underneath

Following my raving review of KEEPER, I couldn't wait to get my hands on THE UNDERNEATH, Kathi Appelt's first book and illustrated by David Small (!!!!). So many promising expectations.

Then, about a quarter into the 311 page novel, I started rolling my eyes, yawning and skimming...

Let me explain. After reading KEEPER and giving it five stars on GOODREADS, I wrote a great review before reading what other people thought of it. To my surprise many people found KEEPER dull and boring and loathed Appelt's writing style. Don't get me wrong, I understood, to an extent, what they were referring to, but I found the repetition lyrical and thought that it added to the mystical-ness of the story.

THEN, I read THE UNDERNEATH. Appelt's writing started to grate my nerves. The incessant lists of trees, snakes, birds, cats, etc. made me roll my eyes.

THERE ARE OXBOWS AND FENS THAT MAKE SMALL LAKES HERE AND THERE. BEWARE THE VIPERS, THE RATTLERS AND CORALS, THE COPPERHEADS, THE VENOMOUS CREW. THEN THERE ARE THE NONPOISONOUS VARIETIES, THE BLACK SNAKES, THE CORN SNAKES, THE RAT SNAKES. (pg. 17)

SHE LOVED THE DARKNESS PROVIDED BY THE WELCOMING TREES, THE OAKS AND CEDARS, THE SHUMARDS AND WILLOW. AND THE SNAKES! HERE WERE MILLIONS OF HER REPTILIAN RELATIVES, THE SMALL AND DEADLY CORALS, THE BRONZE-COLORED COPPERHEADS, THE MASSASAUGAS AND THEIR COUSIN RATTLERS. (pg.35)

THE TREES, THE ALDER AND MAGNOLIA, THE LAUREL AND FLOWERING ASH, KNOW ABOUT MISSING. (pg. 103)

At first, these passages sound beautiful- and technically they are (slightly Neil Gaiman-y-ish)-- BUT come on! They are littered throughout the entire book! And we are talking an MG book! Puhhhleeeeeease! 

It took me all of 40 pages to start scribbling hate notes. THEN I started to question myself:

Is it timing?

Should I have waited a few weeks to read her next book?

What if I read this first and KEEPER second, would I love it and hate the other?

You know what? That's stupid. I can tell you, I've read Beverly Cleary, Judy Blue, Morris Gleitzman, Frances O'Roark Dowell and Dannette Haworth, book after book till there were no more and I never got tired of them. If fact, I was itching for their next one. 

So, as annoyed as I was, I finished the book. To be quite honest, I gave it four stars on GOODREADS. I actually loved it-- repetition and draggy-ness aside, the story was amazing. The ending was worth it all. And even for me, love won in the end...