“Gone” by Michael Grant is undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read. The first chapter itself had me engrossed, I could not stop myself from turning the pages and reading more. It’s one of those books, the ones you feel like finishing in one go, no breaks.
It’s a book series, starting with Gone and ending with Light. The plot unravels in a fictional American town called “Perdido Beach” in south California, where in the blink of an eye everyone over the age of 15 disappears, a mystical barrier prevents children and teenagers left behind from leaving the town. Some of the children are developing supernatural powers and it’s all upto a few teenagers, Sam Temple and his friends, to figure out what went wrong.
The book compels you to read more about the lives of these teenagers and how they survive, especially that of the protagonists, Temple and Astrid Ellison and their battles against the antagonists, two more teenagers named Caine Soren and Drake Merwin, while they slowly unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the adults.
Soon the teenagers realise that the adults may not come back and although most are panic stricken, a few of the rebels are thrilled and take advantage of the situation.
The circumstances pit the remaining teenagers against each other and soon everyone is fighting, townies against the rich children, bullies against the weak and the powerful against the powerless and at the end of the day the teenagers return to their beds wondering if on their 15th birthday they’ll be gone, too.
This book is a thriller and keeps you interested until the very end. The style of writing is compelling, with multiple points of view. I recommend it to all young adults.
