Twitter is SO persuasive when it comes to choosing what book to read. With some prodding from Melina and HD, I picked up Gone by Michael Grant which is the first in a series where everyone over the age of 15 disappears and the kids are left to deal with the fall out. I am on the fence with Gone and thought I would do this review a little differently and write about the prose and cons of the book.
Gone
Pros:
The Concept: I liked the idea behind seeing what would happen if kids had to fend for themselves in a world of no adults, but they still have electricity and such. I liked seeing the break down of the society in Gone by Michael Grant.
Science – A number of different theories are put forth by several characters – namely the main good guys, Sam and Astrid the genius as to why the disappearance happened. Plus there is another character named Computer Jack who does really intriguing things with technology. Also, I’m not sure this falls under science, but I liked the powers the kids developed.
Pacing – Gone by Michael Grant is filled with constant action. It is edge of your seat reading. There’s nary a dull moment.
Cons:
Suspension of disbelief– I thought Gone required too big of a suspension of disbelief on my part. Many of the fantastic elements didn’t work for me. When the talking coyotes showed up, I had to do my best not bust out laughing, especially because I subconsciously associate talking coyotes with the episode of the Simpsons where Homer eats this pepper that makes him hallucinate and Johnny Cash shows up as his spirit guide in the form of a coyote.
Characterization – I thought the characters lacked a complexity that I look for. There are so many characters and they felt underdeveloped to me. Most are straight up good or bad with the exception of two characters – Quinn and Diana, that I could remember. The bullies are sociopaths.  The good guys might as well have capes. Personally, I like a nice ambiguous gray area.
Violence – This is more of  personal reason. I felt there was a bit too much. And look, friends, I have handled and enjoyed The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Lord Of The Flies. I am not a stranger to violence in books. But it just seemed a little too gratuitous for me. Pretty much every other chapter one character was beating the shit out of another.
Gone by Michael Grant definitely has an audience, but I am not sure that audience is me. I like my reads with more depth. If a book is going to be over500 pages, I’d like some meat to it. Although, I heard a rumor that Hunger the second book is better, so I may continue with the series.
Disclosure: Purchased for my kindle back when Gone was like 1.99 with BONUS materials, yo cuz that’s how I roll.
Other Reviews of Gone by Michael Grant:
Reading Writing Breathing
Turn The Page
Books For Hearts
One Librarian’s Book Reviews
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Thanks for the shout out April. You are so sweet! I love the GONE series so So SO much! Here’s the funny thing…..I liked all the violence. Sometimes I surprise myself like that. Great review! #GoneBookClub
You are welcome, Melina! See, because you and HD love the Gone series, I think I am going to give it another chance and continue with it because you are both convincing!
Great, great review, April! I absolutely adore how you set it up. Loving the way you highlight the pros and cons of Gone.
Please, please read Hunger, book 2. I promise you that it is better than Gone. A MILLION times better.
Again, great review. And OMG Thank you for linking to me 😀
You rock!
HD
Reading Writing Breathing
readingwritingbreathing.com
Thanks, HD! Of course I would link to you 🙂 You are one of the ones who told me to read it! And with an argument like that for Hunger, I will totes read it.
I like this review style! I haven’t heard a lot about this series actually, although I feel like most of it has been pretty positive. I’ll probably eventually still give it a try, but I’m with you on the suspension of disbelief thing… It only goes so far…
Thanks Ashley! Sometimes I like to change it up, and by sometimes I mean very rarely because I don’t know how it will be received but there’s no other eloquent way for me to get my feelings out.
AND on the suspension of disbelief, if something is totally ridiculous it’s really hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story because I can’t help thinking WHAT THE WHAT THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
I agree–it was pretty good but I haven’t read any of the rest of the series after finishing GONE. Just not inspired enough to slog through another huge book. Call me lazy. *shrugs*
Word. I am lazy too! 😀 lol not something I should admit, but I do feel trepidation at larger books!
I had to read this book for my english class last year and i loved it! Your right about the next few books being better because they are. I only have to left to read i don’t want the series to end!
I’m so glad to hear the books get better, and how cool that you had to read it for class!
Wow, you pointed out exactly why this book didn’t work for me either. I thought that the concept was fantastic, and I wished that I really liked the book more but it was just waaay too crazy for me to believe.
Right, I was so enthusiastic, but when it hit crazy town, I thought to myself WHAT IS THIS? And laughed inappropriately.
Looks like we had much the same reaction. I still haven’t gotten to HUNGER, though I guess I probably will at some point. People tell me the series gets better as it goes along!
I’m glad I am not alone in my reaction. It was just too nuts for me to take seriously, but I think I will get to HUNGER at some point too.
You are very right about the pros and I admit some elements were pretty far-fetched, ie talking coyotes. However, let me tell you, the characterization gets better as the series progresses and it gets much deeper. However, it also gets darker and more horrifically violent, so you might not be able to take it. Hunger Games? Don’t make me laugh – that horrily written trilogy is a pathetic excuse for violent. No REAL violence or gore is described. Just one of many reasons Hunger Games sucks.
Well, that’s good to hear that it gets better as it goes along. I am going to try the next book out and give it a chance and keep an open mind.
I agree with all the cons you listed in this book completely. Although, I have to admit, I didn’t find any pros to this 500 page paperweight. It was a great concept that was thrown away as it was “dumbed” down for an almost illiterate teenage audience (I can say this because I am almost a teen). Lots of factual errors too: “ratcheting the slide” of a pistol (its actually racking). Great review though. I wish I had read it before I started reading this book.
Hey, i agree with all the positive things you said and with the fact that it is just a tad too violent ( 😉 ) but you’re saying that it is hard to believe, and i guess that that is true, but that is the point of the book, it is NONfiction, not real, not realistic. How is this any harder to believe than Stephen King books, or like books with parallel worlds or civilisations, how is this any harder to believe than the Northern Lights Trilogy?
Sorry reading this back it sounds like i am really angry but i’m not, sorry… :p
Veronica, you don’t sound angry. No worries! I get the difference between fiction and non-fiction and I read a lot of fantasy/sci-fi/dystopia. I guess the point I was trying to drive at is that the worldbuilding has to be believable/make sense to me. And I mean, that’s possible with fantasy if the world feels richly drawn, ya know? Anyways, you raised a really great point. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂