Gregor the Overlander is a captivating novel by Suzanne Collins, the author of the best-selling Hunger Games trilogy. It is the first book in the Underland Chronicles, a five-part fantasy series for middle-grade readers.
The story follows Gregor, an 11-year-old boy who lives in New York City. One day, while doing laundry in the basement of his apartment building, Gregor falls through a grate and lands in a mysterious underground world called the Underland. There, he meets a host of strange and fascinating creatures, such as giant bats, rats, cockroaches, spiders, and a colony of humans who have lived there for centuries.
Gregor soon learns that his father, who disappeared two years ago, is also in the Underland, held captive by the evil rats. He also discovers that he is the warrior mentioned in an ancient prophecy that foretells a war between humans and rats. Gregor must embark on a dangerous quest to rescue his father and fulfill his destiny while trying to find a way back home.
Publication Date: September 1, 2003
Reading Level: Lexile Measure 690L, Scholastic Guided Reading Level V (GE 4.9)
Interest Level: Grades 4-7
Major Awards: ALA Notable Children's Recordings
Number of Pages: 336 pages
Approximate Word Count: 102,480 words -- The average reader will spend 6 hours and 49 minutes reading Gregor the Overlander at 250 words per minute.
Audible Book Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
Book Themes: Right and Wrong, Horrors of War, Family
Genre: Quest, Epic Fantasy, First Book in a Series
Setting: the Underland (a Underground land miles under New York City) in modern times
Important Quote:
If you are not trying to hold on to time, you are not so afraid of losing it.
Courage only counts when you can count.
First Line: Gregor had pressed his forehead against the screen for so long, he could feel a pattern of tiny checks above his eyebrows.
Point of View: 3rd person limited to Gregor's perspective
