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Gone
Greg Benedict watches in horror as his wife and baby stand by window inside of a burning building. Then, before the flames reach them, they vanish. It was just the beginning.
Sporadic vanishings occur over the next several months, all leading to the day when half the population disappears.
Gone.
Chaos ensues as humanity struggles to come to grips with the sudden vanishing of half the life on earth.
Those who remain search desperately for answers. Some believe it is a bigger picture, the start of the apocalypse and the rapture has occurred, while others like Greg believe there is a scientific reason for it. He vows to find it and stop it.
Whatever the reason, it’s not over. And oblivion to the human race, along with everything on earth is a heartbeat away.
Sporadic vanishings occur over the next several months, all leading to the day when half the population disappears.
Gone.
Chaos ensues as humanity struggles to come to grips with the sudden vanishing of half the life on earth.
Those who remain search desperately for answers. Some believe it is a bigger picture, the start of the apocalypse and the rapture has occurred, while others like Greg believe there is a scientific reason for it. He vows to find it and stop it.
Whatever the reason, it’s not over. And oblivion to the human race, along with everything on earth is a heartbeat away.
- GenresScience FictionHorror
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2022
517 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
July 20, 2022
Amazing as usual
I can’t believe that Jacqueline Druga has found a new way for the world to end. She must have the most amazing mind ever. This story is about people whose family members have just vanished literally in front of their eyes. It is so character driven and left me very anxious for the next book.
I can’t believe that Jacqueline Druga has found a new way for the world to end. She must have the most amazing mind ever. This story is about people whose family members have just vanished literally in front of their eyes. It is so character driven and left me very anxious for the next book.
March 2, 2023
DNF - I wanted to love it. A good editor needed to have a look before publishing.
August 26, 2022
.
I am a big fan of Druga's work so I picked up this book with great anticipation. But it didn't quite hit the mark as other books of hers have.
The book gets right to the point from the beginning. A mother's young daughter on her tricycle emerges from their driveway into the road directly in front of a moving truck. The truck hits the bike head-on but no one can find her body. We discover that she disappeared just before being struck by the truck. Soon it is discovered that other people suddenly vanish - slowly at first but then more frequently until half the population has disappeared. Some claim it is the rapture and others believe there must be a scientific explanation.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this book but there were a few things that lowered my score to 3. There were some logic gaps - like when people disappeared it was always just the person. Druga employed some convenient restrictions that facilitated plot progression, but those restrictions could have been more easily overcome than she chose to follow. I also struggled with the science behind the cause of the disappearances. Sure, I suppose it was plausible but it just felt a little far-fetched.
As I read the book, I felt like the author rushed in writing. There were some spelling and grammar errors that I normally tolerate, but the sentence structure and dialog were not as smooth as in her previous writings. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I did. It would be comparable to eating a baked potato with all the trimmings and finding that someone forgot the butter - still good but not as good.
This was a good book but not quite to the level, I have come to expect from Druga. This is the first of at least 2 books. It does not end in a cliffhanger but the ending certainly needs finishing in a second book. The copy I read had the first couple of chapters from the 2nd book - and it seems that it will be interesting. I will likely pick up the second book when it is released.
I am a big fan of Druga's work so I picked up this book with great anticipation. But it didn't quite hit the mark as other books of hers have.
The book gets right to the point from the beginning. A mother's young daughter on her tricycle emerges from their driveway into the road directly in front of a moving truck. The truck hits the bike head-on but no one can find her body. We discover that she disappeared just before being struck by the truck. Soon it is discovered that other people suddenly vanish - slowly at first but then more frequently until half the population has disappeared. Some claim it is the rapture and others believe there must be a scientific explanation.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this book but there were a few things that lowered my score to 3. There were some logic gaps - like when people disappeared it was always just the person. Druga employed some convenient restrictions that facilitated plot progression, but those restrictions could have been more easily overcome than she chose to follow. I also struggled with the science behind the cause of the disappearances. Sure, I suppose it was plausible but it just felt a little far-fetched.
As I read the book, I felt like the author rushed in writing. There were some spelling and grammar errors that I normally tolerate, but the sentence structure and dialog were not as smooth as in her previous writings. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I did. It would be comparable to eating a baked potato with all the trimmings and finding that someone forgot the butter - still good but not as good.
This was a good book but not quite to the level, I have come to expect from Druga. This is the first of at least 2 books. It does not end in a cliffhanger but the ending certainly needs finishing in a second book. The copy I read had the first couple of chapters from the 2nd book - and it seems that it will be interesting. I will likely pick up the second book when it is released.
May 31, 2023
Gone
Sci-Fi
Jacqueline Druga
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The premise of this book was really interesting. The whole way through I was trying to guess what caused the disappearances.
I didn't like the religious aspect. I did appreciate that the author included characters that weren't religious too, though. I liked that the author chose to have a tangible, scientific cause which meant there was also a solution and hope.
There were a few errors, typos and mistakes made throughout the book. Each time I saw them, it made me go back pages to double check I didn't make a mistake. This could easily be fixed with some editing though.
I liked the characters, they were all resilient and helped each other as well as the other people in the community.
The ending was ok, it definitely made me curious enough to read the second book as soon as I can.
Please note that there are certain themes that some people may not like to read, such as, infant loss/death, suicide
Sci-Fi
Jacqueline Druga
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The premise of this book was really interesting. The whole way through I was trying to guess what caused the disappearances.
I didn't like the religious aspect. I did appreciate that the author included characters that weren't religious too, though. I liked that the author chose to have a tangible, scientific cause which meant there was also a solution and hope.
There were a few errors, typos and mistakes made throughout the book. Each time I saw them, it made me go back pages to double check I didn't make a mistake. This could easily be fixed with some editing though.
I liked the characters, they were all resilient and helped each other as well as the other people in the community.
The ending was ok, it definitely made me curious enough to read the second book as soon as I can.
Please note that there are certain themes that some people may not like to read, such as, infant loss/death, suicide
September 30, 2023
People of the Earth are vanishing without a trace. At first only a few people disappear, but then the vanishings begin to accelerate leading to huge motorcar pileups, planes falling out of the sky and many other tragedies. Many evangelical Christians believe it is the tribulation that is thought to be referenced in the Holy Bible. Others think there is a more logical scientific explanation. Several people who have been tragically touched by the vanishings join together to help the emergency U.S. government try and find the cause of the phenomenon before a point of no return for the human race is reached.
The story is fast paced with an interesting premise that draws in the reader. An exciting culmination to the story leads to an opening into the second book in the Gone series.
The story is fast paced with an interesting premise that draws in the reader. An exciting culmination to the story leads to an opening into the second book in the Gone series.
July 24, 2022
Very different
I have loved this authors books since I read the first Beginnings book. This one is quite a different take on the end of the world. People are disappearing. Just like that they disappear. No one knows why or where the go. When 3 year old Tildie disappears her mom, Nel starts telling people that she didn't die, she just disappeared. And of course they all want to send her to the nut house. But then more people just disappear. And Nelly gets help from a couple of neighbors and the argument is on. Is this Gods work. Is this the Rapture? Or is this something else? You have to read the book to find out. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. Now to wait for book 2!
I have loved this authors books since I read the first Beginnings book. This one is quite a different take on the end of the world. People are disappearing. Just like that they disappear. No one knows why or where the go. When 3 year old Tildie disappears her mom, Nel starts telling people that she didn't die, she just disappeared. And of course they all want to send her to the nut house. But then more people just disappear. And Nelly gets help from a couple of neighbors and the argument is on. Is this Gods work. Is this the Rapture? Or is this something else? You have to read the book to find out. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. Now to wait for book 2!
September 25, 2022
The setup and building of suspense was a strong point of the book, as were most of the main characters and how they came together. I'm a little put off by the premise that an AI-run particle accelerator would cause this (unlikely), but like a lot of sci-fi like stories, sometimes you have to go with it. The end sets up a book 2. This author's strength is her unusual and clever stories, but a persistent weakness is her grammar and editing and this book is no different. Many instances of poor sentence structure and awkward dialogue, missing or wrongly placed punctuation, wrong word usage (deluded instead of diluted, shear instead of sheer and I would really like to see how Greg brought his lips to his mouth). It is frustrating to see a good story hampered by its execution.
December 5, 2022
Riveting
Gone kept me reading in one sitting and I couldn't stop until I reached the end of book one which brought me to book two. The characters are believable and I bonded with them immediately as each were introduced into the story, Gone was an entertaining read and believable in regards to our current knowledge and technical advancements within scientific discovery. There were a few grammatical errors with misued wording but overall I am a new follower of the author and looking forward to reading Gone, book two. Druga is an excellent author and I'm excited to read more of her large selection of books published to choose from. They will fill my evenings doing what I love most...reading novels that transport you into the what if mind set.
Gone kept me reading in one sitting and I couldn't stop until I reached the end of book one which brought me to book two. The characters are believable and I bonded with them immediately as each were introduced into the story, Gone was an entertaining read and believable in regards to our current knowledge and technical advancements within scientific discovery. There were a few grammatical errors with misued wording but overall I am a new follower of the author and looking forward to reading Gone, book two. Druga is an excellent author and I'm excited to read more of her large selection of books published to choose from. They will fill my evenings doing what I love most...reading novels that transport you into the what if mind set.
November 10, 2022
She has become one of my favorite authors. You have a young girl who could have been hit by a truck but vanishes. A former pastor vanishes. More people randomly vanish. The situation gets worse leading to massive car accidents, for example.
Some people think it's the Rapture.
It gets even worse as unborn babies vanish.Then there's a religious fanatic with some absurd ideas. A possible cause is found but can anything be done in time to prevent the entire planet losing all humans?
As usual her use of characters is really good, the situation quite different and the story stays consistently good throughout.
Some people think it's the Rapture.
It gets even worse as unborn babies vanish.Then there's a religious fanatic with some absurd ideas. A possible cause is found but can anything be done in time to prevent the entire planet losing all humans?
As usual her use of characters is really good, the situation quite different and the story stays consistently good throughout.
December 12, 2022
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I’m rating it four stars for originality. The reason given for people disappearing is doubtful but the author did need to explain the reason in a scientific way.
The lack of an Acknowledgment page leads me to believe there were no editors or beta readers other than the author herself. At around 50%, the writing became difficult to read. Not as smooth as in the beginning. And there were sentence errors as well as typos, for example “They we find them,” and
“Terrance wonder what about after.”
The sneak preview of book 2 seems to be taking the story in an interesting direction so I’ll keep reading.
The lack of an Acknowledgment page leads me to believe there were no editors or beta readers other than the author herself. At around 50%, the writing became difficult to read. Not as smooth as in the beginning. And there were sentence errors as well as typos, for example “They we find them,” and
“Terrance wonder what about after.”
The sneak preview of book 2 seems to be taking the story in an interesting direction so I’ll keep reading.
August 17, 2022
Amazing
Ms. Druga never ceases to amaze me! She has come up with so many ways to end the world as we know it. Her books are full of interesting characters that you develop strong feelings for. She makes you truly care about her characters and what happens to them. And the stories she writes are always good, with the proper amount of suspense and plot twists. She has written many great books, and I like some better than others, just as with any author. But I absolutely recommend all of her books. Try a few, including this one. You will not be disappointed!
Ms. Druga never ceases to amaze me! She has come up with so many ways to end the world as we know it. Her books are full of interesting characters that you develop strong feelings for. She makes you truly care about her characters and what happens to them. And the stories she writes are always good, with the proper amount of suspense and plot twists. She has written many great books, and I like some better than others, just as with any author. But I absolutely recommend all of her books. Try a few, including this one. You will not be disappointed!
February 4, 2023
The only reason this gets an upgrade to a 3 is because the author came up with a creative way to the apocalypse.
The book contains numerous spelling and grammatical errors which I final disappointing. I was shocked to find out that this was not the author’s first book. The plot while interesting never really developed, the character were not particularly likable - more annoying.
The book read like a teen read. Immature and far fetched as opposed to a sophisticated sci Fi dystopian thriller. It felt rushed.
Not sure if I will subject myself to Book 2.
The book contains numerous spelling and grammatical errors which I final disappointing. I was shocked to find out that this was not the author’s first book. The plot while interesting never really developed, the character were not particularly likable - more annoying.
The book read like a teen read. Immature and far fetched as opposed to a sophisticated sci Fi dystopian thriller. It felt rushed.
Not sure if I will subject myself to Book 2.
July 25, 2022
An entertaining dystopian story
Most of this author's books grab me at the start. This one did not. I didn't see how there was enough of a storyline to develop into a series. Eventually the focal point of the story presents itself in a dull manner. Then the real basis for upcoming books becomes evident and the Jacqueline Druga I enjoy so much came to light. Like other reviewers, I anxiously await Gone 2.
Most of this author's books grab me at the start. This one did not. I didn't see how there was enough of a storyline to develop into a series. Eventually the focal point of the story presents itself in a dull manner. Then the real basis for upcoming books becomes evident and the Jacqueline Druga I enjoy so much came to light. Like other reviewers, I anxiously await Gone 2.
October 12, 2022
Gone, not soon enough
Badly in need of editing. While the beginning of the book was pretty interesting, it was not in the least believable and with all the silly mistakes I had to force myself to stick with it, just wanting to know how the author could possibly come up with any satisfactory conclusion. Nope. No ending, have to purchase Gone 2. And I most certainly will not. I see this is a popular and prolific writer, but I am not inclined to read any more of her work.
Badly in need of editing. While the beginning of the book was pretty interesting, it was not in the least believable and with all the silly mistakes I had to force myself to stick with it, just wanting to know how the author could possibly come up with any satisfactory conclusion. Nope. No ending, have to purchase Gone 2. And I most certainly will not. I see this is a popular and prolific writer, but I am not inclined to read any more of her work.
November 25, 2022
Fascinating concept
The writing could be better but I made it through the whole way. I got this as a kindle unlimited and in that sense of free it was worth the price. To be marketable, I think more depth in the writing and story is needed but it is a good effort. The sneak peak at the end for Gone 2 was actually more compelling than this book. There were some things that I appreciated about the original story though. 50/50.
The writing could be better but I made it through the whole way. I got this as a kindle unlimited and in that sense of free it was worth the price. To be marketable, I think more depth in the writing and story is needed but it is a good effort. The sneak peak at the end for Gone 2 was actually more compelling than this book. There were some things that I appreciated about the original story though. 50/50.
December 4, 2022
The premise of this book was so interesting but the execution of it was abysmal. The editing was appalling (was it even edited??), the characters had personality changes mid story that made the story flow so easy but not at all compelling and the actual writing was overly simplistic and not remotely compelling. I finished it only with the hope that I would have an answer at the end however it had a sequel that I will definitely not bother with. A very disappointing read.
December 29, 2022
Good story, ruined by terrible editing
This book is an interesting take on the apocalypse storyline, and was enjoyable enough for me to start reading the sequel - however it is absolutely littered with spelling, grammar and basic editorial errors which ruined the experience for me. One character's name even changed between book one and two! Such a shame as I would have loved to have been fully immersed in the story and given an appropriately positive review .
This book is an interesting take on the apocalypse storyline, and was enjoyable enough for me to start reading the sequel - however it is absolutely littered with spelling, grammar and basic editorial errors which ruined the experience for me. One character's name even changed between book one and two! Such a shame as I would have loved to have been fully immersed in the story and given an appropriately positive review .
July 19, 2025
Druga's ideas are unique and so very interesting. One thinks, in the beginning they know what is happening, and then later on, we are told what has happened, but, yet there are more surprises to come out, especially the next book. This book is full of the human element, and how a world cut in half by population can survive. Most of the people we meet, are good and likeable. Then the real science comes about...along with the new dystopia. So be sure to read Gone2.
July 21, 2022
Master of apocalypse
Drugs does it again. People are disappearing at the moment that should be their death. No body lef behind, it must be the rapture right ? So many ways for the world to end and almost always a twist in how I thought it was going to happen. Still one of my favorite authors.
Drugs does it again. People are disappearing at the moment that should be their death. No body lef behind, it must be the rapture right ? So many ways for the world to end and almost always a twist in how I thought it was going to happen. Still one of my favorite authors.
July 28, 2022
Another wonderful read
I am always amazed by Ms Druga's seemingly endless supply of PA scenarios! This is one of her more exciting stories, I could not put it down & eagerly await the next in the series! This could be a stand alone as there was no cliffhanger, just the urge to read more.
I am always amazed by Ms Druga's seemingly endless supply of PA scenarios! This is one of her more exciting stories, I could not put it down & eagerly await the next in the series! This could be a stand alone as there was no cliffhanger, just the urge to read more.
July 30, 2022
I absolutely love this story. It wasn’t what I thought it was. To lose someone who just disappears sounds terrifying. The book draws you in, making you think it’s one thing but no, not. I adore a story that pulls me out of my reality into the authors version of theirs. A brilliant thing. I highly recommend everyone needs to read this. Now, waiting on book 2.
July 31, 2022
Wow! Hurry Gone 2!
What a great book! Jacqueline has done it again. This book was alot like her earlier ones. I can't wait for Gone 2, hope she has it out soon!
Read this, if you want to be scared, sad, then happy and feeling amazed with a childhood wonder, leading to hope and anticipation! Liz from South Jersey, USA!
What a great book! Jacqueline has done it again. This book was alot like her earlier ones. I can't wait for Gone 2, hope she has it out soon!
Read this, if you want to be scared, sad, then happy and feeling amazed with a childhood wonder, leading to hope and anticipation! Liz from South Jersey, USA!
February 17, 2023
Spoiler
Would give it a 3 1/2 star. I enjoyed the theme & flow, although went off the deep end when 1/2 the population was still around, which I am sure included many military personnel, and they need 3 volunteers from Gastonia in the group to attack the accelerator.
Some typos and wrong names made reading confusing sometimes.
Would give it a 3 1/2 star. I enjoyed the theme & flow, although went off the deep end when 1/2 the population was still around, which I am sure included many military personnel, and they need 3 volunteers from Gastonia in the group to attack the accelerator.
Some typos and wrong names made reading confusing sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
This book had many errors of grammar and the most typos I've ever seen in a kindle edition. The story had many possibilities of being interesting, a premise of people vanishing could go somewhere. However I wasn't fully convinced. I give it three stars for the possibilities it opened even if it didn't get there.
February 20, 2024
Good read! Now for #2!
It had been happening for a while, people just vanishing. It just didn’t happen at the larger scale like it did on this day. He even located a video uploaded two days earlier of a little girl vanishing before a truck hit into her tricycle. Knowing how many people just vanished, made Terrance worry even more since he couldn’t reach his wife.
It had been happening for a while, people just vanishing. It just didn’t happen at the larger scale like it did on this day. He even located a video uploaded two days earlier of a little girl vanishing before a truck hit into her tricycle. Knowing how many people just vanished, made Terrance worry even more since he couldn’t reach his wife.
December 16, 2024
interesting story.
Parts felt like nothing new but the way it’s written and the storyline are good.
I definitely want to read the continuation in the next book, so it’s worth reading.
I find this author has stories that are sort of simple but they aren’t filled with nothing but crazy people who just want to kill and destroy. It’s sort of a breath of fresh air.
Parts felt like nothing new but the way it’s written and the storyline are good.
I definitely want to read the continuation in the next book, so it’s worth reading.
I find this author has stories that are sort of simple but they aren’t filled with nothing but crazy people who just want to kill and destroy. It’s sort of a breath of fresh air.
July 21, 2022
This is awesome!
I loved this book! What an interesting way to cause world-ending disaster! I’m constantly in awe of the way Jacqueline Druga writes her characters…they are often so well-thought out - flawed, yet, wholesome.
I can’t wait for the sequel!
I loved this book! What an interesting way to cause world-ending disaster! I’m constantly in awe of the way Jacqueline Druga writes her characters…they are often so well-thought out - flawed, yet, wholesome.
I can’t wait for the sequel!
July 21, 2022
Fast Reading Novella
Enjoyed the story. Every fast paced. Read in a little less than two hours. Good news there is a book two.
As always, the author is true to her art. Her stories are unlike any other author's. Gone is no exception.
Definitely recommend.
Enjoyed the story. Every fast paced. Read in a little less than two hours. Good news there is a book two.
As always, the author is true to her art. Her stories are unlike any other author's. Gone is no exception.
Definitely recommend.
July 22, 2022
another trip with Jackie!
Jackie I don't know what to say! I love reading yr books! I'd love to meet you, the stories u tell r always new & different! I know when I pick up one of yr books I'm in for a trip!! Thanks!
Jackie I don't know what to say! I love reading yr books! I'd love to meet you, the stories u tell r always new & different! I know when I pick up one of yr books I'm in for a trip!! Thanks!
July 26, 2022
Enjoyed it
Wow! Just Wow! A rollercoaster ride. Entertaining and engrossing. Interesting characters that were fun to get to know. I feel like there is so much more to learn and look forward to the next story in the series.
Wow! Just Wow! A rollercoaster ride. Entertaining and engrossing. Interesting characters that were fun to get to know. I feel like there is so much more to learn and look forward to the next story in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews