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Gone #1
Gone
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.
There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...
There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...
560 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2008
About the author
Michael Grant
82 books11.2k followersCo-author with Katherine Applegate of Ocean City, Making Out, Summer, Animorphs, Everworld, Remnants, Eve and Adam.
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,422 reviews
September 9, 2010
I read this book out of curiosity, with no preconceived notions. Merely because I was curious what kids would do in a world with no adults. I admit I was blown away.
Mr. Grant told me a story that I couldn't put down. From the beginning, my mind was full of questions about how this happened, how the kids would survive, what could prevent the same thing from happening again....So many questions.
Sam is the kind of boy you want to have around when the world goes crazy. He's definitely the reluctant hero type, but usually they come through for you like no other. Because they do what needs to be done, simply because it needs to happen. Not for glory, not for recognition. Sam doesn't want to be 'the guy', but he knows that no one else is going to do it. And when Caine and his posse come down from Coates Academy, taking over and making things mostly worse, someone has to step up to the plate to stop him.
This book is intense, violent, and sometimes sad. Some of these kids die. A lot of them get hurt pretty bad. I'm not a mother yet, but I love kids, and I hate to see them suffering. It was a bit painful to watch. Even harder was seeing the cruelty and potential for evil that some of these children showed. Drake, who is basically Caine's bully boy, is a psychopath. He loves hurting people, and he feels no remorse about doing it. In my mind, I was weighing the options, even thinking that they needed to kill him, because he was like a rabid animal, bent on destruction. I felt horrible doing that, but he's a loose cannon, and he's only going to get worse. I don't think saving this boy is an option.
One of the take home messages of this book is the consequences of a social structure that is pretty familiar to most of us. The dynamic that we see in a group of kids where there are bullies who find the 'weakest' people and torment then, doing everything they can to make life miserable for those kids. And this causes a lot of fallout, because people forget ethics and what's morally right so that they can have peace from the bullies. In essence, they become part of the problem, contributing to a micro-society in which children get hurt because everyone is afraid to speak up and stand up against the bullies and the ones who are 'running things' for their own twisted, self-absorbed reasons. It made me shudder to see what these children did to each other, because they thought it was the easiest option to keep control of things. I'll be honest. I was bullied and picked on big time. It made me hate seeing the so-called 'weak' or 'different' people get targeted and treated that way. I'm no fighter, but I made a promise that I'd stand up for someone who couldn't do that for his or herself. I was glad that the kids like Sam and Edilio (what a sweetheart) were more than willing to do that.
I had some issues with the decisions that were made by the kids. They had no real sanitation rules. They didn't use their resources effectively. They had very poor nutrition, unnecessarily, because there was a supermarket full of healthy things like fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains. They ate mostly junk like candy, ice cream, soda pop, you name it. I guess I was looking at things through 'grown-up' eyes, which did cause me some discomfort. I was glad that they did organize care for the babies and kids too young to watch out for themselves, because Mary and her brother took on that job. I was also glad that Dahra worked as the medical provider. Albert took over the McDonalds and provided food for the community. Even so, I see some problems ahead, unless the kids set up a civic structural system in which every person is accountable (over-thinking this, I know!).
I loved the relationship between Astrid and Sam. They had an innocent love but also a strong friendship and support system in which they watched out for each other and did what they could to help everyone through this situation. Astrid was the brain, very smart, but also very kind. She had to take care of her younger brother, who was autistic, and extremely gifted with powers. I'll get to the powers part later. Give me a minute. Not an easy task for a young girl, but she did it. I was rooting for things to work out for these two!
Another character who turned out to be a favorite was Lana. Lana is in a very bad position when the 'event' happens--the one in which all the people over fourteen disappear. She ends up getting horribly injured and is about to die, when her power to heal manifests. Oh, I was on the edge of my seat, seeing her stranded, wounded very badly, with only her dog to protect her from the wild animals in the desert. I was so glad that she was able to get out of that situation. Of course, she ends up in a worse situation that ties in with the kids in town, and in a big way, as this book culminates. It might seem like a deus ex-machina to have a character who can heal even the most grievous wounds, but I was glad that she did have the power. These kids have a lot stacked up against them already. They need all the advantages they can get.
Now, lets talk about the power. Some of the kids, Sam included, have supernatural abilities that start manifesting. I thought this part was very cool. How Caine approaches this, with his evil little posse' made my hair stand on end. I can't even conceive of children being as cruel as that lot were. The powers end up playing a pivotal role in this story, and I am sure that this will continue to be a very strong element in the forthcoming books. I liked the "X-Men" sort of element it brought to the story, and how kids that were often bullied and felt useless, got to play important roles in the fight against Caine and his Posse' of Evil.
I wanted to give the author a nod of thanks for making the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) a multicultural environment, with children of all races. Everyone is important, and it was nice to see that there was a rainbow represented here. That speaks highly to me!
If you're an adult and you don't think you could enjoy young adult books, this is one I'd recommend. If you're like me, you will be riveted to this exciting story. It has a lot to offer as far as entertainment, but also stimulates the brain, as you are confronted with this bad situation that this young kids have to face. I cannot stop reading these books. I'm way too invested now!
Mr. Grant told me a story that I couldn't put down. From the beginning, my mind was full of questions about how this happened, how the kids would survive, what could prevent the same thing from happening again....So many questions.
Sam is the kind of boy you want to have around when the world goes crazy. He's definitely the reluctant hero type, but usually they come through for you like no other. Because they do what needs to be done, simply because it needs to happen. Not for glory, not for recognition. Sam doesn't want to be 'the guy', but he knows that no one else is going to do it. And when Caine and his posse come down from Coates Academy, taking over and making things mostly worse, someone has to step up to the plate to stop him.
This book is intense, violent, and sometimes sad. Some of these kids die. A lot of them get hurt pretty bad. I'm not a mother yet, but I love kids, and I hate to see them suffering. It was a bit painful to watch. Even harder was seeing the cruelty and potential for evil that some of these children showed. Drake, who is basically Caine's bully boy, is a psychopath. He loves hurting people, and he feels no remorse about doing it. In my mind, I was weighing the options, even thinking that they needed to kill him, because he was like a rabid animal, bent on destruction. I felt horrible doing that, but he's a loose cannon, and he's only going to get worse. I don't think saving this boy is an option.
One of the take home messages of this book is the consequences of a social structure that is pretty familiar to most of us. The dynamic that we see in a group of kids where there are bullies who find the 'weakest' people and torment then, doing everything they can to make life miserable for those kids. And this causes a lot of fallout, because people forget ethics and what's morally right so that they can have peace from the bullies. In essence, they become part of the problem, contributing to a micro-society in which children get hurt because everyone is afraid to speak up and stand up against the bullies and the ones who are 'running things' for their own twisted, self-absorbed reasons. It made me shudder to see what these children did to each other, because they thought it was the easiest option to keep control of things. I'll be honest. I was bullied and picked on big time. It made me hate seeing the so-called 'weak' or 'different' people get targeted and treated that way. I'm no fighter, but I made a promise that I'd stand up for someone who couldn't do that for his or herself. I was glad that the kids like Sam and Edilio (what a sweetheart) were more than willing to do that.
I had some issues with the decisions that were made by the kids. They had no real sanitation rules. They didn't use their resources effectively. They had very poor nutrition, unnecessarily, because there was a supermarket full of healthy things like fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains. They ate mostly junk like candy, ice cream, soda pop, you name it. I guess I was looking at things through 'grown-up' eyes, which did cause me some discomfort. I was glad that they did organize care for the babies and kids too young to watch out for themselves, because Mary and her brother took on that job. I was also glad that Dahra worked as the medical provider. Albert took over the McDonalds and provided food for the community. Even so, I see some problems ahead, unless the kids set up a civic structural system in which every person is accountable (over-thinking this, I know!).
I loved the relationship between Astrid and Sam. They had an innocent love but also a strong friendship and support system in which they watched out for each other and did what they could to help everyone through this situation. Astrid was the brain, very smart, but also very kind. She had to take care of her younger brother, who was autistic, and extremely gifted with powers. I'll get to the powers part later. Give me a minute. Not an easy task for a young girl, but she did it. I was rooting for things to work out for these two!
Another character who turned out to be a favorite was Lana. Lana is in a very bad position when the 'event' happens--the one in which all the people over fourteen disappear. She ends up getting horribly injured and is about to die, when her power to heal manifests. Oh, I was on the edge of my seat, seeing her stranded, wounded very badly, with only her dog to protect her from the wild animals in the desert. I was so glad that she was able to get out of that situation. Of course, she ends up in a worse situation that ties in with the kids in town, and in a big way, as this book culminates. It might seem like a deus ex-machina to have a character who can heal even the most grievous wounds, but I was glad that she did have the power. These kids have a lot stacked up against them already. They need all the advantages they can get.
Now, lets talk about the power. Some of the kids, Sam included, have supernatural abilities that start manifesting. I thought this part was very cool. How Caine approaches this, with his evil little posse' made my hair stand on end. I can't even conceive of children being as cruel as that lot were. The powers end up playing a pivotal role in this story, and I am sure that this will continue to be a very strong element in the forthcoming books. I liked the "X-Men" sort of element it brought to the story, and how kids that were often bullied and felt useless, got to play important roles in the fight against Caine and his Posse' of Evil.
I wanted to give the author a nod of thanks for making the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) a multicultural environment, with children of all races. Everyone is important, and it was nice to see that there was a rainbow represented here. That speaks highly to me!
If you're an adult and you don't think you could enjoy young adult books, this is one I'd recommend. If you're like me, you will be riveted to this exciting story. It has a lot to offer as far as entertainment, but also stimulates the brain, as you are confronted with this bad situation that this young kids have to face. I cannot stop reading these books. I'm way too invested now!
June 4, 2010
I suppose I should provide some kind of explanation as to why I didn't finish reading this book.
It's not because the concept was stupid - actually the concept was quite interesting and would make for a fantastic philosophical discussion.
It's not because it was poorly written - actually it was written quite well with a great plot and interesting world building and action packed scenes.
It's not because the characters were horrible or annoying - Actually, Sam is really likable if not frustrating, Astrid is such a relief as a female protagonist and the secondary characters are realistic and well fleshed out.
In the end I would actually recommend this book to people, especially fans of sci-fi and particularly middle-school children. It's like a modern, sci-fi version of Lord of the Flies only cooler and there's no Piggy.
No, the reason I couldn't keep reading it was because I wasn't enjoying it. The reason I wasn't enjoying it was rather stupid but since everyone over the age of 15 is gone, I was kind of frustrated because there was only one girl and boy actually taking care of a small number of babies. The rest were just being abandoned in their cars/houses or whatever and I couldn't get absorbed in the storytelling while I was mentally yelling at the kids to go rescue the babies!
Stupid, I know. Pathetic? Yeah, I'm WELL aware of it, but that's just the way it is.
Also, because I'm kind of an authoritarian/leader type person, I was thinking of everything they SHOULD be doing and how they SHOULD be organizing and kind of frustrated that Sam was being so wimpy about taking charge. But, he's fourteen, I know he deserves slack but yeah...
SO go read it, please! My inability to finish this book had nothing to do with the writing and was all about me being irrational and crazy!
It's not because the concept was stupid - actually the concept was quite interesting and would make for a fantastic philosophical discussion.
It's not because it was poorly written - actually it was written quite well with a great plot and interesting world building and action packed scenes.
It's not because the characters were horrible or annoying - Actually, Sam is really likable if not frustrating, Astrid is such a relief as a female protagonist and the secondary characters are realistic and well fleshed out.
In the end I would actually recommend this book to people, especially fans of sci-fi and particularly middle-school children. It's like a modern, sci-fi version of Lord of the Flies only cooler and there's no Piggy.
No, the reason I couldn't keep reading it was because I wasn't enjoying it. The reason I wasn't enjoying it was rather stupid but since everyone over the age of 15 is gone, I was kind of frustrated because there was only one girl and boy actually taking care of a small number of babies. The rest were just being abandoned in their cars/houses or whatever and I couldn't get absorbed in the storytelling while I was mentally yelling at the kids to go rescue the babies!
Stupid, I know. Pathetic? Yeah, I'm WELL aware of it, but that's just the way it is.
Also, because I'm kind of an authoritarian/leader type person, I was thinking of everything they SHOULD be doing and how they SHOULD be organizing and kind of frustrated that Sam was being so wimpy about taking charge. But, he's fourteen, I know he deserves slack but yeah...
SO go read it, please! My inability to finish this book had nothing to do with the writing and was all about me being irrational and crazy!
March 31, 2011
This was a very good book about adventure, mutants, superheroes and just the plain old story of surviving high school... only this time there are no adults to keep a check on things.
This novel tells the story of how one day in a small Californian town everyone 15 and over mysteriously disappears. But that's not all. The town becomes surrounded by a strange spherical barrier, no one gets in or out. And stranger still, the children and teenagers left behind are discovering that some of them have weird mutant powers. And that snakes can fly. And coyotes can talk. In a world gone mad, power and leadership are up for the picking. In a world run by children, power belongs to the bullies, the sadists, or the mutants.
So, I'm going to explain the reason it got four instead of five stars. Well, I've spent the last few weeks reading books that are instantly gripping, they throw you right into the middle of the story and build up their characters around it... this book, however, takes time at the beginning to introduce and explore each character in a way that I feel would have been much more effective if it had been integrated throughout the novel. But it's not just that. I have some issues with the female characters.
As a woman and a feminist, I love strong females in books. But the strongest female in this book was probably Diana, the psychopath, and even she was most notably only the girlfriend of the opposition. The girls in this book are all "beautiful" or "cute" and are important only as ornaments on the arm of the leaders - all of which are male, there never seemed to be any discussion in this book as to whether the chosen leader would be female. Also, I grew increasingly annoyed by the way Sam was built up as Astrid's saviour and hero. I had higher hopes for Astrid at first, she was described as a genius and I thought she could be a great contribution to solving their predicament, but she was actually fairly useless, often needing to be rescued herself. My favourite female of the book is Lana. She survived alone in the desert without ever needing a guy's help (unless you count her lovable dog, Patrick) and she braved a truck crash, coyote attacks and more. I hope there's more strength and admirable qualities coming from her character in the second installment. Which, by the way, I am extremely looking forward to because the story is VERY good even if my rant seemed to suggest otherwise.
This novel tells the story of how one day in a small Californian town everyone 15 and over mysteriously disappears. But that's not all. The town becomes surrounded by a strange spherical barrier, no one gets in or out. And stranger still, the children and teenagers left behind are discovering that some of them have weird mutant powers. And that snakes can fly. And coyotes can talk. In a world gone mad, power and leadership are up for the picking. In a world run by children, power belongs to the bullies, the sadists, or the mutants.
So, I'm going to explain the reason it got four instead of five stars. Well, I've spent the last few weeks reading books that are instantly gripping, they throw you right into the middle of the story and build up their characters around it... this book, however, takes time at the beginning to introduce and explore each character in a way that I feel would have been much more effective if it had been integrated throughout the novel. But it's not just that. I have some issues with the female characters.
As a woman and a feminist, I love strong females in books. But the strongest female in this book was probably Diana, the psychopath, and even she was most notably only the girlfriend of the opposition. The girls in this book are all "beautiful" or "cute" and are important only as ornaments on the arm of the leaders - all of which are male, there never seemed to be any discussion in this book as to whether the chosen leader would be female. Also, I grew increasingly annoyed by the way Sam was built up as Astrid's saviour and hero. I had higher hopes for Astrid at first, she was described as a genius and I thought she could be a great contribution to solving their predicament, but she was actually fairly useless, often needing to be rescued herself. My favourite female of the book is Lana. She survived alone in the desert without ever needing a guy's help (unless you count her lovable dog, Patrick) and she braved a truck crash, coyote attacks and more. I hope there's more strength and admirable qualities coming from her character in the second installment. Which, by the way, I am extremely looking forward to because the story is VERY good even if my rant seemed to suggest otherwise.
March 13, 2022
Your typical small South Californian community, jocks, mean-girls, surfers, nerds, Latinos... and bullies... just plain average, that is until one day, instantaneously every single adult disappears! Did I say every single adult? Every single person aged 15 or older! I was then taken on a cray cray journey akin to Lord of the Flies on a mister of single malt whiskey, acid and Ecstasy! Gone!
There I was minding my own business, when I picked up this book in a thrift store because the plain, but foreboding cover, and the blurb - It's a world without adults, and normal has crashed and burned. A book that completely lived up to its own hype. Plus there are, believable interpretations of children's behaviour in highly traumatic instances; there are real heroes (anti-hero-dom has become to much of a trope for me); it has thought provoking well rounded protagonists; it has compelling fantasy and sci-fi mysteries; there's a fleshed out supporting cast; and overall it has a highly detailed and well crafted series mythology that has me already searching on eBay for where I can get the entire series on the cheap! 9 out of 12. I keep hearing about how good some Young Adult work, but only know have I truly found some of it!
There I was minding my own business, when I picked up this book in a thrift store because the plain, but foreboding cover, and the blurb - It's a world without adults, and normal has crashed and burned. A book that completely lived up to its own hype. Plus there are, believable interpretations of children's behaviour in highly traumatic instances; there are real heroes (anti-hero-dom has become to much of a trope for me); it has thought provoking well rounded protagonists; it has compelling fantasy and sci-fi mysteries; there's a fleshed out supporting cast; and overall it has a highly detailed and well crafted series mythology that has me already searching on eBay for where I can get the entire series on the cheap! 9 out of 12. I keep hearing about how good some Young Adult work, but only know have I truly found some of it!
June 8, 2020
❤️❤️❤️My loveee
January 2, 2011
I put this book aside about two weeks ago, saying I would definitely go back and finish it as I only had about 100 pages left. But it doesn’t look like it now. I’m simply not in the mood to pick it up again. And as I’m not planning on spending money on the next instalments of the series, I will probably never read them anyway, so why continue here?
I really don’t know why Gone wasn’t able to intrigue me. It is a clever and absolutely thought-provoking story that definitely got me thinking. How would I react if people suddenly started to disappear? What would I do to help keep things working? Would I freak out? Would I become as cold-blooded as some of those barely 14-year-old kids? It’s hard to imagine. I would definitely start feeling claustrophobic.
But it also made me wonder: Can those kids be for real? I mean, I have of course never been in a similar situation, but it’s hard to believe it can transform you into a heartless killer in a matter of days. Even if you’ve always been a bully. Killing and torturing people is still on a completely different level.
That being said, I think one thing that I didn’t like was the constant action in this book. I know this is how the book is supposed to be like and I totally knew what I was getting myself into and even looked forward to it. But somehow, in this novel, it just didn’t work for me. Don’t ask me why.
You just never get one peaceful moment. One awful thing happens after the next. We get Caine the dictator and his little crazy friend (I’ve forgotten his name already. Duh.) who want to rule the FAYZ and don’t care at all who lives or dies as long as they stay in power. But hey, that’s not enough. No, throw in some weird talking animals and that creature in the cave. And I know things will probably only get worse in future instalments. I’m certainly not a faint-at-heart when it comes to books (don’t make me watch a horror movie, though), but this was simply … exhausting. And it had the opposite effect on me than it should have had. It made me not care.
The language and dialogue were kept simple, but I thought that fitted the story in some way. I liked Sam’s voice and his personality. Same goes for Astrid, although their love story felt a bit strange to me and developed so fast. But, then again, under their circumstances everything’s a bit different ...
All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. But it might be for you, so don’t refrain from giving it a try. I can totally see people loving this series.
I really don’t know why Gone wasn’t able to intrigue me. It is a clever and absolutely thought-provoking story that definitely got me thinking. How would I react if people suddenly started to disappear? What would I do to help keep things working? Would I freak out? Would I become as cold-blooded as some of those barely 14-year-old kids? It’s hard to imagine. I would definitely start feeling claustrophobic.
But it also made me wonder: Can those kids be for real? I mean, I have of course never been in a similar situation, but it’s hard to believe it can transform you into a heartless killer in a matter of days. Even if you’ve always been a bully. Killing and torturing people is still on a completely different level.
That being said, I think one thing that I didn’t like was the constant action in this book. I know this is how the book is supposed to be like and I totally knew what I was getting myself into and even looked forward to it. But somehow, in this novel, it just didn’t work for me. Don’t ask me why.
You just never get one peaceful moment. One awful thing happens after the next. We get Caine the dictator and his little crazy friend (I’ve forgotten his name already. Duh.) who want to rule the FAYZ and don’t care at all who lives or dies as long as they stay in power. But hey, that’s not enough. No, throw in some weird talking animals and that creature in the cave. And I know things will probably only get worse in future instalments. I’m certainly not a faint-at-heart when it comes to books (don’t make me watch a horror movie, though), but this was simply … exhausting. And it had the opposite effect on me than it should have had. It made me not care.
The language and dialogue were kept simple, but I thought that fitted the story in some way. I liked Sam’s voice and his personality. Same goes for Astrid, although their love story felt a bit strange to me and developed so fast. But, then again, under their circumstances everything’s a bit different ...
All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. But it might be for you, so don’t refrain from giving it a try. I can totally see people loving this series.
July 18, 2008
I hereby predict that, sometime in the next year or so, the next big Young Adult obsession will be with the book Gone, by Michael Grant, and with the subsequent books that I hope he writes quickly because I might die if I don't know the what and the why and the how and the...well, EVERYTHING. (This is apparently the first in a series of six books.)
I also predict that it will take off like the Harry Potter and the Twilight Series, with almost as many adults reading the series as kids.
For one thing, this book is creative genius. I can take a guess at some of Grant's inspirations, but I truly hope that my doing so doesn't take away from Grant's originality, because to me this book felt 100% new, and Grant is brilliant to have woven his ideas together in such a phenomenal way.
The story is this: everyone over the age of 15 disappears one day, all in the same instant. After the initial panic, a power struggle ensues (a la Lord of the Flies). But that's not all: it turns out that some of the kids have developed certain...let's say unique...skills (a la Heroes), which help and harm in their strange, adultless environment. The story surprises despite having some familiarity, and I simply couldn't put it down. I even once tucked it under my shirt and snuck it into the ladies' room at work with me so I could continue reading. Oh, and there's even some teen love in there, too, and who doesn't love young love? (No one, I tell you.)
I admit, the cover art and the summary on the book jacket are a little hokey. I can overlook the summary - after all, I thought the summaries for the Twilight series sounded ridiculous as well, so I think my distaste has more to do with my being in my thirties than anything else. That very well may be the same for the cover art, too, but I do think it will hinder the book's allure for adult readers. If you guys over at Harper Collins are reading this, you might want to consider ditching the random people on the book jacket and instead design it as it looks without the jacket on it (matte black with shiny blue title in large letters on the front). But that's just my two cents.
When it comes down to it, though, the book jacket art is pretty irrelevant. With or without it, this book kicks some serious ass. And you don't have to be a young adult to think so.
January 4, 2023
Z polecenia Zaksiążkowanych. Moja najnowsza miłość.
July 26, 2012
Highly enjoyable. Hooks you at the very start. I drive through the traffic everyday: about an hour in the morning and definitely more than an hour at nighttime. So, while reading the first few pages of the book, I said, wow this should happen here in Manila. Imagine all adults to disappear altogether without a trace at one time and all adolescents will follow once they turn fifteen. Obviously, this is okay as long as I and my loved ones are exempted hehe.
This is a YA book and so the characters are all young adults. Sam has a friend, Quinn and a love interest, Astrid. Together, they find the possible reason for the disappearance of the people and they meet all interesting characters and go through a lot of twists and turns (just like the everyday Manila traffic) to get into the bottom of this phenomenon including its possible solution.
The storytelling is straightforward and Grant's imagination is so fertile I thought I would write a letter to our President Noynoy and recommend him to solve the congestion of vehicles during rush and even not too rush hours. Why not? If a YA author like Grant can think of all the interesting characters and situations in the book, maybe his creativity can be put to better use not only for readers but for the whole country or even the whole world. World peace, anyone?
My only complaint about this book is attributable to myself. Why oh why did a 48-year old man like me find this more enjoyable if not better read than Kazuo Ishiguro's surreal The Unconsoled? I really don't know. It is more readable, more gripping, made my heart beat faster and it does not make me sleepy every time I am holding it. Oh maybe, I don't read too many YA books so having it once in a while feels liberating. Or maybe I am having a midlife crisis so I find this kind of plot not revolting but definitely worth my reading time?
I will definitely borrow the next 4 books and read them in between the literary classics. Maybe that would be my strategy to finish the 1001 books before I die.
Thank you, Ace Jose. I hope you stop growing so you keep on buying and reading YA books and then pass them on to me. I hope that, despite our huge age difference, we will be friends forever.
This is a YA book and so the characters are all young adults. Sam has a friend, Quinn and a love interest, Astrid. Together, they find the possible reason for the disappearance of the people and they meet all interesting characters and go through a lot of twists and turns (just like the everyday Manila traffic) to get into the bottom of this phenomenon including its possible solution.
The storytelling is straightforward and Grant's imagination is so fertile I thought I would write a letter to our President Noynoy and recommend him to solve the congestion of vehicles during rush and even not too rush hours. Why not? If a YA author like Grant can think of all the interesting characters and situations in the book, maybe his creativity can be put to better use not only for readers but for the whole country or even the whole world. World peace, anyone?
My only complaint about this book is attributable to myself. Why oh why did a 48-year old man like me find this more enjoyable if not better read than Kazuo Ishiguro's surreal The Unconsoled? I really don't know. It is more readable, more gripping, made my heart beat faster and it does not make me sleepy every time I am holding it. Oh maybe, I don't read too many YA books so having it once in a while feels liberating. Or maybe I am having a midlife crisis so I find this kind of plot not revolting but definitely worth my reading time?
I will definitely borrow the next 4 books and read them in between the literary classics. Maybe that would be my strategy to finish the 1001 books before I die.
Thank you, Ace Jose. I hope you stop growing so you keep on buying and reading YA books and then pass them on to me. I hope that, despite our huge age difference, we will be friends forever.
July 3, 2019
1.) Gone ★★★★
2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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Even though Michael Grant may be an asshole, I'm still impressed by his books. Can't wait to keep reading and finally find out how this series ends!
2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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Even though Michael Grant may be an asshole, I'm still impressed by his books. Can't wait to keep reading and finally find out how this series ends!
May 3, 2009
I read a lot of books, but you knew that didn't you? While I enjoy most of the books I read, few stand out to me as amazing or memorable (this is why I give out so few five star reviews).
Gone is simply the best YA book I have read since Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, and stands right beside The Hunger Games and the Knife of Never Letting Go as some of the best dystopian sci-fi around...
In Perdido Beach, life is normal (mostly) until a sudden disruption results in the disappearance of every adult and child over fifteen. Left to fend for themselves without computers, cell phones, television, or rescue, the remaining children must band together to survive and solve the mystery of what happened to their parents and the rest of the town. Trapped inside a force field barrier that surrounds the town, there is little hope of rescue or escape.
Whatever caused the disruption has also caused strange mutations in animals-- coyotes talk, snakes fly, and cats teleport. These mutations affect some of the children, giving them supernatural powers and abilities. When tensions build among different factions in the town, the children must band together to survive or risk destruction themselves.
One of the reviews for Gone describes the book as Lord of the Flies written by Stephen King. I was reminded of King's classic, The Stand, the entire time I read Gone. The post-Apocalyptic premise, the battle between good and evil forces, and most of all, the compelling well-developed characters pulled me through this lengthy book. I could not put it down, devouring it in one rainy Saturday afternoon. Yes, there is a sequel, Hunger, but unlike many YA books these days, I felt that the major conflicts in this book were resolved before the end.
I can think of at least ten students in my class who would love this book. I cannot wait to put it in their hands!
Gone is simply the best YA book I have read since Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, and stands right beside The Hunger Games and the Knife of Never Letting Go as some of the best dystopian sci-fi around...
In Perdido Beach, life is normal (mostly) until a sudden disruption results in the disappearance of every adult and child over fifteen. Left to fend for themselves without computers, cell phones, television, or rescue, the remaining children must band together to survive and solve the mystery of what happened to their parents and the rest of the town. Trapped inside a force field barrier that surrounds the town, there is little hope of rescue or escape.
Whatever caused the disruption has also caused strange mutations in animals-- coyotes talk, snakes fly, and cats teleport. These mutations affect some of the children, giving them supernatural powers and abilities. When tensions build among different factions in the town, the children must band together to survive or risk destruction themselves.
One of the reviews for Gone describes the book as Lord of the Flies written by Stephen King. I was reminded of King's classic, The Stand, the entire time I read Gone. The post-Apocalyptic premise, the battle between good and evil forces, and most of all, the compelling well-developed characters pulled me through this lengthy book. I could not put it down, devouring it in one rainy Saturday afternoon. Yes, there is a sequel, Hunger, but unlike many YA books these days, I felt that the major conflicts in this book were resolved before the end.
I can think of at least ten students in my class who would love this book. I cannot wait to put it in their hands!
October 26, 2008
This is my first exposure to Michael Grant's writing, and he totally blew me away. Maybe it was because I am partial to the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but truthfully I don’t think it had anything to do with it. This story was just.... WOW!
Imagine sitting in class one day, maybe you are paying attention to your teacher, maybe you are daydreaming about surfing, then all of a sudden your teacher disappears. What would you do?
It just so happens that this very scenario happens to Sam Temple in his history class. It turns out his teacher isn’t the only on missing, it turns out that anyone over the age of thirteen is missing. Not just missing but disappeared. No cell phones, no television, no Internet. Poof gone!
Sam has been in a horrific experience like this before, well maybe not exactly like this. Sam had saved a bunch of kids in a school bus after the driver had a heart attack, good ole’ School Bus Sam. Sam was a natural leader, but he didn’t feel like it. Everyone was looking up to him for answers, but all Sam felt was guilt. Guilt because there was a possibility that this was his fault. Sam has this little problem, he can shoot beams of light out of his hands and burn people’s hands off. Literally. But I guess things like that happen when you live in Fallout Alley.
Thankfully Sam isn’t alone. He has is best friend and surfer brah, Quinn. The genius Astrid, who Sam has secret feelings for, and the faithful and dependable, Edilio.
Of course in any untamed civilization there is always a power struggle, those who have it and those who want to take it away. It turns out that Sam isn’t the only one that has "powers." When the kids from the private school Coates Academy show up, Sam and Astrid realize there is something more going on. It also doesn’t help that the kids from Coats and the kids from Perdido don’t exactly get along.
Caine from Coates Academy comes in, dazzles everyone with his charm and takes control of the FAYZ, a.k.a. Fallout Alley Youth Zone. Caine has his own secrets. He has powers of his own. And if he thinks your powers might be a threat to him, he takes care of you one way or another. But when Caine’s sinister sidekick Drake allows a girl to be beaten to death with a baseball bat, for doing a "magic trick" things go from bad to worse.
Caine knows that everyone looks up to Sam as a leader, so starts the battle of good vs. evil. Besides Caine has his own hidden agenda toward Sam. Oh! And did I mention that when you turn fourteen, you poof too. So not only does Sam have to save his new world, he will be fourteen in a week or so. No worries though. Yeah right!
There are so many twists and turns in the plot that you won’t be able to put this book down until it’s well, gone. But don’t fret, this is only the beginning of a six-part series. The characters are well developed. I love when you feel like you really connect with characters, and this was one of those experiences. You not only get to experience Sam’s part of the story but the views of many other characters. There is action, suspense, romance, and fantasy all rolled into one. Gone is a spectacular beginning to what I can only hope will be a thrilling series! Amazing!!!
Imagine sitting in class one day, maybe you are paying attention to your teacher, maybe you are daydreaming about surfing, then all of a sudden your teacher disappears. What would you do?
It just so happens that this very scenario happens to Sam Temple in his history class. It turns out his teacher isn’t the only on missing, it turns out that anyone over the age of thirteen is missing. Not just missing but disappeared. No cell phones, no television, no Internet. Poof gone!
Sam has been in a horrific experience like this before, well maybe not exactly like this. Sam had saved a bunch of kids in a school bus after the driver had a heart attack, good ole’ School Bus Sam. Sam was a natural leader, but he didn’t feel like it. Everyone was looking up to him for answers, but all Sam felt was guilt. Guilt because there was a possibility that this was his fault. Sam has this little problem, he can shoot beams of light out of his hands and burn people’s hands off. Literally. But I guess things like that happen when you live in Fallout Alley.
Thankfully Sam isn’t alone. He has is best friend and surfer brah, Quinn. The genius Astrid, who Sam has secret feelings for, and the faithful and dependable, Edilio.
Of course in any untamed civilization there is always a power struggle, those who have it and those who want to take it away. It turns out that Sam isn’t the only one that has "powers." When the kids from the private school Coates Academy show up, Sam and Astrid realize there is something more going on. It also doesn’t help that the kids from Coats and the kids from Perdido don’t exactly get along.
Caine from Coates Academy comes in, dazzles everyone with his charm and takes control of the FAYZ, a.k.a. Fallout Alley Youth Zone. Caine has his own secrets. He has powers of his own. And if he thinks your powers might be a threat to him, he takes care of you one way or another. But when Caine’s sinister sidekick Drake allows a girl to be beaten to death with a baseball bat, for doing a "magic trick" things go from bad to worse.
Caine knows that everyone looks up to Sam as a leader, so starts the battle of good vs. evil. Besides Caine has his own hidden agenda toward Sam. Oh! And did I mention that when you turn fourteen, you poof too. So not only does Sam have to save his new world, he will be fourteen in a week or so. No worries though. Yeah right!
There are so many twists and turns in the plot that you won’t be able to put this book down until it’s well, gone. But don’t fret, this is only the beginning of a six-part series. The characters are well developed. I love when you feel like you really connect with characters, and this was one of those experiences. You not only get to experience Sam’s part of the story but the views of many other characters. There is action, suspense, romance, and fantasy all rolled into one. Gone is a spectacular beginning to what I can only hope will be a thrilling series! Amazing!!!
October 2, 2008
The premise of this book sounded so interesting - everyone over the age of 15 simply disappears one day and the remaining kids are left trying to figure out what happened... plus they discover that some of them are somehow developing supernatural powers. I was excited to read this and expected writing along the lines of Scott Westerfeld, based on the plot and such. But alas, the novel did not deliver for me and I put it down after 100 pages or so, when I found myself skimming pages and caring less and less.
The problem, for me, was that the writing felt rather slow. I didn't get sucked into the story, nor did I feel the sense of urgency that the characters must have been feeling. Also, the narration skipping around from person to person, introducing new characters in new situations, and I didn't really care about most of them because I didn't know who they were or how they connected to the plot, and the "powers" that some of the characters developed didn't sound that exciting the way they were described. So, a disappointment.
The problem, for me, was that the writing felt rather slow. I didn't get sucked into the story, nor did I feel the sense of urgency that the characters must have been feeling. Also, the narration skipping around from person to person, introducing new characters in new situations, and I didn't really care about most of them because I didn't know who they were or how they connected to the plot, and the "powers" that some of the characters developed didn't sound that exciting the way they were described. So, a disappointment.
May 15, 2010
This book is one of the most thrilling and addictive books I've ever read! The incredibly paced plot and the abundant twists and turns made it nearly impossible to put down. Don't be intimidated by the length, it reads very quickly, and you'll be wishing for more by the end. I do have a couple complaints though, that I'm willing to ignore in order to give this book 5 stars. The characters are all very young, so don't expect the most challenging dialogue, and don't expect closure at all from the ending. The novel was also unexpectedly thought provoking. You'll ask yourself many questions, such as "what side would I be on?" "what role would I play?", and the best question, "what superpower would I get?" I vastly recommend this novel to all, and I hope you'll read it.
March 19, 2022
Al principio no me estaba convenciendo mucho, pero a medida que avancé en la trama me fue gustando, volviéndose bastante adictiva, ya que tiene harta acción, suspenso e intriga; ahora a ver que tal continúa.
September 2, 2012
I hate to say this. Really I do. But this book is possibly one of the worst things I've ever read.
The basic idea of the entire story was pretty good. I, personally, love the idea of a bunch of kids/teens getting trapped on an island until they turn 15 and are teleported elsewhere with the rest of the adults. It somewhat reminded me of the basic idea of Lord Of The Flies. If the author had left the idea with that it would have been a somewhat enjoyable read. If the author had left it at where they all had "magical powers" I would have probably enjoyed it. But he didn't. Micheal Grant tried to cram every single idea he could think of into a book. From Sam finding out that he has an evil twin brother (am I the only one who thinks this is somewhat like a Soap Opera?) to eating disorders, he put everything in it.
Now I'm okay with one or two side plots, but there was about twenty of them. And with each side plot there was another 20 new characters. Why can't one of our main characters have issues? Why do we have to have new main characters introduced for every little think that's introduced? And why does each new character have to have a whole chunk of the book devoted to them? It makes the actual PLOT of the story hard to keep up with.
There were certain points in the book where it was unintentionally hilarious. Considering what this book is about, I don't think that's what the author was going for.
The characters were unbelievable. Not in the sense of that they had powers, but in the sense of their personalities. The most believable people in the book were still pretty unbelievable. Now, I doubt that KIDS and TEENAGERS are going to start trying to rebuild society when all the adults are gone. The first thing that's going to be on their minds is going to be them trying to get the T.V.s and IPods to start working again. There will be a few mature enough kids that are going to be trying to get civilization back on their feet, but the majority of them will be partying about not having school or any adult supervision or morning the loss of their parents. (Which one would you be....?) I also doubt that anyone, even the bullies, would start killing and torturing people. I mean, sure, they would probably start to try to get momey or start breaking into stores and stealing stuff (candy, food, games, drinks, etc.), but I highly doubt they would start killing people. I just can't see it. Seriously, Michael, do you really think that bullies will (whenever they are free to do ANYTHING they want) will kill people?
Has this author ever heard of a break? Apparantly not. There's not one spot in the entire book where you can ever even breath. Can't we have a simple scene were you have a bunch of the characters sitting around a campfire or something just being light-hearted before something else happens?
You know a book is bad when your favorite characters are the bad guys. (I mean, have you ever heard of anyone saying 'Oh yeah, President Snow is my favorite character in the Hunger Games' or 'You know, I was really wishing Voldemort killed Harry for good'?) Caine, Caine's crazy assitant, and Caine's girlfriend really made the book a lot better. They made it go from being used as my toilet paper to getting thrown off of a moving train so that it falls into a ocean filled with book eating sharks that tear it apart page by page.
If the author had changed the plot up, lost some (okay, okay MOST) of the side plots, and made the writing more believable I think I would have enjoyed it. Or, at least, been able to finish the ding-dang book. Sadly, I couldn't do either (and I even FINISHED Twilight).
This book only deserves one star. Half a star for the basic idea and half a star for Caine, his crazy assitant, and Caine's girlfriend.
The basic idea of the entire story was pretty good. I, personally, love the idea of a bunch of kids/teens getting trapped on an island until they turn 15 and are teleported elsewhere with the rest of the adults. It somewhat reminded me of the basic idea of Lord Of The Flies. If the author had left the idea with that it would have been a somewhat enjoyable read. If the author had left it at where they all had "magical powers" I would have probably enjoyed it. But he didn't. Micheal Grant tried to cram every single idea he could think of into a book. From Sam finding out that he has an evil twin brother (am I the only one who thinks this is somewhat like a Soap Opera?) to eating disorders, he put everything in it.
Now I'm okay with one or two side plots, but there was about twenty of them. And with each side plot there was another 20 new characters. Why can't one of our main characters have issues? Why do we have to have new main characters introduced for every little think that's introduced? And why does each new character have to have a whole chunk of the book devoted to them? It makes the actual PLOT of the story hard to keep up with.
There were certain points in the book where it was unintentionally hilarious. Considering what this book is about, I don't think that's what the author was going for.
The characters were unbelievable. Not in the sense of that they had powers, but in the sense of their personalities. The most believable people in the book were still pretty unbelievable. Now, I doubt that KIDS and TEENAGERS are going to start trying to rebuild society when all the adults are gone. The first thing that's going to be on their minds is going to be them trying to get the T.V.s and IPods to start working again. There will be a few mature enough kids that are going to be trying to get civilization back on their feet, but the majority of them will be partying about not having school or any adult supervision or morning the loss of their parents. (Which one would you be....?) I also doubt that anyone, even the bullies, would start killing and torturing people. I mean, sure, they would probably start to try to get momey or start breaking into stores and stealing stuff (candy, food, games, drinks, etc.), but I highly doubt they would start killing people. I just can't see it. Seriously, Michael, do you really think that bullies will (whenever they are free to do ANYTHING they want) will kill people?
Has this author ever heard of a break? Apparantly not. There's not one spot in the entire book where you can ever even breath. Can't we have a simple scene were you have a bunch of the characters sitting around a campfire or something just being light-hearted before something else happens?
You know a book is bad when your favorite characters are the bad guys. (I mean, have you ever heard of anyone saying 'Oh yeah, President Snow is my favorite character in the Hunger Games' or 'You know, I was really wishing Voldemort killed Harry for good'?) Caine, Caine's crazy assitant, and Caine's girlfriend really made the book a lot better. They made it go from being used as my toilet paper to getting thrown off of a moving train so that it falls into a ocean filled with book eating sharks that tear it apart page by page.
If the author had changed the plot up, lost some (okay, okay MOST) of the side plots, and made the writing more believable I think I would have enjoyed it. Or, at least, been able to finish the ding-dang book. Sadly, I couldn't do either (and I even FINISHED Twilight).
This book only deserves one star. Half a star for the basic idea and half a star for Caine, his crazy assitant, and Caine's girlfriend.
January 6, 2010
The kids of Perdido Beach suddenly-very suddenly-find themselves alone. Everyone over age 14 has disappeared without a trace. It's up to the kids to make their own society to keep themselves alive. Most of the kids want Sam to lead them, but he's not sure he's comfortable in the role. His new friends, Astrid and Edilio, and his best friend, Quinn, have to help convince him to take his place as the leader of their newfound society, as well as struggle to stay alive amidst chaos, bullies, and the strange students from rival school, Coates Academy. Did I mention that Sam can shoot lightning bolts from his hands? And he's not the only one with supernatural powers.
I think this book just wasn't my style more than anything else, but I do enjoy most YA fiction so I wanted to share my honest feelings about the book. I didn't realize that the teens in this book were so young, only 14. I also didn't know there would be so much violence.
The main reason that I didn't really enjoy this book was because of the violence. There is a lot of violence in this book, the author does not gloss over any gory details. Also, there are some downright evil characters with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The line between good and evil is very clear cut here. The teens are either very good or very bad. In fact, there were only one or two charcters who struggled with whether or not they were on the side of good or evil. Those characters, Quinn and Orc, really stand out as the most interesting to me.
This book definitely took some cues from "Lord of the Flies", so it didn't seem like a totally new concept. Also, I really felt like I as reading James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" all over again, although I did enjoy this book more.
The writing in the book was good and I liked the fact that there were so many characters to read about. Each one was fully fleshed out. I liked the way that the characters were split up into different subplots before coming together at the end. I was most interested in Lana, left stranded in the woods with her dog, Patrick, after the 'poof.' Also, I liked Albert and the way he took over running the McDonalds to keep everyone fed. I found the main characters, Sam, Astrid, and Caine, pretty average and I didn't like reading about Mary changing diapers at the day care at all.
Mostly I was turned off by the graphic details of violence and too much detail about dirty diapers, etc. However, the writing was great and fast-paced, and I can see how someone with different tastes would enjoy the story.
Reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
I think this book just wasn't my style more than anything else, but I do enjoy most YA fiction so I wanted to share my honest feelings about the book. I didn't realize that the teens in this book were so young, only 14. I also didn't know there would be so much violence.
The main reason that I didn't really enjoy this book was because of the violence. There is a lot of violence in this book, the author does not gloss over any gory details. Also, there are some downright evil characters with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The line between good and evil is very clear cut here. The teens are either very good or very bad. In fact, there were only one or two charcters who struggled with whether or not they were on the side of good or evil. Those characters, Quinn and Orc, really stand out as the most interesting to me.
This book definitely took some cues from "Lord of the Flies", so it didn't seem like a totally new concept. Also, I really felt like I as reading James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" all over again, although I did enjoy this book more.
The writing in the book was good and I liked the fact that there were so many characters to read about. Each one was fully fleshed out. I liked the way that the characters were split up into different subplots before coming together at the end. I was most interested in Lana, left stranded in the woods with her dog, Patrick, after the 'poof.' Also, I liked Albert and the way he took over running the McDonalds to keep everyone fed. I found the main characters, Sam, Astrid, and Caine, pretty average and I didn't like reading about Mary changing diapers at the day care at all.
Mostly I was turned off by the graphic details of violence and too much detail about dirty diapers, etc. However, the writing was great and fast-paced, and I can see how someone with different tastes would enjoy the story.
Reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
July 23, 2012
This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I avoided this series for a while because I thought it was an offshoot of those Left Behind books. I know, I know. I should probably read them before I make any snap judgments, but I have absolutely no desire to read a series about The Rapture.
At all.
Ever.
Anyhoo. Thankfully, this series has nothing to do with that.
*Ok. Stop laughing at me! I only glanced at the blurb a few years ago! You gotta admit that "Blah, blah, blah, a bunch of people disappear..." sounds a lot like those other books!*
Alright, the story begins with a bunch of kids sitting in class when all of a sudden the teacher just goes...Poof. It soon becomes apparent that every adult, and all the kids over 15 are Gone. Hence, ahem, the name of the book.
It took a few chapters for me to get interested, because I wasn't really in the mood to read about a bunch of middle schoolers. However, eventually the story won me over. I'd like to say it was because some of the events were more realistic than I'd anticipated for a book geared toward tweens. Especially the part where they find a dead toddler in one of the houses.
Unfortunately, it's more likely that I became fully engaged in the story once I found out that some of these kids were developing powers.
Mutants! Cool!
The characters were pretty developed for a middle grade reader, as well. Quinn was one of the better examples. He's not evil, but he is a coward. I enjoyed watching him struggle, making both good and bad choices along the way. His fear, complacence, guilt, and redemption power the background of the plot. And he's not even the main character.
So, definitely not part of the Left Behind series. More like Lord of the Flies meets X-Men meets...some other book with a big scary (as of yet) unseen monster. Sorry. Brain fart. Couldn't think of a book to describe the last thing, although it's on the tip of my tongue.
Read it. See what you think. Personally, I really liked it.
At all.
Ever.
Anyhoo. Thankfully, this series has nothing to do with that.
*Ok. Stop laughing at me! I only glanced at the blurb a few years ago! You gotta admit that "Blah, blah, blah, a bunch of people disappear..." sounds a lot like those other books!*
Alright, the story begins with a bunch of kids sitting in class when all of a sudden the teacher just goes...Poof. It soon becomes apparent that every adult, and all the kids over 15 are Gone. Hence, ahem, the name of the book.
It took a few chapters for me to get interested, because I wasn't really in the mood to read about a bunch of middle schoolers. However, eventually the story won me over. I'd like to say it was because some of the events were more realistic than I'd anticipated for a book geared toward tweens. Especially the part where they find a dead toddler in one of the houses.
Unfortunately, it's more likely that I became fully engaged in the story once I found out that some of these kids were developing powers.
Mutants! Cool!
The characters were pretty developed for a middle grade reader, as well. Quinn was one of the better examples. He's not evil, but he is a coward. I enjoyed watching him struggle, making both good and bad choices along the way. His fear, complacence, guilt, and redemption power the background of the plot. And he's not even the main character.
So, definitely not part of the Left Behind series. More like Lord of the Flies meets X-Men meets...some other book with a big scary (as of yet) unseen monster. Sorry. Brain fart. Couldn't think of a book to describe the last thing, although it's on the tip of my tongue.
Read it. See what you think. Personally, I really liked it.
April 3, 2009
In the blink of an eye. Everyone dissapears. GONE. Those three lines pretty much sum up the plot of the book, and was cleverly placed on the front jacket cover. Michael Grant phenomonaly captured so many different plot elements and combined them into a dystopic apocolypse that resembled Lord of the Flies, yet also added an element that gave characters unique abilities (like one of my favorite TV shows, Heroes).
Every character in this book has dymanic, none of them fall flat at all. There are opposing sides between the main protagonist, Sam, and the lead antagonist, Caine. Each recruits their own group of other teens and followers under the age of 15 (because when you turn 15, you dissapear). Every single person must find a way to survive without adults and technology to aid them. It's somewhat like a parallel universe, just better.
This book has everything in it, and I still remember most of it from reading it a few months ago. It has the whole Sci-fi/fantasy element that is garnered from the plot. It also has a lot of action/adventure due to the teens struggle to survive while fighting each other. And finally, it has young-teen romance, which I think everyone appreciates it. This book may be thick, but it was a really quick read for me. I hope that it becomes just as popular as Twilight and Harry Potter, because it definetly deserves to be.
Every character in this book has dymanic, none of them fall flat at all. There are opposing sides between the main protagonist, Sam, and the lead antagonist, Caine. Each recruits their own group of other teens and followers under the age of 15 (because when you turn 15, you dissapear). Every single person must find a way to survive without adults and technology to aid them. It's somewhat like a parallel universe, just better.
This book has everything in it, and I still remember most of it from reading it a few months ago. It has the whole Sci-fi/fantasy element that is garnered from the plot. It also has a lot of action/adventure due to the teens struggle to survive while fighting each other. And finally, it has young-teen romance, which I think everyone appreciates it. This book may be thick, but it was a really quick read for me. I hope that it becomes just as popular as Twilight and Harry Potter, because it definetly deserves to be.
November 2, 2017
This was a YA dystopian story about a world in which adults simply vanished.
I felt sorry for all the kids in this story, to have every person over the age of 15 simply disappear would have been awful, especially for those kids too young to survive on their own.
The storyline in this was about the kids trying to find ways to survive after all the over 15’s disappeared, and trying to fulfil basic necessities such as food and nappies for the younger kids, whilst trying to work out if help was coming. We got some fighting over who was in charge, and we also got some really weird new powers that some of the kids had developed, and one girl with an eating disorder who was binging and then vomiting up perfectly good food. This was an okay story, but the pace was pretty slow, and it totally lost my interest as it went along.
The ending to this was okay, and we did get some answers as to why what had happened had happened.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
6 out of 10
I felt sorry for all the kids in this story, to have every person over the age of 15 simply disappear would have been awful, especially for those kids too young to survive on their own.
The storyline in this was about the kids trying to find ways to survive after all the over 15’s disappeared, and trying to fulfil basic necessities such as food and nappies for the younger kids, whilst trying to work out if help was coming. We got some fighting over who was in charge, and we also got some really weird new powers that some of the kids had developed, and one girl with an eating disorder who was binging and then vomiting up perfectly good food. This was an okay story, but the pace was pretty slow, and it totally lost my interest as it went along.
The ending to this was okay, and we did get some answers as to why what had happened had happened.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
6 out of 10
July 20, 2010
This book was a pleasant surprise. The plot is quite wild actually: one day, all people over the age of 15 disappear, and young kids are left to fend for themselves in a world, where "normal" rules no longer exist. In this new world, the FAYZ - Fallout Alley Youth Zone, the unimaginable happens - animals rapidly mutate, some kids acquire special X-men-like abilities, coyotes led by the mysterious Darkness try to overtake humans.
Undoubtedly, this sounds like a lot of craziness, and yet it all somehow works together and creates one fascinating and intriguing story. The characters are well developed and relatable, their back stories are familiar and compelling. The struggles of good vs evil are very well written. My only complaint is that sometimes this book has just too much action, at times I felt as tired as the book characters of constant running and fighting. However overall it's a great novel and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series to find out what happens next to the characters and to see at least some of the mysteries of the FAYZ solved.
Update July 19, 2010. Almost a year later and 2 more installments, still haven't worked up any interest to read more of this series (?).
Undoubtedly, this sounds like a lot of craziness, and yet it all somehow works together and creates one fascinating and intriguing story. The characters are well developed and relatable, their back stories are familiar and compelling. The struggles of good vs evil are very well written. My only complaint is that sometimes this book has just too much action, at times I felt as tired as the book characters of constant running and fighting. However overall it's a great novel and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series to find out what happens next to the characters and to see at least some of the mysteries of the FAYZ solved.
Update July 19, 2010. Almost a year later and 2 more installments, still haven't worked up any interest to read more of this series (?).
April 19, 2011
Gone is like a mix of Lord of the Flies, Under the Dome, Animal Farm, Lost, Kid Nation, Heroes, X-Men and that Simpsons Movie...
This book I think is popular and also has quite number of fans but I haven't read it immediately because the book was very thick and I just find that I'm too lazy to follow a series like this. However I changed my mind and finally decided to read the first book.
At first my opinion about this book is, it is a very easy read. The sentences and the dialogues are kept simple. There are many times that I find it too simple but I think it made sense because the target of this book are young adults and I think even a nine year old can follow the words and sentences used in this one.
Also what I like about this book is that, it is really scary. There are moments that I just find myself having goosebumps and it was just really creepy.
Also I like that there are many characters in this book and my favorite character ironically is one of the bad guys which is Dianna. She has the power to know someone's power level by merely touching his or her hand. I jst find her really interesting.
What I don't like about this one is that it is you know something that is not that "original" because you can see that the idea of it was already seen from other books, TV series, movie etc.
I also don't like the fact that there are many times wherein I found the kids unrealistically acting like adults. These kids are 14 years old and below however they can use the fire hydrant, fire hose, the oxygen tank and the oxygen mask, some of them can drive and can measure a city's radius, hack a computer, use a machine gun etc. Those kind of things wherein you'll just say, "Blimey, smart kids."
I also find the answer to the mystery of the "poof" and how you can not "poof" cheesy.
And there's this moment wherein I just can't understand the logic why do these kids wanted to kill other kids. I find the logic of Battle Royale and Hunger Games somewhat realistic because they only kill other children because their lives are at stake and it is the Society that dictates to kill.
But here it's a matter of free will more similar to Lord of the Flies. It comes from their own savage mind and I just find myself having a hard time to buy that idea.
This book I think is popular and also has quite number of fans but I haven't read it immediately because the book was very thick and I just find that I'm too lazy to follow a series like this. However I changed my mind and finally decided to read the first book.
At first my opinion about this book is, it is a very easy read. The sentences and the dialogues are kept simple. There are many times that I find it too simple but I think it made sense because the target of this book are young adults and I think even a nine year old can follow the words and sentences used in this one.
Also what I like about this book is that, it is really scary. There are moments that I just find myself having goosebumps and it was just really creepy.
Also I like that there are many characters in this book and my favorite character ironically is one of the bad guys which is Dianna. She has the power to know someone's power level by merely touching his or her hand. I jst find her really interesting.
What I don't like about this one is that it is you know something that is not that "original" because you can see that the idea of it was already seen from other books, TV series, movie etc.
I also don't like the fact that there are many times wherein I found the kids unrealistically acting like adults. These kids are 14 years old and below however they can use the fire hydrant, fire hose, the oxygen tank and the oxygen mask, some of them can drive and can measure a city's radius, hack a computer, use a machine gun etc. Those kind of things wherein you'll just say, "Blimey, smart kids."
I also find the answer to the mystery of the "poof" and how you can not "poof" cheesy.
And there's this moment wherein I just can't understand the logic why do these kids wanted to kill other kids. I find the logic of Battle Royale and Hunger Games somewhat realistic because they only kill other children because their lives are at stake and it is the Society that dictates to kill.
But here it's a matter of free will more similar to Lord of the Flies. It comes from their own savage mind and I just find myself having a hard time to buy that idea.
November 19, 2017
Gone is not equal to other books I've rated two stars, but I also don't think it deserves one star, so I guess Merry Early Christmas Michael Grant.
This definitely falls into the "overrated" category for me. The writing is... not good. Many long conversations where each sentence ends in "he said/she said" and a lot of telling but no showing. I didn't like any of the characters very much, Edilio was probably my favorite, and they weren't written realistically. You're telling me a bunch of 14 years olds who are about to get their learners' permits have no supervision and would rather walk 10 miles than attempt to drive a car? Then there's the superpowers and talking coyotes and the tentacle arm and ugh... just stupid.
I listened to more than half of this book on audio to get through it faster because it's sooo long (again, unnecessary and due to poor writing) and I hated the narrator. Sure, he did a different voice for every character and I know a lot of listeners love that, but the voices were awful. The boys are little pipsqueaks and the girls sounded like morons, and one 13 year old girl had a deeper voice than Ving Rhames! I wouldn't recommend that format, or any format if I'm being honest. Watch Between on Netflix instead. It isn't great but it's way better than this book. The storyline is pretty similar but the plot is just so much more well thought out and honest.
This definitely falls into the "overrated" category for me. The writing is... not good. Many long conversations where each sentence ends in "he said/she said" and a lot of telling but no showing. I didn't like any of the characters very much, Edilio was probably my favorite, and they weren't written realistically. You're telling me a bunch of 14 years olds who are about to get their learners' permits have no supervision and would rather walk 10 miles than attempt to drive a car? Then there's the superpowers and talking coyotes and the tentacle arm and ugh... just stupid.
I listened to more than half of this book on audio to get through it faster because it's sooo long (again, unnecessary and due to poor writing) and I hated the narrator. Sure, he did a different voice for every character and I know a lot of listeners love that, but the voices were awful. The boys are little pipsqueaks and the girls sounded like morons, and one 13 year old girl had a deeper voice than Ving Rhames! I wouldn't recommend that format, or any format if I'm being honest. Watch Between on Netflix instead. It isn't great but it's way better than this book. The storyline is pretty similar but the plot is just so much more well thought out and honest.
February 9, 2021
So I liked it. It was an interesting story and see loads of potential for it to get even better. For me, it just way too long to read. I have been busy and that explains some of it, but not all of it. It took a lot to get and stay interested in it and I found I was too easily distracted with other slightly stupid things lol. So I do plan to continue the series and see how it progresses, but I'm hoping it gets better.
March 16, 2015
Dit boek hè, moet je even heel snel gaan lezen want het is zo'n gaaf boek en een geweldig begin van een superspannende en epische serie! Nog niet overtuigd? Lees dan mijn recensie:
http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...
http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...
February 8, 2023
3,8 ⭐️
Po raz kolejny dotarłam do końca pierwszego tomu, mam nadzieję, że tym razem uda mi się chwycić za drugi
Po raz kolejny dotarłam do końca pierwszego tomu, mam nadzieję, że tym razem uda mi się chwycić za drugi
November 10, 2023
Michael Grant, what? Where did you come from? I hadn't even heard of this story until there was a buddy read for it. It was so intense for the majority of the story. There is so much going on here with so many subplots that it would be easy to get lost in the fray. Michael Grant did NOT make this mistake. It is easy to follow the different lines that merge and separate during the story. This is a true thriller, and the suspense is REAL!
However, the book's last third gets WEIRD, like REALLY weird. That whip-hand thing???? The mouth? I am making this one as alien because that's my theory, haha. (not a spoiler, I swear). Also, is it wrong that I like the coyotes? I am kind of rooting for them.
There are enough personalities to both like and hate them and keep the plot forward with excellent pacing. The end is well done and left me wondering what would come next. I will be continuing with this series. Kyle McCarley did an amazingly fantastic job bringing Michael Grant's words to life.
Quote, that made me laugh inappropriately:
"He dropped the kid like a sack of dirt."
My least favorite scene: The mountain lion scene.
Solid 4 stars
However, the book's last third gets WEIRD, like REALLY weird. That whip-hand thing???? The mouth? I am making this one as alien because that's my theory, haha. (not a spoiler, I swear). Also, is it wrong that I like the coyotes? I am kind of rooting for them.
There are enough personalities to both like and hate them and keep the plot forward with excellent pacing. The end is well done and left me wondering what would come next. I will be continuing with this series. Kyle McCarley did an amazingly fantastic job bringing Michael Grant's words to life.
Quote, that made me laugh inappropriately:
"He dropped the kid like a sack of dirt."
My least favorite scene: The mountain lion scene.
Solid 4 stars
September 4, 2023
Dropped at 294 pages.
Me:
Why I Recommend Bumping This Down On Your TBR: Michael Grant made problematic statements about children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder being a burden, he called his Native character a throw-away, and he said something about his Front Lines novel being more fiction than reality in that women were never involved in the war?
Sources: https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...
blog wishfulfillmentsylwia
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booktube wish fulfillment
Me:
Sources: https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...
blog wishfulfillmentsylwia
twitter exsixtwosix
booktube wish fulfillment
May 30, 2015
This book had a compelling premise but the author couldn't seem to really do anything really interesting with it, except continuously throw in increasingly absurd elements that push the reader's suspension of disbelief to its limit (I mean, talking animals, really?). The first half of the book is tedious and slow, and although the action picks up a lot in the second half, Gone never quite reaches its potential. Most of his characters were poorly developed and easily forgotten, and the only one who really intrigued me was Diana. I don't really believe that so many bullies would still be so cruel in such a strange and desperate situation, and the author never really explains the motivations behind the more 'evil' characters (wanting power is too simple I think).
While Grant did try to develop back stories for most of his characters, a lot of it felt like a poor attempt to add depth to characters whom he hadn't truly developed by way of their words or actions. Mary's bulimia, for example, didn't really add much to the understanding of her character, her motivations; it just seemed like a quick way to add depth to her character without really telling the reader anything about her actual personality, and I highly suspect it was also thrown in there to make the novel seem more up-with-the-times and to appeal to a readership who can possibly identify with or just like to read about such things (after all, teen issues books about eating disorders, mental illness, etc. are quite popular these days).
The writing was mediocre at best and littered with far too many sentence fragments. Michael Grant also does not have a very solid grasp on how kids talk to each other. The dialogue did not ring true over half the time and the pacing of the book was far too slow, with a lot of unnecessary scenes, extraneous dialogue, not enough explanation and absolutely no resolution at the end of the book. It was just a mostly tedious, way-too-long disappointment. I'm still interested in the basic premise (everyone over the age of fourteen disappearing-- if someone could write this convincingly I'd definitely read it) but everything else fell flat.
While Grant did try to develop back stories for most of his characters, a lot of it felt like a poor attempt to add depth to characters whom he hadn't truly developed by way of their words or actions. Mary's bulimia, for example, didn't really add much to the understanding of her character, her motivations; it just seemed like a quick way to add depth to her character without really telling the reader anything about her actual personality, and I highly suspect it was also thrown in there to make the novel seem more up-with-the-times and to appeal to a readership who can possibly identify with or just like to read about such things (after all, teen issues books about eating disorders, mental illness, etc. are quite popular these days).
The writing was mediocre at best and littered with far too many sentence fragments. Michael Grant also does not have a very solid grasp on how kids talk to each other. The dialogue did not ring true over half the time and the pacing of the book was far too slow, with a lot of unnecessary scenes, extraneous dialogue, not enough explanation and absolutely no resolution at the end of the book. It was just a mostly tedious, way-too-long disappointment. I'm still interested in the basic premise (everyone over the age of fourteen disappearing-- if someone could write this convincingly I'd definitely read it) but everything else fell flat.
November 25, 2014
Stupid book stupid characters. Here's an example:
"You have to boil the water first, then you put the pasta in" Quinn said
"How do you know that" Sam was frowning turning a blue box of rotini pasta trying to find instructions.
"Because I've seen my mom do it, like, a million times. The water has to boil first"
Sam and Quinn starred at the big pot of water on the stove.
"A watched pot never boils," Edilio said
Sam and Quinn both looked away. Edilio laughed. "It's just a saying. It's not actually true."
"I knew that" Sam said. Then he laughed. "I actually didn't know that"
Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the saviors of our world! Let's give 'em a round of applause folks. Or not. Sam(short for Samuel I think) is an absolute moron (as seen above) and yet he manages to become the leader of the band ofstupid, numb skulls teenagers. Also he has this weird thing where he's turned on by Astrid's starched white shirt - you know like the kind catholic school girls wear. Just look at it isn't that just sooooo sexy?
14 year old boys are so strange . . .
Overall thee plot and characters are utterly forgettable. The villains are just plain dumb and the "good guys" even more so. So for the love of God don't read this book!!!!
Okay, I'm done now. Full review to come.
"You have to boil the water first, then you put the pasta in" Quinn said
"How do you know that" Sam was frowning turning a blue box of rotini pasta trying to find instructions.
"Because I've seen my mom do it, like, a million times. The water has to boil first"
Sam and Quinn starred at the big pot of water on the stove.
"A watched pot never boils," Edilio said
Sam and Quinn both looked away. Edilio laughed. "It's just a saying. It's not actually true."
"I knew that" Sam said. Then he laughed. "I actually didn't know that"
Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the saviors of our world! Let's give 'em a round of applause folks. Or not. Sam(short for Samuel I think) is an absolute moron (as seen above) and yet he manages to become the leader of the band of
14 year old boys are so strange . . .
Overall thee plot and characters are utterly forgettable. The villains are just plain dumb and the "good guys" even more so. So for the love of God don't read this book!!!!
Okay, I'm done now. Full review to come.
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