Customer Reviews

Gregor the Overlander: Book One in the Underland Chronicles

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved the first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, and enjoyed the whole series. After reading this first book in Suzanne Collins' earlier series, I like it even more. The story begins in New York City, but soon moves to the Underland. Gregor is a typical 11-year-old boy. He lives with his mother, grandmother and two younger sisters. His father has been missing for 2 Years, 7 Months and 13 days. Gregor stays home from summer camp so his sister can go; he is helping to look after his aging grandmother and his baby sister Boots. One day while doing laundry, Boots seems to disappear. Soon Gregor finds himself falling and falling. When he lands, he is in a strange Underland, full of giant bats, spiders, roaches, rats and a human colony that came below ground many years ago. There is an uneasy peace among the rats and the other Underland kingdoms, and Gregor seems to set off a war between the humans and rats. And many of the humans seem to believe he is fulfilling an ancient prophecy. The prophecy states:

"Underlanders, time hangs by a thread. The hunters are hunted, white water runs red. The gnawers will strike to extinguish the rest. The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest.

An Overland warrior, a son of the sun, May bring us back light, he may bring us back none. But gather your neighbors and follow his call, or rats will most surely devour us all.

Two over, two under, of royal descent. Two flyers, two crawlers, two spinners assent. One gnawer beside and one lost up ahead. And eight will be left when we count up the dead.

The last who will die must decide where he stands.
The fate of the eight is contained in his hands. So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps, as life may be death and death life again reaps."

Gregory does not believe he is the predicted warrior. But if this is his best chance to get back to Overland he will do so, especially if it means saving his system and himself.

This is the first book in a quintology and it looks like it will be an incredible series. I highly recommend this first book and believe you will become as hooked as I did.

THIS IS MOST AWESOME! My 10 year olds just got this book and before they could read it, I wanted to check it out (plus, I was bored!) Well, I couldn't put it down! I had it read in 2 days! I just got online to look for the sequel. Apparently, there isn't one yet! BIG BUMMER! I can't wait to hear about the prophecy of Bane and my daughters are fighting over who can read it next!
This book should NOT only receive MANY awards, it SHOULD be viewed as a modern day Alice in Wonderland! Except, NO wimpy characters here! This is an awesome book for Kids and ADULTS!

After surviving a bizarre fall through a gateway to the Underland--conveniently located in the laundry room of their NYC apartment building--eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister Boots discover a world filled with giant talking cockroaches, rats, spiders, and bats. The humans of this formidable world take them in as "guests," but, as Gregor astutely observes, "Guests could leave it they wanted to" (p. 54). Not knowing whom to trust, Gregor flees the palace with Boots, inadvertently igniting the prophesied war between the humans and rats.

Highlighting Gregor's role as the consistently responsible older brother, Collins creates a heroic character for young adult readers even before revealing that Gregor is about to fulfill his destiny as "an Overland Warrior, a Son of the Sun" (p. 109). Yes, there is violence, but not simply for the sake of being violent; Collins's use of violence is appropriate to her story.

Gregor is a great introduction for readers who are new to the fantasy genre. The main characters are human, and are well-grounded in reality--New York City, doing laundry, babysitting, summer camp. Still, there is enough of the fantastic--giant talking animals, gateways into another world, prophecies--to stimulate the imagination and introduce newcomers to fantasy without being overwhelming.

Massachusetts Children's Book Award Honor Book, 2006

Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award, 2006

NAIBA Book of the Year Award, 2004

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

Gregor the Overlander

A land where all humans have silver hair and purple eyes, where giant bats, cockroaches, rats and other weird creatures roam... Gregor the Overlander is written by Suzanne Collins, and it's about a boy named Gregor. Gregor lives in New York City with his mom and sister. His dad has disappeared for over two years! But when Gregor follows his two year old sister through a grate in their laundry room, they hurtle into darkness and end up in an underground city named Regalia. There, he has to complete a prophecy in order to go home.

There are many themes in this book like family, bravery, friendship, determination and courage. These themes all tie in with the story because Gregor is always thinking about his family, even when he is in Regalia. He also makes a lot of new friends. And with his new friends by his side, he has to find bravery, determination and courage inside him to be able to go on the adventure of his life, and fulfill the prophecy.

Many characters are in this book, but here are just the main ones. The obvious main character is Gregor. He's eleven years old and is very caring, quick-thinking, smart and brave. Well actually he's not always really that brave. Then there is Boots, she is two years old and is Gregor's sister. Boots can sometimes be a handful, but at least she's very playful and loves everyone. Luxa is also a main character, and a very brave Underlander. Luxa is the same age as Gregor. And she is the queen of Regalia. The last main character I'm going to talk about is Vikus. He was the underlander that told Gregor about the prophecy. Vikus is very wise, and trustworthy. Also he is Luxa's grandpa, and he's pretty old.

This book takes place in New York City and the underland. I'm sure you can look up New York on the internet, so I'm just going to tell you about the Underland. The Underland is filled with very deadly creatures, like the giant rats and spiders. The rats in the Underland aren't the small ones that you might see in your city, they're much, much bigger and the can kill a full grown adult with one swipe of its claws! The spiders that are in this book are also huge; they're probably the size of an adult! Also the spider's web is very thick and strong that it can hold humans! Now, what I've just told you makes the underland a horrible sounding place, but there are nice places too. Like Regalia, for instance, it's a very nice underground city, with lovely stone buildings, and very nice people.

The author style in Gregor the Overlander is in third person. The genre is adventure because Gregor goes on a trip to fulfill a prophecy. And the trip contains great, great risks like fighting deadly creatures and flying on bats hundreds of meters in the air! Also, Gregor almost got himself killed in one part of the book! So obviously after all I've told you, this is a fictional book. But there is some reality in it, and I love the author's creative imagination. She also adds cliff hangers to make you read on.

So I really think you should read this book, it's perfect for ages nine and up and trust me, you'll love it. Also you won't be able to put it down until the very end. But, when you finish don't worry there's a sequel so there's more!

Eleven year old Gregor and his sister Boots fall through a grate in the laundry room and down into the Underland world. In the Underland world there are humans, big bugs, rats, and giant spiders. There is a conflict brewing between these different groups, with the rats being the main enemy of the humans and bats, while the spiders and big bugs are neutral. War is on the horizon when Gregor and Boots enter this world.

Gregor wants no part of this conflicted world, he just wants to get home, but then he hears that his father is in the Underland world. His father had disappeared without a trace from New York City and Boots, Gregor's two year old sister has never seen him. Gregor embraces the Underland world and its prophecy about a warrior who will save the human Underlanders, so he can find his father and return home.

"Gregor the Overlander" is the first book in a series of five books written by Suzanne Collins. The world that is created is exciting and intriguing; the characters are interesting and appealing. The only thing that seems out of place is the fact that Gregor is eleven years old; he seems to be more around the age of fifteen by the way he acts and by his maturity level. I just cannot picture an eleven year old boy doing the things that Gregor does in the book.

This is the best fantasy novel I've read in a long, long time. I found out about this book by chance and want to tell everyone I know about it because they might not see it at the bookstore. Everybody who likes fantasies MUST read this book. You absolutely have to. If you like suspense, prophecies, awesome fantasy, mysteries, battles, survival, reunions, friendships, heroism, and characters you will never forget, you will love, love, love this book. PLEASE Ms. Collins hurry up with the sequel!! I just have to know what happens to Gregor and his family and all the Underlanders. I HAVE to find out about The Prophecy of Bane. I think Gregor is such a great hero. The plot for this novel is so perfect. Every detail fits just right. Ms. Collins has thought of everything. The Underland is a very believable world. All of the characters are fascinating and very real. Aside from Gregor and Boots, my favorite characters are Tick and Temp, Solovet, and Ripred. Oh, most of all, I love Ares. I laughed and cried and shivered and lost my breath reading this book.

This is a terrific fantasy novel that will appeal to guys and girls. Giant cockroaches, bats to ride, and a prophecy to fulfill make this a very fun read. I loved Gregor's love and concern for his little sister. This book is going to have wide appeal to fantasy readers. I am a school librarian and have watched what kids read for many years. I cannot wait to introduce this book to them. Redwall fans will enjoy this series-to-be.

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, is a intense book about an eleven year boy who is pulled into the Underland. I was at first curious when he started to fall slowly downward towards the Underland and the currents sucked his little sister into the Underland he then was kidnapped by roaches. I thought that it was strange that the cockroaches thought that boots was a goddess and helped her all the way through the book. I thought that it was neat that the rats could smell everything extraordinarily well. The best part of the book was when the root beer hit the spider in the fangs causing it to drop Luxa the queen of the humans. I do not know which I disliked more the ending of the book or how the people die.

If you don't love this book, then you are a nitwit! Gregor is a young boy who has had to assume many responsibilities since his father mysteriously vanished 2 years ago. When his baby sister falls down a chute in the laundry room, he goes after her. What he finds is a whole new world with gigantic roaches, evil rats, enormous spiders and an odd race of humans. Gregor's arrival is seen as a possible warrior who can save the Underland according to an prophecy written in stone hundreds of years ago. All he knows is his mom is going to be worried sick if he doesn't get home soon with his sister (as utterly charming a human as ever existed!) I loved this book. You will love this story. I can't wait for the next book in her series. Highly recommended to kids and moms, and everyone in between!

SIx stars if we could!! Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins is a fantastic book. Our book club of fourth and fifth graders was supposed to read it in six weeks, but it took three. We just couldn't put it down. The characters grew with the story. The book is a fantasy, but it makes you think twice about reality. Next stop....Prophecy of Bane!! We can't wait.
Frank Jewett / Hanson Book Club
Buxton, Maine