Gregor the Overlander[Paperback,2004]

 (246 customer reviews)

In the sea of young adult fiction out there, Gregor the Overlander makes for one of the more pleasant anchorages. The book starts off quickly with Gregor and his two-year-old sister "Boots" falling through a gateway into the Underworld, a sprawling underground land populated by giant talking cockroaches, rats, bats, and spiders, along with several thousand pale humans descended from a 17th century "overlander" who led his small group into the Underworld then sealed the entrances. This descendant left a string of prophecies, including one which seems to point directly to Gregor as the one who may or may not save the humans in their ongoing war with the rats (as is often the case with prophecies, this one is somewhat lacking in clarity). Gregor has a more personal issue at stake; it turns out his father, who had disappeared a few years earlier, had also fallen through into the Underworld and has been held captive by the rats all this time as they seek to use his knowledge of science...Read more

Let me start off by saying I didn't think I'd like this book all that much. I read the book flap description and thought `giant rats and bats? Another quest fantasy?'. But, being the bookworm I am, I decided to at least give it a chance. I'm glad I did. And yes, it is a quest fantasy, and yes there are giant rats and bats and cockroaches too. Surprisingly, it all made for a very enjoyable read.

Gregor, our teenage hero is an ordinary boy fallen on hard times in New York City. His father vanished years ago and his mother works trying to make ends meet while he tries to take care of his siblings. All this changes when Gregor follows his baby sister, Boots, when she falls through a vent in their laundry room into an underground world with giant bugs and creatures. There are humans there too, and all of them seem to think that Gregor is the Overlander of one of their most powerful prophecies-the warrior who will unite them and bring them victory over the armies of the...Read more

[Fun: 3/5] [Learning: 3/5] [Suitable: 4/5]

Gregor the Overlander has become a rather popular series, and justifiably so. This is an original tale of a boy who somehow finds himself underground with his little sister, deep in the earth where giant cockroaches, rats, and spiders live alongside humans who have never seen the light of day. Gregor sets off on a quest to rescue his father, who had disappeared in the same manner years earlier. The story is inventive and highly entertaining, even with the perhaps disturbing creatures that live below the surface. The story shows familial loyalty and bravery, and does contain some violence from battles and such. The story has an epic quality to it, which at times can make it feel a bit long and dry, but for readers who enjoy being immersed in a new world and all its complexity, it may be fun to guess where the story goes based on the prophesy the characters are following. A fun read for lovers of sci-fi/fantasy...Read more