The reason one of the stars are missing is because it was a bit slow at the beginning. Eglantine wasn't herself. Primrose felt ditched when Ginger became friends with the owl. But the REAL rating I'd give is a 4.5. It was full of action and strategy. The dreams and the 'mother'. It was all a big mysterious puzzle piece which made you want to keep reading. I finished the book within a few hours, not non-stop, but if I had the chance I would read it non-stop. The ending is filled with pure suspense and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

It's very interesting to see Eglantine grow. She is only a few months (if that) younger than Soren, but up until The Shattering, I always saw her as more of a child while the Band were more like young adults. The books are, if they continue in this way, growing in audience appeal. There isn't any more repeating of information we already know (occasionally, but more tastefully done) and there are more action-events, and thought-provoking events happening. I am amazed at the higher-level thinking going on with the Flekasia, Shattering, Gizzuition, and even the Starsight. I believe I appreciate the series more as an adult than I did in middle school.

The cover of the book looks really cool, and my favorite color is blue so I thought it would be amazing, but it wasn't that good as I expected, it's because of Ginger, let me explain, I didn't like her and how she made Eglantine 'change' and how Eglantine sided with her instead of Primrose. Primrose didn't deserve to be left out and I didn't know that pygmy owls looked creepy so it kind of shook me when the pictures of Primrose was shown.

The first book that isn't from Soren's POV, it is instead from his sister, Eglantine's POV. And it's an interesting POV to have. We get to see how Eglantine feels at the Ga'Hoole Tree, and what kind of owl she is.

Definitely worth reading.

Voted best book of the series by the grandkids grades 5-7. We just have time to read book 6 before they start online classes.
It’s been a very fun summer of remote reading. We’ve logged over 1200 pages and had many book chats.

The Shattering is the shortest book in the series thus far. It is easy to read it quickly, but I would advise slowing down if you want to grasp the deeper concepts. These are beautiful books for children as they are fun to read at a surface level. As an adult, I am rereading this series and am rediscovering why I loved it so much as a child. Lasky pairs silly words and poems with serious questions about dignity and worth.

Other ideas expressed continue themes of brainwashing and hypnosis. Positive and negative connotations and dennotations of the word 'pure' and how they are used by different groups. The use of lies to hold others captive. What is the measure of a true friend. What makes a soldier: discipline or wit?

One of my favorite things about Lasky's world building is how no named character is left as an unwoven thread. For example, Eglantine, the younger sister of the protagonist Soren. She has played third wheel to the Band and the Chaw of Chaws for some time now. It is in this book that her story arc becomes front and center. The reader is given a closer look into her point of view than previous books.

As a final note, I have enjoyed seeing the difference between book and movie Digger, a young burrowing owl. In the movie, he is made out to be the "owl version of Dory" to quote my father. He cracks jokes and makes puns to make all fathers proud. In the books, Digger is a thoughtful owl. He watches and gathers information, which is always crucial to the plot. He notices when other owls are exhibiting strange behavior and is often a voice of reason. I think it is safe to say that he would be confused by his portrayal in the movie, as hilarious as it is.

Nowhere near as good as previous ones in the series. The plot was way too easy to guess, making the storyline a bit of a waste of time.

An interesting tale, but the story felt out of place. Only about one new thing added to the overall plot, and even then it fell a bit from the other. Pretty dark though!

Oh, how I missed these books! I've read the first four over 3 years ago, but no recap was needed. The Shattering is a good follow-up, can't wait to read the next one in the series!

And what a gorgeous cover...

so sorry to all my moots watching me read this book down however it's too good to stop especially when ezylryb sent his son (hell his children) to the northern territory. eglantine killed her niecephew and they still have a war to fight.

The story of this book is interesting, but the telling can get a bit dull. It could use some drama. I don't mean drama as in fights, though, I mean the writing style. Drama is needed in the way of strategic chapter ends, single-sentence paragraphs, strong adjectives, etc. Those would make it more interesting to read.

I also don't like how random the formatting for thoughts seems. Multiple characters' thoughts are shown each chapter;this could work fine, but it lacks good transitions. Sometimes the thoughts are in italics, sometimes slapped in, and sometimes in questions.

The plot, overall, is interesting and creative. A couple bits are very predictable, but still fun to read!

This series would likely be preferred by children instead of teenagers or adults.

This is my favorite of the Ga'Hoole books so far, slightly edging out the first one. Eglantine is under a strange spell - created by too much exposure to the troublesome flecks, and begins making regular visits to the evil Nyra, who is posing as her mother. Eventually her friend Primrose helps free her. As she flees, Eglantine tries desperately to steal away the prized egg containing the offspring of Nyla and Kludd, but she's unsuccessful and the egg is destroyed. (It would have been an interesting plot twist had the egg survived, to see how the offspring of the two evil owls turned out.) Eglantine's inner struggles are what make this book stand out in the series.