Gone, by Michael Grant

2009, Egmont UK Ltd
270 pages
Review Copy

YA, sci-fi, paranormal

Cushions: 5/5
Daggers: 3/5
Paperclips: having a mind blank, so probably 1 maximum
Smiles: 1/5 (not funny per se, but there are sweet moments)
Yunaleska's recommended rating ♥♥♥♥♥+

Those of you who see me on Twitter (nayuleska) have heard my despair of waiting five whole months for the sequel. Although, a small part of me doesn't want to read it (see 5 paragraphs down).

Parents, who needs them, right? You would think the children in Perdido Beach would celebrate when their teacher disappears. No more lessons! Only, its not just the adults. Everyone over the age of 15 disappears. They literally go 'poof' into thin air. If you think that's scary, wait until you learn about the entity behind the disappearances. I was afraid of the dark before, now I'm doubly so. Oh, and by the way - upon the rough moment a child was born, they'll disappear on their fifteenth birthday. Unless someone finds a way around it.

Gone follows the lives of the children left behind. Sam, who on the surface appears ordinary but is hiding a secret linked up to the strange goings on, gains leadership among most of the children left behind. Those who don't follow him are under the dark shadow of the gang from the elite school children who venture out of their posh school grounds to instill fear into the children's hearts. For these school children have frightening special powers, which they use to keep control of the town. You don't want to mess with their leader, Caine, trust me on that. Not when objects - and people - can be be sent flying. That boy is definitely a psychopath.

Mary, one of my favourite characters, ends up looking after the babies and preschoolers. She shows a lot of courage, especially when her own secret comes to light. I admire her for carrying on caring for the youngsters while she wrestles with her own demons (metaphorial). There are other characters; the girl who gets abducted by wolves, the boy whose love of violence is obscene, who you'll have to discover for yourself.

Gone is pretty hard to sum up without giving the whole story away. It has everything, explosions, boat chases, suspense, cool super-human powers, scary super-human powers...

..and there are the scary parts which nearly made me put the book down without finishing it. I am petrified of anything that wiggles (w*rm, sn*ke, tent*acles). There's one mutation which almost made me physically sick. Such is the power of the imagination when it concerns a phobia. I think I may skip re-reading the first chapter of Hunger, which has one too many w*rms for my liking.

As for that entity which is responsible for half the mayhem - let's just say this is a book I won't be reading at night. Or in the winter. It borders on a horror level which is one step too far for this reviewer.

The concept behind Gone is briliant. I couldn't predict anything in here. Having the inability to escape from the town heightens the suspense. A lot of issues are explored what, hypothetical situations of what would happen in a world with no adults, how some children lose control, or suffer from addictions and disorders due to the adult disappearance. I love stories that involve people having to make do with what they've got, improvise for medication, equipment, search for food...no wait, that issue is the drive behind the second book Hunger. Out January 2010. Have I already mentioned that? Five whole months of waiting, of recovering from the image of the entity...

There is a warning on the back cover, that this contains scenes of cruelty and some violence. I can vouch for that. Ideas in this book are disturbing. Not for my fainter hearted readers. I know some who'll love this.

If they ever make a film of Gone, I will not be watching it. Never. The book - sits firmly on my bookshelf. Chained.

Check out the website for Gone and Hunger here. I'm aware it's Harperteen - over here in the UK this series is with Egmont Books.

Like this? Be sure to check out book 2, Hunger.