Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah 
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 As the title suggests, Gone is about a world where everyone over the age of 14 is gone. In the blink of an eye, they disappear. No warning. Nothing. 
 Only it's not as simple as all that. 
 The children and younger teens don't know how to live in a world without adult supervision, and things quickly go south. 
 This book is told in third-person omniscient. Most often, though, we follow Sam; a 14-year-old who, in the beginning, thinks he is to be blamed for what has been dubbed "The FAYZ"... Sam has powers. He eventually finds others who have similar powers, and those with altogether different powers. 
 One of those people is Caine. Caine and his crew show up from Coates Academy - school for the troubled. It's when they arrive that things begin to change for the worse. 
 "It's not about who's got powers. It's about who's not afraid. And who's going to do what has to be done." 
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 It's so hard to write any kind of blurb for this book without giving away too much! I mean, this plot is so intricate and fleshed out, that there is just too much to put into a small blurb. I was highly impressed with the sheer number of details given in this book. I know the length may seem daunting at first, but I promise you that when you're actually reading it, you won't even realize how far into it you've gotten until you stop. It's just SO wonderful; so gripping! 
 *Possible spoilers ahead!* 
 Let's start with the characters. Grant did such a superb job with keeping the massive number of characters all separated perfectly until just the right moment. It was easy to keep track of each one because of the diversity. You've got Sam who is just an average sort of guy. There's Astrid, a genius with an autistic brother to take care of. Edilio, a boy who wants nothing more than to be of help. Quinn, the guy who makes terrible decisions and feels guilty every step of the way. Caine, the bad guy. Diana, the bad guy's right hand. Drake, the sociopath. Lana, a lone girl with a dog for a companion. There are many many more, too. I think each one was written so so well. Realistic. Interesting. Memorable. 
 The plot. It's massive and 100% intriguing. From the very first page, I was sucked right in! Everyone disappears and panic ensues quite fast. People look to Sam for guidance thanks to the fact that he did something heroic in the past. Sam wants nothing more than to follow someone else and be out of the limelight. He's crushing on Astrid. Astrid has an autistic brother with powers that may be to a higher degree than anyone else in the FAYZ. When the kids from Coates show up, it just adds so much more to the already-interesting story. These kids begin to take over. They position themselves as authority figures and dare anyone to question them. Meanwhile, you have Lana. She's off in the desert, alone but for her Labrador. She is on the brink of death and discovers she has the power to heal. She eventually becomes the first person to encounter mutated animals. Coyotes who can speak. Coyotes with a higher intelligence than should be possible. It's through them that she discovers it. A thing in the old mineshaft out in the desert. It's a complete enigma. It's evil. The coyotes simply call it the "Darkness" - Lana feels such dread and horror at the sight of it, at the memory of it. This part of the story creeps me out, and I freaking love it! Then you have the fact that, not only are adults gone, but there is also a semi-transparent, impenetrable wall surrounding Perdido Beach and it's neighboring towns. And what happens when you come to your 15th birthday? Do you disappear, too? Does it mean death? What's going on outside the wall? What caused all of this? Where did the adults go? What's that thing down in the mineshaft? Why the powers? Why, why, why? So many questions to be answered! Like I said, intricate plot. Completely gripping and amazingly creative. 
 I've seen people compare this to Lord of the Flies. I can't do that since I've never read it. It reminded me, personally, of a much lighter, younger version of Under the Dome by Stephen King. That, minus adults, plus super powers. It was creepy, scary. Science fiction, but also horror. It's got a perfect balance of genre-mish-mashing. It gave me chills. It made me laugh out loud. I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. 
 Overall, Gone blew my freaking socks off. The characters are multidimensional, real, and memorable. The plot is well fleshed out, paced to perfection, and enthralling from beginning to end. It has a little bit of everything. Horror, sci-fi, romance, power struggles, moral dilemmas, panic, chaos, mystery, intrigue, action, super powers, epic battles.. it has it all. There is something for everyone here! 
 This book also showcases human behavior. What things could be like without adult supervision. How some people would sit around gorging themselves and ignoring the world outside while others would try to fix what's wrong; try to bring order to the chaos. Then there are the bullies; the people who take advantage of those weaker than themselves, those who hurt others, those who only think of themselves and what they stand to gain from the situation. Grant shows us human nature in all it's forms - good, bad, and in between. 
 Gone is a chilling story. It's one that, once you start, you will not be able to stop. It's packed with unexpected plot twists and oodles of action. I recommend this for everyone. It's clean, so younger folks can read it, but it's also so well written and thought-out that adults will enjoy it as well. I went out and grabbed the second book before I'd even finished the first! I also bought book three before I started book two. lol It's just SO GOOD. A definite addition to my favorites list, and a contender for my top ten reads of 2012. Go read it! 
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 Book source: Library :) 
 Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins