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    Gregor the Overlander
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    Gregor the Overlander
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    Gregor the Overlander
    Audiobook6 hours

    Gregor the Overlander

    Written by Suzanne Collins

    Narrated by Paul Boehmer

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Rich in suspense and brimming with adventure, the New York Times-bestselling Underland Chronicles unfold the fate of the Underland and the great warrior, Gregor. Suzanne Collins is also the author of the bestselling Hunger Games trilogy.

    When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats--but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

    Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him and the Underland forever.

    Suzanne Collin's debut marked a thrilling new talent, and introduced a character no young reader will ever forget.

    Editor's Note

    Before Katniss…

    Before Katniss there was Gregor, an 11-year-old who gets sucked into the magical, warring underworld of New York. Collins’ debut bridges her experience in children’s television with the maturity of “The Hunger Games.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 12, 2005
    ISBN9780307207319
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Gregor the Overlander

    4/5

    1,125 ratings93 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A boy and his two-year-old sister fall into a fantasy world at war.3/4 (Good).The plot is built entirely out of young-adult cliches. But it also has a good sense of humor. Whenever the fantasy stuff gets really bad, or too pretentious, something unexpected and funny will happen. It's not parody, but Collins is clearly self-aware.
    • 5/5
      Gregor the Overlander is an inventive fantasy adventure, and the first of an absolutely wonderful series. The world-building is inventive, the adventure twisty and thrilling, and the characters are complex and delightful. Ripred and Boots are two of my favorite characters ever written. Kids (and parents!) will adore watching the characters try to unravel the prophesies and save the Underland.
    • 5/5
      This is an engaging tale of a quest by a small group to save many. Themes include family bonds, accepting differences, and the power of hope. Truly enjoyed!
    • 5/5
      What a completely amazing book--that made me cry! I don't cry over books, and for this one to wrench even a single teardrop from me is saying something.

      I think I have a new writing hero--Suzanne Collins, I bow down before you. Your middle grade is awesome, your young adult is fantastic... Please tell me that at least you worry for one minute out of one year if your writing's good enough. Then I'll know you're human. ;o)
    • 4/5
      When a boy named Gregor and his baby sister both fall down a grate in their apartment buildings laundry room, they discover whole new world under the city of New York. A world that has giant rats, bats, and cockroaches along with other humans. A war is raging between the rats and humans Gregor gets pulled into the war and must fulfill the "Prophecy of Grey" and save his missing dad.From the author that wrote the "Hunger Games", comes an eventful read for many children. This is a fast paced novel with a number of surprises. Although the book was good, some of the characters didn't get described or introduced much and some parts of the book got boring. Other than that, the story was great with some well thought settings and characters. This is a very good childrens book is unlike many I have read.
    • 3/5
      I want to give this book a better rating because I love the author, but I can't. The writing shows promise but the story's unoriginal. I did really feel for the characters, so much so that I plan to read the second book.
      I have hope... Aided by having read her future awesome books.
    • 4/5
      I went into this book simply wanting to read the first book that Suzanne Collins had written because I enjoyed the Hunger Games so much, but what I got here floored me. This was a children's book that was substantially better in my opinion to The Hunger Games because it felt more geared towards children than that particular story. I was mesmerized by Collins ability to make you care for characters that were not even human. Every single moment of this book was magical in nature. It truly became one of my favorite reads.

      Collins introduces us to Gregor and then thrusts him into an entirely different world called Underland. In this Underland we find different tribes that are made up of different species, such as spinners, bats, crawlers, and such. This makes for an entertaining world and one that you feel drawn into. Each moment feels like an adventure and you want to continue reading until the happy conclusion. There are several other books in the Underland Chronicles series and I intend to read them all!
    • 3/5
      solid adventure for elementary and middle school patrons. good intro to Suzanne Collins for those not yet ready to read Hunger Games.
    • 4/5
      When Gregor follows his 2 year old sister thru a hole in the basement laundry of their New York apartment building he falls into the Underland beneath the city. In this dark, forbidding place humans live in a fragile peace with giant cockroaches and spiders. The rats are a dangerous enemy and are not to be tangled with. Gregor's only thought is to find a way to get himself and Boots home again but when he discovers that his father may be in the Underland as a prisoner of the rats he takes on a dangerous quest as the Overland warrior to save him.I really enjoyed this story. It was well written and fast paced. I look forward to reading more of this series and finding out what happens next to Gregor, Boots and the rest. While this story is classified as Children's at our library I would also offer it to teens that are looking for a fun easy read with an otherworldly flavour.
    • 4/5
      Gregor and his two-year-old sister, Boots, fall through the laundry vent. into an amazing cavernous world beneath New York City. Taken in by people, who long ago emigrated from the "Overland" and have lived beneath the earth for centuries, the 11-year-old learns about the giant-sized talking creatures that also reside there, including bats, cockroaches, and vicious rats. Gregor just wants to get home,but before long, Vikus, the noble patriarch of the Underlanders, reveals to Gregor an ancient prophecy-and why he believes that the boy is the foretold "overland warrior," come to liberate them from the giant rats. He is reluctant until he learns that his father, who disappeared from their New York City home a few years before, is a prisoner of the rats. Gregor wants no part of it - until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland for ever.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Eleven year old Gregor has been stuck taking care of his baby sister, Boots, for most of the time since his father disappeared two years before. When she falls down a hole in the laundry room, Gregor really has no choice but to go after her... which is how they find themselves far underground, facing four-feet-tall talking cockroaches. The cockroaches are only one type of creature that inhabits the Underland, and they soon bring Gregor and Boots to a human population that's been living down there for centuries. Gregor's anxious to return to the surface, but even if he could find his way, there are the rats to worry about - rats that have been at odds with the humans for a generation. The humans want Gregor to stay, because they think that he might be the answer to an ancient prophecy. Gregor certainly doesn't feel like a great warrior, but when he finds out that his father might still be alive, and stuck in the Underland, he might not have a choice.Review: Mid-grade fantasy adventure can go either way for me. Some of it is fun, funny, and fast-paced, but sometimes I just don't connect with the humor, or the language or plot just skews too juvenile for my taste. Luckily, Gregor the Overlander was much more in the former camp. Sure, some parts of the plot were pretty predictable, and the resolution came a little too quickly and easily for my tastes. But Collins does deliver on an imaginative, interesting world, a fast-paced action story, and some interesting character choices both for Gregor and some of the secondary characters. (Also, she manages to make the giant cockroaches likeable, which is a feat all of its own, because: ew!)Overall, I definitely enjoyed listening to this; it kept me engaged and wanting to listen to more. It didn't quite match up to The Lightning Thief, which is my new standard for excellent mid-grade fiction. Gregor the Overlander just wasn't as detailed and its humor wasn't as sophisticated; I think because it's actually geared for a younger age bracket, despite the protagonists being almost the same age. So, while I didn't absolutely love it, I thought it was enough fun to be interested in continuing to read the sequels. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Except for the quick pace, this book doesn't share a lot of similarities with The Hunger Games, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it just because it's written by Collins. However, it's a fun, fast, and imaginative little book, and worth picking up if you're in the mood for some reliably enjoyable fantasy adventure.
    • 3/5
      This was written by the author of The Hunger Games series, which is the only reason I read it. It's probably what you'd call a middle grade book. Tweens.Gregor is looking after his 2-year old sister when the two of them fall down a hole in the laundry room. Below ground they meet giant cockroaches, giant rats, bats, and humans who have been there for hundreds of years (though only hundreds). Naturally Gregor then has to go on a quest.I do tend to like stories where someone from our world stumbles into another. What I don't tend to like is talking animals and when things get surreal and bizarre and it's a world I can't wrap my head around. Well, there are talking animals, and it's a little strange, but it's not too bad. I can't say it's a place I'd want to visit personally though.The good: Gregor's something like 11, and is watching after his little sister the whole time. Which is certainly pretty unusual in a book like this. Or in pretty much any book, probably.More good: There's a prophecy, but while I was trying to predict the outcome, Collins managed to surprise me. She didn't do the obvious. At least, not all of the obvious.The annoying: The narrator had a tendency to think to himself a lot. And it was in dialog quotes. I guess I've grown used to thoughts just being written plain, with the tag ', he thought'. And I guess I also prefer it when they don't have specific thoughts so much. While I think in words often, a lot of thought doesn't happen at the level of words. Or at least not complete sentences. I would've preferred more 'he guessed', 'he realized', 'he understood that'. There are more books in the series, and the ending rather hints at that. But I'm content to stop with this one, I think. Unless someone tells me the next books are awesome or something.
    • 3/5
      Collins, S. (2004). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic.0439678137311 pages.Appetizer: 11-year-old Gregor is facing a hot, boring summer in New York City, watching his grandma and one of his little sisters, Boots. His mom works all day and his dad had mysteriously disappeared several years ago. But, when Boots falls into a large open duct along the wall behind the dryer in the basement laundry room of their apartment building, Gregor has no choice but to follow her. The siblings fall into a mysterious underland where cockroaches, bats and rats are giant, the people have never seen the sun and where, Gregor quickly learns, it's much easier to arrive than to escape. Looks like his summer has taken a turn for the interesting.Okay, so I'm in love with The Hunger Games trilogy that Collins wrote after the Underland Chronicles. And since I'd heard good things about it, I figured it was my duty to pick up this series as well. But while by the same author, who still writes in clear and action-packed prose--I mean, can the woman end a chapter without there being some kind of plot twist/moment of emotional "ooh"?--The Underland Chronicles will really appeal to middle grade boys. I'm guessing the giant cockroaches, spiders and rats will entertain. And the fact that Collins includes real behavioral and biological features when she describes the animals will amuse even more.I particularly like Gregor the Overlander because quite a few of the initial interactions and misunderstandings revolve around cultural misunderstandings. This can help prepare students or open up discussion about experiencing another culture.I also like that the book explores what it is to be a hero/warrior and the sense of determinism that can arise when characters must worry about fulfilling a prophecy. Between the prophecy, quests, and links between the giant bats and their human riders, the book feels like it is the underground baby of The Lord of the Rings series and Avatar. Seriously! (Never mind that Gregor came out long before Avatar. It's still its baby. Don't ask me about the math!).I do have one small complaint though. I didn't like that the protagonist's name was Gregor and one of the antagonists was named King Gorger. Gregor. Gorger. Gregor. Gorger. Knowing Collins, this may have been intentional. But since I tend to focus on the first and last letters as I read names, there were a few moments of confusion.Also, as a warning, there are multiple character deaths in the book. As a rule, the characters who die aren't the ones the reader is expected to love the most, but they're also not nameless, faceless, motionless rocks in the background either. (But how unexpected would that be?! If a rock died?! Those kids don't even breathe! Nobody would see it coming!)The next book in the series is Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane. While it won't be able to fight its way to the top of my book pile, it'll still make the pile, which is saying something.Dinner Conversation:"Gregor had pressed his forehead against the screen for so long, he could feel a pattern of tiny checks above his eyebrows. he ran his fingers over the bumps and resisted the impulse to let out a primal caveman scream" (p. 1)."As he reached the far wall, a strange scene confronted him.The metal grate to an old air duct was wide open, secured by two rusty hinges at the top. Boots was squinting into the opening, about two feet by two feet, which led into the wall of the building. From where he stood, Gregor could see nothing but blackness. Then a wisp of...what was it? Steam? Smoke? It didn't really look like either Some strange vapor drifted out of the hole and curled around Boots. She held out her arms curiously and leaned forward."No!" yelled Gregor as he lunged for her, but Boots's tiny frame seemed to be sucked into the air duct. Without thinking, Gregor thrust his head and shoulders into the hole. The metal grate smacked into his back. The next thing he knew, he was falling down, down, down into empty space" (p. 13)."All right, okay, I'm talking to a giant cockroach," thought Gregor. "Be cool, be nice, answer the bug. He wants to know 'Smells what so good, smells what?' So, tell him." Gregor forced himself to take a deep sniff and then regretted it. Only one thing smelled like that."I poop!" said Boots, as if on cue. "I poop, Ge-go!""My sister needs a clean diaper," said Gregor, somehow feeling embarrassed." (pp. 18-19)."It is simple to fall down, but the going up requires much giving.""What do you mean?" asked Gregor, his throat tightening."He means you cannot go home," said Luxa flatly. "You must stay with us in the Underland.""Uh, no! No, thank you!" said Gregor. "I mean, you're all great, but I've got stuff to do...upstairs!" he said. "Thanks again! Nice meeting you! Come on, Boots!" (p. 36)."He'd seen movies. He'd read books. He didn't in any way resemble any warrior. First of all, they were grown up and they usually had a lot of special weaponry. Gregor was eleven and, unless you counted a two-year-old sister as special weaponry, he'd come empty-handed" (pp. 111-112)."Gregor succeeded in thinking of himself as a warrior. A bold, brave, powerful warrior that the Underlanders would tell stories about for centuries. He could almost see himself leading a squadron of bats into battle, stunning the rats, saving the Underland from--"Ge-go, I pee!" Announced Boots.And there he stood, a boy in a goofy hard hat with a beat-up flashlight and a bunch of batteries he hadn't even tested to see if they still had juice.The mighty warrior excused himself and changed a diaper" (pp. 137-138).
    • 5/5
      I heard this book mentioned on Books on the Nightstand as a good one to listen to on audio, so I picked it up at the library. I thought it would be a nice diversion on my drives to work, but I was only a chapter or two in when I realized that Gregor was more than just a nice diversion. This is an excellent quest story. When Gregor and his little sister Boots fall down a chute in their laundry room, they find themselves in an underground world filled with crawlers (roaches), spinners (spiders), flyers (bats), and humans. Gregor soon comes to suspect that his dad, who has been missing for months, may have met a similar fate. It is up to Gregor to lead a quest to find his father and save the underlanders from the crafty rats. The plot is quick. Gregor is an unlikely hero who grows into his role. Boots adds a lovely comic element. (She is only two and is able to win over the other questers.) And Collins has created an interesting world in the underland. This is the first in a five-book series. I'm hoping to get my kids interested in listening to this one.
    • 4/5
      An interesting premise, based on a twist of Lewis Carroll's Underland ("Wonderland"), as Suzanne Collins asked herself what kind of a world a city kid would find underground. The first couple books in the series are decent, but after that Collins plunges it into material that may be much too dark and gruesome for the recommended age of nine. If you're a parent considering getting these books for your child to read, I suggest that you might want to read them yourself first and see.
    • 5/5
      Suzanne Collins has created an underground world with giant talking rats, cockroaches and bats, who all can express human emotions - both good and evil. Among these inhabitants of this world is a civilization of pale skinned humans that descended hundreds of years ago, creating a monarchy system. When ordinary Gregor stumbles upon this world, he realizes that it wasn't accidental and he is as much a part of this world than he thought. Collins is able to convey character development through Gregor's journey of self discovery and independence in the story. She also allows readers to connect with the characters through some emotional and intense scenes. Targeted toward high 3rd grade readers to 5th grade.
    • 4/5
      This series came out a while before Collins' hugely successful Hunger Games series came out. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games series and didn't know if I would be pleased stepping back in experience and skill level to read the first in the Underland Chronicles. In some ways, this dark fantasy was exactly as I expected. The story is not quite as complex as her more recent series, but then, it seems to be aimed at a younger audience. It still has much to digest. Gregor, older brother to a toddler named Boots, follows her down a vent one day in their building's laundry room. They fall into the world beneath ours, the Underland, where humans, spiders, cockroaches, bats and rats struggle to find a balance for power through alliances and war. Initially, Gregor's only plan is to get out of the Underland and back home as quickly as possible. His escape turns into a complete disaster and in the midst of the chaos, he finds that he is part of a much bigger plan. The Underland has been waiting a long time for him. The goal of the quest he finds himself is too precious for him to say no to. It's a great first book with an ending that is far more satisfying than most other first books in a series. I can't wait to devour the second one!
    • 4/5
      Gregor is eleven years old. He lives with his mom, grandmother, and two little sisters, Lizzie, seven, and Boots, who's just two. His dad--a fun, gentle, sax-playing, intellectually inquisitive man--vanished while his mom was pregnant with Boots. It's the beginning of a hot, sticky New York summer, and Gregor has to stay home to take care of Boots while mom's at work and all the other kids go to day camp.On the very first day of summer vacation, after watching the neighborhood kids get on the bus to camp, Gregor dutifully gathers up the laundry (and Boots) and heads down to the laundry room to do his chores. Somehow Boots manages to fall through a grate in the the wall and Gregor must go after her. Instead of simply being able to pull her out and get back to business, Gregor finds himself falling downward, a long way downward, much like Alice when she falls down the rabbit hole.When he hits the bottom Gregor discovers a whole world below (which he later learns is called the Underland). There are people there, pale and violet-eyed, but there are also giant anthropomorphic cockroaches, rats, bats, and spiders. Gregor, apparently the "warrior" in a prophecy made long ago, finds himself on a quest, the goal of which seems to be to find his father and to avert a war.Gregor the Overlander is a delightful intermediate level novel. Though the burdens placed upon young Gregor are heavy, he shoulders them with aplomb, and learns much along the way. Young readers will absorb (with a spoonful of sugar) such lessons as the importance of believing in oneself and trusting others, not to judge people based on appearance (or species!), and following through on commitments. Charming, often funny (but sometimes scary), and well-written, Gregor is the first installment in the Underland Chronicles.
    • 3/5
      I decided to read this book because I am a fan of Suzanne Collins, and even though this is an older book, and aimed at young children, a good writer is a good writer. Which luckily is the case for this story. I enjoyed it the way as an adult, I can appreciate a disney movie. It was just cute enough and endearing enough. When I have children, this will definitely be one of the books I put on their shelf.
    • 3/5
      Not one of my favorites. An action packed, adventure novel.
    • 3/5
      Loved this series, each book was better then the last and I hope that she writes more. Gregor is quite amazing for how young he is, but he has had to be the man of the house for quite sometime. Great series for any age.
    • 4/5
      The novel, Gregor the Overlander, encompasses the theme to never give up and to have trust in others. In the begining, Gregor, the protaginist struggles with keeping his little sister, Boots, alive in a strange new land below New York, called the Underland. Throughout the middle he perserveres through traveling in a new land on a mission and being known as a hero to the underland because of his involvement to the Prophocey of Gray. By the end he has learned to trust more in other people and to always keep fighting even when you are facing certain death.
    • 3/5
      This is a solid example of children's speculative fiction. While the prose is simplistic, Collins takes great care in both creating a vivid, (almost) believable underworld as well as crafting an equally believable hero. Gregor is noble, but not cloying--though he wants to protect his sister, he's plagued by the jealousies and insecurities common to 11-year-olds. Unfortunately, his actual quest feels a little tacked on, but the character- and world- building are more than adequate for keeping the reader's interest. Gregor's middle class background, peppered with very realistic details (he plays the saxophone, and eats with some nerdy kids at lunch) elevate him above the Gary Stu perfectionism that plague many children's/YA fantasy heroes.
    • 5/5
      For some reason I had a hard time getting into the first two or three pages of this book. (My mood, perhaps?) I waited a week and picked it up again, and suddenly I was hooked.This is such a fun fantasy idea: giant rats, bats, roaches, spiders, etc., and pale skinned people. The Underland is a delightful new world.As per my review of Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, the characters are charmingly diverse and well developed with flaws and virtues, every one. These sort of details make this the kind of story I WANT my children to read! Plus, they are fun for all of us!
    • 1/5
      Just a typical fiction. Gregor needs to find his father in this underland world that you can gain entrance through his laundry room or something like that. Oh my, get a life! Definitely not for realistic, mature teenagers.
    • 4/5
      I borrowed this book from my brother, an Elementary school teacher and true kid at heart, who seems to always have fantastic taste in juvenille fiction. He has introduced me to some great reads, Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter to name a couple, so if he recommends it I read it. I am familiar with Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series which was phenomenal so these books seemed to be a no brainer.Gregor the Overlander was a terrific read and really great for a younger audience than The Hunger Games. Gregor is living a difficult life in New York City. His father had mysteriously disappeared several years prior and his mother is working as much as she can to feed the family. He is the oldest child and therefore responsible for taking care of his little sister Boots. One day, while attempting to do the laundry and watch Boots at the same time, his little sister chases her ball through a grate in the wall and disappears. In attempt to rescue her Gregor follows and what he discovers will change his life!I thought this book was a great introduction to the Underland and characters that I assume will be making appearances in the following books in this series. Although you can tell this was one of the authors earlier works it is still a great read and I highly recommend! Far superior to Percy Jackson but not quite as good as Artemis Fowl. I will definately be reading the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      Solidly written beginning to a fantasy series. Inclusion of toddler and characters' interactions with her add a unique twist.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to try out Collins' earlier series. Gregor and his sister, Boots, must lead a quest to fulfill a prophecy and try to find their missing dad after falling to the Underland through a grate in their NYC laundry room. There are allusions to mythology, action, and extra large versions of overland animals - Crawlers, Flyers, Spinners, and Gnawers - in this first installment of the Underland Chronicles. I enjoyed listening to the book.
    • 5/5
      very good i liked it a lot
    • 4/5
      I discovered this book after reading Stephanie's review of it. Having loved both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I knew I wanted to read some more of Ms. Collins' work. The fact that I could then pass it along to my son to assuage his passion for reading was a definite bonus. I was not disappointed. In fact, I can see where Ms. Collins has had so much success with The Hunger Games. While her writing ability is not polished, her ability to weave a story and create an entire world is spectacular.There were a few issues I found with the book. Gregor is not completely fleshed out as a main character. While he is sympathetic, I never felt true concern with his plight. At no point in time was I fearful for him and knew without a doubt that the ending would be a happy one. As with other Collins' works, the happy ending is not without its price, which also did not come as much of a surprise. Spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats - oh my! Ms. Collins does a great job of bringing them to life, instilling a personality into each of them that I never would have considered possible. I never would have considered cockroaches as particularly endearing, or bats for that matter, but Ms. Collins found a way to do so. This is a testament to her writing ability.In general, this was another excellent, fast-paced read. I devoured the book in just a few hours and have been pressing my son to pick it up since then. There is an amazing message about family and what it means to be a phenomenal brother and son that is valuable for any child to learn. I would definitely recommend this to other kids, even though I would hesitate to recommend it to other adults. Actually, it would be a great book to read together to discuss the implications of Gregor's actions and truly drive home the message about family. Thank you, Stephanie, for recommending this book!