Book Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant

Series: Gone #1
Genre: YA
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback
Pages: 558
Source: Borrowed from teacher
 
In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolersinternet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else... (Goodreads.com)

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I tried so hard to like this book. Everywhere I went, people were all like, "THAT IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!" So, I continued to read on, hoping that I would miraculously fall in love with it. I couldn't. After three weeks, I still hadn't reached the middle and that was when I knew that it was time to give up. Here's the thing: It's just me. Everyone I know loves this book, and I couldn't finish it. That is a total rarity. I barely ever give up on books. But I had to.

The premise is completely intriguing. I love the idea. The book held my curiosity and intrigue, but it couldn't keep me interested. I couldn't connect with the characters at all. The whole thing just seemed detached. I also didn't like the frequent POV switching. Maybe I will retry this book in the future, because it's got a lot of wonderful things going for it. The writing is very well-done, the tension is electric, the pacing is excellent. I just couldn't stay hooked.