Warriors – Parent Content Review

Title: Warriors (series)

Note: this review was written with the help of my daughter and has the 10-year-old seal of approval.

Summary:

The Warriors series is about cats living in the forest and fighting to survive. The whole series is broken down into smaller groups of books. The first series is called Warriors, the second is called The New Prophecy, and so on. The very first book of the Warriors series is called Into the Wild. It’s about a house cat named Rusty who ventures out into the forest and meets the forest cats. They invite him to join their clan, he learns the ways of the forest cats, and is renamed Firepaw. The author creates a very complex world for the cats with elaborate social organization and customs. The story of the cats and their clans continues from series to series.

Appropriate for:

Ages 10 and up

Because of the complexity of the personal interactions and the social structures as well as some of the issues that are dealt with in the relationships these books are better for somewhat older kids.

Content Warnings:

There’s nothing particularly objectionable about the content of the books but there is some violence. The descriptions can be graphic so parents should be aware that kids who are sensitive cat lovers might find it too scary.

The Scoop:

A friend of my daughter recommended these books to her over a year ago and she didn’t really get into it. This year, however, it seemed as if all of her 10-year-old friends were reading it. We had the first book of the series, Into The Wild, on our shelves so she gave it a try and has become obsessed. Fortunately there are twenty-four books in the original Warriors series (six books each of Warriors, The New Prophecy, Power of Three, and Omen of the Stars) plus eight special editions, thirteen manga, and completely separate series about bears, and another about dogs. At this point I should point out that the author, Erin Hunter, is actually five people, editor Victoria Holmes, and authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Gillian Philip, and Tui Sutherland. This arrangement works well for turning out a high volume of books but my daughter has noticed that there are sometimes small inconsistencies from book to book. It’s only mildly distracting and she has a good time sharing the discovery of errors with her friends (and Merran). It has also given them fodder for imaginative games they play during recess at school and when they get together – games, I should say, that are as epic as a series of twenty-four books. If your kids can get into it they’ll have compelling reading material to last them for months.