Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins
This book, the first in The Underland Chronicles, is also the first book by Suzanne Collins, who went on to write the much more well-known Hunger Games trilogy. This series is aimed at a slightly younger age group than Hunger Games, but is still an imaginative and fairly fun world to visit.
Gregor is in the laundry area of his apartment building, looking after his two-year-old sister Boots, when both end up accidentally falling into Underland. Here they encounter various creatures, including giant cockroaches (crawlers), bats (fliers), spiders (spinners) and rats (gnawers) - all of whom are sentient beings - as well as a race of humans who have lived underground since the days of the founding of America. Gregor also finds himself caught up in an ancient prophecy that may change the balance of power in the Underland, while learning that his father, who went missing two years earlier, may still be alive and a prisoner of the gnawers.
The short chapters often end on cliffhangers, keeping the reader engaged, and the story is quite fast-paced. It also has its share of violence (although toned down for a younger audience), and a number of characters do die.
A fairly decent and easy read.
Completed 23 June 2023.
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