When most people think of author Suzanne Collins, they think of her critically acclaimed series, “The Hunger Games,” but I do not. I think of her lesser known, albeit better series, “The Underland Chronicles.” Whereas Collins’ writing slowly deteriorates in “The Hunger Games,” culminating in a final book that, though it pains me to say, I consider worse than the two movies based on it, in the “The Underland Chronicles” her writing stays consistent and makes for an overall better story.
That said, I still love “The Hunger Games.” The first two books in the series, “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire,” enthralled me from page one. After starting both of them, I could not put them down until I was finished. Then I started the third book, “Mockingjay.” I began it with my usual enthusiasm, but instead of being met with a captivating narrative, I was confronted with a slow moving tale that tested my patience and changed my view of the series.
On the other hand, “The Underland Chronicles,” which is about a New York City teenager stumbling upon a world under the city filled with almost translucent people that fly around on bats, six feet tall rats, and other normally small animals that are human-sized, is consistent throughout the entire series. Instead of slowly letting her writing decline in quality as Collins did in “The Hunger Games” series, in “The Underland Chronicles” she maintains a high level of writing, translating into a better, more entertaining series.
As I first read “The Underland Chronicles,” I continuously wondered how this series had not become a sensation, like “Harry Potter” and “Twilight?” It contained all the things needed to make a blockbuster book: likable characters, a strong, entertaining plot, and other-worldly things (like the massive bats, rats, cockroaches, and ants). Through one simple Google search, I found the answer to that question. The first book, “Gregor the Overlander,” was released at the height of the so-called Pottermania. It was doomed from the beginning. People across the U.S. were so engrossed in the “Harry Potter” series, barely anyone had time for a relatively unknown author.
“The Underland Chronicles” was a great series of books and, in my opinion, demonstrated Collins’ ability as a writer more than “The Hunger Games” ever did. Unfortunately, the series fell to a fate that I imagine many other would-have-been-great series and books do: bad timing. Like James S. A. Corey’s “The Expanse” series, “The Underland Chronicles” was overshadowed of insanely popular blockbuster books and series such as “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner.” Before making a final decision on Suzanne Collins, I highly recommend reading her relatively unknown series, “The Underland Chronicles.”
