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Gone #2
Honger
Librarian's Note: this is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 13: 9789047509066
Het is nu drie maanden geleden dat alle volwassenen en kinderen boven de vijftien spoorloos verdwenen zijn. Het eten raakt op en de honger knaagt. Sam heeft er genoeg van dat hij wordt beschouwd als de leider in de FAKZ.
Door de honger hebben de kinderen zichzelf niet meer in de hand. Sam vreest dat er kannibalisme zal uitbreken. En alsof dat nog niet genoeg is, gaan sommige 'gewone' kinderen de strijd aan met de 'freaks', omdat ze beweren dat die meer te eten krijgen dan zij.
Intussen heeft de kwaadaardige Caine van de Duisternis opdracht gekregen om Sam naar hem toe te brengen. Er breekt een titanenstrijd uit tussen Sam en Caine, waarbij Caine hulp krijgt van de duivelse Drake.
Het is nu drie maanden geleden dat alle volwassenen en kinderen boven de vijftien spoorloos verdwenen zijn. Het eten raakt op en de honger knaagt. Sam heeft er genoeg van dat hij wordt beschouwd als de leider in de FAKZ.
Door de honger hebben de kinderen zichzelf niet meer in de hand. Sam vreest dat er kannibalisme zal uitbreken. En alsof dat nog niet genoeg is, gaan sommige 'gewone' kinderen de strijd aan met de 'freaks', omdat ze beweren dat die meer te eten krijgen dan zij.
Intussen heeft de kwaadaardige Caine van de Duisternis opdracht gekregen om Sam naar hem toe te brengen. Er breekt een titanenstrijd uit tussen Sam en Caine, waarbij Caine hulp krijgt van de duivelse Drake.
511 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2009
3244 people are currently reading
36562 people want to read
About the author
Michael Grant
82 books11.3k followersCo-author with Katherine Applegate of Ocean City, Making Out, Summer, Animorphs, Everworld, Remnants, Eve and Adam.
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,197 reviews
September 18, 2012
Whilst this book impressed me greatly, as did the first of the series, I found that there were still those little things that majorly irked me, even amid the fast-paced sci-fi and action told in a gripping and imaginative way; it was these little things that again prevented me from awarding the novel the 5 stars it would have otherwise deserved.
So what's the problem?
I can sum it up in two points:
1) Sam is a lame protagonist.
2) All the girls are 'cute'.
Let me explain.
Pointer number one: Sam is one of those over the top do-gooders that just don't exist in real life, let alone at fifteen. He is given too much credit for his age by the author and his character becomes increasingly unrealistic, Sam is essentially the very ideal stereotype of the 'good guy', the hero, the constant martyr for the greater good. Oh please, he's a fifteen year old guy in a town with no adults, he should be drinking like a fish and raiding the porn sections at the local stores. His self-pitying attitude also results in generating absolutely zero sympathy.
Pointer number two: The girls of this novel are teeth-grindingly useless. Astrid the genius is Sam's 'beautiful' girlfriend and the dark and seductive Diana is Caine's obedient sidekick. Nearly all the females are trophies and repeatedly described as 'hot' or 'cute'. They also need protecting. There is way too much of this:
And nowhere near enough of this:
Whatever happened to the ass-kicking female? She isn't in this book. Other readers might point out characters like Brianna and Lana as examples of strong females. However, in the heat of battle when Brianna is required to be strong, she instead decides to run away and cook herself a pigeon. What the hell?? And Lana is not strong enough to defeat the lure of the 'Darkness' but rather leads the others into danger and needs to be rescued. By Sam, Caine and Duck (the male characters who come swooping in to rescue her), in fact. Also, most of the battle stuff is done man-to-man. Usually featuring Sam, Caine, Drake, Edilio, Orc and Jack; the girls tend to hide behind the rubble or are used to threaten their boyfriends (i.e. Caine threatening to kill Astrid unless Sam surrender). Seriously? Why are all the strongest mutants male, anyway? Is radiation that particular?
After this great big rant, you're gonna be thinking - how the hell did it get 4 stars then?
Well, it's a great story really. It's exciting and action-packed, there are always several sub-plots happening at once meaning that the book never gets slow or tiresome. Some of the characters are interesting and highly likeable and it's a good portrayal of growing up and the difficulties of being a teenager (only times by about a thousand). Every teenager should be reading this series, my only recommendation is that they follow it up with a large dose of Buffy The Vampire Slayer to remind themselves that having a vagina does not equal weak, pathetic damsel in distress. Quite the opposite at times.
January 17, 2026
Gone, book 2: In an explicably impenetrable domed part of San Francisco completely cut off from whatever is happening in the rest of the world, with almost everyone aged 15 or above 'gone', having disappeared the same time the dome appeared, two warring sides of children are now setting up their separate communities. A small minority on both side have, for want of a better word, superpowers; and a few others have shown signs of also getting some. But with children in control and limited resources and knowledge; tempers are flaring; bickering or lethargy dominate; drugs, booze and unhealthy habits go unchecked; but dominating it all is the sparsity of food - hunger!
The reluctant (but victorious) leader of the primary Perdido Beach community, Sam Temple, and his allies have to find a way to motivate their fellow children to help maintain community and also find and manage food sources. In the opposing rag-tag (defeated) camp of Caine and his band of mostly kids with behavioural and/or outlier issues, Caine has only one thing on his mind - payback! With all this going on, the malevolent force called the 'Darkness' has its own plans! Both groups, and even the entity, share a common feeling - hunger!
Sometimes I like a reality and a story so much, that to me it becomes an unassailable fun-read, and this book/series is just such a case in point; surprisingly so, as it features a lot of hunger, savagery, prejudice, psychosis and more! What places this superb sequel, and the series in general above so many other books in the young adult - dystopia genre, is despite the hard world they are forced to live in, a world of death, murder, guns, knives, mobs and sometimes deadly superpowers, Grant never forgets that they are children and writes them thus. A top drawer fun read, with so much exciting jeopardy and drama! Another Four Stars 9 out of 12, for this series! A series that I want more of, a series for which, I hunger even on this full reread!
2026 and 2021 read
The reluctant (but victorious) leader of the primary Perdido Beach community, Sam Temple, and his allies have to find a way to motivate their fellow children to help maintain community and also find and manage food sources. In the opposing rag-tag (defeated) camp of Caine and his band of mostly kids with behavioural and/or outlier issues, Caine has only one thing on his mind - payback! With all this going on, the malevolent force called the 'Darkness' has its own plans! Both groups, and even the entity, share a common feeling - hunger!
Sometimes I like a reality and a story so much, that to me it becomes an unassailable fun-read, and this book/series is just such a case in point; surprisingly so, as it features a lot of hunger, savagery, prejudice, psychosis and more! What places this superb sequel, and the series in general above so many other books in the young adult - dystopia genre, is despite the hard world they are forced to live in, a world of death, murder, guns, knives, mobs and sometimes deadly superpowers, Grant never forgets that they are children and writes them thus. A top drawer fun read, with so much exciting jeopardy and drama! Another Four Stars 9 out of 12, for this series! A series that I want more of, a series for which, I hunger even on this full reread!
2026 and 2021 read
August 6, 2010
The Gone series is the type of series that has you marking down your calendars waiting for the next installment. Both Hunger, and its predecessor, Gone were gripping and fantastic. Hunger, while darker than Gone, really dove into deeper topics. The cast of the series is diverse in its variety, and you are free to pick your favorites. The dialogue, while nothing fantastic, is realistic and easy. Same as the writing. Yes, the writing has some grammatical mistakes and is far from lyrical, but it serves its purpose. Great book that I recommend to all.
November 10, 2017
This was a YA dystopian story which followed on from Gone.
I felt sorry for Sam in this story, he had so much responsibility and little reward, and the fact that the other kids ignored him instead of helping him must have been frustrating.
The storyline in this was mainly about the kids all going hungry as the food ran out, and Sam trying to do something about it. We had killer mutant worms in the fields, Caine trying to take over the power plant, and this weird entity called ‘the darkness’ playing a role too. This was an interesting story, but the pace was a bit slow in places.
The ending to this was okay, and things did seem to be looking up a bit.
6.5 out of 10
I felt sorry for Sam in this story, he had so much responsibility and little reward, and the fact that the other kids ignored him instead of helping him must have been frustrating.
The storyline in this was mainly about the kids all going hungry as the food ran out, and Sam trying to do something about it. We had killer mutant worms in the fields, Caine trying to take over the power plant, and this weird entity called ‘the darkness’ playing a role too. This was an interesting story, but the pace was a bit slow in places.
The ending to this was okay, and things did seem to be looking up a bit.
6.5 out of 10
August 18, 2009
I will leave a better review after I sleep, it's 1:30am and I just couldn't stop until I had finished.
********
Well. Now that I've had time to sleep, given my contacts a chance to thoroughly soak and really given myself a chance to absorb that which I gobbled down last night, I must say that I am completely happy with the fact that I didn't wait until the paperback version came out. The hardcover might be more expensive, but it was totally, totally worth it in the end.
So Hunger takes place 3 months after the FAYZ came into being. Kids are literally starving and no one is helping out. Kids are being, well, kids. Lazy and waiting for someone to just hand them food on a silver platter.
I adore Sam. My heart goes completely out to this fictional character. As he says during an argument, he's just fifteen and everyone is expecting him to be the dad. It's so much pressure and he's so very real because all he wants is pizza and a chance to make out with his girlfriend. He's so adult and yet so child-like at the same time. He doesn't want to make the decisions but everyone keeps coming to him for answers that he doesn't have.
And it breaks him.
My complete and most utter compliments to Michael Grant. The scene with Astrid and Sam in the dark where he finally unloads and breaks down got to me. I wanted to reach through the pages and clutch the poor kid to my bosom and tell him it was going to be alright. Of course I have no idea if it is going to be alright, but I wanted to give him some sort of assurance that he is not a failure and he's doing the best that he can and that's a very good thing.
There was another scene that got to be. Like really got to me. When they're about to execute Hunter. It reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale where the Handmaidens are encouraged to execute by pulling a rope to hang someone. The entire basis of that scene was to show just how a crowd will degenerate if they are hungry enough. The promise of food is a strong, strong motivator.
I have to say that this reminded me of a quote that I read in a Reader's Digest a very long time ago:
"Literature duplicates the experience of living in a way that nothing else can, drawing you so fully into another life that you temporarily forget you have one of your own. That is why you read it, and might even sit up in bed till dawn, throwing your whole tomorrow out of whack, simply to find out what happens to some people -- you know perfectly well -- are made up." -Barbara Kingslover
I ran a gauntlet of emotions while reading this book. I stayed up far too late. I bit my nails. I couldn't sit still. And that is what made this such an astounding book.
********
Well. Now that I've had time to sleep, given my contacts a chance to thoroughly soak and really given myself a chance to absorb that which I gobbled down last night, I must say that I am completely happy with the fact that I didn't wait until the paperback version came out. The hardcover might be more expensive, but it was totally, totally worth it in the end.
So Hunger takes place 3 months after the FAYZ came into being. Kids are literally starving and no one is helping out. Kids are being, well, kids. Lazy and waiting for someone to just hand them food on a silver platter.
I adore Sam. My heart goes completely out to this fictional character. As he says during an argument, he's just fifteen and everyone is expecting him to be the dad. It's so much pressure and he's so very real because all he wants is pizza and a chance to make out with his girlfriend. He's so adult and yet so child-like at the same time. He doesn't want to make the decisions but everyone keeps coming to him for answers that he doesn't have.
And it breaks him.
My complete and most utter compliments to Michael Grant. The scene with Astrid and Sam in the dark where he finally unloads and breaks down got to me. I wanted to reach through the pages and clutch the poor kid to my bosom and tell him it was going to be alright. Of course I have no idea if it is going to be alright, but I wanted to give him some sort of assurance that he is not a failure and he's doing the best that he can and that's a very good thing.
There was another scene that got to be. Like really got to me. When they're about to execute Hunter. It reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale where the Handmaidens are encouraged to execute by pulling a rope to hang someone. The entire basis of that scene was to show just how a crowd will degenerate if they are hungry enough. The promise of food is a strong, strong motivator.
I have to say that this reminded me of a quote that I read in a Reader's Digest a very long time ago:
"Literature duplicates the experience of living in a way that nothing else can, drawing you so fully into another life that you temporarily forget you have one of your own. That is why you read it, and might even sit up in bed till dawn, throwing your whole tomorrow out of whack, simply to find out what happens to some people -- you know perfectly well -- are made up." -Barbara Kingslover
I ran a gauntlet of emotions while reading this book. I stayed up far too late. I bit my nails. I couldn't sit still. And that is what made this such an astounding book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2009
Oh my god. I just finished reading "Hunger", and I devoured all 590 pages in less than 24 hours. So I basically just used an entire Sunday to read the book. Definetly one of my better Sundays.
"Hunger" is about... well, it's about a lot of things, but basically it all started in "Gone", the first book in the series, when all the people over the age of fourteen dissapeared. Just poof. Vanished. Gone. And so, all of the kids at the age of fourteen and younger are left to fend for themselves. Not a pretty sight at all. There is just so much going on in this novel, I can't wrap my mind around it. There's hunger and starvation with food running out. There's a fight between kids with powers and kids without them. There's torture and mind games. There's love and revenge. Even eating disorders. And worst of all, there's a lurking darkness in the midst of all the horrible drama. And the darkness is hungry.
If you have to read one book during the entire summer, read "Gone". Then, right after you're done with Gone, read "Hunger". Oh wait, I said one book... well whatever, just read the series! It's amazing, mind-blowing, phenomonal, just pure writing at it's best. Michael Grant is a huge talent and I'm surprised that he's just getting discovered. The only bad thing is waiting to see what happens next. Now I'm hungry... for the next book in the series!
"Hunger" is about... well, it's about a lot of things, but basically it all started in "Gone", the first book in the series, when all the people over the age of fourteen dissapeared. Just poof. Vanished. Gone. And so, all of the kids at the age of fourteen and younger are left to fend for themselves. Not a pretty sight at all. There is just so much going on in this novel, I can't wrap my mind around it. There's hunger and starvation with food running out. There's a fight between kids with powers and kids without them. There's torture and mind games. There's love and revenge. Even eating disorders. And worst of all, there's a lurking darkness in the midst of all the horrible drama. And the darkness is hungry.
If you have to read one book during the entire summer, read "Gone". Then, right after you're done with Gone, read "Hunger". Oh wait, I said one book... well whatever, just read the series! It's amazing, mind-blowing, phenomonal, just pure writing at it's best. Michael Grant is a huge talent and I'm surprised that he's just getting discovered. The only bad thing is waiting to see what happens next. Now I'm hungry... for the next book in the series!
August 16, 2011
HUNGER is an amazing story because of the realistic characters, the spectacular
details put into the setting, and the way it shows the theme of accepting hard
responsibilities.. Some people may say that this novel is unrealistic, or too built on the
theme of finding weakness in others, but it shows taking on responsibility, even if it is
unwanted.
Sam Temple is one of the well crated characters in this book. He is a
fifteen year old boy who is forced to become a leader of hundreds of kids, after every
adult and teen ages fifteen and up in his town disappeared. He is overwhelmed with
responsibilities like finding a way to feed every kid with food supply decreasing, and
protecting people from the upcoming gangs. He is like any other teenager in this world.
Readers can connect to him and eventually, feel what he feels. What distinguishes Sam
from some other kids in his town are his powers. Right before the FAYZ, the time
when the adults disappeared, many kids began to discover that they
had unnatural powers like no one else. Sam’s unique power was light. Not only could he
create his own light but he could fire beams of heated light that could be used as a
defense, or a weapon.
The detail written about the setting and plot of this book is amazing. Its like
reading a movie! There’s action, romance, and the threat of life or death. The setting is
described in a way that makes the reader feel like the action can be happening in their
own city or town. It is a page turning book that makes you not want the story to end.
How many people have been given a tough responsibility to handle? In this
novel, Sam Temple and everyone else is faced with almost too many tasks to fulfill. He
has to prevent arising gang violence, avoid being killed by his twin brother,
This amazingly written novel is praised for its life like characters, the extremely
detailed setting, and the theme of accepting difficult responsibilities. By the end of the
story you will feel what the characters feel and wish there were more of the story to read.
Everyone at some point in their lives has to take on. Everyone has seen, heard about or
been through bullying
details put into the setting, and the way it shows the theme of accepting hard
responsibilities.. Some people may say that this novel is unrealistic, or too built on the
theme of finding weakness in others, but it shows taking on responsibility, even if it is
unwanted.
Sam Temple is one of the well crated characters in this book. He is a
fifteen year old boy who is forced to become a leader of hundreds of kids, after every
adult and teen ages fifteen and up in his town disappeared. He is overwhelmed with
responsibilities like finding a way to feed every kid with food supply decreasing, and
protecting people from the upcoming gangs. He is like any other teenager in this world.
Readers can connect to him and eventually, feel what he feels. What distinguishes Sam
from some other kids in his town are his powers. Right before the FAYZ, the time
when the adults disappeared, many kids began to discover that they
had unnatural powers like no one else. Sam’s unique power was light. Not only could he
create his own light but he could fire beams of heated light that could be used as a
defense, or a weapon.
The detail written about the setting and plot of this book is amazing. Its like
reading a movie! There’s action, romance, and the threat of life or death. The setting is
described in a way that makes the reader feel like the action can be happening in their
own city or town. It is a page turning book that makes you not want the story to end.
How many people have been given a tough responsibility to handle? In this
novel, Sam Temple and everyone else is faced with almost too many tasks to fulfill. He
has to prevent arising gang violence, avoid being killed by his twin brother,
This amazingly written novel is praised for its life like characters, the extremely
detailed setting, and the theme of accepting difficult responsibilities. By the end of the
story you will feel what the characters feel and wish there were more of the story to read.
Everyone at some point in their lives has to take on. Everyone has seen, heard about or
been through bullying
August 9, 2013
Okay...I need to take a deep breath...
This book was overwhelming! I never knew what was going to happen!
All this action...all this battles! Jesus, I was always thinking oh please don't die!!
This mutant bugs are just ewwwww!
The ending was crushing I was like no no no Lana you have to save them!
Zil and his crew...ooh I would kill them with my bare hands! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?? Humans vs Freaks?! Jesus...you won't survive without them!
Brittney...oh my poor girl!!
I hope Duck's alive! I didn't really understand why he was so important in the beginning but in the end he really showed that he was/is a real hero
This book was overwhelming! I never knew what was going to happen!
All this action...all this battles! Jesus, I was always thinking oh please don't die!!
This mutant bugs are just ewwwww!
The ending was crushing I was like no no no Lana you have to save them!
Zil and his crew...ooh I would kill them with my bare hands! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?? Humans vs Freaks?! Jesus...you won't survive without them!
Brittney...oh my poor girl!!
I hope Duck's alive! I didn't really understand why he was so important in the beginning but in the end he really showed that he was/is a real hero
August 11, 2009
Fans of the first book will also enjoy this second in a projected series of six. While I enjoyed the book, I can't help longing for more books that stand alone instead of hooking readers into a series that requires a span of years to complete. I could forgive that with the Harry Potter series, especially since Harry ages a full year in each book, but it's just annoying when it becomes the norm. Don't get me wrong... I enjoyed Hunger, but the prospect of waiting another 4 years to find out what happens over the course of a few months is daunting. By then will I really care?
July 18, 2010
i'm tired of this series already and will probably quit. this book was almost 600 pages when it should have been much shorter. there are paragraphs of repetitious nonsense. worse still, this novel lacks a balance of good and evil, justice and mercy, right and wrong. mostly, bad things happen - over and over again - without much good happening. and when something positive happens, it does not balance out the previous 560 pages of negativity. it is exhausting to read, but not in a "literary" good way.
February 7, 2026
3.75 stars! It's starting to get there for me. I've become more invested. Will look forward to reading book three.
There does appear to be something holding me back and unable to fully engaged. It is an ambitious project. The author includes 6 full length novels in series. Every book is between 400-560 pages long, and the 2nd, "Hunger", over 600 pages. Longer books often include many characters, settings, subplots, and feels expansive. I enjoy all that, and the length was not an issue. As there is much going on, and rarely any dull-downtime.
Yet, after reading 609 pages. I was still missing some depth and follow through on a few story threads. There were sub plots involving intense or major events, yet they were left incomplete, sprawling. I personally, want to see the after math of the intense side plots. I want depth provided; what happened to the bad guys? what were the consequences for certain characters? We don't get to see all major sub plots play out fully. This frustration slightly offset my overall enjoyment of the book.
However, the majority of the story is good enough and I'm still interested to continue the series with book 3.
There does appear to be something holding me back and unable to fully engaged. It is an ambitious project. The author includes 6 full length novels in series. Every book is between 400-560 pages long, and the 2nd, "Hunger", over 600 pages. Longer books often include many characters, settings, subplots, and feels expansive. I enjoy all that, and the length was not an issue. As there is much going on, and rarely any dull-downtime.
Yet, after reading 609 pages. I was still missing some depth and follow through on a few story threads. There were sub plots involving intense or major events, yet they were left incomplete, sprawling. I personally, want to see the after math of the intense side plots. I want depth provided; what happened to the bad guys? what were the consequences for certain characters? We don't get to see all major sub plots play out fully. This frustration slightly offset my overall enjoyment of the book.
However, the majority of the story is good enough and I'm still interested to continue the series with book 3.
March 19, 2024
So much happened it was great and it wasn't at the same time. This book was very long and a lot of the information dropped dragged the flow of the story. There were times when I'd check my progress and get annoyed at where I was. I don't know how I feel about the darkness becoming more involved in the story. It's definitely a very intimidating enemy to have, Looking forward to how that storyline goes. I'm a fan of some characters and hated others there is no in-between.
May 12, 2020
Pensaba que esta segunda parte podría decaer pero ha superado mis expectativas y me ha gustado más que la primera.
April 8, 2025
Pretty good! Though not as good as GONE: too many different plots and points of view made this book kind of hectic.
Michael Grant is definitely an author with a knack for action-driven stories heavy on suspense and excitement. Gone was a great beginning book for the series: it established the problem (all growups "poof" out and leave kids to fend for themselves) and dealt with the power struggles that ensued between the townies and the dysfunctional delinquents over at Coates. Hunger was therefore able to go more in-depth on the problems of the FAYZ: three months have gone by, and supplies and food are drastically depleted. What was so cool about this book was that - while I was reading it - I forgot that I was reading a fictional sci-fi/fantasy thriller. I was so wrapped up in "oh my gosh! what are they going to DO?!" and really feeling all the agitation and the anxiety that the characters felt. I read this 500+ page thing in 2 days, lordy lord! That's pretty good for me! I seriously could not put it down.
The (main) characters are all so incredibly dynamic. Just wanna give a quick shout-out to Dekka - I absolutely love her "go get'em tiger" personality. SHE needs to lead the FAYZ! Sam/Astrid and Caine/Diana went together very nicely - when I found myself annoyed at Sam and Astrid (and unfortunately, I did at times) I had Caine and Diana to balance the story out. Most of the main characters are portrayed in Hi-Def and so it made it incredibly easy to relate to them - the good guys and the not-so-good guys - and really care about what was going on with them. I personally find it really interesting that Grant has created an antagonist, Caine (cause technically that's what he is) that I actually care about. Maybe Caine's not bad enough - that's more like Drake - but I really enjoyed his scenes. He's such a megalomaniac, but perhaps a misunderstood megalomaniac?
I will say, though, that characterization and plot, two things that Grant knows how to handle really well, got a little hectic in this installment. I *do* like the large ensemble cast of characters, BUT in this story, I think there were a little too many perspectives, too many characters to keep track of, and I think that sometimes scenes that really should have gone to the "main characters" (like Sam and Astrid) were spent on all these secondary characters. That's okay and everything, except that I frequently found myself not quite understanding why Sam, Astrid or Lana would do certain things. Also, if Sam and Astrid just got together at the end of Gone, it seems a little early (to me) for them to already be having problems. But then again, they didn't have very many scenes together, and the few scenes they did have together they spent bickering. Maybe the spotlight will be on them a little more in Lies. All I'm saying is that because the perspective was off them, I didn't really feel as connected to them as I did in the first book. Astrid in particular started to annoy me a bit. She's supposed to be a genius, so I found it odd that she was so hostile to Albert's economic ideas. If you're so smart, Astrid, why can't you see that it's a good thing to try and rebuild the economy? Maybe we should start referring to "Astrid the Genius" as "Astrid the Commie." Just kidding! Caine and Diana, though, were great. They did get their bit of spotlight.
The same characterization notice also applied to the plots, here. I think there were so many things going on in this particular installment, that they just didn't seem fully covered. There's a major food shortage in the FAYZ. Caine and gang are trying to make a big for power again. The Darkness wants to be fed. Something's up with Petey. Albert wants to keep the flame of capitalism alive. Lots of really cool plot points that didn't really seem to get an even amount of coverage. It's totally cool to have different things going on, but toward the end, things just seemed rushed.
But anyway, another awesome installment to a new favorite series. I can't wait to get my hands on Lies.
Michael Grant is definitely an author with a knack for action-driven stories heavy on suspense and excitement. Gone was a great beginning book for the series: it established the problem (all growups "poof" out and leave kids to fend for themselves) and dealt with the power struggles that ensued between the townies and the dysfunctional delinquents over at Coates. Hunger was therefore able to go more in-depth on the problems of the FAYZ: three months have gone by, and supplies and food are drastically depleted. What was so cool about this book was that - while I was reading it - I forgot that I was reading a fictional sci-fi/fantasy thriller. I was so wrapped up in "oh my gosh! what are they going to DO?!" and really feeling all the agitation and the anxiety that the characters felt. I read this 500+ page thing in 2 days, lordy lord! That's pretty good for me! I seriously could not put it down.
The (main) characters are all so incredibly dynamic. Just wanna give a quick shout-out to Dekka - I absolutely love her "go get'em tiger" personality. SHE needs to lead the FAYZ! Sam/Astrid and Caine/Diana went together very nicely - when I found myself annoyed at Sam and Astrid (and unfortunately, I did at times) I had Caine and Diana to balance the story out. Most of the main characters are portrayed in Hi-Def and so it made it incredibly easy to relate to them - the good guys and the not-so-good guys - and really care about what was going on with them. I personally find it really interesting that Grant has created an antagonist, Caine (cause technically that's what he is) that I actually care about. Maybe Caine's not bad enough - that's more like Drake - but I really enjoyed his scenes. He's such a megalomaniac, but perhaps a misunderstood megalomaniac?
I will say, though, that characterization and plot, two things that Grant knows how to handle really well, got a little hectic in this installment. I *do* like the large ensemble cast of characters, BUT in this story, I think there were a little too many perspectives, too many characters to keep track of, and I think that sometimes scenes that really should have gone to the "main characters" (like Sam and Astrid) were spent on all these secondary characters. That's okay and everything, except that I frequently found myself not quite understanding why Sam, Astrid or Lana would do certain things. Also, if Sam and Astrid just got together at the end of Gone, it seems a little early (to me) for them to already be having problems. But then again, they didn't have very many scenes together, and the few scenes they did have together they spent bickering. Maybe the spotlight will be on them a little more in Lies. All I'm saying is that because the perspective was off them, I didn't really feel as connected to them as I did in the first book. Astrid in particular started to annoy me a bit. She's supposed to be a genius, so I found it odd that she was so hostile to Albert's economic ideas. If you're so smart, Astrid, why can't you see that it's a good thing to try and rebuild the economy? Maybe we should start referring to "Astrid the Genius" as "Astrid the Commie." Just kidding! Caine and Diana, though, were great. They did get their bit of spotlight.
The same characterization notice also applied to the plots, here. I think there were so many things going on in this particular installment, that they just didn't seem fully covered. There's a major food shortage in the FAYZ. Caine and gang are trying to make a big for power again. The Darkness wants to be fed. Something's up with Petey. Albert wants to keep the flame of capitalism alive. Lots of really cool plot points that didn't really seem to get an even amount of coverage. It's totally cool to have different things going on, but toward the end, things just seemed rushed.
But anyway, another awesome installment to a new favorite series. I can't wait to get my hands on Lies.
January 1, 2009
Things aren’t getting any easier in the FAYZ (Fall-out Alley Youth Zone) since the big Thanksgiving Battle against Caine and the other Coates Academy kids. In fact, everything seems to be going from bad to worse. Sam, the appointed leader of Perdido Beach, is feeling the pressure of all the day to day decisions. The biggest problem that everyone is facing is starvation. With the fear and confusion that followed the disappearance of everyone 15 and over, the kids that were left did what they wanted - including eating what they wanted. Nothing was done to preserve food for the future, so meats and vegetables went bad, leaving food in short supply. The kids in Perdido Beach and Coates Academy are left eating what canned food is left. One day it might be asparagus for breakfast, wax beans for lunch, and hot dog relish for dinner. No one is in good spirits and when Caine recovers from his encounter with The Darkness and makes another move for power, things only get worse.
Sam is suffering from all the stress, Little Pete’s powers are getting scarier every day, some of the kids that haven’t developed powers are beginning to start trouble, and important people are switching sides. Danger is at its all time high. Death seems imminent.
Michael Grant has produced a very satisfying sequel. The tension and excitement in the story is palpable. Character development continues to be a strong point. The new characters that are introduced add to the plot, but our favorites from GONE continue to play a large role in the story. HUNGER is the second book in a six-part series. Michael Grant is currently working on the third which will be titled LIES. HUNGER will be released June 2009, but be sure to read GONE first, you’ll need the backstory to really appreciate the sequel.
Sam is suffering from all the stress, Little Pete’s powers are getting scarier every day, some of the kids that haven’t developed powers are beginning to start trouble, and important people are switching sides. Danger is at its all time high. Death seems imminent.
Michael Grant has produced a very satisfying sequel. The tension and excitement in the story is palpable. Character development continues to be a strong point. The new characters that are introduced add to the plot, but our favorites from GONE continue to play a large role in the story. HUNGER is the second book in a six-part series. Michael Grant is currently working on the third which will be titled LIES. HUNGER will be released June 2009, but be sure to read GONE first, you’ll need the backstory to really appreciate the sequel.
October 15, 2017
-- 2017 --
Ook bij het herlezen bleef Hunger spannend. Ik houd van de manier waarop Michael Grant een wereld vol diverse en realistische personages weet neer te zetten. Elk personage heeft een goed uitgewerkt achtergrondverhaal en het is fantastisch om ze allemaal beter te leren kennen. Ook de manier waarop nieuwe personages zoals Orsay en Duck aan het verhaal worden toegevoegd voelt heel natuurlijk. En duizend hartjes voor Little Pete natuurlijk! Ik blijf fan van deze boeken!
-- 2014 --
I really enjoyed reading Hunger. I was afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I liked Gone but fortunately it was as awesome as the first book in this series.
Even with all the strange paranormal powers, I feel like this book is realistic; I imagine a world like grown ups would be like this. All the fighting, the hungry kids, it was kind of scary but realistic in my opinion.
I thought the writing style was amazing - it was impossible to put the book down. I can't wait to start with the next installment :D
Ook bij het herlezen bleef Hunger spannend. Ik houd van de manier waarop Michael Grant een wereld vol diverse en realistische personages weet neer te zetten. Elk personage heeft een goed uitgewerkt achtergrondverhaal en het is fantastisch om ze allemaal beter te leren kennen. Ook de manier waarop nieuwe personages zoals Orsay en Duck aan het verhaal worden toegevoegd voelt heel natuurlijk. En duizend hartjes voor Little Pete natuurlijk! Ik blijf fan van deze boeken!
-- 2014 --
I really enjoyed reading Hunger. I was afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I liked Gone but fortunately it was as awesome as the first book in this series.
Even with all the strange paranormal powers, I feel like this book is realistic; I imagine a world like grown ups would be like this. All the fighting, the hungry kids, it was kind of scary but realistic in my opinion.
I thought the writing style was amazing - it was impossible to put the book down. I can't wait to start with the next installment :D
March 13, 2021
Not bad. The story is definitely progressing into some interesting developments. I listened to the audio because I really didn't want to put in the work of the larger book after reading the big 850-page book I recently finished. The narrator isn't bad but his voice can get annoying at times.
September 11, 2012
I don't know what it is about these books, but I am officially hooked.
Between the mutant powers that kept sprouting up, the evil alien blob who lived underground, and the kids cooking the family pets...
I just couldn't put it down!
Every time I go to recommend this to a friend, I end up giving away the entire plot, so I'm gonna just shut up.
For once.
Read it for yourself and decide...
Between the mutant powers that kept sprouting up, the evil alien blob who lived underground, and the kids cooking the family pets...
I just couldn't put it down!
Every time I go to recommend this to a friend, I end up giving away the entire plot, so I'm gonna just shut up.
For once.
Read it for yourself and decide...
August 8, 2024
mój ulubiony fragment to ten jak idą przez pustynie z jakimś dwumetrowym prętem wypełnionym uranem
July 3, 2019
1.) Gone ★★★★
2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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February 13, 2019
Really liking this series so far!
January 29, 2023
OMG ... this series ... 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯!!
May 31, 2025
Boże co tu się odwaliło
May 17, 2010
Someone told me that Hunger is not as great as Gone. But man, I think Hunger is waaaay better than Gone. I'm not saying I didn't like Gone but my complain about GONE before was that everything happens so fast and its almost like a blur. For Hunger, the action scenes are sharper and the plot is more solid.
Michael Grant did an amazing job creating intense parallel events. There's always a huge thing happening in one place, at the same time on another place and sometimes also in an another different place. The action scenes are really non-stop that sometimes you have to stop reading and remind yourself to breath.
The only problem I got while reading it was there is a freaking huge number of characters. And it was really confusing at first cause there are characters that has somehow a similar name like Brianna and Brittney, Harry, Hunter and Hank, etc.. There are just a lot of characters that I even made my own top ten favorite characters for this particular book.(Posted here).
I guess the only weak point of the book is Sam and Astrid. They are too self-righteous and pretentious that at one point, they seem to be fake. Their romance is also weak, its too controlled and a little sappy. And for real Sammy boy,?? you are using "Babe" to call Astrid? How cheesier can that be.! Its a little evil but I somehow been glad when Astrid got hit and Sam was whipped. I think they deserve it to wake them up, step up their game and stop trying to be saints. Don't get me wrong, I sympathize Sam when he breaks down but he desperately needs to be a badass to redeem himself. I hope Michael Grant can redeem these two characters since they are the leads.
I really loved this book and I am eager to read LIES that I just bought over the weekend. But somehow I think I need to read something else first so that I wouldn't get the impression that HUNGER and LIES are not the same thing.
And boy oh boy! Chips, burgers and pizza tastes even better after reading Hunger. lol. :)
Michael Grant did an amazing job creating intense parallel events. There's always a huge thing happening in one place, at the same time on another place and sometimes also in an another different place. The action scenes are really non-stop that sometimes you have to stop reading and remind yourself to breath.
The only problem I got while reading it was there is a freaking huge number of characters. And it was really confusing at first cause there are characters that has somehow a similar name like Brianna and Brittney, Harry, Hunter and Hank, etc.. There are just a lot of characters that I even made my own top ten favorite characters for this particular book.(Posted here).
I guess the only weak point of the book is Sam and Astrid. They are too self-righteous and pretentious that at one point, they seem to be fake. Their romance is also weak, its too controlled and a little sappy. And for real Sammy boy,?? you are using "Babe" to call Astrid? How cheesier can that be.! Its a little evil but I somehow been glad when Astrid got hit and Sam was whipped. I think they deserve it to wake them up, step up their game and stop trying to be saints. Don't get me wrong, I sympathize Sam when he breaks down but he desperately needs to be a badass to redeem himself. I hope Michael Grant can redeem these two characters since they are the leads.
I really loved this book and I am eager to read LIES that I just bought over the weekend. But somehow I think I need to read something else first so that I wouldn't get the impression that HUNGER and LIES are not the same thing.
And boy oh boy! Chips, burgers and pizza tastes even better after reading Hunger. lol. :)
November 7, 2020
Hunger is the second novel in a six book series, but doesn't suffer from "middle book syndrome" too badly. In the previous novel, we saw the immediate aftermath of an event that caused everyone over the age of 15 to simply disappear from an American town. Part Lost, part Misfits, part Lord of the Flies, the children had to setup their own survival system,while dealing with some of them developing superpowers, and dealing with mutations in their surroundings.
This sequal novel picks up a few months later when the real issues with having a contained, children run town kick in- mainly food shortages, rivalries, and workshy children. The main drama comes from the continued war with a separate group of children, led by a sadistic leader.
I'm continuing to enjoy this series and will continue onto number 3.
This sequal novel picks up a few months later when the real issues with having a contained, children run town kick in- mainly food shortages, rivalries, and workshy children. The main drama comes from the continued war with a separate group of children, led by a sadistic leader.
I'm continuing to enjoy this series and will continue onto number 3.
May 29, 2017
And this is where the plot diverges from the paths of things like Under the Dome -- where that book lasted only about a week, Hunger jumps ahead three months into their isolated bubble, with no end in sight.
Which means depleting resources.
Which means the title of this book.
The kids are starving, literally dying from starvation unless they can manage to work together and cooperate and rebuild a sustainable society/economy. (Once again, this touches on my love of survival logistics and resource management!! I blame a childhood growing up on strategy games like Warcraft/Age of Empires, plus city simulators. I seriously just love reading books where people have to fuss over the arguably banal details of survival and running a society.)
But the title also applies to the Darkness' hunger, a motif that runs throughout the whole book as you slowly find out more about the malevolent presence haunting the town of Perdido Beach.
There's also the weight of responsibility which piles and piles and piles on Sam's shoulders now, being the leader for 300+ kids that he never asked for. Again with my usual Animorphs comparisons: it took Jake much much much longer to crack and splinter under the strain , but it actually makes sense to me. Because Sam has more lives resting directly on his shoulders, more weird real-world logistical issues to sort out (how do you plant crops!?), and then also immature kids bringing him totally pointless problems & petty disagreements as if he's their parent. I would want to dropkick some of those children into the Pacific ocean, tbh.
Small sidebar: a scene in the very first chapter alone merits this book the "nightmare fuel" tag, because I have a serious thing about . I can't deal. The exact same thing also happened in one of the earlier Remnants books, too, so hey, Mr. Grant, I'M ONTO YOU.
And now that I'm two books in, I'm attached to the characters! Super-spoilery thoughts:
And a few thoughts about the ending:
I don't want to say that much about the book outside of the cut-tags, because, again, spoilers! But I liked this one a lot. I've already bought the next book, and had to restrain myself from diving right into it (and distracting myself with some fluffy dragon fantasy instead). This is turning out to be a solid dystopian YA series (with superpowers), with really gritty visceral violence and the struggles of running a nascent society built on the backs of wastrel youths... and best of all, a premise that isn't your cut-and-dried autocratic dystopia with plucky anti-government rebellion.
Favourite quotes:
Which means depleting resources.
Which means the title of this book.
The kids are starving, literally dying from starvation unless they can manage to work together and cooperate and rebuild a sustainable society/economy. (Once again, this touches on my love of survival logistics and resource management!! I blame a childhood growing up on strategy games like Warcraft/Age of Empires, plus city simulators. I seriously just love reading books where people have to fuss over the arguably banal details of survival and running a society.)
But the title also applies to the Darkness' hunger, a motif that runs throughout the whole book as you slowly find out more about the malevolent presence haunting the town of Perdido Beach.
There's also the weight of responsibility which piles and piles and piles on Sam's shoulders now, being the leader for 300+ kids that he never asked for. Again with my usual Animorphs comparisons: it took Jake much much much longer to crack and splinter under the strain , but it actually makes sense to me. Because Sam has more lives resting directly on his shoulders, more weird real-world logistical issues to sort out (how do you plant crops!?), and then also immature kids bringing him totally pointless problems & petty disagreements as if he's their parent. I would want to dropkick some of those children into the Pacific ocean, tbh.
Small sidebar: a scene in the very first chapter alone merits this book the "nightmare fuel" tag, because I have a serious thing about . I can't deal. The exact same thing also happened in one of the earlier Remnants books, too, so hey, Mr. Grant, I'M ONTO YOU.
And now that I'm two books in, I'm attached to the characters! Super-spoilery thoughts:
And a few thoughts about the ending:
I don't want to say that much about the book outside of the cut-tags, because, again, spoilers! But I liked this one a lot. I've already bought the next book, and had to restrain myself from diving right into it (and distracting myself with some fluffy dragon fantasy instead). This is turning out to be a solid dystopian YA series (with superpowers), with really gritty visceral violence and the struggles of running a nascent society built on the backs of wastrel youths... and best of all, a premise that isn't your cut-and-dried autocratic dystopia with plucky anti-government rebellion.
Favourite quotes:
May 14, 2013
3.5 stars. I thought this was an entertaining read, and coming off a couple heavier reads it was a nice break!
There were so many characters and plots going on during this one. I didn't really have a hard time keeping them all in line, I'm more worried about the ratio of meaningful review to crossing the line into a rambling review, but I'm going to try anyways!
First off, Astrid and Sam. As for their relationship, I still don't really believe it. This was something I had said for Gone and I still say it here. They feel more like friends than anything romantic.
Overall, I liked Astrid less in this book than in Gone. I'm not sure what it was about her, I just didn't really care about her. Sam was fine, I liked him as much as in Gone. He's definitely more at a breaking point, but I can't say I blame him!
Caine, Drake, and Diana Basically, they are as cynical and evil as ever. There were brief points where I almost felt bad for Caine and Diana but not overly so. And Drake is crazy as ever.
All other characters I like Edillio but I think he is a bit forgettable. He's in the book quite a bit yet I still haven't found him remarkable in any way. The same goes for Dekah for me.
I did like Brianna in this book and
Orc and Howard were pretty much the same to me as in Gone. Orc seems, maybe, like he's trying to be better overall though.
I'm not sure how to feel about Albert at this point. I really like him in Gone but it could go either way for me on him. We'll see how it plays out.
I thought Zil and Harry were crazy and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them yet. In case Drake and Caine aren't enough, let's add these lunatics!
The three most intersting secondary characters to me were Duck, Hunter, and Brittney. I am really interested to see what role Brittney has in future books!
Petey also is having some crazy dreams! I feel like he's going to play a big key role towards the end of the series with something. I'm interested to find out what it is.
I am sure I am still forgetting characters but off the top of my head, that's all I can think of right now.
There were so many characters and plots going on during this one. I didn't really have a hard time keeping them all in line, I'm more worried about the ratio of meaningful review to crossing the line into a rambling review, but I'm going to try anyways!
First off, Astrid and Sam. As for their relationship, I still don't really believe it. This was something I had said for Gone and I still say it here. They feel more like friends than anything romantic.
Overall, I liked Astrid less in this book than in Gone. I'm not sure what it was about her, I just didn't really care about her. Sam was fine, I liked him as much as in Gone. He's definitely more at a breaking point, but I can't say I blame him!
Caine, Drake, and Diana Basically, they are as cynical and evil as ever. There were brief points where I almost felt bad for Caine and Diana but not overly so. And Drake is crazy as ever.
All other characters I like Edillio but I think he is a bit forgettable. He's in the book quite a bit yet I still haven't found him remarkable in any way. The same goes for Dekah for me.
I did like Brianna in this book and
Orc and Howard were pretty much the same to me as in Gone. Orc seems, maybe, like he's trying to be better overall though.
I'm not sure how to feel about Albert at this point. I really like him in Gone but it could go either way for me on him. We'll see how it plays out.
I thought Zil and Harry were crazy and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them yet. In case Drake and Caine aren't enough, let's add these lunatics!
The three most intersting secondary characters to me were Duck, Hunter, and Brittney. I am really interested to see what role Brittney has in future books!
Petey also is having some crazy dreams! I feel like he's going to play a big key role towards the end of the series with something. I'm interested to find out what it is.
I am sure I am still forgetting characters but off the top of my head, that's all I can think of right now.
July 15, 2013
First off, let me say that I am writing this at 3 in the morning. Please forgive any grammar mistakes or lack of coherency.
Okay, so this was a reread. I like rereading books that I've enjoyed, and I wanted to reread the first two before reading the next two in the series. Although it may be a while before I get to read those.
Anyways.
It went a lot slower for me, this time, than the first time. I'm not saying it wasn't gripping, exactly; once I'd start reading it again, I'd get hooked. But when I had free time, when I could've easily picked it up and read, I didn't have the desire. It didn't pull at me.
I really like the Gone series. It's an extremely unique idea; intriguing, powerful, intricate, horrifying, incredibly dark. Action and gore and power plays and war. So refreshing when compared to a lot of YA these days.
But the perspectives. Oh G-d, the perspectives. I missed a few on my one status update. There were not 18 perspectives. There were 21 perspectives.
Now I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. Yes, I realize that the majority of these perspectives were somewhat necessary, that they told important parts of the plot, but G-d . . . 21? I know there are at least a few he could easily have chopped without hurting the book. As it is, I'd find myself really getting into one person's POV, and then their section ends, and I don't get to read about them again for a few chapters. That was incredibly frustrating.
Then there are the characters themselves. Some of the characters I love. Caine, Diana, Lana, Orc, Edilio, Dekka, Duck. But some of the characters, some of the "good" characters, annoyed the shit out of me. Sam, our hero Sam. Sometimes I really liked him. Sometimes I wanted to punch him in the face. Astrid, the hero's girlfriend. She's supposed to be a genius, but honestly, most of the time I just see a stuck-up girl using big words. She did not appeal to me.
There were a few other characters I was a bit iffy on as well.
Also, I found an uncomfortable amount of typos. Editors, icu.
That aside, it was a very, very good book. I'm so amazed at Grant's ability to construct these incredibly intricate plots and keep it all together, lead it all to a certain point, a fitting conclusion. Like I said before, it's so incredibly unique, and once I really got into the action, I couldn't tear myself away. Some have complained about Grant's very choppy, dramatic writing style, but I think it's absolutely perfect for these books.
My problems with the perspectives and characters left me unable to rate this a five star, but it is a very solid four star. I really like this series, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark, action-filled stories with sci-fi, mutations, and a lot of horror.
Okay, so this was a reread. I like rereading books that I've enjoyed, and I wanted to reread the first two before reading the next two in the series. Although it may be a while before I get to read those.
Anyways.
It went a lot slower for me, this time, than the first time. I'm not saying it wasn't gripping, exactly; once I'd start reading it again, I'd get hooked. But when I had free time, when I could've easily picked it up and read, I didn't have the desire. It didn't pull at me.
I really like the Gone series. It's an extremely unique idea; intriguing, powerful, intricate, horrifying, incredibly dark. Action and gore and power plays and war. So refreshing when compared to a lot of YA these days.
But the perspectives. Oh G-d, the perspectives. I missed a few on my one status update. There were not 18 perspectives. There were 21 perspectives.
Now I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. Yes, I realize that the majority of these perspectives were somewhat necessary, that they told important parts of the plot, but G-d . . . 21? I know there are at least a few he could easily have chopped without hurting the book. As it is, I'd find myself really getting into one person's POV, and then their section ends, and I don't get to read about them again for a few chapters. That was incredibly frustrating.
Then there are the characters themselves. Some of the characters I love. Caine, Diana, Lana, Orc, Edilio, Dekka, Duck. But some of the characters, some of the "good" characters, annoyed the shit out of me. Sam, our hero Sam. Sometimes I really liked him. Sometimes I wanted to punch him in the face. Astrid, the hero's girlfriend. She's supposed to be a genius, but honestly, most of the time I just see a stuck-up girl using big words. She did not appeal to me.
There were a few other characters I was a bit iffy on as well.
Also, I found an uncomfortable amount of typos. Editors, icu.
That aside, it was a very, very good book. I'm so amazed at Grant's ability to construct these incredibly intricate plots and keep it all together, lead it all to a certain point, a fitting conclusion. Like I said before, it's so incredibly unique, and once I really got into the action, I couldn't tear myself away. Some have complained about Grant's very choppy, dramatic writing style, but I think it's absolutely perfect for these books.
My problems with the perspectives and characters left me unable to rate this a five star, but it is a very solid four star. I really like this series, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark, action-filled stories with sci-fi, mutations, and a lot of horror.
January 23, 2026
Rated:
5 Stars: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Fantastic Read
Kindle Unlimited
2XRead
A solid follow to Gone. I loved it! Couldn't put it down. A thrill and scare rolled into one. A-MAZ-ING!!!!
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
5 Stars: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Fantastic Read
Kindle Unlimited
2XRead
A solid follow to Gone. I loved it! Couldn't put it down. A thrill and scare rolled into one. A-MAZ-ING!!!!
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
August 14, 2024
This is the sequel to the novel Gone. Hunger picks up three months into the FAYZ. The children of the FYAZ are now struggling and having the most challenging time finding order and keeping things together. But what would you expect in an area where the oldest person around is 15 years old?
One review I saw contained that Sam was unrealistic for a 15-year-old because what he does is not typical of a teenage boy. But many people need to realize that he is not an ordinary boy. He had to take on a great deal of responsibility from before the time in the FAYZ. Remember, he is the boy that saves the bus. Everyone did not even give him much choice regarding being the leader. He has to self-sacrifice because, honestly, it is all that he knows. From the life he led before the phase with his mother to now within the FAYZ. He has to save everyone else permanently, and no one considers if he is doing alright as well.
Now that my defense of Sam is over. I think Michael Grant gets better and better with each book he writes for this series. The story is so attention-grabbing that even scenes that are not acting packed still keep you entertained. You want to know what is going on in the other characters' little subplots that don't just feel like boring fillers but have a natural flow to things. As I read along, I think I am right within the FAYZ. To feel transported into the book is what I love about this series.
I originally read this series when I was 14, the same age that many of our characters start the FAYZ of the series. It was a great read, and I felt I could relate to the teenage difficulties the main characters thought of throughout this book. Reading this series 14 years later, I am still fully invested in this story, as if I am reading it for the first time and analyzing it with a different eye. Michael Grant has done a great job of writing a story that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age who wants a good sci-fi story. The main driving plot for the fact that I am looking at this story in a different light is how easily one can develop hatred for others due to differences. Especially with the political and racial climate within America, I think Michael Grant does a great job at showcasing to readers how it is not beneficial to the progression of society to have hateful and bigoted ideologies.
One review I saw contained that Sam was unrealistic for a 15-year-old because what he does is not typical of a teenage boy. But many people need to realize that he is not an ordinary boy. He had to take on a great deal of responsibility from before the time in the FAYZ. Remember, he is the boy that saves the bus. Everyone did not even give him much choice regarding being the leader. He has to self-sacrifice because, honestly, it is all that he knows. From the life he led before the phase with his mother to now within the FAYZ. He has to save everyone else permanently, and no one considers if he is doing alright as well.
Now that my defense of Sam is over. I think Michael Grant gets better and better with each book he writes for this series. The story is so attention-grabbing that even scenes that are not acting packed still keep you entertained. You want to know what is going on in the other characters' little subplots that don't just feel like boring fillers but have a natural flow to things. As I read along, I think I am right within the FAYZ. To feel transported into the book is what I love about this series.
I originally read this series when I was 14, the same age that many of our characters start the FAYZ of the series. It was a great read, and I felt I could relate to the teenage difficulties the main characters thought of throughout this book. Reading this series 14 years later, I am still fully invested in this story, as if I am reading it for the first time and analyzing it with a different eye. Michael Grant has done a great job of writing a story that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age who wants a good sci-fi story. The main driving plot for the fact that I am looking at this story in a different light is how easily one can develop hatred for others due to differences. Especially with the political and racial climate within America, I think Michael Grant does a great job at showcasing to readers how it is not beneficial to the progression of society to have hateful and bigoted ideologies.
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