Hunger (Gone) by Michael Grant (2009-05-26)

This book is a wonderfully written sequel to the original series-starting "Gone" and it surpassed all expectations of a sequel for the suggested material nature and genre. Dispite that I am an adult age, I find this "teen reading" book perfect for all ages! Definately recommended to all and a 'must read' for thoes who have read the first Gone series self-titled book.

I am enjoying the series, Written well keeps you interested but I would like them to have a little more triumph. Some times I feel kind of down that they never seem to get any joy. I am on the 4th book now and still reading.

Lot's of constant action no breaks. Otherwise a great book. I love micheal. Can't wait to read next book the author really made u feel connected to the characters. Also I thought he brang up their horrible hunger.

after i noticed that my book wasn't being shipped i wrote an email to TONICO.
they got back to me in no time. Mary explained to me that her car was unfortunately
towed and the book was inside. I definately felt bad afterwards. but she refunded
a dollar of my purchase. it seems to be fair so i was pretty glad about that.

I ordered this book on monday, given it would arrive between thursday or the next wednesday. Surprisingly I received it on thursday with the description it fit true. It was a pretty good deal considering it had been used, and I plan on buying more from the supplier. Thanks!

I generally avoid the science fiction genre because most of the technological and scientific terminology, references, and enhancements go way over my head, leaving me baffled and disinterested. Similarly, I often dislike the storylines because they’re so immersed in the technological and scientific aspects of the book and are generally extremely unbelievable, highly coincidental, or an unfortunate combination of the two.

Unfortunately, Hunger served to merely reinforce these preconceived notions and hesitancies with a complex, completely unrealistic plot that was laden with outrageous twists and turns. I had absolutely no idea what was going to be around the corner, let alone what was happening at any given moment. Furthermore, there were a multitude of scenes that seemed entirely too perfect to be realistic; each component was perfectly alined, and the characters all “happened” to be in a given place at a given time, making the unfolding events even less believable.

That being said, the book could have been significantly shorter and accomplished the exact same thing. 600 pages of circuitous text and exceedingly unnecessary plot points was enough to make me want to pull out my own hair.

While the book was exceedingly well-written with noteworthy dialogue and consistent pacing, there were many questions that were posed and an even greater number that were left unresolved, even by the end of the work. Disappointingly, both readers and the characters are left with virtually the same information or lack thereof that was present at the conclusion of the first installment. Consequently, as a reader, I found the satisfaction factor associated with gradually uncovering new details to be intrinsically absent.

The characters, all of which were under the age of sixteen, didn’t remotely act like children. Children don’t think through their actions before committing to them – they act on instinct with little to no forethought. While they were still immature and whined more often than would be acceptable or tolerated of an adult character in a comparable novel, they were savagely killing and beating one another, backstabbing and betraying each other, entering into serious relationships, etc. To put it simply, they acted like adults, which merely broadened the separation between Grant’s fictional universe and reality. Their behavior, in some instances, would not even be acceptable or expected of your average adult (barring serial killers and the like), let alone an eleven or twelve year old. While I understand that, with the host of available characters, Grant may have altered their behavior in an attempt to create drama and suspense as well as capture reader interest, it would have been less of an issue if he had instead adjusted the ages of his characters to more closely correlate with their thoughts and actions. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a fairly strong aversion to characters that don’t act their respective ages.

On a similar note, the alarming frequency and apparent longevity of relationships was similarly alarming for children of such a young age. Perhaps the established parameters associated with a relationship were even more surprising. In reality, very, very few individuals find their soulmates at the ages of 13, 14, or even 15, and their relationships are hardly serious at that age. As adolescents, holding hands is considered scandalous and gossip-worthy, let alone making it to a six months or one year anniversary. In comparison, the characters in Hunger were completely unphased by the all-too-common kissing, possessiveness, and moving in with one another. Once again, I’m highly convinced that I read a book about adults disguised as miniature humans.

Despite this disconnect, the primary relationship in the novel between Sam and Astrid was almost laughable. They interacted for all of about 20 pages in the entire work, and their encounters were limited to business-oriented conversations about the state of the FAYZ and its inhabitants. Without any physical or verbal indications that they were a couple, I would have guessed that they were friends at best, potentially even acquaintances.

Furthermore, the novel failed to establish dichotomies between various forces, such as good versus evil or right versus wrong. Few of the characters had any semblance of an established conscience, potentially due to their ages, and there was consequently no delineation between the morality of the actions of the protagonists and the antagonists. This also caused me to lose interest to the point that I no longer cared which side ultimately triumphed.

Based upon the Goodreads reviews that I read earlier today, my opinion is a highly unpopular one. Then again, I’m generally not a fan of science fiction novels, so take my review with a grain of salt and recognize that your experience while reading Hunger could be entirely different with a much more positive spin. My sole recommendation is not to pick up this book if you are not a science fiction fanatic as it could dissuade you from reading other higher quality works within the genre.

I do, unfortunately, feel obligated to continue with the series, as I received all of the books as a Christmas present a few years ago, so this could be an interesting few weeks!

For more reviews, visit my blog, Brewing Up Books: [...]

Bookshelves
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Read in January, 2011

Review
5 Stars:
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 was 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!!

Hunger brought even more to the table than Gone did. All of the characters are back, and some new ones are even introduced. Since the FAYZ has been up and running for three months, everyone is becoming hungry, as food has run low. When the FAYZ first began, all the stores were raided and now just about nothing is left. Sam decides that maybe it's time for kids to start doing some work, though nobody wants to join in and help even if helping guarantees survival. Some kids will never understand.

Everyone is hungry, and so is Gaiaphage. The Gaiaphage is a creature that lives in the caves. It can control people with its mind. It's scary, some of the people that it decides to control. Kids could lose their lives because of what The Gaiaphage does. The Gaiaphage's main goal is unknown, though let's hope that it never achieves it.

Though the hunger is new, one thing stays the same: children are still disappearing once they hit the age of fifteen. What happens after this is still unknown... the question is, would you want to know?

Sam is as great as ever. He continues trying to help everyone out, though maybe he doesn't want to. Sam knows that everyone relies on him though, and he won't let anyone down... especially Astrid and Little Pete. There is still no more word of Astrid's power, so I hope that more of that gets mentioned in future books. There's a lot of potential with her. Little Pete is still cute and helpless, though he has one of the best powers. He can pull himself and anyone else into a completely different place, though he still hasn't gotten out of the FAYZ. Brianna has my favorite superpower: superspeed. How cool would it be to whip around town at lightning speed? Yeah, thought so. Computer Jack is still stuck in between. I feel as if he's just going to whatever side he believes will help him the most in life. He doesn't seem to like sticking up for himself either. Diana and Caine continue to be evil, though they are still my favorite characters.

One kid, Hunter, has the superpower of looking at someone and making them hot from the inside out. He's practically like a microwave. While in a fight with his friend, another friend steps between them and Hunter accidentally harms him. Because of this, a whole new war begins between humans and those with powers. How will Sam stop this one?

Hunger definitely made me want to read more, so I can't wait to check out Lies. Who knows what's in store next? If you have yet to check out this series, I seriously think that you should check it out NOW. It's unbelievably amazing. It combines all of my favorite things: superpowers, multiple POVS, and a mysterious setting.

*This review may contain spoilers for Gone—book one in this series!*

Hunger picks up about three months after the events of Gone. The kids of Perdido Beach haven't had trouble from the Coates kids, but that doesn't mean life is grand, because bigger problems are beginning to develop. Problem number one is food. There isn't enough left for them to survive on. Sam attempts to put together a group to harvest crops that are lying untouched, ready to eat - but unfortunately, only a handful of people want to help. After one hurdle is passed, yet another arises. Mutated worms dubbed “zekes” have infested the crop fields and make it next to impossible to pick any of the food without deadly consequences. All roads now point to starvation, and hope is dwindling fast.

Meanwhile, at Coates, Caine is hatching a plan; a plan to get back at Sam and his crew. Not only that, but Caine has been overtaken by mind-control and thoughts directly from the Darkness; the Gaiaphage. It's hungry, and if it get's what it needs, things will go from bad to worse. Caine is slowly losing his sanity...

“‘I'm the brains!’ Caine shrieked. ‘I'm the brains! I'm the brains and the power, the true power, the four bar, the one. I am the one. Me! Why do you think the Darkness kept me for three days? Why do you think... Why do you think it's still in my... in my...’
There was an abrupt change in Caine's voice. For a second it was as if he was sobbing, not raging.”

... and the only remedy is to give the Gaiaphage what it wants.

- - -

When it comes to reviewing a book like this one, I am always at a loss. I have so much to say, yet I never know where to begin. There's too much in my brain. I sat on this review for over a month, and I am still lost. This book just floored me. It scrambled my brain completely.

*Beware of spoilers!*

Michael Grant is a master with science fiction. He is a master with all things strange and all things creepy. There were parts of this book that freaked me the hell out. I don't know if it's meant to be a little horror-esque, but for me it totally is. It gave me nightmares. The way he describes the feelings the kids get when they are close to the Gaiaphage is just perfection. I feel it myself! My heart rate picks up, I feel anxious... it's just creepy. But that's the power of this man's writing! It transports you directly into the story. Picturing this world is as easy as breathing. When I read about it, it's right there in front of my eyes. Grant has truly mastered the ability to keep his readers engrossed. So, that's an A++++ for descriptive writing and world-building. I didn't think it could get any better than Gone, but that's definitely untrue.

The same goes for the characters. Not only are we introduced to some wonderful, interesting new characters, but we also get to see the original group morph into different things throughout the story. For example, Sam is all about throwing himself a pity-party for a good portion of the book. He hates being in charge. He's angry, he's conflicted, he's exhausted. He's been put into the role of father and he can barely stand it. Eventually, though, he learns there is only so much he can do. He learns to let go of the things that drag him down. He learns that he doesn't have to shoulder so much burden when those close to him will help. These kids are forced to grow up quickly. They aren't just playing adults now, they have to be them. It's gone from fun to serious in just a couple short months. It's interesting to watch. Sam and Astrid fight like an old married couple. It'd be funny if it weren't so tragic. Astrid has become this buffer of sorts; trying to keep Sam calm and collected so he can handle his duties with as much grace as possible. In this way, she is definitely the Diana to his Caine.

Speaking of. Diana confuses me. One minute I think she is going to veer over to the side of good, but the next it seems she is only out for herself. Even by the end of the story, I still haven't been able to place her. She is somewhat of an enigma to me. Same goes for Caine. He seems sad and mislead more than actually evil. Drake is the evil one, that is clear. I am very curious to see how this all ends up playing out.

As for the rest of them... Jack continues to bounce from side to side. Good, bad, good, bad. Frankly, I don't like this guy. He is too much of a doormat. Then there's Breeze. She is a little cocky.. or, a lot cocky, really, but funny and enjoyable. Dekka is broody and definitely what I consider a strong female character. Duck is a new one. He has some interesting powers. Hunter is also new. He can basically cook things with his hands, which scares the heck out of him, but also comes in handy. There's Orsay; a new girl who has the power to enter the dreams of others. Definitely interesting. Can't wait to learn more about her. Then, most interesting of all, is Brittney. Brittney dies guarding the power plant, or so everyone thinks. Something strange happened to her and we don't quite learn what it is. It's left as the final cliffhanger. She's dead—or at least her body is dead, but her mind remains alive. Even after she is buried, her brain is alive and alert. I am horrified and intrigued by this tidbit and I can't wait to read the next installment to see what unfolds. I mean... wow, just wow. I can't even begin to imagine where Grant is taking this.

Let's talk about the Darkness; the Gaiaphage. We learn a lot more about this elusive thing in this book. We learn how it came to be (or, potentially), what exactly it is, and what it wants. It controls others through a form of mind-control or maybe possession, but seemingly only if they've gotten close enough to it like Lana, Caine, Drake, etc. It also has this strange connection with Little Pete. I don't quite understand what that connection is exactly, but it seems that the Gaiaphage is trying to use Little Pete to bring him to life; to give him a true form which he can use for whatever plans he has for the FAYZ. The whole situation is unbelievable, but in a good way. :)

Not only do we have the conflict with the Coates kids and the Darkness, but there's also a growing issue of Human vs. Freak. A lot of the kids without powers are getting angry and hostile. They think the kids with powers get special treatment, that they are too cocky, think they're better than the regular kids, etc. Sam is forced to put this issue on the back burner to handle the issues with the Darkness and Caine. All too soon, though, the problem is brought to his front doorstep. It's gone from a minor issue to a major one in the span of just a few hours.

Gone was a fast-paced book, but Hunger takes a little more time. It's still fast-paced, but it covers more ground than it's predecessor. The characters become more real; more fleshed out. The moral implications of the situation in the FAYZ become starkly apparent. The kids end up doing things they'd never have otherwise considered. For most of them it's a heartbreak, but for others it ends up a revelation of their darker side. People are born of two natures: good and evil. This is a prime example of the fact that the side which you choose to nurture defines the person you become. Hunger is a showcase of humanity at it's worst and at it's best. Grant hands it all out at the perfect pace. Not too fast, not too slow. He takes his time with the details, but keeps everything very suspenseful in that special way of his. :) I promise it'll be quite hard to take a break from this book!

Small note, but I love how Grant has his chapters counting down to something. This is quite the way to suspend your readers! lol I just want to skip ahead and read the ending at every chapter! I hope this continues throughout the series. It's a great detail.

Overall, this book was everything I expected and more. Grant has built up his characters and their world amazingly. He's given us a glimpse at what it would be like if kids ruled the world. It'd scary, sad, tragic, funny, hopeful, and surprising. This book is paced to perfection. The slow build-up of suspense is fantastic, and the climax wonderful. Grant left just enough of a cliffhanger to bring you right back to the next book. Although, for me personally, I wouldn't have needed it. This series has me by the proverbial balls, frankly. I am definitely moving on to book three very soon! I recommend this series to everyone! Old, young, boys, girls. I honestly believe this series is one that anyone could enjoy. It's clean and appropriate for middle-grade readers, but the writing and the plot are so startlingly impressive that any adult would enjoy it as well. Read it! You have to! :)