A Writer’s Review of Suzanne Collins’ Gregor the Overlander Series
Flashplot: This five book fantasy series follows the formula of many middle grade/YA quest fantasies: A boy living a less than desirable life in our world suddenly finds himself in a fantasy world where he is prophesied to save the world. day. He makes allies and enemies, loses mentors and falls in love.
As a Reader: Despite following the formula of this series, Gregor the Overlander is a creative and entertaining set of books for young readers. I found that it took me a while to connect with the main protagonist, Gregor. He seemed flat and a bit devoid of the emotional responses readers would expect from a character going through the trials he faced. But as the first book reaches its climax, Gregor begins to sound like the eleven-year-old that he is. The plots of these books also improve as the series progresses. I enjoyed the first two books in the series from a teacher’s point of view, but felt that, unlike Collins’ newer series, they lacked the more adult themes that gave The Hunger Games broader appeal. However, in the final books of the Overlander series, Collins definitely tackles the universal themes of oppression, racism, and leadership, all through characters comprised of rats, bats, fireflies, and occasionally humans. This is a series that both parents and children will enjoy!
As a writer: While it took me a while to see Gregor as a full character, it took surprisingly little time for me to imagine the world he fell into. Collins is a master builder of worlds. Within the first few chapters, readers will find themselves not only able to imagine the giant cockroaches that make up an ensemble of characters, but also falling in love with them for their backwards speech patterns and loving nature. I also admired Collins’ ability to develop the character of Boots. It is extremely difficult to make a young child realistic and interesting for an older audience. Boots could have become an annoying or flat character that makes the story difficult for middle-grade readers to enjoy, but in Collins’ hands she turns into a rather round, adorable little girl.
Bottom line: At the high school where I teach, I led the summer reading group for book one of this series. Of the nearly forty students who read it, three-quarters read the rest of the series during their summer vacation, without being forced by their parents. I think that says more than anything I can put in a review!
