Gone Review

Friday, August 20, 2010



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.

23 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to read Gone for quite a while, and now I'm DYING to read it. You're review has got me all excited XD

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, fabulous review Melissa! Gone sounds like an amazing book. The charcters sound perfect! And that plot... so cool! I definitely have to read this one.

    P.S. Thanks for that really nice comment you left at my blog! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolutely loved this book, and am highly recommending it to all my eighth graders to read. It is a Missouri Truman Award nominee. I can't wait to read Hunger next and Lies which I will be buying to have on hand for my kids.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a new follower of your blog through the hop. Congrats on reaching 250! :D

    Hope this was the start of an even lovelier weekend!

    Erika
    Erika Breathes Books

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Melissa, so glad to see a 5-star rating! I'm on this one right now :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I havent read this book yet. I found you through the hop. I'm a new follower! I hope you can check out my blog sometime.
    -Elena
    elenasbookcafe.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I read this book a while ago and I agree with everything you said, I just thought it was a little too long and the characters were a little annoying, but I still liked it! I'm glad you loved it!

    Ava

    ReplyDelete
  8. Part Lost, Part Fringe? OMG I MUST read this. FAB review darling.

    BTW, I'm loving your new clean look :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, is it really that great? I'm definitely checking this out when I go the library next...Awesome review!

    * Love the new look for your blog! The green fish for you button & tabs is so cute, and I love the header =)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great review Melissa!

    In response to what you just posted on my Hop post (The Crescive Library). You're so not a weirdo, you're really great at stopping by blogs and leaving great comments. :) Have a great friday.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have been wanting to see a review of this one. Sounds really good!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog on the hop, I'm already a follower of yours! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow! This sounds too awesome! I'm definitely going to get this one. Thanks for your review, Melissa! It's just what I needed. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I can't even count the number of times I've almost bought this book. After reading your review, I finally think I'm going to buy it for real. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. love the new button and blog template etc.! You loved this book!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great review! I can't wait to read this now. :)

    xx,
    E.J
    From the Shadows

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great Review! I am your newest follower from FF. Have an awesome weekend!
    kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog from the Blog Hop. This entire series is in my TBR pile. I can't wait to read it and judging by your review score it seems like it will be worth the wait.

    I'm your newest follower..

    Have an awesome weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello, thanks so much for stopping by my blog from the hop! i have this book in my TBR, in english because, even if it has been published in italian, it costs 21€!
    I'm a new follower!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey, thanks for commenting on my blog! I'm subscribed to you now - love your blog, by the way. Looking forward to reading more.

    Your Gone review is great! You sound like me when I'm gushing over a book I love - I can't stop saying "wow"!
    Have a great weekend and happy reading,

    ●▬▬▬๑۩Tina @ Book Couture۩๑▬▬▬▬●

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for dropping by my blog. My hubby's from Salt Lake, so I've been there quite a bit.
    I haven't read Gone yet but I've heard so many good things that I really should get to it. I'm a new follower.
    Alison Can Read

    ReplyDelete
  21. I always saw Hunger in my library, but I never knew what it was about. I LOVE books like this, and I definitley gonna pick it up next thanks to your review. Great job :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I always do my very best to return the favour :)

Please note that this blog is an award-free zone!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover