Gone

Title: Gone Author: Michael Grant Rating: 4.5 Stars My Review Ok, on some level, I didn't want to like Gone. I think that this may be hard to explain. Maybe it is the monumental task of taking on this series. A 550 page debut with a 600 page follow up and 4 more to come? Daunting. And I'm actually a fan of EPIC storytelling. I also didn't want to like it because as it got started, I could sense that this was going to be one of *those* stories: ones with a ton of characters, a ton of POVs, and a ton of question marks with no immediate answers. Now, I like lots o' characters (been accused of abusing people's tolerance for numbers myself) and I like multiple POVs, but the questions marks with no immediate answers part makes me nervous. I'm always unnerved when an author takes on so much, with the implied promise that we'll understand it all at some point, only to find that it's sealed with a pretty bow such as, "It was all a dream," or, "The characters were really all dead," or, "What do you mean I didn't explain everything? Of course I did." Sigh. Some people LOVE this kind of thing, but it irks me to no end. BUT - I have hope for Gone and will stick with it. If I end up buying the whole series and being disappointed, believe me, the review will reap the whirlwind, but for now I will reserve judgement. On to the real review. I've given this book 4.5 stars because despite my trepidation, I really enjoyed it. The plot kept the pages turning and there were a lot of twists to fill the 550 pages. I also am a fan of dark tales, sci-fi tales, and tales with a large scope, so I was pleased to find that in Gone. I do have to say that the author is very brave. He uses a ton of different viewpoints (many people say you can't do third person omniscient for ya but I disagree. Head jumping is easy to me...) I like that because it paints a more well-rounded picture. He also is not doing any one genre in it's pure form. This isn't just science-fiction, it isn't just fantasy, and it isn't just apocalpytic. At times it feels most like a graphic novel (though I'm not an expert in this). If I had to sum it up, I'd say it's a cross between The Lord of the Flies and X-Men. I liked the main characters of Astrid and Sam (though the cover pic of Astrid doesn't fit at all with what I pictured...she's too dainty and fairy like instead of the stiff, buttoned up girl you first meet). I like Sam's struggles with rejecting power and then being forced to use it for good. I enjoyed the changes in their relationship over time...they felt real within the context of a very unreal situation. I also liked the portrayal of teens who are devastated by the loss of their parents. It's not all candy and ice cream, it's a topsy-turvey world without rules and they don't just celebrate. I also liked the portrayal of Quinn. He felt tragically flawed and tragically real, in the end. There is A LOT going on in this story and it increases, rather than decreases over time. If you like stories that get more and more complex as they go on, you'll like this one. What I Didn't Like Obviously with a 4.5 rating, there was little that I didn't like, and none of it was serious. Mainly, I felt that the villains were too one-dimensional. That may be what made it feel more graphic novel-y to me, though that may not be fair to graphic novels. But let's put it this way, the main villain is named Caine, to start. I thought, really? Caine. And he and his cohort are, for the most part, devoid of humanity of any kind. For me, it's just a preference that villains have as much "to" them and their villainy as the heroes, and I'm not sure I got that. Of course, their lack of humanity is what makes them scarier, so again, this is a small criticism. The possibility of being disappointed. I'm not going to beat this to death, but with everything going on in this story, there is the potential that it is resolved unsatisfactorily or not at all. But I guess it has to be a pretty good story for me to fear this in the first place, so I plan to stick with it to see what Grant does. BTW, if you want an ending that wraps everything up for this book...you'll be disappointed. It's not for you if you're not in for the series. I recommend this to fans of large, detailed, epic stories of struggle and triumph...with a little fantasy/magic thrown in. But be warned, this is pretty DARK! There is some violence and some young children suffering (see Lord of the Flies reference above). It's an apocalypse (or something), not a chick-lit summer tale. :)

I have been on a Young Adult Dystopia kick lately and yeesh--the books I've read, but Michael Grants "Gone" was a breath of fresh air! I've noticed with my recent batch of YA Dystopia's they all have a general lack of depth. Michael Grant's novel is the contradiction. Specifically, the typical way YA novels establish the villain and the hero is simplistic. For example, an author may establish a character as "the bad guy" because that character wants to hurt a lot of people or, simpler still, bully some kids, and the other character is intended as "the good guy" because he wants to stop the bad guy. That's as far as they go into distinguishing the good guys from the bad guys. Such a simplistic approach is necessary for 5 year old children, but too basic for our "junior adults." There are much more sophisticated methods to establishing the hero/villain, methods which Grant uses well. Grant shows sometimes it is not always so clear who is good and bad. Maybe a character is physically "doing" good things, great things even, but their motives are wrong. Does doing the right thing for the wrong reason still make it the right thing? How do you deal with someone like that? What do you do? This is just a few of many questions Grant explores. Grants characters are complex and thus, very appealing. Typical YA authors: Suppose a character is established as "tough." Alright, now, everything the character does is tough. They act tough, are very blunt, get into fist fights, and have dangerous hobbies. Very predictable. This method is overused in YA novels. People's personalities are usually so much more compound. Grant's method: His "tough" character has a pleasant disposition; they are likeable to their peers, etc. Yet, surprisingly, they can bring down their enemies with great feats of bravery or can remain unintimidated in threatening situations. These unsuspecting attributes keep the reader interested. Interesting story line; perfect balance of action, mystery, wonder, introspection, extrospection, romance, victories, defeats, redemption. Perfect pace; not to slow, not too fast. This book is more like a mild science fiction-horror with its eerie, unnatural, and supernatural aspects. Appreciatively, Grant occasionally employs a small amount of humor throughout, which gives the reader a much needed break from the anxiety commonly experienced in a horror novel. The writing is geared towards teenagers, thus characters minds wander on childish fixations, they use a lot of slang, and the author might not stay long enough on a subject to an adult's satisfaction. As long as the adult reader remembers who the intended audience is; they'll be satisfied with the book. 5 stars suggests brilliance. When I compare Gone to other well done YA books, Jennifer Donnelly's "Revolutions", Lois Lowry's "The Giver", my first impression is "Gone" is not quite as well done-4.5 stars

Acheter pour offrir a un ado son premier livre écrit en anglais à quelqu'un qui a déjà lu (et apprécié) la version française. D’après ses retours le niveau d'anglais demandé pour comprendre n'est pas très élevé, et l'histoire et tout aussi sympa.

Vale a pena

I picked up this book as a birthday gift for my son’s friend, and it’s been a hit! The story is gripping from the start, with a fast-paced plot and a world where chaos reigns after all the adults disappear. The characters are complex, and the powers that some of them develop add an exciting twist. If your teen loves dystopian fiction like The Hunger Games or Maze Runner, this series is a must-read. It’s thrilling, intense, and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Excelente!

good