Jenna Likes to Read

Gone by Michael Grant

Posted on 03 January 2010

Gone (Gone, Bk 1) by Michael Grant

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…

I liked this book.  It was very “Lord of the Flies meets Heroes.” I really like the main character Sam.  He’s the one the town kids look to when the crisis begins and he tries to rise to the challenge, but he’s also a very believable teenage boy.  I thought many of the characters felt very real – there were few characters that were one dimensional.  Occasionally, especially at the beginning, it was hard to keep all the characters and story lines straight, but it got easier as the book went on and the separate story lines began to blend together.

The Coates kids (and their impact on the town kids) were really interesting.  I was amazed at how easily Caine took over the town, but I kind of understand how he did it.  I thought the town’s reaction (both at the beginning and later in the book) to the Coates kids was pretty intriguing.

There were a lot of questions laid out in this book.  Some were answered, but many were not as this is the beginning of a series.  One complaint I do have is that the book was loooooong.  That’s not generally a problem for me, but there were a couple times as I read that I really wished the action would hurry up.  I started the second book in the series, but it is very overwhelming and I;m struggling to get back into the world.  I just want answers! :)