Rats by Paul Zindel (4/5)

Paul Zindell was able to use gorey graphics and a rustic setting, to display a heartfelt message about how important family is. This story follows the siblings, Michael and Sarah, in a world where it's overrun with rats. The story takes place on Staten Island, where a big waste dump has a massive methane gas leak, attracting all the rats in the city and making them go crazy. Michael and Sarah are constantly under the pressure of the rats, trying to escape to their aunties house off the island. Even after triumph, they soon realize that Staten Island has more to offer them, from hordes of millions of rats, to corrupt politicians. This book is very good in a lot of ways, and very gorey in a lot of ways. It displays a good message about family and what it means to truly be a family, but does so behind the curtain of constant violence and bloodshed. It is good at heart, but could tone it down a bit in the gore area. This book about a family overcoming hardship, and coming out on the other side of the rats, is a great message about family and what it means to truly belong with a group of people. While also displaying lots of details you wouldn't normally get to see in books, like how a family can struggle, and how bloody and angry rats can be.