MamaBloo Book Review: Gone
In an instant everyone over the age of 14 disappears. Poof. Gone.
And there is a border… a wall… or maybe a dome that surrounds the town of Perdido Beach, CA. A barrier that no one can break through.
And (as if all of that wasn’t enough) the animals are morphing, evolving. And so are the kids. Developing supernatural powers.
In the vein of The Lord of the Flies the kids don’t all agree on how to survive, who should be in charge, and what they should do to keep order. The bully from the private school, Caine (aptly named, by the way), soon takes over and rules without mercy due to his developing powers. Sam also develops powers, but is reluctant to step up and lead — even though he is morally and ethically the “good” guy in the story. It really gets eerie when the local coyotes start organizing, talking, and then stalking the kids.
As a mom this book scared me to death. To think that 13 year olds would be in charge of everyone and everything was powerfully disturbing. And the author stays pretty authentic to how this might play out. Cars crash when the driver disappears, gas stoves ignite fires in homes, children cry for their parents. It takes the kids a long time to get organized, the candy is eaten first, and they forget to check on the babies…. with tragic results.
Because of the gruesome and also the very scary encounters in this book, I would recommend this for older teens or maybe younger teens who can handle Stephen King-esque storytelling. However, there is a bit of a disconnect because older teens may not be as interested in a book about 13 year olds, but I think the book will still hold their attention as the book is very gripping and hard to put down, if for no other reason than the original and terrifying paradigm of the story. I have heard some say that it slows down too much in parts. But as the first book in a trilogy, I am a bit forgiving as the author sets up the round characters and allows the story to pace itself. If you or your kids liked Hunger Games, you’ll probably like this one, too.
Book By: Michael Grant
