Monday, January 21, 2013

Book Review: Gone by Michael Grant.

Gone (Gone, #1)
 Gone by Michael Grant.
Book Summary: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
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, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...


Liana's Summary: All of a sudden, everyone over the age of 15 disappears. Poof. As if they weren't there at all. Now what happens? Sam, Quinn, and Astrid try to find out what to do. Mary has to take care of all the little kids. Lana, with her dog, Patrick, are severely injured, but healed immediately when Lana discovers her powers of healing. Meanwhile, bullies rule. Bullies with guns- who try to take over the entire FAYZ. When Lana meets Sam and his friends, the group teams up and prepares to stop running and turn around and face their enemies with what they have.

Rate(1-10): 9

-I apologize for the really lame summary-

I honestly think I spent too much time on this book for me to really give a well-thought-out and accurate rating. Normally 558 pages would have took me 2 days or even 1, but since I was so busy with other things it took me an entire week. Or two. 

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and was pretty excited to read it, because, well. Suddenly, all adults are gone! Doesn't that seem like a wonderful thing?! Just kidding. It's pretty scary, actually, but the main reason I wanted to read this was because it was basically one of my crazy speculations written down in an actual story. 

I swear the guy on the cover, who must be Sam, looks like Liam Payne. I LOVE LIAM. LOL. The girl on the cover must be Astrid. Hmm. Cuties. The romance between Sam and Astrid was good, actually, better than I had anticipated. My friend told me that the amount of romance in this book wouldn't satisfy my romantic needs but-- actually, it did. Probably because I made that friend think that I liked nothing but erotica... Ahem. Anyways. Sam and Astrid are barely 14 years old and what I find somewhat awkward is that he confessed his love for her. Like, "I love you so so much Astrid." I'm sorry but they're only fourteen. And myself, being that age, am somewhat familiar with the concept of 'love' by reading Nicholas Sparks novels and etc, and I know that Astrid and Sam are just crushing on each other. Well, my point is, I think that 'love' was a much-too-strong word to express their affections for each other.

This book reminds me of Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne. In M14, all the adults didn't really 'disappear' like in this book. But the kids were just left alone to take care of themselves and those younger than them. In this book, though, all the adults (15 years and older, actually) just go POOF. And then the bullies just decide to go like "Okay we're in control." And 14 year olds who drink beer and get high and shoot guns are just really, really horrifying. What I find alike between Monument 14 and GONE-- is that the main female role is named Astrid. And there's that girl who has to take care of the little kids and change their diapers and console them, telling them their parents will come and get them. (UGH LITTLE KIDS CAN BE SO ANNOYING GOSH) However, the similarities end there. I liked Gone so much better. Like, SO much better. I think I would have loved it even more if I didn't take so long on it. Weird, I know, the amount of time I spend on a book affects how much I love it..

One thing that annoyed me, though, is that they say 'brah' and 'man' too much. This is such a teenage stereotype. Whenever someone says man or brah in real life I get really irritated, and do you know how much irritation this caused me. LOL.

For some reason I think Michael Grant wrote this book to prove to teens about how parents are so important and to not take them for granted- to prove how hard it would be if all the adults were suddenly gone.

So there's this FAYZ (pronounced 'phase') thing that's just basically a huge circle. If you touch the wall of the FAYZ you get hurt. Which sort of reminds me of my own book-in-progress in a way.. But yeah, that's why they couldn't go anywhere because they were trapped in the FAYZ. Fallout Alley Youth Zone.

I hate all the characters with a burning passion. Except for Edilio and Lana. Lana is super awesome and Edilio is fantastic. Period.

So, basically, it began with Sam's (and his acquaintances) POV and then it was Lana's POV. Both third person, btw. And the whole entire time I was just waiting for them to meet. 

I actually liked Lana's point of view better because all Sam and his friends really did was run away from the bullies, but Lana actually did stuff. Speaking of running away from the bullies, that's what they actually did for like, 4/5 of the book. And then in the last 1/5 Sam decides to fight back. I was just like, FINALLY GOSH

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I am actually looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Okay, that's that.


Quotes!

"Flame. Shooting out of her tiny hands."





"Do what? All I can do is suggest they eat a cookie,"


Cookies are great.

"You don't impress me."


And you impress no one.

"..you invertebrate."



Oh my goodness, is that the best she can come up with.


"..but she had seen it done."


Everything is just like "I haven't done this before but I've seen it done."


"There was a tremendous crash."



That moment when you just want a simple thing and end up creating a huge mess and embarrassing yourself.


"..Little Pete began to screech."


How does Astrid stand him.

"Choking on air?"



Oh yeah I do that all the time.

"His stepfather ended up with a hook, man."



That sounds painful.

"..her whispered commentary."


I always add commentary to everything I watch. LOL.

"Try me, kid."



YAH. TRY HER.

"You hit a girl, man?"



That's not right.

"I just want to go surfing."



Among this whole mess you want to go surfing?!

"How about now?"




"Her father jut did what her mom told him to do."


STORY OF MY LIFE

"I don't know what we'd do if you bugged out, Caine."



Um, celebrate?

"It's impossible."


NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE


"Let me guess: you're secretly a wizard who was raised by muggles."



Did I mention how much I love HP allusions


"Don't call me brah," Sam said. "I'm not your brother."





"..middle finger extended,"


What a badass, LOL


"You didn't trust me."



Of course not.


"..he had shot Hold
en, the neighbor's kid who liked to come over and annoy him."



Who shoots someone because they're annoying? This kid is seriously disturbed.

"How had he gotten away?"


COS' HE JUST SO NINJA LIKE DAT


"But not clever enough."



Oh my, a perfectly crafted out plan ruined just like this. )x


"He laughed. And then he bellowed in pain and fell."





"The only thing to do was read."


Yes reading is good


"But it wasn't like she had anything else to do."




You don't have anything else to do so you do something reckless
"He hoped Drake was dead.."



So do I ugh ew Drake


"Sam swam..."



Tongue twister! :D


"But she was still so beautiful that sometimes he had to look away."



Y U SO BEAUTIFUL I MUST LOOK AWEY




"And Diana was beautiful."





"I held your pudgy little hand."




"From now on you belong to me."




"He admired Mary.."



It's all about making couples now huh


"Remember who owns you."





"There was a wet stain in the crotch of his pants."


OU PEEIN' HIMSELF


"Get inside, you idiots!"



Why do they have to be idiots..


"She decided then that she liked him."



I still ship Samstrid.


"Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."



BIG BAD COYOTES WILL STAY OUT LOL


"He heard a distant thump as his arm dropped to the floor."





"..nice abs."



Okay


"We're in a whole new world."





"You're hot, all right?"


Oh my God he's such a newb


"No,"



-vulture screech- YESSS!!
------------

I feel like I haven't said all the things I need to say, but then again I can't really express them into words. So I guess this is all!
What did you think of this review? (:

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