Book: Gone (Series) by Michael Grant

Date Read: June 13 to October 26, 2018

Rating: 4 (of 5) stars

Lies

I found this next novel in the Gone series to be a bit more interesting than the previous, Hunger. As in the previous books, there are multiple simultaneous plot lines, all of which seem to move at a fairly quick pace. We get to see a new side of Astrid as the town leader. I was excited for this development, but felt that she became an unlikable character very quickly– many of the minor flaws from the previous books came to the forefront– although I do feel there is some redemption for her in the end.

There are developments in knowledge about the “Darkness” (now being referred to as the Gaiaphage), and the FAYZ in general. Most intriguing, I felt, was some blurring of lines to go along with this. We learn more about the Gaiaphage as a force against the children of the FAYZ, but see some overlap and connection between the Gaiaphage and Little Pete. We also get a brief glimpse into the world outside the phase, although there is some ambiguity about how much of this is reality.

One thing I started to notice and appreciate in this book is the balance of good and evil, and wins and losses. Astrid and Orsay are set at odds with each other over the truth of Orsay’s “prophecies,” although it’s not clear which side is the actual truth. There are two major culminating “battles” of sorts– Zil’s chaos with the Human Crew, and Mary’s eventual meltdown as she reaches the age of 15. While both of these could be considered overall victories for Perdido Beach, they are also mental losses: Zil is taken down as a leader, but much of the town is destroyed; the risk and danger to the young children is averted at the last second, but Mary, who has been an important figure up to this point, is lost when she chooses to “step out.”

Plague

Plague starts with a time of relative calm in the FAYZ. Some systems have been agreed upon and instituted, and things seem to be running smoothly. With the calm in Perdido Beach, it seems reasonable when Sam is sent to find a new source for water. This sets up an interesting dynamic for most of the novel: for the most part, Sam is on a hopeful and fruitful journey; by contrast, the sickness and danger begin to grow in Perdido Beach in his absence. While this is happening, there are also further developments related to the Gaiaphage, which really sets that stage for the remainder of the series. Drake/Brittney return in service of the Gaiaphage, and although lines are drawn between Sam and Caine, they both return as major players with some semblance of peace between them.

One thing I loved in this book is the inclusion of Little Pete’s perspective. He has autism, is nonverbal, and tends to tune out from the rest of the world. Up to this point, Little Pete has been portrayed as an important person in the FAYZ, but we do not really get a good picture of his experience. When we get to see the world from his eyes, it is a scary place of sensory overload. While it’s accuracy can obviously not be certain, I felt that Grant handled the task well.