Secrets are something that can hold a lot of power. It is also a rather defining theme in Gregor and the Marks of Secret, book four of the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. The book opens on Gregor preparing for a trip to the Underland. This time though it is a little different as he is going only to visit his mom who is still in the hospital there recovering from the plague and for his lessons in echolocation with Ripred. Something he has been doing off and on ever since his trip to cure the plague. However, when he goes to meet Ripred this time he finds an unexpected addition, an adult Bane, that is apparently causing some problems for Ripred. The next time they are supposed to meet Gregor is ambushed by a trio of unknown rats instead, which causes some concern. Luxa then recieves word that the nibblers, or mice, from the forest may need her help. Upon investigating Luxa and Gregor discover that all of the nibblers from the forest colony have disappeared. Despite their growing concern they hide their investigation and decide to continue it by traveling to the nibbler colony near the Fount. Due to their secrecy about the reason for their trip they end up being joined by Howard, Hazard, Boots, and Temp. As they continue trying to figure out what is going on things go from bad to worse and the entire group ends up isolated and cut off from all contact with Regalia.
This was a great addition to the series and I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying the adventures of Gregor and his friends in the Underland. That being said, this book is also rather different than the previous books in the series. One of the biggest differences is Gregor’s rapidly disappearing reluctance. I think this is the first book Gregor is not reluctant or apprehensive about traveling to the Underland. If anything he seems to look forward to his visits there which is a marked contrast to many of his previous trips. However, his reluctance hasn’t completely disappeared as he is still reluctant about many other things. Things such as his role as the warrior of the prophecies and his ability as a eager. Mind you, these are some of the same things that a boy his age should not have to worry about. One of the biggest things that actually drew my attention for this book though is the role of secrets in the story. It starts with the first meeting with Ripred when the Bane is also there. Gregor is asked to not tell anyone that Ripred brought the Bane to their lessons, supposedly for security concerns. As a consequence of that, Gregor also doesn’t reveal the attack by the other rats thinking it may not be an issue. Luxa asks Gregor to not tell anybody about the request for help from the Nibblers, thinking that none of the adults will care or want to help and that it probably is not a big deal. As such, none of the adults know about their trip to the forest colony or the truth about their trip to the colony near the Fount. When all of these secrets start to pile up Gregor and Luxa end up drastically unprepared for the reality of their situation and the reality of what they may be facing. What this ends up showing is that keeping secrets, even when trying to help a friend, can have potentially dangerous and unexpected consequences. Ones that you are rarely ready to face. Another thing I liked is how this series is gradually getting darker. I mean it was never really light-hearted to begin with but the more Gregor discovers and learns about the Underland the more dark, dangerous, and creepy it seems. At the same time Gregor is also facing a lot of truths about the reality of the world and how things are never what they seem. Overall, this was incredibly well written and deserves its four out of five stars.
As you’ve probably gathered this was a kids fantasy book and a pretty good one at that. If you’re a kid who happens to enjoy the fantasy genre than you should probably seriously consider reading this series. Make sure to start with the first book though or you may struggle a little. I know this is technically a kids series, however Gregor is right on the cusp of being a teenager. As such I see no reason why it would not hold at least some appeal for the teen or young adult age range. That being said I also think it would probably hold limited appeal to adults, unless it just happens to sound like something you would enjoy. If it does I say go for it as it is a great series. The one thing I would keep in mind, irregardless of the age of the reader, is there is some violence present in the book. It is not a lot but it is there. If you decide to try the series consider sharing your thoughts in the comments.