The End of the FAYZ

Light: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

Book #6, the ending of the FAYZ.  I cannot believe that this series is over.  Gone was my first pick for book club.  It was recommended to me from my friend Melody and I’m so glad I read it.  My friend Renae and I continued to read even when other book clubbers decided it wasn’t for them. 

I loved the story of Sam, he was my favorite character even with his ups and downs.  Poor guy had some serious problems throughout the story, too many to get into in this blog, you’ll have to read to find out.  I loved Lana and of course her dog Patrick, Astrid and all the other characters.  After spending so much time with the kids of the FAYZ, I just can’t believe that it’s over. 

It’s hard to talk about the book without giving spoilers, so just in case I slip, beware there are probably going to be spoilers ahead.  I honestly don’t want to go into much detail about the story or what the characters go through in this last book, but just in case, you have been warned. 

The ending was quite perfect.  I don’t know what I pictured for the ending of the FAYZ, but a showdown between Caine/Little Pete and Gaia.  It was quick and over.  I actually guess I was waiting for Little Pete to reverse the effects of the FAYZ or be it was a bad dream and he wakes up in the power plant with the adults finally getting the siren turned off and the whole time was a nightmare in Little Petey’s mind.  I’m so glad that didn’t happen, it would have cheapened the pain that the survivors went through for all of those months. 

My other thought was that when the barrier came down, all of the terrible events, such as the children that died would come back, like they had fallen asleep.  Again I’m glad that this didn’t happen either although it was sad to lose such great characters like Orc, Breeze, Duck, and even Caine.  I’m glad that this option didn’t happen because as an author, Grant had to make hard decisions about characters and plot, and I respect the choices he made.  It makes me upset when authors take the easy track to make the audience happy when it is less realistic.  If an author can look at the end result and not picture a fan throwing the book across the room, I think that’s a good goal to achieve. 

I hate that Connie Temple, Sam’s mom spent all her time while the barrier was up doing everything she could for Sam and the other kids, and then he finds out a little about her past and he just can’t be around her anymore.  It’s sad to me.  With all of the growing up he did while in the FAYZ, he still has some growing up to do. 

Well those are my thoughts on this last book of the Gone series.  I’m so glad I read this and I look forward to other books by Mr. Grant.  Thanks for reading my blog and leave a comment if you have any thoughts.  Keep reading my friends!

The Dark is Something to Fear

Fear: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

This was by far the best of the Gone novels up to now.  I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like this series, but I haven’t LOVED it like I thought I would.  It has been interesting and that is why I have continued to read and buy these books.  If I’m being completely honest (and why wouldn’t I be honest in my own blog) at some point after each book I have contemplated giving up, but I’ve wanted to know how it all ends, so I continue. 

What I liked about this book, compared to the first four books is that we know what’s going on outside of the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone- an anomaly that appeared that we now know dispersed everyone over the age of 14 out of the 20 mile bubble that has trapped the children of Perdido Beach, California).  I liked knowing that Connie Temple, Sam and Caine’s mom has been tirelessly working on getting her sons back and freeing the other children from the bubble as well. 

What I did not like was I feel like I have even more questions than before I knew what was going on outside of the FAYZ.  What happened to all of the kids that have made the jump on their 15^th birthday?  We heard about 2 of them, Mary being one of them, who when she made it out was so unrecognizable the hikers that found her called animal control.  There was mention of the twins, but Connie Temple never said if they were ok when they came out on the other end. 

I also did not like the baby becoming the Darkness or the gaiaphage.  The idea of a baby growing up really fast, even in the womb, and standing upright and walking on day 2 of life has been done before.  It was weird even then, when the audience had an explanation, with Breaking Dawn, Book 4 of the Twilight Saga, we found out that half human half vampire babies grow very fast and get to a certain age and stop growing.  Doesn’t make any sense, but the audience gets over it because we love the characters and want what’s best for them.  With Fear, even Diana is scared of her unborn child and therefore the idea of a fast accelerated pregnancy and birth is not good. 

Well this is book five, one more to go, the next book is called Light.  The first positive title so far, maybe, just maybe good things are coming to the kids of the FAYZ, for a while there I wasn’t so sure.  Light will be here in April 2013.

So, have you read this series?  Are you in love?  Keep Reading my Friends!

no adults, check! no food, check! deadly virus, double check!

Plague by Michael Grant

As the Gone story continues with Plague, there is so much going on.  Diana and Caine are still on the island with supplies, Perdido Beach is quickly running out of clean water supply, and now there is a deadly virus going around that makes the children that are left cough up their lungs literally and there seems to be no cure.  There are dangerous bugs that can infect a person, grow within them but cannot be destroyed.  These of course are from the Darkness who is using Brittney and Drake to do his bidding.  Like I said, there is so much going on and it is not looking good for the kids that have been left behind. 

This series is quite good.  I’m sad to say that I read through them so quickly and did not write my blogs directly after I finished the book and therefore I have forgotten a lot of details.  I have been reading this series with my friend Renae after I picked Gone as a book club choice.  As the books continue, the titles get darker and we are worried for our Gone Kids.  The next book which is the second to the last book is called Fear. 

Sorry for the short blog.  I finished this book in December of 2011 so that is why I am having a hard time remembering any details.  Keep Reading my Friends!

Who Can You Trust When Everyone is out for Themselves?

Lies by Michael Grant

Who is telling the truth?  Who can anyone trust?  Who is out to help the kids of the FAYZ and who is out for their own gain?  There are a lot of questions and very few answers in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone).  It’s been months since everyone over the age of fifteen mysteriously disappeared.  When we last we saw the kids of Perdido Beach, California, the Coates kids including Caine and Diana had to join forces with the Perdido Beach kids including Sam, Edillio, and Astrid to fight the Darkness or gaiaphage.  Electricity is out and the water supply no longer works.  The food situation is a little better for the Perdido Beach kids, but the Coates kids are now starving to death.  With little choice, the Coates kids are going to find a new place to live, they’ve heard about an island.  While Caine is up to his same selfish games, strange appearances are taking place on the Beach.  People report that they have seen not one, but two kids that are supposed to be dead, walking the streets of town.  

Sources of lies are coming from all over, the Council is lying about Orsay Pettijohn, the mutant that can see other people’s dreams and what she is “prophesying.”  Sam is lying about finding Brittney, who is supposed to be dead, Orsay is standing up in front of her followers telling them to take the 15 year jump even though she has doubts of whether she believes the jump is truly the way out or not.  Caine is promising the Coates kids that he will get them food if they follow him, and he has no plan on letting them follow him to the mysterious island.  The list goes on and on and the way Grant has changing point of view characters the audience knows who is lying and why throughout the book.  With the events of the FAYZ getting worse and worse it’s hard to want to continue on with the series because the names of the following books.  Each title seems to get worse and usually at the end of one book the audience just can’t see how it can get any worse for the kids of the FAYZ, then he starts the next book and there it is, circumstances are worse than the book before. 

Astrid and Sam, the main romantic characters of the series thus far are having troubles.  It seems to me that Astrid is using Sam, if I was him, I would wonder if she loved me at all.  I think she uses his power to keep her and Little Pete safe.  Maybe I’m wrong and she does love him, but during this book I was constantly wondering where her true allegiances lie.  I’m not the only person questioning Astrid, as the reader, but also within the book, the entire town is mad at her for the choices she has been making lately. 

Gone the first book of this series was a book club choice of mine and my friend Renae and I have continued to read it without the group.  I have enjoyed this series in some ways, but in others I’m just ready for the series to end.  I will continue to read this series and I’m waiting to see where the series is taken.  I need to know how the kids get out or if they are going to get out of the bubble.  What do you think?  Have you read this series?  Do you want to? Keep reading my friends.

Hungry in the Dark

Hunger: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

Three Months later the kids under 15 are stuck in the bubble of the FAYZ and they are out of food. An all day meal may consist of jar of gravy or pickle relish. Not only are the Perdido Beach kids hungry, but the Coates kids are starving too. Caine has been MIA since the Thanksgiving battle and falling deeper in to the Darkness’ web. Sam is under so much pressure that he’s about to crack while keeping it all together. The other kids in “leadership” are trying to see where they fit in to the puzzle of the FAYZ. In short, it’s falling apart.

“Hungry in the Dark” was a dual concept. While I was reading Hunger the characters that had been put under the Darkness’ influence felt his anguish and hunger. Caine, who was totally out of it for 3 months, kept saying the phrase in his comatose state over and over, “Hungry in the Dark.” Then as the Darkness spread his touch, other characters were talking about it. The dual concept comes in when the plan unfolds that the Coates kids want to turn off the power to Perdido Beach. Not only is it going to be dark, but the kids are going hungry and practically out of food.

Two areas of the books have me pondering, first, Little Pete’s dreams. There is some connection between the Darkness and Little Pete and it is not clear yet what that will be. I know more now than I did before that Little Pete is going to be having the biggest role to play in this series. It will have something to do with his dreams and it’s going to be huge (bigger than in Gone, which is big). Second, I am stunned by Lana’s role with the darkness, I know that it has a tight grip on her and even when her plans backfire on her, the audience has to wonder how deep does it go? Will Lana ever be “normal” again? Can she recover from being with the Darkness so many times and so intimately? We’ll see as the series continues.

Some food for thought: Why couldn’t these kids get it together sooner? Why are they unable to think ahead at all? Are all teenagers this thoughtless? Of course when I was under 15 years old, was over 15 years ago now and I’m baffled by how brainless they are. There is no forethought at all, but then I think about the average student we had in our student ministry and I remember how they acted and I keep thinking that Grant has hit the nail on the head. It has absolutely driven me crazy with the absolute mindlessness that these kids are exhibiting and then I remember, oh yeah, they are just kids and can’t think past what’s in front of them. I’m glad that they are starting to grow into some leadership. I’m interested to continue the series and see what happens.

I have no complaints about this series thus far. Grant has put together a good story with interesting characters. Hunger has some better character development than Gone did. I felt the characters strife during the entire book and knew that things were getting worse and how they can see the impending doom. I have bought the third book Lies and I’m very interested to see how the story continues and who will conquer. I am also thinking that there is some type of twist of events in this next book, I can feel a controversy coming. We’ll see, continue reading my friends!

POOF-- Freedom!

Gone by Michael Grant

Poof. Not, I wake up in the morning and everyone over the age of 15 has been kidnapped in the night, but POOF, in front of Sam’s very eyes, his teacher poofed. Not only his teacher, but other kids in his class and his mom have just literally vanished before his eyes. Not only his mom, but the only people left in a 10 mile radius are gone without a trace. Not only have people vanished, but the kids that are left are starting to experience changes, supernatural changes.

Gone was a thrilling count down. I had no idea what we were counting down to, but I was glad that I was a part. The intriguing story begins on the day that people disappear. There is confusion and no adults. Of course everyone is looking up to School Bus Sam to save the day to step up and be the leader he seemed to be born to be, but he just walks away. As bully’s rule the day and the troubled private school kids come to rein the city, Sam, Astrid and a few others try and figure out exactly what’s going on. As the story continues they realize that maybe they don’t want to know the truth.

This was my pick for book club. I picked for the month of August and I really wanted to read a book that I already owned, so I brought a list to see what people had read and what people hadn’t. I brought a list of 5 books, all of them had been read by at least one person, so sad. So, I mentioned Gone, I knew it was YA and not all adults are crazy about that genre of literature like I am, so I didn’t know if it would go over well. This book was recommended to me by my past mentor and now friend Melody Tryon. She has great taste in literature and we usually read and agree on most of the same books. She said to me, if I liked The Hunger Games, then I would definitely like Gone and the series.

One thing I enjoyed about the book was that the characters were unpredictable. I would assume that I knew what was going to happen next, but then it would change. Now, I’m not saying that everything was unpredictable, I knew that Lana was going to be a healer. But I have no idea what’s going on with the darkness character that’s controlling the coyote’s. I can’t even guess. I have no idea why some kids have developed powers and why some haven’t or why they started developing them before the FAYZE or why some kids powers are stronger than others. I have no idea where everyone disappeared to or if they are alive or dead.

I enjoyed Gone and I’m in great anticipation to continue the series with Hunger. Keep reading my friends!