THE UNDERNEATH

THE UNDERNEATH by Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by David Small

When you have a book that is a Newberry Honor winner, a National Book Award Finalist, and Amazon's #1 Book of the Year you have high expectations. While The Underneath is a book that checked all of those boxes, I was a bit disappointed with the story. However, reflecting back on it, I can see that it has grown on me a bit.

Instead of me recounting the story to you (which will result in a 10-mile-long post), I'm going to give you a very broad overview. The Underneath is actually 3 stories coming together to form one. Set in the bayou along the Louisiana-Texas border, the first story focuses on a mother cat, her kittens, and an old injured dog. The second story is about an angry, young man named Gar Face. The third revolves around two snakes who can shape shift one time to human form. (These three subjects are about as far apart from each other as possible, but they do eventually come together in one coherent story.) The overarching theme is love and the choice of forgiveness or hate. As the 3 stories intersect, each group must choose which emotion they're going to hang on to due to events in their lives. There's not an intense focus on magic, however the shape shifting snakes and a hummingbird that accompanies the spirits of those who have died into the afterlife give the book a folklore feel.

Something interesting about this book is the author, Kathi Appelt, is a creative writing teacher at Texas A&M (or was), and this was her debut novel.

HEADS UP- If you have a sensitive child, this book is not for them! There are some details of abuse. Gar's face is mangled due to his father punching him. The father also beats Gar Face's mother. There is alcohol abuse. One of the main characters dies at the hands of Gar Face.