Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins



Title: Gregor the Overlander
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Junior Fiction
Rating: 5



I’ll admit, I picked this book up because after reading The Hunger Games trilogy a couple of years ago I wanted to see what else Suzanne Collins could do.  I  had a hard to believing she could tame down her writing enough so that younger kids could comprehend it and not be scared out of their wits.  I was sooo impressed with this book and how well written it is for the intended age group, and cannot wait to read the rest in this series.  I will definitely start recommending this series to more kids looking for adventure novels or something “fun”.

Gregor, a poor, responsible young boy has recently lost his father and starts taking on the tasks of being the "man" of the house.  He does his chores and passes up going to summer camp to take care of his two-year-old sister Boots, and his aging grandma.

However, his summer soon takes a turn when he runs to chase Boots down a vent in the laundry room...and is transported to the "Underland".  Once in the Underland, Gregor faces many difficult choices and challenges thrown his way.  Giant evil rats, huge bats, enormous cockroaches and a strange looking race of humans greet Gregor and Boots in the Underland.  Plus a mysterious prophecy and a whisper of his father leave Gregor confused and shaken, can he overcome all of this?

Gregor the Overlander snuck in so many life lessons, kids reading this book won't even know they are learning to become better people, and adults will be reminded of the people they should try to be every day.  Kindness, forvgiveness, equality, and the ability to hope are repeated throughout this novel making it a fun and exciting adventure with depth.  The reader will find themselves thinking about the story after they have finished reading it, looking at life a little bit differently.

"Even if times got bad, he would never again deny himself the possibility that the future might be happy even if the present was painful. He would allow himself dreams."