GONE

GONE  by Michael Grant    (LWH)

Book blurb:   In the blink of an eye. Everyone 15 yrs and older disappears. GONE.  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 15^th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

 

The story transpires in a small town of Perdido Beach (Southern California). In a twinkling of an eye everyone over the age of 15 vanishes – poof! Teachers in mid-sentence, drivers in cars, parents… all gone, but where? It is an intriguing start to the novel and at first the children at school seem thrilled as they ransack the school of food and drink, until panic sets in, interestingly thought it’s not until they realize their cell phones and the internet no longer work that they truly become FREAKED! There is at least electricity.

They soon discover the whole town and its environs have been isolated from the world by an egg-shaped force-field. Our reluctant hero, Sam Templeton (an ordinary unassuming guy), and his friends Astrid, Quinn and Edilio assume responsibility for holding anarchy at bay. The smaller children in the community must be sought out and looked after and fed with no parents around and as panic has totally set it by now.  Mary takes charge of the pre-school nursery, Albert  reopens McDonald's, aware that the availability of burgers and fries will keep the 200 odd children fed for the time being. As hunger eventually threatens, new problems arise as bullies rule, a sinister creature lurks and animals are mutating. 

The teens themselves are changing, developing new talent - unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers, that grow stronger by the day that they don’t know how to use or why they have them. 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 for those about to turn 15. Before long a convoy of cars from Coates Academy creeps into town. Coates is a residential school for "difficult/weird” children. The leader of the contingent is Caine, a charismatic boy who assumes power. He is, of course, bad, and soon enough a battle between Sam and Caine, Good and Evil, develops.

Interestingly Michael Grant questions "What can we write to lure boys away from their PlayStations and Xboxes?" His answer  "Books that are prose versions of games".

My fav line in book:  Albert goes to the library to research as there is no internet. He found a set of encylopedias - "It's like Wikipedia, but paper and very bulky ... It was exactly like following hyperlinks, but slower, and with more lifting."

MOVIE TRAILERS AND INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ON NEXT PAGE...

This will keep you reading as you imagine what you would do with this new game of survival and who would you be prepared to kill to survive, when you are just a child yourself. It reminded me a little of Lord of the Flies and the Hunger Games and how it doesn’t take long for civilization to degrade to a primitive sate when children are in charge.  The writing was captivating however the ending left me slightly disappointed but that often happens when there are more books coming in the series. Don’t get me wrong though you will love it.. however there is a fair bit of violence so if you’re squeamish it may not be the one for you!

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:   HUNGER, LIES, PLAGUE, FEAR (OUT IN 2012)

About this author: I had a hard childhood raised in a military family, attending ten schools in five states, as well as three schools in France, I was an army brat. I have a short attention span and easily bored. Michael is the co-creator and co-author of the Animorphs and the Everworld book series, and also the creator and author of The Magnificent 12 series. He has also written a lot of historical books and has written 150 books. 

CHECK OUT THE BOOK TRAILER FOR GONE:

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL GRAANT ON WRITING GONE