I read this aloud to my 14 year old son; my 12 year old son didn't want to listen to this one after hearing the first one. Now that I am finally finished (oh gosh that took an age!), I don't know that I want to read the next one. 
 In this second installment, life is even worse for the residents of the FAYZ. Starvation has set in. The people without powers are fighting against the people with power. Sam's group is still warring against Caine's group. Oh yeah, and there's still that weird and nasty dark entity trapped in the cave. 
 And the plot moves forward, ever so slowly, very slowly. Some new characters arise, and we get to know other characters more deeply. There's even some teen angst thrown in. 
 I'm glad I finished this one, though at times it was a struggle. I find Grant's writing to be only mediocre, though the premise was still enough to keep me interested. 
 The Gone series includes several more books. I currently don't want to return to that world, though a part of me is curious to see how things turn out. If only the books weren't SO VERY LONG AND DRAGGING. I'm taking a break from the series, and will see how I feel in the future.