Gone Review

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. 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 birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...
Taken from GoodReads.

Gone follows semi-average teen, Sam, his best friend Quinn, the perfect smart girl at school, Astrid, and the ever-loyal Edilio. They live in Perdido Beach, California, also known as Fallout Alley. Way back when, there was a nuclear accident in Perdido, and the town remained small for that reason. Sam has a secret though - a secret he can't share with anyone and doesn't quite understand, himself, but when all the adults disappear he knows something has to be done. The kids from the FAYZ(Fallout Valley Youth Zone) have to learn to live on their own, or die. To make matters worse though, the kids from the prestigious and isolated Coates Academy, including the charismatic Caine, start arriving and throw the delicate balance into disarray...but that's not all. Kids are developing powers, and things are about to go from bad to worse.

Wow. Wow wow wow! Remember how I said I don't like books that have a slow start? Authors, take note - Gone is a perfect example how the beginning of an epic story is done! Now, I'll admit that it slowed a wee bit after the first page to give some back story, but it definitely got right into the action. There was a perfect balance of characters - both strong and weak, and I loved how Astrid (the female protagonist) is a strong, intelligent, and independent female. I also liked that Quinn was the one who was a wreck and thought the disappearances had to have been an act of God.

Michael Grant, the author of Gone has created a story that's part Lost, part Fringe, part Supernatural...part X-Men. Does it get any better than that? This is a perfectly-spun tale with plenty of plot turns, twists, and mysteries to keep you going all 558 pages. I know it's long, but trust me when I say it's worth every second.

I give this book a 5 out of 5, and I would recommend it to those who love YA sci-fi and fantasy, as well as anyone else looking for an endlessly entertaining read. The second and third books, Hunger and Lies, respectively, are out now. The fourth book, Plague, will be released on April 5, 2011.