The Taken is a book that will appeal to middle grade lovers of the Survivor Series, which makes sense since the author, Inbali Iserles, was one of the writers for that series under the pen name Erin Hunter.  This new series combines animals with fantasy concepts and magic.  In this book, there is an introduction of characters and a lot of questions raised without a lot of answers given. It did feel like there was a lot of wandering around–literally and figuratively–in the book.  This is a book that will appeal mostly to the younger end of the middle grade demographic, but it does have a lot of detailed descriptions and some advanced vocabulary that might make young readers stretch (not necessarily a bad thing).  This book and its characters did not particularly grab or enchant this reviewer, but I have a feeling that a few nine-year-olds out there will vehemently disagree.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Several verbal threats to hurt or kill; character chased upon multiple occasions; character attempts to attack another, resulting in minor injury; blood and fur is seen from a distance with implied death; character kills a rat;  multi-page fight scene with biting, injures, and mention of blood; character falls to death; characters hunt, catch, and eat food; character  hit by vehicle and imprisoned; repot of euthanizing of animals; character kills several others in a non-detailed scene, but blood is mentioned.  Note:  Characters are animals and thus, violence is animal to animal.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of family members, imprisonment, euthanizing of animals.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None