Gone

What would you do if in a minute your whole world changed?  If everything you had grown up with and took advantage of was taken away from you?  This frightening event comes about for the kids in Perdido Beach, California.  In the blink of an eye, all the adults and teens over 15 disappear, leaving babies, middle schoolers; everyone younger alone and left to fend for themselves.  There is no cell phone service, no Internet reception, and no radio or TV.  As lines are drawn, sides taken, and secrets revealed, the kids must band together to survive.  With mutating animals, a sinister plan, and changes to the kids, friends show themselves true, and the survivors learn how the worst situation can bring about opportunities.  This book is really action packed and will definitely hold your attention.

Imagine all the adults in your life suddenly disappear.  Isn't that every teen's fantasy?  Leave me alone - I know how to take care of it all by myself!  That's where this amazing book starts, and oh what a ride it is.  I highly recommend it to any teen who loves science fiction or realistic fiction - my only caveat is that it's a long book, so you have to be ready to dive in.

Gone sucked me in from the very beginning.  I was caught - completely immersed in this imaginary world where the kids are in charge.  One day, sitting in history class, Sam Temple's teacher disappears.  Suddenly, he's just gone - poof.  Sam starts exploring first his school and then the town.  The grownups have all completely disappeared.  The kids who are 13 and 14 are the oldest kids around, and so have to start figuring things out.  What do they do with kids who are hurt? What about the daycare center full of babies and toddlers without any teachers?  What about the kids who are raiding the grocery stores?  The excitement quickly turns to fear as a fire starts in a building near the daycare center.

The kids soon realize that they are completely by themselves without computers or cell phones, and without any sign of rescue.  They are trapped inside a force field barrier that surrounds the town, and whatever caused this is also causing mutations in birds and animals - along with some strange powers in some of the children.  Soon, a band of kids from an exclusive prep. school outside of the town come down - they want to be the leaders.   One of the reviews for Gone describes the book as Lord of the Flies written by Stephen King.

I couldn't put this book down.  Even though it's a long book (over 500 pages), I read it in a week - literally at every chance I got!   I really liked the suspense - it turns out that Sam's 15th birthday (when everyone disappears) is in just a few days.  The relationships between the kids appealed to me; I liked the way the friendship and then romance developed between Sam and Astrid.  I found the characters well developed and interesting.  I think this book would be a hit with girls and boys, grades 7 and up.