Gone (Gone Series #1)

Booklist (starred review)

“A tour de force that will leave readers dazed, disturbed, and utterly breathless.”

Booklist

"A tour de force that will leave readers dazed, disturbed, and utterly breathless."

Children's Literature

One day everyone exists and life is boring. The next day all the adults and teenagers over the age fourteen disappear. At first the freedom brings chaos and pleasure for most—until the hierarchy establishes itself and the bullies start to make their move. Now everyone must decide which side to align themselves with, which side will provide the most protection and end up being the winning one, good or evil. Of course our hero Sam does not want to be on either side, but his previous heroic deeds have the good side looking towards him to provide leadership and help them organize against the evil. Do not expect anything to be as it seems for the reality turns quickly into fantasy as the premise of this book takes all of us out of the real world and into one created by author Michael Grant. I feel that the characters are developed well, but there are too many to keep separate, even though the plot is your basic good against evil. I also found my mind drifting as the story seemed to drag on with no solution in sight, until all of a sudden our hero takes a stand and the problem is solved, which felt melodramatic. The story could have been condensed, which would probably have increased its appeal to a wider audience. Sometimes more should be less. The rapid twists and turns and extreme page lengths make the book more appropriate for the truly avid science fiction reader. Reviewer: Julia Beiker

VOYA

AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 15.

It is all over in the blink of an eye. One moment there are adults, and the next everyone over fourteen is gone. Where did they go? Are they coming back? In a short time, the kids realize that they are on their own, and the situation devolves into chaos and fear. Things get worse when the juvenile delinquents from Coates Academy, led by the charismatic Caine, take over Perdido Beach. In addition to charm, Caine also has the power to move things with his mind-big things-but he is not the only one with "powers." Sam, a townie and Caine's biggest rival, can burn things with light that shoots from his hands. As they adjust to this new world, the freaks (kids with powers) and the normals begin to choose sides. A battle between good and evil looms, but the end of this book is not the end of the story. If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a little like this novel. It is difficult to say what element of the book is the most unnerving. Is it the original, unexplainable event that is continuing to cause animal and human mutation? Or is it that a few, inexperienced teens are forced into creating a new world order out of anarchy? Complex issues, from peer pressure to the science of nuclear power, are addressed with the teen audience in mind. The author is an old hand at creating long-running series books. This reader is excited to see where he will take her with this new series. Reviewer: Stacey Hayman
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)

Jennifer Lee

When everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly vanishes, San Perdido Beach, California is never the same. Not only are all of the adults gone, but there are no working telephones, no Internet access, no cable, and only children left behind to deal with the aftermath. Fires begin from appliances left on when the adults vanished. There are no firemen to put out the fires. Cars smash into buildings and each other, after being relieved of their drivers, but there are no emergency workers or doctors to help care for the children who are injured. What caused this all to happen? Kids must care for younger children as well as themselves. And those kids all look to Sam Temple, nicknamed "School Bus Sam" for his heroics in saving the kids in a neardisaster on a school bus a couple of years before. Will Sam be able to bring order where there is chaos and confusion? Will the adults return? And what is the FAYZ? A definite page-turner that will keep readers hooked from the very first paragraph on. Reviewer: Jennifer Lee

KLIATT

At 10:17 a.m., Sam Temple was learning about the Civil War, Astrid Ellison was taking notes in her ninth-grade class, and Lana Lazar was driving home with her grandfather. At 10:18 a.m., Sam's lecture went silent, Astrid's entire class vanished, and Lana's truck drove off the road. All grownups—everyone 14 and over—had disappeared. The children of Perdido Beach soon discover they are imprisoned in a 20-mile-radius "fallout zone" with the students of the nearby Coates Academy, a private school for the black sheep of wealthy families. As the days go by, it becomes unclear which they have to fear more: the mystical Coates hierarchy or their own birthdays…when those turning 14 "poof" just like everyone else. Gone is decidedly an above average read, but one that ends with nearly as many questions as it begins. Part Kid Nation and part Left Behind, with just a dash of Cain and Abel, the story is most impressive for its extraordinarily skillful pacing, which leaves the reader constantly on the verge of another discovery (none of which disappoint). There is some occasional heavy gore and violence, but neither is gratuitous, nor will they spoil this remarkable book for the vast audience to which it will appeal. Reviewer: Cara Chancellor

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up

"One minute the teacher was talking about the Civil War. And the next minute he was gone." Just vanished-along with everyone else over the age of 13 in a 20-mile radius around Perdido Beach, CA. The children left behind find themselves battling hunger, fear, and one another in a novel strongly reminiscent of William Golding's Lord of the Flies . Things go from bad to worse when some of the children begin exhibiting strange powers, animals show signs of freakish mutations, and people disappear as soon as they turn 14. Though an excellent premise for a novel, Gone suffers from a couple of problems. First, it is just too long. After opening with a bang, the initial 200 or so pages limp along before the action begins to really pick up. Secondly, based on the themes of violence, death, and implied sexual intimidation, this is clearly written for an older teen audience who may not appreciate the fact that no one in the book is older than 13. In spite of its faults, Gone is a gripping and gritty read with enough creepy gruesomeness to satisfy readers who have a taste for the macabre. Give this one to the readers who aren't quite ready for Stephen King or Dean Koontz.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Kirkus Reviews

Teens survive in a shifted world. Everyone in Perdido Beach over the age of 13 vanished one morning, leaving Sam and his friends to rebuild their community. Facing pressure from brutal prep-school interlopers, Sam hastens to uncover the mystery of the disappearances and gain control over his new powers-not-quite-laser beams that shoot from his hands and burn his enemies-all before his rapidly approaching 14th birthday. Seeking to blend David Lubar's Hidden Talents (1999) with Lord of the Flies, Grant's amalgamation of supernatural gifts and adult-free society instead leaves readers confused and unsatisfied. Weak characters and tepid action scenes create a sense of ennui that receives no respite from the convoluted plot and half-formed explanations. Sophisticated horror fans will recognize the mutated creatures and indescribable underground evil as a pale nod to Stephen King's Desperation (1996). Grant attempts to deal with too much, from autism to bulimia to divided families, and the thin writing is unable to sustain the weight of those issues. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review)

“If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a a little like this novel.”