It’s been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.
As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?
Series: Gone (Book 3)
Genre: YA Science-Fiction
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; Illustrated edition (April 20, 2010)
Page Count: 469 pages
It took a long time to finish this book, but my friend and I finally made it through reading it together recently! This book was definitely a ride as events get even crazier for our Perdido Beach gang.
The Plot
The main goal of any of these kids is to survive and somehow get home, but matters get more complex when there’s a social division between the normal and the powered kids. PLUS! We also have some crazy stuff going on with Orsay starting a cult and Sanjit and siblings trying to get off their island AND Diana and crew trying to not starve to death. There’s a lot going on and it just gets trippier and trippier as more about Petey’s crazy powers are revealed and the mystery of the Dome begins to become clearer. So many POVs …
The Characters
In this book, it felt like Sam took a step back to let Astrid be a more important character. She has a big journey as she learns about being a leader and what tolls mistakes in leadership can have.
Sanjit and Virtue and the other adopted kids were definitely a highlight of the book. The brothers have a very sweet relationship and they’re both very clever and brave.
One of the main antagonists is Zil and he is such a twit. I love how he’s a villain and he’s trying so hard to be cool, but he’s just so darn lame because he’s a child. So he’s an irritating and formidable opponent, but my friend and I couldn’t help but laugh at his corniness.
Some other characters I liked were Dekka, Jill, and Justin. The other two are new to the series, but Jill’s power is so cool and Justin is adorable. <3
The Setting
None of the characters can leave, so we’re still on Perdido Beach and trapped under that darn dome, but another part of the sea is revealed with Sanjit and his siblings trapped in a mansion on a private island.
The Theme
Well, the title kind of gives it away. The book is about lies. Lies characters tell others and tell themselves and the damage it spreads.
Epic Things
This sounds random, but I like that a character sang “All the Pretty Little Ponies” which is one of my favorite lullabies lol.
Content Cautions
Like the others in the series, this book really pushes the line with the content. The worst thing is cannibalism. Some kids do actually eat each other. It isn’t graphically described, but it’s disturbing and the eaten kids are mentioned by name. shudders
Other things include … Kids bludgeon and burn each other and some commit suicide, in one instance by drowning. There’s a mention of rape. Kids do meth and huff paint. A girl suffers from bulimia and anorexia. Kids give the bird. There’s very little swearing. Just piss and *ss. There’s also a lesbian kiss.
Writing Lessons
What Can I Take Away? – Michael Grant is really a pro at this strategy for creating conflict. He puts these poor kids through hell. XD Let’s take away food, power, transportation, communication … HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS WORSE?!
How This Applies to Our Writing: When you’re stumped on how to create conflict in your story start by taking things away. What things can you take from your characters to make their lives harder? 3:)
Living Without Modern Medicine – In the previous book, Hunter got clocked over the head with a freaking baseball bat and now he lives with brain damage. Part of his face is paralyzed and he has some mental issues. The kids aren’t doctors and have no access to a hospital so they’re forced to make do and sometimes that means kids live with consequences that they wouldn’t with the right technology.
How This Applies to Our Writing: Sometimes we forget that some people didn’t have modern medicine. Diseases that are easily treatable now were deadly fifty years or more ago. Keep that in mind for your stories!
Conclusion
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I’m going to read the next one with my friend!
Michael Grant was born in a manger.
Okay, no he wasn’t. And that was a stupid thing to say. There was no manger. It was a log cabin. A log cabin in Los Angeles.
Or possibly a trailer.
And then while defending his country (technically it was his father, he was just an Army brat,) he moved all over the country and to France and became the incredibly well-educated, well-rounded, well-adjusted . . .
Yeah, okay that last part’s a lie, too. The moving everywhere thing is true. But the sad reality is that Michael’s a rootless, disconnected, indifferently-educated, sullen, obnoxious, disaffected misanthrope. With no hair. I mean seriously: look at the man’s head. Do you see hair? No.
Where was I? I mean he.
Michael Grant is married to Katherine (K.A.) Applegate. They’ve been together for 36 years. Which doesn’t say much for Katherine’s judgment does it? And they’ve been writing for 25ish years, sometimes as partners — BOYFRIENDS/GIRLFRIENDS, ANIMORPHS, EVERWORLD — and sometimes on their own.
Michael and Katherine have two kids, Jake 18 and Julia 16. (Feet tall. Get it? 16 feet tall? Ah hah hah. Yeah, okay: not funny.) Anyway, the point is that Michael Grant is the author or co-author of 150 books. Yeah: 150, including most recently the critically-acclaimed FRONT LINES, and of course the also critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling, GONE series
I can be reached on Twitter @MichaelGrantBks, or through FrontLinesBook.com which has all kinds of interesting content. So, click on over there.
This series sounds interesting, reminds me of The Maze Runner (though I’ve only read that book lol). Thanks for the writing tips! I definitely forget about the whole medicine thing, but I also write fantasy and have made-up or magical herbs that do the same as modern medicine sometimes. XD
It has similarities but the Maze Runner has more locations lol. Haha! Magic is so handy!