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)

Just Plain Loved it

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I had heard good things about it but as it was written with a younger audience in mind I was not sure what I was getting.
How very pleased I was to discover a wonderfully written and narrated book.
The author has created wonderful rich characters that are all quite different from other books.
The setting of the "Overland" & "Underland" are very interesting and descriptions of the land, it's creatures and characters are very interesting.
Paul Boehmer is a wonderful narrator, his reading style is very well paced and he makes the characters come alive using wonderful voices and accents for all of them making it easy to follow who is speaking and what is going on.
I loved the relationship between Gregor and his little sister, I was quite sad for them hearing their back story, but the way he looks after Boots is just so wonderful and heartwarming.
Little Boots is such a wonderful character, she is so very well written and my favourite character in the whole book, she is the cause of most of my laughter throughout.
It was lucky I was alone while listening to most of it as I was laughing out loud in more than 1 place, this was due to both the writing and the narrating, some of the characters are just so loveable and others just so interesting.
I now look forward to listening to the 2nd book with impatience.

Brilliant

If you could sum up Gregor the Overlander in three words, what would they be?

I loved it

What other book might you compare Gregor the Overlander to and why?

It was straight up schoolboys adventure, a bit of intrigue a bit of suspense... my boys just loved it

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

He was a brilliant narrator - I will be looking for more of his work. H ebrought the characters to life

To my surprise...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am a fiction, kid/adult adventure book fan. I read The Hunger Games and loved it. Suzanne Colllins is amazing at turning words into reality through her vivid descriptions. I truly appreciate her style of writing and find the level of quality refreshing. I would HIGHLY recommend this book (the entire series!) to anyone who enjoys leaving on an adventure with some neat creatures and humans. I loved the adventure and the meaning/lessons throughout. What a great book!

What did you like best about this story?

The author's vivid descriptions... her word usage.

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

At first, I wasn't sure about his voice and its fit. However, as soon as I got more absorbed into the book, I realized he was a perfect pick. He did very well with all the characters. He gave me the ability to live in the shoes of the characters versus just "reading" about them. He gave them emotions and made them feel real -- made them feel like individuals even though his voice was used for all.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I got addicted to the storyline pretty quickly. So, yes.

Any additional comments?

Simply... this series is great!

A favorite for every age.

Love love this this book. Exceptional story line, imaginative, and compelling. I enjoy getting lost in the underland with Gregor, and the new friends we meet along the way are well thought out and complete characters. Thanks Suzanne Collins for the great story.

Well Done... Apart From Some Inconsistencies

Overall, this was a worthy performance of Suzanne Collin's first novel. However, there were some continuity problems, in regards to the narrator's performance, when stacked against the later books. The pronunciation of a few names, as well as some character voices, changed. This was obviously planned as a series from the start, and typically the narrators will stay in contact with the other to ensure things are matching — not only what the author has written, but also to ensure a smoother listening experience. I don't know what happened here...

But honestly, other than that, I will listen to this and the rest of the Underland Chronicles over and over again.

fantastically fabulous fantasy Gregor n Boots

a brother and sister team that is unbeatable in this thrillingly alternative underworld of amazing yet familiar creatures.
the writer sweeps you away into a wonderful world where you soon find yourself surrounded by cockroaches, bats, rats, spiders and even a few unidentifiable creatures .
you will soon find yourself feeling completely at ease with people dining with cockroaches, taking oathes with as well as riding on bats,
befriending rats, and counting on spiders for everything from clothes and diapers to line for stitching deep wounds.

Best books ever!

Amazing books, great narration, and thrilling and sad moments. I think how Suzan Collins writes is wonderful so I recommend these books for ages 9-900!

Sooo awesome to HEAR it, rather than READ it!

This (along with the others in the Underland Chronicles) is one of my favorite books & I've read & re-read it several times... But, I was actually very surprised how much MORE I got out of the story when I listened to someone else tell it! Far more enjoyable than I expected, now I can't wait to download the 2nd book!!

its a great book

i loved it ive listened to it 5 times going on 6! the first chapters a little boring but its super worth it. its the best book ever i reccomend you read it. it will change the minds of people who hate reading. i recommend it 10/10 if i could id rate it 1000000000000 stars

Give it a try! Great for long car rides with the kids.

I really have enjoyed this entire series and it was just as fun as before to hear the book read to you. If you like Fablehaven or Harry Potter you could really enjoy this series, especially if you are looking for something new to read with the kids. My kids, at ages 9 and 11 both really enjoyed these, and since it is a series it was continuous over a few long car rides. Thank you!