Gregor the Overlander
Ratings87
Average rating3.9
Great series and ghastly underrated. Why did they never make a blockbuster out of this? It's honestly better than the Hunger games in my opinion.
Just the idea and plot in this series is too good to put down, and then the characters are so unforgettable they make it even better.
Audio book. Interesting world building. Some characters need more reality. Biggest problem is that it feels like a book that was written for a young audience (8-11? The protagonist is 11) but has content that is a bit more mature than for that age group and so sometimes the characterizations are shallow for what would be expected for a book like this.
why does everyone forget that suzanne collins has written stuff other than the hunger games?
I read this one as a kid, 5 stars for nostalgia, 3 for my rating now
i liked this book by the end of it. a bit of a slow start. if i had read this with no expectations i think i would have loved it, and i do really rate it for a tween read. but comparing it to thg - it just falls short for me.
i felt no emotions for any of the “bad” things that happened and my god the narrator's boots voice was jarring.
i hope the series gets a little more punchy, but overall a fun, light read.
Just a mini review of this one, since I read it out of the blue and also I just want to jot down some notes. This book was the SWEETEST Fantasy that I've read in a long time. I have no doubt in my mind that teenage Jessica would have loved this to the moon and back (she also loved Redwall for the same reason), because it's just so fun. Oh sure, it's dark too. There is war, and death, like every good Fantasy should have. Suzanne Collins writes this in a way that is accessible by middle graders and young adults alike though and, if I prove anything, even 34 year old women who needed something kind to her soul to start off the year. I had a blast listening to this on audio, and I think I'm going to binge the rest of these this year.
Absolutely, 100%, recommended.
This is a great children's book. It's imaginative and interesting. I really enjoyed it.
This is a smart, moving contemporary fantasy. I guess I don't have a lot to say about it, but I liked it and checked out the next one.
Short Review: This is a perfectly fine middle grade fiction. This is a series worth reading if you have middle grade kids, especially those that have previously enjoyed Percy Jackson, at least if this first book is any indication.
As an adult, middle grade fiction (especially fantasy) seems to be too similar in structure. There is usually a prophecy, an average boy (and it is usually a boy) is actually a hero. There is a quest where older and wiser adults and/or other creatures give leadership and direction but for one reason or another the young teen has to end up leading and saving the society or group or world through their courage or determination.
I understand why I was drawn to this type of literature as a child. And even as an adult there is some attraction. But it is so similar. There is very little that breaks the mold and comes at the story in a different way. Percy Jackson was ADHD and the modern take on mythology was a little different. Artemis Fowl was well written and a type of semi-evil Richie Rich, but still fulfilled most of the stereotypes. The early Harry Potter books were more of the same. I will keep reading these book to off-set some of the heavier things I read, but I crave some actual creativity and newness in the genre.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/gregor-the-overlander/
I thought I would give this story a try since I was so enthralled with the Hunger Games Series. I wasn't impressed with the first chapter, but loved the book from there. Suzanne really knows how to write charming characters and help you feel emotion for people, animals, and insects that you didn't think you would care for. I really enjoyed this book and plan to read the rest of the series.
This review was first published on my blog at http://knowitnotsomuch.blogspot.com
When my friend told me that she loved this series more than she loved The Hunger Games I was doubtful. Actually, I thought she was just plain crazy. But I thought I should try these books out nonetheless. I remember looking them up after I read Catching Fire and was waiting impatiently for Mockingjay to come out. But they seemed not my style and so I didn't look too hard for them.
Boy was I missing out. I can imagine being a young kid and loving these books. There is adventure, it's scary, Gregor is brave and he loves his family fiercely. There is sacrifice and treachery. It has all the elements any good book should have, but it's not so much that you wouldn't want your kid to read it.
I think what struck the chord in me was Boots. I just loved her to pieces and I ached that she was homesick or that Gregor was terrified to leave her or take her with him on his journey. I loved how he took care of her and I was genuinely sad when sacrifices were made in her name. She is the embodiment of any child at that age. Trusting, sweet, honest and loving. She was, as Gregor put it once, the ultimate secret weapon.
I didn't think I would love this book as much as I did so I didn't line up the next from the library and now, as I get ready to go to sleep, I am kicking myself!
Young Gregor follows his even younger sister Boots through a tunnel in the laundry room of his apartment and finds himself in an underground world of cockroaches, bats, and rats the size of full grown men. If that wasn't terrifying enough, Gregor finds out he will likely be unable to safely return to the overland. Gregor, Boots, and the underlanders must instead embark on a dangerous quest to the land of the rats.
This is by the author of The Hunger Games series, but this is no Hunger Games. It seems to be for a slightly younger audience and it's simply not as well written. I do love a good prophesy story, though. There was also a major piece of plot I did NOT foresee which was a nice thing because I like to be blindsided. It was a tad forced, I think, and there was not much plot to back up the surprise but I didn't really mind.
I don't know if I'll be able to stomach another 4 books in this series, so this might be curtains for Gregor and me, but only time will tell.
I was casting about for a new series of books that I thought Luke (age 9) might enjoy and among several that I had him eyeball in a bookstore, this was one that he allowed might look interesting. So I started reading this aloud to him early this month. It was “okay” to begin with but he immediately enjoyed the humorous bits with young Gregor's sister, Boots. Gregor is a young boy who lives in New York City. He and his 2-year-old sister Boots fall down a shaft that they find via their laundry room and end up in the Underland. The Underland is home to humans, giant talking cockroaches, bats, spiders, and evil rats. As we got further into the story, Luke became more and more engaged with the story. Somewhere past the halfway point, when I was done with my reading aloud for the night, Luke wanted to read some on his own until lights out. I'd come back 30 or 40 minutes later to find he'd read 40 or 50 pages and I needed to catch up before the next night's reading. So the book progressed faster and faster. Luke loved it. I got the second of the this five-book series out of the library to keep him occupied. Luke wanted to start reading it immediately. He read 56 pages the first night.