Author: Michael Grant
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Sci-Fi
Pub Date: June 2008, HarperTeen
Paperback, 558 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble @ Georgia Tech
Synopsis
In the blink of an eye.
Everyone disappears.
Gone.
Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.
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 and war is imminent.
The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.
My Thoughts
I've seen reviews on this series out there for awhile but for some reason never bothered to pick up this book and give it a try. Finally I did and now I can't believe I waited so long to start it! While this book is well over 500 pages, for the most part it didn't really feel like that at all--the story is totally engaging and generally moves at a great pace.
What I think I liked the best about this book is the realistic way that Grant portrays the events that occur among the children after everyone over 15 disappears. The extremity of the situation is brought home when you read about the power struggles, inevitable death, and fear of everyone left behind. This isn't a story where a hero steps up and everything goes smoothly after the catastrophe, and that makes it all a little more believable (obviously not with respect to a few of the paranormal happenings, of course). Grant has provided us with a fantastic range of characters who are left behind--we have it all: quiet heros, sidekicks, bullies, power-hungry kids...
Overall, as I mentioned, the story is paced pretty well though it did start off a little slow for me and it took me a bit to truly get into the book. But once I did I was hooked and dying to know how the book would end. Naturally I wish I had the second book, Hunger, close at hand, but will be ordering it soon so that I can continue to read about Sam, Astrid, and everyone left behind at Perdido Beach. If you are looking for something a bit apocalyptic, sci-fi, and exciting, you should give this book a try--I don't think you'll be disappointed.
My Rating:
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This was not a book I was familiar with before so thank you for the review. It sounds like something I would enjoy immensely.
ReplyDeleteI was definitely impressed by it, more than I thought I would be. I have got to get my hands on the next two books in the series!!
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Melissa. I've had Gone sitting on my shelf for almost a year(I think) maybe I'll pick it up this summer :)
ReplyDeleteI just finished this one and it was fast, gotta know what happens. But, I found myself getting depressed at everything that happened. Maybe I just need to go read a happy ending book. :)
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