Book Title: Gregor the Overlander(The Underland Chronicles #1)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure
Pages: 308
Date Read: August 31st, 2013
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Plot: "When Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats--but fragile peace is about to fall apart.
Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life."
(from the back of the book)
My thoughts: I was at Barnes & Noble, hanging out with my Mimi, who had come to spend the summer out with us. Looking for a good book to flip through I saw the name Suzanne Collins on the shelf then scanned the cover. It was the bats that caught my attention, I loved how they looked flying through the air, but then I saw the humans on their backs-"O.k. I've got to check this out." I then sat down in the café with the book, wondered what an Overlander was, and read the first 22 pages, getting sucked in at every syllable. Shortly after it was time to go home, and sadly I didn't have enough money with me to buy the book. So while I walked back to the shelf I read a few more pages then placed it back. (That is one of the most saddest feelings ever). A few babysitting jobs later, I went and purchased Gregor the Overlander.....and then gobbled the whole story up that same day! :)
The story is exciting, suspenseful, action-packed, and leaves you wanting more of the Underland. Which is fine because there are 4 more books. :) It has the perfect amount of blood/violence for a book that contains battles, not too much to be totally grossed out, and not too little to question why they even have swords.
My favorite characters are Luxa (louk-za) the Underlander and Gregor. Luxa is the soon-to-be Queen of the Underland and is brave and confident in combat. Like all the Underlanders she has very pale skin, silvery hair, and violet eyes. At first Luxa shows off her royal attitude and is a bit pushy, but as time goes on she softens up.
I like Gregor because you think he's just an ordinary kid, but he is anything but. Even though Gregor doesn't quite fit in in the Underland the Prophecies that are told down there don't seem to think so. ;)
I LOVE the bats in this story! The humans and the bats are allies and bond to each other, which means they will protect one another and even give their lives to save the other. You could jump off any building in Regalia (the city of the Underland) and be caught by a bat. The voices are like soft purrs and are brave during combat. Even though I was never afraid of bats, I think I'm more interested in them now.
My last comment is this: Read Gregor the Overlander and you will not regret it! :D
Concerns: A young child reading this book might be frightened by the giant, vicious rats, and by some of the various wounds Collins describes and the deaths of certain characters. Over all this book is for 10+
Happy reading!
-Emily
