Gone by Michael Grant (Book Review)

In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

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 and war is imminent.

The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

                                                                 My rating - 4.5

My Review
It is rare for me to find a series where I'm so excited to find out what's going to happen next, that I have to pick up the next book straight away. Gone was one of those series.

What I liked about Gone was the constant action. From the very first page we see everybody over the age of 15 *poof* leaving children 15 and under alone in the town of Pedidio Beach. There is a barrier separating them from the rest of the world, and the children have to work together to survive until they can find a way to escape and join their loved ones. However, things don't go to plan and some children take the opportunity of no responsible adults to cause havoc. This is when the FAYZ is born. FAYZ (fallout alley youth zone) is the name given to their new world. In this new world, some children start developing powers, while others don't. There's plenty of action to keep you entertained and twists and turns that will keep you hooked. 

There are plenty of interesting characters. Sam (also known as school-bus-sam) is the main protagonist and he witnesses his teacher *poof* before his very eyes. He got his nickname after an incident where he saved a bus load full of children when the driver was having a heart attack. As soon as the adults disappear, people look to Sam to take control of the situation. However, he's just a child, and like all the other children, Sam is scared. Other characters include Astrid "the genius" who is the smartest girl at her school; Pete, Astrid's little brother who has severe autism; Quinn, Sam's best friend and fellow surfer; Caine, Sam's twin brother who was sent to Coates Academy, a school for troubled children; Drake, a complete psycho who enjoys intimidating others; Diana, Caine's girlfriend; and Lana, a girl who was left severely injured after her van that crashed when her grandfather disappeared, but mysteriously heals herself.  There are other characters but the ones I found were the main ones.

Gone was an amazing start to the series and I can't wait to read Hunger. If you like constant action, strong characters and quality writing, then I would recommend Gone. It won't disappoint.