issues I want to know the answer to. I may have to write fanfiction about that.
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LibraryThing member 9jd01bev
I enjoyed this book because ther is a lot of action and it gets really intense. This book is A.R. I think this book was right at my level.
LibraryThing member laf
This is the final book of the series where there is a big war between the humans and the bats against the rats. In the end, the war subsides and they make peace with their enemies.

I think it's one of the best in the series because it is the most action-packed and thrilling.
LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the fifth (and so far) final book in the Underland Chronicles. I think it was my favorite book of the series and I think it did a nice job of wrapping up the series in a realistic (if not fairy tale happy ending) type of way.

You enter this book right where you left off in the 4th one.
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Gregor is returning to the castle with his injured comrades and running to let the Underlanders know they are about to be attacked by rats. Gregor finds out about the Prophecy of Time and ends up heavily engaged in war with the enemy. This story is basically all one long battle between the rats and the humans.

It was a great story. There was a ton of action and some waiting too; as is realistic for a large scale battle. A highlight is when Gregor's sister Lizzie shows up to help break the Code of Claw. Lizzie is great character and it was nice to see her get some page space. Also you learn a lot more about Ripred's past and why he is how he is; I loved this since he is one of my favorite characters in this series.

So, much happens in this book. It is a fun, fast-paced read. With great fight scenes and great lessons. There is a lot of emphasis on the craziness of war; "how do you decide which side is right?" and "does anyone really win in a war?" This series will do a good job of growing with the younger audience it is aimed at. In this book Gregor and Luxa have to deal with tougher questions than they have previously.

I loved this final book and overall think this is a great children's series. I think young adults and adults alike will also enjoy this final book and wish that maybe Collins was going to write a few more books with these wonderful characters.
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LibraryThing member cenneidigh
I loved this series, each book got better then the last and this one was one of the bests. I loved the underworld and the relationship between the bats and the humans. I hope she writes more in this series.
LibraryThing member jfoster_sf
This last book of the Gregor series had me in suspense the entire time I was reading (didn't even want to get up to make dinner cuz i HAD to know what happened). A great finish to a fantastic series-just as a heads up though this one is probably the goriest/most graphic of them all in terms of the
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war.
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LibraryThing member ChrisNelsonsmartkid
War is raging in the Underland and Gregor’s dad and grandmother’s health isn’t looking too good. Gregor’s mother is sick and has been sent to another kingdom. Gregor, his sister Boots and his other sister Liz must crack the rat’s communicating and secret language. Gregor must defeat the
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big creature rat that is like ten feet tall and has hatred of the humans called the Bane. There is great loss in front of them, the moles infiltrate the city of Regalia and the rats invading and slaughtering the humans. Gregor already defeated the Bane by hurting him really badly and now hiding somewhere in the caves. Unfortunately the Bane has inflicted a lot of pain and suffering. So Gregor and his bat Ares go and kill the Bane, but that came at a terrible price, Ares held off the Bane long enough for Gregor to kill it, later he died. After that the war was pretty much over now that the rats didn’t have a leader any more. That is what happens in the last book of Suzanne Collin’s wonderful series, The Underland Chronicles.

What a great ending to a magnificent series. I would have to say that there was a lot of drama and sadness, pain and betrayal in this novel. I loved this book because it sort of says that don’t give up just because the outcome you think is bad doesn’t mean that it is going to happen. Also some characters changed like Luxa who took charge when sometimes she didn’t know what to do. Suzanne Collins’s work sort of reminds young people of the affects of war of young kids between 10-16. In summary, I think that the Underland Chronicles is one of the best series I’ve ever read. That is why I liked the book The Code of Claw.
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LibraryThing member sylvatica
(Whole series) When Gregor falls through the hole in his laundry room, he ends up in a world under New York, populated by giant cockroaches, rats, bats, and very pale humans. Collins says she set out to write an urban Alice in Wonderland, and she generally succeeded. The series is fairly formulaic
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– Gregor gets a prophecy at the end of each book that gives us a hint for the next book. Not to be a spoiler, but the ending is fairly predictable and a little disappointing. But the characters are great (even the roaches!), and the adventures are real and engaging. (pannarrens)
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LibraryThing member JNSelko
No letup in the suspense!
LibraryThing member AshRyan
One of the most gruesome books (for people of any age) I have ever read. Interestingly, all the disturbingly graphic violence is included as (hopelessly simple-minded and naive) propaganda for pacifism. Not that propaganda as such is necessarily wrong, but targeting at children is (even if it's
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true, which in this case it's not). In any case, this series is absurdly inappropriate for its target audience---except, PERHAPS, for those relatively few (in this country, at least) unfortunate nine- to twelve-year-olds who've actually experienced war first hand (say, those who lived in New York City during September 2001) and are coping with its aftermath. But something like this might actually be even worse for them, I couldn't say one way or the other.

It's not that I didn't enjoy the series at all---there are parts that I did---it's just that it's wildly inappropriate as children's literature. The Hunger Games is in some ways even darker, but in other ways more hopeful---and at least it's not targeted at such young kids. And it's somewhat better written than The Underland Chronicles.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
This is the fifth and final book in the Gregor the Overlander series. I've been listening to this series on my drives to work on and off for the last few months. I've followed the adventures of twelve-year-old Gregor, who found his way to the underland from the laundry room in his New York City
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apartment, and his little sister Boots as they have attempted to help their friends in the Underland. Throughout the series, the Underlanders have been faced with plagues, battles, and quests. They have been guided by prophecies that provide answers in a confusing riddle-like form. As the series comes to an end, the Underlanders are at war, and although this is a children's book (probably suitable for upper elementary ages), Collins portrays the moral complexities of war while still keeping the story moving at a rapid pace. Although I was anxious to see how the conflict between the Underlanders and the Nors would be resolved, I was genuinely sorry to see this series end.
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LibraryThing member rata
The last book to the riveting Gregor the Overlander series. Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never imagined just how awful: it calls for the warrior's death. In the Overland Gregor’s dad
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and grandmother’s health isn’t looking too good while Gregor’s mother is sick and has been sent to another kingdom.Now, with an army of rats approaching and his mum and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. War is raging in the Underland and the entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, Gregor, his sisters Boots and Liz must crack the rat’s communicating and secret language. Also in this book is a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars. Gregor must defeat the Bane a big rat that is like ten feet tall and has a sheer hatred of humans. Gregor had already fought the Bane, hurting him badly and he is now hiding in the caves. However the Bane is still deemed the leader and the rats under his command are still inflicting pain and suffering. To put an end to all the carnage, Gregor and his bat Ares seek to kill the Bane, Ares held off the Bane long enough for Gregor to kill it, but later he died. Now that the rats didn’t have a leader any more the war was pretty much over. This book looks at stepping up to the mark, taking on responsibility, resourcefulness and overcoming obstacles.
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LibraryThing member StefanieGeeks
The characters in this series are superbly drawn and very loveable.
LibraryThing member macsbrains
I finished this book 20 minutes ago. I closed the book, sat 5 minutes in silence, then got up to get myself a drink of water. When I got back to my chair I burst into tears inconsolably for the next 15 minutes. This is my review, and these are my tears.
LibraryThing member Othemts
The final volume of The Underland Chronicles completes the fascinating and well-written series. While at heart a war story, it finds its protagonist Gregor grappling with ethical dilemmas, mortality, and fate. And if you're like me and thought the prophecies of Sandwich were too overbearing in the
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earlier novels, it was a relief to see what Ripred and Gregor make of the final prophecy. The Underland Chronicles are a worthy addition to fantasy literature and something readers of all ages should enjoy.
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LibraryThing member piersanti
A great book, the main character finally seems complete and the story comes to a very pleasant end.
LibraryThing member stevealtier
Book five was as good as the rest of the series. Now maybe twelve year old Gregor can live a normal life in the overland. It was a very well written story. This book brings a lot of finality to the series. Part of me was almost sad to see it end.
LibraryThing member aliya.b1
This is the fifth and last book in the series of Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. The rats and the humans are at war, and the great Bane is leading the rats. In Gregors last prophecy he is expected to kill the bane and it says he will die doing it. He doesn't have a choice but to stay
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because he mother is sick in the under-land and the under-land war leader Solovet is not letting her out, for the purpose of keeping him in the under-land to kill the Bane. Him and his trusted bat, Ares train hard alongside his close friend Luxa. Ripred, the rat that has taken sides with the human teaches him how to use echolocation which in the beginning Gregor hates, but in the battle against the Bane, it comes in very handy. Many wars are fought, and in one war, Gregor gets one of his lower ribs dislocated, but still manages to cut off the Banes tail. And in the last war, many tragedies happen. Gregor kills the Bane, but too late, because Ares gets killed by the Bane. Solovet is killed by a rat group when no one could save her. In the end, his two closet friends became leaders. Ripred, the leader of the rats, and Luxa, the queen of the humans. They became bonds, which meant peace between the rats and humans as long as they lived.

This book was so exciting. I loved the writting, and the story, there wasn't anything I didn't like about this book except that she didn't write another one after it! It felt like there are so many lose ends and that she could have easily written another one with a happier ending. This one was definitely a tragedy. Its definitely a book to make you cry. It was so exciting and magical, I loved how the animals could talk and how everything was a mysterious! I'm really sad that one of my favorite characters had to die, and that she won't be writing another book after this one!
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This is the final book in the Underland Chronicles and Gregor must now deal with the Prophecy of Time, his feelings for Luxa, Solovet's cold heartedness and his thoughts on the Earl of Sandwich. It's a lot to handle and with the war between the rats and humans in full swing and both his mother and
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both sisters in the Underland as well Gregor is having a tough time dealing with it all.

Because I read the Hunger Games first I thought the outcome of this book would be much darker then it actually was. I felt a huge sense of relief when I finished reading the book and there were glimmers of hope regarding the survivors futures'.

That being said there is still a lot of death and violence in this book. The author didn't pull any punches. The realities of war are felt through out the book and each sacrifice made by the characters is just as gut wrenching as the last. You definitely feel how Gregor and Boots have been forced to grow up even faster, which is especially sad considering that their home life would always have made them adult a little bit sooner.

Now that I've finished the entire series I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about them. There is a lot of character development and I am a huge fan of watching characters change and grow. The world that the author developed is just amazing, I loved the creatures and the setting. I think the darkness of the plot and the story were perhaps just not for me at this time. I know this seems odd since I rated everything like but I like the work the author did just maybe not right for me.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This is the final book in the Underland Chronicles and Gregor must now deal with the Prophecy of Time, his feelings for Luxa, Solovet's cold heartedness and his thoughts on the Earl of Sandwich. It's a lot to handle and with the war between the rats and humans in full swing and both his mother and
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both sisters in the Underland as well Gregor is having a tough time dealing with it all.

Because I read the Hunger Games first I thought the outcome of this book would be much darker then it actually was. I felt a huge sense of relief when I finished reading the book and there were glimmers of hope regarding the survivors futures'.

That being said there is still a lot of death and violence in this book. The author didn't pull any punches. The realities of war are felt through out the book and each sacrifice made by the characters is just as gut wrenching as the last. You definitely feel how Gregor and Boots have been forced to grow up even faster, which is especially sad considering that their home life would always have made them adult a little bit sooner.

Now that I've finished the entire series I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about them. There is a lot of character development and I am a huge fan of watching characters change and grow. The world that the author developed is just amazing, I loved the creatures and the setting. I think the darkness of the plot and the story were perhaps just not for me at this time. I know this seems odd since I rated everything like but I like the work the author did just maybe not right for me.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This is the final book in the Underland Chronicles and Gregor must now deal with the Prophecy of Time, his feelings for Luxa, Solovet's cold heartedness and his thoughts on the Earl of Sandwich. It's a lot to handle and with the war between the rats and humans in full swing and both his mother and
Show More
both sisters in the Underland as well Gregor is having a tough time dealing with it all.

Because I read the Hunger Games first I thought the outcome of this book would be much darker then it actually was. I felt a huge sense of relief when I finished reading the book and there were glimmers of hope regarding the survivors futures'.

That being said there is still a lot of death and violence in this book. The author didn't pull any punches. The realities of war are felt through out the book and each sacrifice made by the characters is just as gut wrenching as the last. You definitely feel how Gregor and Boots have been forced to grow up even faster, which is especially sad considering that their home life would always have made them adult a little bit sooner.

Now that I've finished the entire series I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about them. There is a lot of character development and I am a huge fan of watching characters change and grow. The world that the author developed is just amazing, I loved the creatures and the setting. I think the darkness of the plot and the story were perhaps just not for me at this time. I know this seems odd since I rated everything like but I like the work the author did just maybe not right for me.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This is the final book in the Underland Chronicles and Gregor must now deal with the Prophecy of Time, his feelings for Luxa, Solovet's cold heartedness and his thoughts on the Earl of Sandwich. It's a lot to handle and with the war between the rats and humans in full swing and both his mother and
Show More
both sisters in the Underland as well Gregor is having a tough time dealing with it all.

Because I read the Hunger Games first I thought the outcome of this book would be much darker then it actually was. I felt a huge sense of relief when I finished reading the book and there were glimmers of hope regarding the survivors futures'.

That being said there is still a lot of death and violence in this book. The author didn't pull any punches. The realities of war are felt through out the book and each sacrifice made by the characters is just as gut wrenching as the last. You definitely feel how Gregor and Boots have been forced to grow up even faster, which is especially sad considering that their home life would always have made them adult a little bit sooner.

Now that I've finished the entire series I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about them. There is a lot of character development and I am a huge fan of watching characters change and grow. The world that the author developed is just amazing, I loved the creatures and the setting. I think the darkness of the plot and the story were perhaps just not for me at this time. I know this seems odd since I rated everything like but I like the work the author did just maybe not right for me.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ComposingComposer
I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. It was compelling, and I really did enjoy it, but so much of it was dedicated to foreshadowing Gregor's death that it was weird that he survived. It almost felt as though we'd been cheated because the promise given through foreshadowing wasn't
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delivered upon. On the other hand, I'm really grateful that I didn't have to deal with losing Gregor. It was bad enough losing Ares, thinking we lost Ripred, only to have the rug pulled from under us by his survival.

As a rule I don't like middle school romances, but Gregor and Luxa were so mature for their age, and their love was pretty innocent, and it felt genuine, so I didn't really mind.

One thing the story was missing was an affirmation that Gregor had made the right decision in sparing the Bane as a baby. There really ought to have been a moment when the rat showed some sort of compassion, because, although I hold that Gregor made the right choice in not murdering the innocent (as the time) baby Pearlpelt, others might disagree because he ultimately was a crazy, compassion-less creature, who even Twirltongue couldn't keep under control.

Gregor, Ares, Ripred, Luxa and even Lizzie grew so much in this book, but there wasn't a satisfying end. Gregor and Lizzie are having to deal with the baggage of having survived a war, and being stuck in a world that doesn't even know it. Boots is young, and probably going to forget the whole experience in time. Gregor's parents desperately want to forget the whole thing happened. Luxa is almost alone as the queen of the Underland, and she and Gregor don't look like they will ever see each other again, much less get married. For better or worse, Ripred is manipulating the Underlander's interpretation of the prophesies, Howard and Hazard have survived, but we don't know how they are faring, and so many characters are dead. I wish there was a companion series where Gregor and Luxa meet again, many years later, either willingly (and then get married) or with surprise because their kids run into each other, and they have to deal with their feelings for one another. As it is now, this series is very good, but feels unfinished, and that is frustrating.
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Awards

Pages

412

ISBN

0439791448 / 9780439791441
Page: 0.4114 seconds