Gone by Michael Grant

Title: Gone

Series: Gone series #1

Author: Michael Grant

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Date Published: June 24, 2008

Pages: 576 (hardback)

Genre: YA fiction, sci-fi, paranormal

Age Range: 16+ (for language, mature content, and over-all issues)


Summary  


In the blink of an eye everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. Middle schoolers. Teens. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. And just as suddenly, there are no phones, no Internet, no television. No way to get figure out what's happened. And no way to get help. Cut off from the rest of the world.

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. Townes against rich kids, bullies against the weak. Powerful against the powerless. And the time is running out: on your birthday, you will disappear- just like everyone else.


 Review


The plot itself was so interesting that I had to read this book. Sure, I've read other "no adults around"  books, but this one was calling to me. I am torn. I really am. I read this book three times. Not because I love it, but because I'm so confused.

First, I cannot stand the jumpy narration. It switches randomly from between around eight different kids. One minute I'm reading from Lana's point of view. Suddenly - and randomly- I'm reading from Drake's point of view. I got lost more than once because of this.

Next, I have a few major problems with the book. They range from calling an autistic kid "unloving"  and "retarded", to a twelve-year-old being "owned by someone" because of blackmail, to a pill-popping, mentally unstable girl running a day care (I know the situations called for her to step up. But no! Just no.)

The plot itself was interesting. Two thumbs way up for creativity. But there is such a thing as too much creativity... The characters range from babies, to sadistic killers. Everyone under fifteen. The characters were okay until we meet a sadistic killer who will kill babies. Again, no. Just no.

The book has Olson good points to highlight. Power corrupts. Teen parenting is a big no-no. History repeats itself. But the lessons get lost in the over-all lesson (which I can't find. I'm still lost.).
This is book one in the Gone series and I will not be reading the others. They really bother me and I like being normal after I read books thank you very much.