Hunger (Gone, 2)

In an instant, life changed dramatically for the residents of Perdido Beach, California --- or at least it did for everyone under the age of 15. No one knows what happened to those individuals over 15. They just disappeared. Now an impenetrable barrier encloses a 20-mile diameter area centered on the nuclear power plant, kind of like an inverted fish bowl or a bio-dome. And when a kid celebrates his 15th birthday, he, too, disappears. Or now, thanks to the ingenious videotaping and analysis of the event by one of the residents, a person can decide whether or not to stay when he reaches that age, but with no idea of what happens if he chooses to leave. Does he die, or merely escape? Sam Temple elected to stay, and that's why, at 15, he is now one of the oldest residents of the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone), which is what the kids call this freakish area in which they now live. Sam is a natural leader, so everyone voted him mayor. But the job is quickly shredding him to the bone as they all bombard him with their problems. The biggest issue in the FAYZ is the growing shortage of food, as the kids are slowly starving. There are crops standing in the fields, but only a few are willing to work. Those who are harvesting the crops encounter yet another challenge --- mutant worms with teeth that attack and eat anything or anybody that enters the fields. Mutant worms are just one of the strange developments occurring in the FAYZ; other animals are changing, too, like the aggressive coyote pack that can speak English. It's not just the animals that are experiencing mutations. Some of the kids are developing superpowers, such as speed, strength, healing, moving objects without touching them, etc. Those who aren't developing superpowers are becoming suspicious and jealous towards those who are. The "normals," as they call themselves, are organizing to raise a rebellion against the "freaks." Sam also has to worry about his fraternal twin brother, Caine. Caine and his gang of followers, including the disturbingly hateful Drake, are planning another attack, this time to take over the nuclear power plant to control electricity. Then there's the Darkness. The evil creature hiding deep in the old mine shaft is growing stronger, and he has his claws hooked into a few of the kids, controlling them and dictating their actions. He is hungry and looking for food. Sam struggles with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has help from his girlfriend, the genius Astrid, and his buddies Edilio and Quinn, but the problems are just too much. Astrid's little brother, Pete, who has autism, has had a bigger hand in the entire FAYZ situation than most know about, and his powers seem to be growing. Mere survival has once again become the focus of this new frontier called the FAYZ. Just as riveting and magnetic as GONE, HUNGER captures the reader tooth, hook and claw, never once letting go. Michael Grant's immense talent with action and suspense will amaze eager read

Admittedly, I'm not in Michael Grant's target audience; in fact, I'm well beyond it. But I still vastly enjoyed both books in this series thus far. (If you haven't read Gone, make sure you read it first; you'll thank me later!) I'm not going to go much into the plot; that's already been done. I want to concentrate on the review part. When I look for a book (and I am an avid reader), I look for something that will transport me, make me forget about reality and concentrate on the book. This book did it. (Apparently, it worked for Stephen King, so I'm in good company there!) I highly recommend this book to both teenagers (it has violence, so tread carefully) and adults.

Got my copy of "Hunger" on Friday and couldn't start it right away because I was in the middle of another book. Stayed up and finished the started book so I could start it Saturday morning. It was every bit as exciting as "Gone". I read until my hands were numb from holding the book and then read some more. It keeps you right on the edge of your seat and you can not lay it down. You just have to see what happens next. More and more normals are developing powers as the food is quickly disappearing. Nobody wants to work in the fields to get the vegetables and fruits that are rotting away. And if that's not bad enough once they do get a few kids out there, there are worms that eat right through their shoes into their bodies. Ugh!! And this was a calm day. Wait until Caine decides to take over the power plant. Like I said, it's nonstop action that will not allow you to put this book down. Don't know what I'll read until the next book in this series comes out.

In a blink of an eye all the adults and the youths over 15 vanished from the tiny Californian town of Perdido Beach, leaving behind a desolate post-apocalyptic setting rife with very strange mutations... and stranded children forced to fend for themselves and cope with terrifying challenges. And that is Gone, recapped. SPOILERS from now on, scattered pretty much all over the place, like landmines. As HUNGER opens, three months have elapsed since the monumental Thanksgiving showdown with the sinister Coates Academy. But, for the 332 kids of Perdido Beach, things have only gotten worse. In the struggle for day-to-day survival, starvation is tapping on the door. Perdido Beach's inexperienced (and teenaged) administrative heads are at wit's end, and the stress is even getting to School Bus Sam, the town's looked upon hero and savior. It's not only that the children now lack the motivation to work, but potential foods waiting to be harvested, like the horrifying cabbage field, turn out to be very capable of biting back. Then there are these: Wolves who speak. Bats who swim. Worms with teeth and territorial aspirations. Freaky mutations abound. After months of silence, there's a stirring in the Coates Academy. Caine, the Academy's power-bent telekinetic leader (and Sam's fraternal twin brother), has finally recovered enough to begin scheming again. But Caine's dreams are now haunted by the gaiaphage, that dark presence lurking in the mine shaft. Equally alarming, something new and scary is up with Little Pete, Astrid's severely autistic 5-year-old brother. Little Pete just may be the most powerful mutant around, so it's always disconcerting when he demonstrates his abilities. Suddenly, he's bringing imaginary monsters to life. Comparisons to LORD OF THE FLIES and the X-Men are, I think, pretty spot on. HUNGER continues the dissolution of civilized veneer in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) and the ongoing compromising of the characters' morals and ethics. New characters surface with suddenly developed mutant powers, including a forest ranger's daughter who can sneak into people's dreams, a boy who can sink, and a girl who can't seem to die. Grant writes in several crackling action sequences, although, this time, not enough of them to suit me. To further shine up that X-Men parallel, certain of Perdido Beach's non-powered residents begin to feel more and more threatened by (and also jealous of) the mutants. And so bring on the paranoia and the persecution - and can those screams of "Die, mutie!" be far behind? It's interesting to me, though, that of all the mutants in these books, only one person perceives herself a superhero (that would be the happy-go-lucky speedster Brianna, one of my favorite characters and a.k.a. the Breeze). The main thrusts of the book are Perdido Beach's desperate struggle to keep on keepin' on and the gaiaphage's insiduous influence manifesting itself thru the children. HUNGER, the second in a projected six-book series,