Gregor the Overlander

Underland Chronicles, Book 1

By: Suzanne Collins

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, and cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. 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 forever.

©2003 Suzanne Collins (P)2005 Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Collins introduces her young heroes Gregor and his little sister Boots into a wonderland....A fantastically engaging place." (Publishers Weekly)
"Collins creates a fascinating, vivid, highly original world and a superb story." (Booklist)

Great series.

I really like this entire series. Good characters. Very inventive story. Good writing. Good all around.

Second best book series in print

I loved the Underland chronicles, second best book series in print today, second only to Harry Potter of coarse. Well written, easy to understand and follow along, with no boring spots to interupt your enjoyment. Suzanne Collins is an excellent author and her Underland Chronicles is much better than her Hunger Games series. There are 5 books in the series and they all flow together like water in a river, and each book can stand by itself without the others if need be. The cast of caractors in this story is wonderfully well written, you fill emotionally attached to them by the time the series ends. So please follow Gregor and his two year old sister Boots along on a great and heart felt journey.

It's A Kid's Book, And I Liked It!

Any additional comments?

Happily surprised by this one. What does that say about me? Not sure because according to Amazon, the age level for this series is 8-12. That actually makes me pretty happy because that means there’s some decent fiction out there for young readers. No better way to get them hooked on reading than by giving them decent books! My son liked it, and since it was in my Audible library from him, I thought I’d give it a listen.

Of course, some parts of my adult brain noted when the writing was a bit simple, but quite honestly, it was an imaginative journey down the vent shaft in the laundry room to the underworld. Gregor gets the surprise of his life, and protects his baby sister quite gallantly. Good boy… and well, sometimes you just have to save the world, underworld or not! This would be a good one for the whole family to listen to together! Road trip!

Skip if you're looking for more Hunger Games

I downloaded this book because I loved the Hunger Games so much. However, this book is aimed at an audience that is significantly younger and just isn't as gripping. It's not a bad book, but it's nothing that exciting either.

Love these books!

I did not know what to expect having just finished the Hunger Games series. I loved those and thought that this may be along those lines. Gregor, Boots and all of the other characters in this series are awesome. I just got this book 3 days ago- and have just finished second one. These books are so good I'm going to purchase the books themselves.
The story is gripping, heartwarming, heartbreaking and just wonderful. There is no swearing - yes these may be more for children than adults but I don't see it that way. I'm looking forward to listening to the 3rd book!

Very Good

My son and I just finished this book and we really enjoyed it. My son is eleven years old. The story moved along at a nice pace and the narrator did a good job with the different voices. If you're looking for a good solid story that doesn't get bogged down in endless detail, this book is a good choice.

Too earnest?

I think I would’ve liked this a bit more in written form. The narrator seemed too earnest...or trying too hard to sound like a kid. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but it put me off of the story.

Not What I Expected

I didn't realize that this series was directed to juvenile audience and was therefore disappointed. I do like many juvenile books but this one did not keep my attention.

Watch out Alice in Wonderland!

Gregor is 11 years old and left at home to watch his baby sister, Boots, who is 2 years old and his grandmother who has trouble keeping her mind in the here and now.

It's summer. It's hot. And all Gregor can think is that it's pathetic that he's excited over the fact he gets to get out of the house for a few hours to do laundry.

Then...his sister falls down a......what? He dives after her and falls too, and what they find is a fantastical world where they are called "Overlanders".

Gregor is not sure about trusting these strangers, especially with his baby sister, but they gradually earn his trust....and his respect....and ultimately a gratitude he can never repay.

The world is strange; but described so well it's easy to visualize. Gregor doesn't think he's much of a "warrior" when a prophecy in the Underland seems to point to the fact that he is, and what he fights with would win no battles here in the Overland.

The choices he makes are so natural, so human, so real, it's easy to feel after a bit that you, the reader, are living it with him. Other characters are very three dimensional, and all the main ones change in some way throughout the book.

Wonderful as a good book or a good bedtime story; take your pick. Highly recommend for an escape!

Suzanne Collins paints a portrait out of her imagination of an immense Underland so vivid it does make me want to take a second look at anything that may go "down". Paul Boehmer narrates amazingly and believably both an old man's voice and the voice of a two year old little girl. (How do they do this?) Fantastic book; fantastic narration. A joy to read.

Margery Facklam should have co/authored.

This is for 4th graders through 8th graders. I believe that age group will really like the book, but it is not that good for adults. I believe it could have been, The writing is good, but there are large holes. I will say I liked the whole take a bath so they rats don't smell you. That is true for different cultures. My wife went to college with some Nigerians. They said that all Americans have a smell, because we eat so much meat. About half way through the story gets more interesting when they are joined by Rip Red, I liked his character. There were also some surprises I did not see coming.

I did feel she should have gotten someone like Facklam to help her write the story. This mostly takes place underground and the only animals she mentions, are people, rats, roaches, fish and spiders. Of all the animals and insects that live underground , this was all she could fit into the story.

A little girl gets sucked down a grate in a laundry room in New York City and so did a full grown man. The explanation for that did not take place until the end of the story and then it was not very good. I would like to know why a group traveling through dangerous territory did not post guards when they slept, where did the roast beef come from, where did he get cab fare and how come the kid who should be in her terrible two's is so good? I know this is meant for a young audience, but does that mean it has to be sloppy. Don't our kids deserve better.

Transfixing: We stood still to concentrate better.

Would you listen to Gregor the Overlander again? Why?

Yes my 9 year old daughter & I are about to re-listen confident that Gregor the Overlander will be sufficiently powerful to hold the attention of 3 teens on a 4 hour car journey!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gregor the Overlander?

There are many memorable moments of tension & Gregor growing stronger in his self belief after each event. Escaping from the spiders was tense.

What does Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Paul Boehmer's 'Boots' is noteworthy as he makes the child innocent strength convincing.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Gregor the Overlander, the Underlander's Champion.

Any additional comments?

As an adult listening to a child's book, I liked the development of the main character as a reluctant hero taking on the responsibility of others out of doing best for his sister: quite normal but in abnormal surroundings.

WONDERFUL!

my son's (11 & 8) often Sat in the car after getting home from school not being able to turn the story off (& I always continued listening without them after dropping them at school!)

Just couldnt get into it

Maybe it was the narrator or the subject matter but could not get into this book at all.

Children's book?

At first, I just thought this is a nice children's story but in the end I started to care about the characters more and I think I will listen to the second book. I am just not sure for which age this book would be something. Especially in the end I didn't think this would be a good story for children maybe young teenagers....