Friday, June 07, 2013

Book Review - Gone

Gone by Michael Grant (Egmont, 2008)






Gone is Book One in a series of 6 books about everyone over the age of 15 years disappearing from a small town in California leaving all the children who are left trapped in the town.  The town is surrounded by a barrier of unknown material which keeps them contained.

Chaos rules the streets because there is no control and fear governs the remaining population of kids.

The story is about how the town of kids react to a world with no adults where life ends at 15 (when they disappear.)  Sam Temple is the main protagonist as he struggles to find out the truth behind the phenomenon.  The other characters look to Sam as a leader but when bullies and tyrants take over there seems to be no hope.

The characters were completely real.  They were interesting and a good representation of people you could relate to;  like the genius in class, the happy optimistic person, the laid back one who doesn't care about anything.  Michael Grant made these characters feel real because of the writing.

Gone was a different and enthralling book. It captured me so I felt like sending an angry letter to Michael Grant because of the bags under my eyes.  It was a chilling read and yet so believable.  You think, this is what would really happen when civilization breaks down.

I would not recommend the book to  anyone under the age of ten because it is quite disturbing in some parts.  It is slightly violent but not as violent as the later books in the series.  The next books in the series are, in order, Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear and Light.

If you like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Lord of the Flies by William Golding you would like this book.

Leo, 11, Canberra


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