The first book in The Underland Chronicles
In my last post, I railed against the claim that Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is a rip-off of Harry Potter. But I have to admit that when I read PJTO, I did notice some similarities to a different series: the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins.
Don’t get me wrong — I am in no way suggesting that PJ is a copy of Underland, or even that one is better than the other. The truth is, PJ and Underland currently tie for my second favorite series (after HP, of course).
But I bring this up because I think Underland doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, and so there’s a good chance you’ve never read the books. Well, fear not — Kidsmomo to the rescue! I’m here to tell you that if you’re a PJTO fan, you should definitely give Underland a try.
What, my word’s not enough to convince you? Well, here’s a side-by-side comparison to entice you:
|
PJTO |
Underland |
| Regular kid who’s thrown headfirst into a crazy adventure |
Percy |
Gregor |
| Important prophecies (usually annoyingly difficult to interpret) |
From the Oracle |
Carved into stone by Bartholomew of Sandwich |
| Feisty love (like?) interest |
Annabeth |
Luxa |
| Creatures not of our world |
Minotaur, Sphinx, centaurs, and hellhounds, just to name a few |
Giant roaches, bats, mice, and rats (all perfectly capable of talking with humans) |
| Tension that turns into all-out war |
Gods vs. Titans |
Humans vs. Rats |
| A “friend” who betrays the hero at the end of Book 1 |
Yeah, right — I can’t tell you everything! |
So, what are you waiting for? Go underground and give Gregor a chance! (And after you read The Underland Chronicles and love it, please remember that I accept thanks in the form of cash and/or chocolate.)
— Karen
