Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

I've stated before that if a book can make me laugh hysterically or cry hysterically, it's guaranteed a good review because it means the author has gone above and beyond. That is the case with THE UNDERNEATH. Except, a good review isn't enough for this book. It is not. I only hope that my review can begin to do justice to this amazing work.

THE UNDERNEATH is lyrical, strong, and extremely well-written. It is thought provoking and "can't put it down" fantastic. Kathy Appelt does not lower the bar in the slightest from page one until the book is done. Not one bit.

Appelt weaves a brilliant tale about an old, beaten-down hound dog and the felines he loves. She also weaves an almost entirely separate folktale of a miserable, bitter, shape-shifting snake. How do these two stories fit into the same book? Ask Kathi Appelt, because I'm still trying to figure out how she beautifully intertwined them. But she did. She did.

In the acknowledgements, Appelt mentions advice from M.T. Anderson (THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING) that she took to heart: "Write what you think you can't." Obviously, this author put her heart and her soul into the writing of a beautiful book, and it has paid off with a tale that will last for generations.

You know that gut feeling you get when you read a book like CHARLOTTE'S WEB or THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE? That Lasting feeling? Lasting wraps itself around you and urges you to read this book carefully because you'll want it in good condition on your shelf for a long time to come. That is this book. This perfect and Lasting book. ( )

A beautifully-written book filled with fantasy and wonder. Too spooky for small children, but I adored it! ( )

My rating is for the audio version. I found it incredibly repetitious, boring and brutal. I listened to one one hour part out of five, and that was a struggle. ( )

A courageous cat and sweet-hearted hound dog forge an unlikely friendship, indeed a family unit, as they experience the adventures of living in proximity to a man's pet alligator.

This became immediately one of my all-time most favorite books in the world. I loved the writing style, Ioved the story. The copy I read was a library book, and I loved it so much I had to go buy my own copy. I recommend it to all my friends. I buy it for gifts. I cannot imagine it in the children's section of the library -- for how could children ever understand this sort of writing? And bravo to those who do, and who enjoy it. A wonderful story of the friendship of animals in the Texas bayou, animals made sentient but not so much anthropomorphized, lyrical, mystical, sweet, tense, compelling. I hope to read it over and over. Perhaps one day I'll be able to share it with my granddaughter. ( )