Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander

Author	Suzanne Collins
Language	English
Series	The Underland Chronicles
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Scholastic
Publication date	September 1, 2003
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	308
ISBN	ISBN 0-439-43537-4
Followed by	Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

Gregor the Overlander is the first book of the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins.

Plot summary

Gregor, an 11 year-old boy from New York City, is doing his best to keep his family together after his father's disappearance about two years earlier. His playful two-year-old sister, nicknamed Boots, falls through a grate in the laundry room, and both children end up riding a strange air current down a deep shaft. After landing safely in an a large underground chamber, they meet a band of over-sized cockroaches, who take the newcomers to the Underland city of Regalia. The humans there recruit Gregor to join them on a quest prophesied by the city's founder, Bartholomew of Sandwich, some four hundred years ago.

Setting

Nominally ruling the human city of Regalia is Luxa (looexa), a girl about Gregor's age, who will fully assume the throne when she comes of age at sixteen. She is proud and aggressive, and not particularly kind to Boots. A royal cousin named Henry seems more friendly to Gregor, and another named Nerissa is nervous and claims to have visions. The grandfather of all the cousins is a kindly man named Vikus, who leads a council that rules in place of the under-aged queen. Their grandmother Solovet leads the Regalian military, which includes sword-wielding soldiers (both men and women) mounted on large, intelligent bats.

The Quest

Eventually Gregor learns that, according to the "Prophecy of Gray," ten Underlanders and two Overlanders (i.e. Gregor and his sister) will set out into dangerous territory controlled by giant rats (the main enemy of the humans), in order to rescue an Overland prisoner, whom Gregor believes to be his long-lost father.

The first part of their mission involves recruiting participants from each of the various groups of underland creatures mentioned in the prophecy. When fully assembled, the party includes the humans Luxa and Henry, the cockroaches Tick and Temp (who believe Boots is a princess), the spiders Gox and Treflex (who ally themselves with the humans to fight a common enem), the rat Ripred (a fearsome fighter and strategist whose motives are never clear), and the bats Aurora and Ares (who are ceremonially paired with their riders, Luxa and Henry, respectively).

Boots considers the quest a grand lark, and treats all her companions as equal playmates, even though the Underland humans see themselves at the top of a rigid hierarchy. While his main goal is simply to see the quest to its conclusion so that he can rescue his father, Gregor also makes conscious decisions that challenge the dominant opinions of the Underland humans. For instance, he socializes with the cockroaches (who adore Boots), and he defends Ripred against Henry's unjust aggression.

Perils and Treachery

Of the 12 members of the party, the prophecy states that only eight will return alive. Early casualties include one of the spiders (who dies almost immediately after joining the quest) and one of the cockroaches (who sacrifices herself in order to save Boots from attacking rats).

Deep in rat territory, the party learns that Henry -- the childhood friend of Regalia's future queen -- has betrayed the whole party to the ruthless rat king Gorger. When Gorger kills a third member of the party (the surviving spider), Gregor recalls that the prophecy mentioned that eight of the twelve would survive. Believing that his own death will assure that his father and sister will return safely to the surface, Gregor creates a distraction by plunging into a pit. In the chaos, the traitorous Henry follows him, but bats and their human riders often practice such maneuvers; Henry is confident that his bat will rescue him. In fact, however, Ares lets his bond Henry fall to his death, and instead rescues Gregor.

Resolution

Gregor's father is ill but safe. With the rat king Gorger dead, the quest is a success. Luxa is shaken by Henry's betrayal, as are the other Regalians. Nevertheless, Ares is put on trial for the unforgivable offense of abandoning his bond. Before the Regalian authorities can pronounce Ares guilty, the quick-thinking Gregor begins to recite the ceremonial words that will create a bond between Ares and himself. Ares finishes the ceremony, and the Regalians cease to prosecute Ares.

Gregor, Boots, and their father return to New York City, but not before Vikus hints that warrior has not seen the last of the Underland.

Characters

The Questers

• Gregor, an 11-year-old boy from New York City. The story is told from third-person veiwpoint.
• Boots, Gregor's 2-year-old sister. They call her Boots because in the winter she steals everyone's boots and runs around with them. Her given name is Margaret (named after her grandmother).
• Luxa, soon to be Queen of the Underland, who is the same age as Gregor.
• Henry, Luxa's cousin, who betrays the humans, joins the rats, and falls to his death while going after Gregor who is saved by Ares.
• Aurora, Luxa's bat. Quiet and loyal.
• Ares, Henry's bat, who later finds out Henry betrayed them and saves Gregor instead of Henry when they're both falling into a pit.
• Temp, a cockroach, who first discovered Gregor and Boots and later called Boots "Princess".
• Tick, a cockroach who died to save Boots.
• Gox, a spider who makes it through the quest but dies by being cut in half as soon as they reach the rat cave, killed at the hands...or tail... of King Gorger.
• Treflex, a spider who dies immediately after joining the quest.
• Ripred, a rat who is more deadly than any other rat. Ripred helps the humans. A rager(rager is the act of fainting and killing anything it is path)like Gregor.

Minor Characters

• Vikus, Luxa's grandfather also head of the Regalian council.
• Solovet, Luxa's grandmother and Vikus's wife; also head of the Regalian army.
• Mareth, an Underland soldier; also one of Gregor's favorite people in the Underland.
• Gregor's and Boots's father, who had been held captive by rats for over two and a half years.
• Grace, Gregor's, Lizzie's and Boots's mother
• Margaret, Gregor's and Boots's grandmother who has been "slipping in and out of reality".
• Mrs. Cormaci, a neighbor who sometimes sits up with Gregor's grandmother.
• Lizzie, Gregor's younger sister and Boots's older sister.
• King Gorger, leader of the rats and the killer of Luxa's parents.
• Queen Wevox, a giant spider who tries to kill Luxa but is stopped by Gregor.

Characters Mentioned, but Never Met

• Bartholomew of Sandwich, who led a group of humans down from the Overland into the Underland and saw into the future and carved prophecies - which called Gregor the "warrior" - into stone walls in a special room.
• Luxa's parents, killed by the rats before the time of this novel.