The first book of The Underland Chronicles written by Suzanne Collins is Gregor the Overlander which was published in year 2003. The book became the New York Times Bestselling series and received the Kirkus Reviews Editors Choice in 2003. Gregor the Overlander received the 2004 NIBA children’s novel award and many such important titles.
The book Gregor the Overlander is a story that revolves around the young boy Gregor who is at home babysitting his little sister and taking care of his grandmother in his summer holidays. He is to take care of all this as two years back his father disappeared and now his mother has to work for the living. One day he falls down the grate of his apartment’s laundry room with his sister and ends up in the Underland. Around him are rats, giant spiders and cockroaches living with humans in the land which exists under the New York City. When Gergor lands down, the people living there took it as a sign that was foretold by the prophecy which indicated that someone from the Overland will bring the uncertainty in the Underland to an end. Gregor realizes that his father’s disappearance and Underland have some connection; he decides to stay back and find out what the reality is.
He tries to escape the Underland at first but fails in his attempts as he was continuously attacked by giant rats who ruled this land before the human invasion. After he finds out that a prisoner has been captured in the dangerous territory of the rats since long and along with a few helpers he has to go to for the rescue, he agrees to do so as he thinks that the prisoner can be his lost father.
They decide to recruit a few participants from the Underland creatures to help them in the mission. Cockroaches, spiders, bats were taken in the team that was now ready to fight the rats and rescue Gregor’s father. The next step was to make a team of 12 members who will go to fight for the Underland. The prophecy stated that out of the 12 members 4 will lose their life in the quest and 8 will return alive. A spider dies first and then a cockroach sacrifices its life to save Gregor’s sister, third one to give its life is other spider while the fourth one to fall for his death was a bat who tried to conspire against his own team.
What happens next in Gregor the Overlander? Who else had to sacrifice his life? Who won the quest? What happened to Gregor’s father? Will the authorities punish the bat that broke the bond? Will Gregor do anything to save the bat that saved his life? Will they all ever escape the Underland? For all the adventures, excitements, breathtaking and thrilling combination, you need to read the whole story of the Novel Gregor the Overlander and I assure you that once you start with the first book of the series that is Gregor the Overlander, you will surely continue till the fifth novel.
Gregor the Overlander is a very well written fantasy in which the flow of the sensitivity of the character and emotions are displayed in a unique way. The plots and refreshing story make you read the book till the end. Young fans have found the book Gregor the Overlander appealing and engaging. It has received a positive response from the critics and the fans both. So what are you waiting for? Don’t you want to know what happened next in Gregor’s life?