I first read the Warriors series in fourth grade, but the books have been sitting in my library for years, untouched. One day, at a loss for what to read, I saw them and said to myself "Why did I like these books anyway?" So I decided to read the first series over. To my surprise, a lot had changed. Plotlines which once held me captivated, waiting in suspense for the next installment, now felt extremely predictable. I could pretty much anticipate the plot from the first page, using a combination of the painfully obvious foreshadowing and my prior knowledge of the book. They even have prophecies that basically tell you what the next plot twist is going to be. Details I once found endearing or heartbreaking or satisfying now seemed to fall flat. Even the premise seemed a bit strange. I mean, wildcats that live in clans and fight each other while struggling to survive. Throw in some pun based made up words and obvious, dead give away villain names and you basically have the Warriors series.
However, I can see why I liked it as a kid. It gave me a new and interesting viewpoint on life and culture to explore. It had peaceful, endearing moments where everything was innocent and fun, a reminder of younger days. It painted cats to look like people, like the tribes of old. The good guys won, there were themes of loyalty, forgiving, generosity, courage, love, friendship, even death. I see how I could have connected with these loose parallels to life and found amusement in a new culture and names I could barely pronounce.
Great post! I read these in elementary school too and I totally get what you mean, that a book can seem so much deeper when you're younger and just make too much sense when you're older.
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