Book Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Imagine a world without adults, no one over fifteen allowed. But also gone are phones, T.V., and internet. Internet! Michael Grant's series, Gone, is one imagining of a world like this. The kids of Perdido Beach, California were all in school the day of the happening. A split second and everyone over the age of fifteen just disappeared, "poofed." No teachers, no parents, no police, no fire department. All gone. The kids called this new world the FAYZ, that's Fallout Alley Youth Zone, pronounced the phase. Then hunger threatened, bullies ruled, a sinister creature lurked, animals mutated, and the kids changed, developed new talents-unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers-that grew 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 fifteenth birthday, you disappear just like everyone else did.

I was interested in this novel because I came across it in the library and read the covers and found it intriguing. A world without adults? I assumed that this would be a really good read into how the world turned out to be a blast in the end for the kids. But I was wrong, the world without adults is a really hard place to be in. Bullies take over everything, basic survival is a challenge. The kids have to fight for their own food, for their own right to live. As I read on I realized that this is not what I imagined the world to be like. Michael Grant's writing style is really interesting though and made me keep reading until I came to the fun part. Powers. The mutations. The kids were developing unbelievable abilities. This was what really kept me going till the end. The day of your birthday is always the best in our world, but in the FAYZ it's just one year closer to fifteen, the end!

~Rasesh K. (Book Ninja approved)

P.S. I also want to share a review by VOYA magazine: "If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a little like this."