Hunger: A Gone Novel [Paperback]

Michael Grant (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 6, 2010 | Series: Gone

It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–In the second in a planned six-book series, the children of Perdito Beach, CA, have survived without adults for three months following the FAYZ, a nuclear event that caused everyone over the age of 14 to vanish and an impenetrable barrier to rise for 20 miles around the town. Now their food is almost gone, and in their desperation and fear, the young people are beginning to sort themselves into factions; those without special powers opposing those who have them. To add to the suspense, a terrifying presence that calls itself the Gaiaphage, a being of overwhelming hunger, is insinuating itself into the minds of the susceptible. Like Gone (HarperTeen, 2008), this novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Nonstop action and recurring scenes of graphic violence, death, and torture will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they race toward the climactic cliff-hanger ending. Give this to teens who liked Stephen King's The Stand (Doubleday, 1990) or William Golding's Lord of the Flies (Penguin, 1959).–Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"* '... exciting, high-tension story told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up. This is great fiction. I love this book.' Stephen King, bestselling author. 'A tour-de-force that will leave readers dazed, disturbed, and utterly breathless' Booklist; 'If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a little like this' Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review) 'I Love this book' - Stephen King, bestselling author" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061449083
• ISBN-13: 978-0061449086
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Teens > Horror

More About the Author

Michael Grant was born in a manger.

Okay, no he wasn't. And that was a stupid thing to say. There was no manger. It was a log cabin. A log cabin in Los Angeles.

Or possibly a trailer.

And then while defending his country (technically it was his father, he was just an Army brat,) he moved all over the country and to France and became the incredibly well-educated, well-rounded, well-adjusted . . .

Yeah, okay that last part's a lie, too. The moving everywhere thing is true. But the sad reality is that Michael's a rootless, disconnected, indifferently-educated, sullen, obnoxious, disaffected misanthrope. With no hair. I mean seriously: look at the man's head. Do you see hair? No.

Where was I? I mean he.

Michael Grant is married to Katherine (K.A.) Applegate. They've been together for 30 years. Which doesn't say much for Katherine's judgment does it? And they've been writing for 20 years, sometimes as partners -- BOYFRIENDS/GIRLFRIENDS, ANIMORPHS, EVERWORLD -- and sometimes on their own.

Michael and Katherine have two kids, Jake 12 and Julia 9. (Feet tall. Get it? 12 feet tall? Ah hah hah. Yeah, okay: not funny.) Anyway, the point is that Michael Grant is the author or co-author of 150 books. Yeah: 150. Most recently the critically-acclaimed GONE and HUNGER.

No, really: critically-acclaimed by VOYA, Booklist, School Library Journal, KLIATT and Publishers Weekly. And best of all by Stephen Freaking KIng himself! Oh, yeah: THE Stephen King. Of course Kirkus dumped on him, but Michael would like to make it clear that Kirkus is in no way a collection of illiterate halfwits. No! Never would Michael say such a thing.

Michael can be reached on Twitter @theFAYZ, or on Facebook as "authorMichaelGrant."

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#32 in Books > Teens

#32 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You know you're in a world of hurt when even the cabbage bites back... May 26, 2009

By H. Bala TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

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, shows no sign of letting up, no diminishing at all of pace and energy and plot advancement. Everything that I liked about GONE is here. Michael Grant continues his tear-the-roof-off brand of storytelling, adding more flourishes to his world-building and staying with the good character development. New plot points are introduced, and I'm very curious now to see where Brittney's storyline will go, this book leaving her in a very messed up sitch. Also, we get more background on the part the nuclear facility played in the massive disappearances and the emergence of the FAYZ.

The heart and conscience of the series is still Sam, a huge chunk of the story told thru his perspective. But the burden of keeping the town going is visibly wearing down School Bus Sam. In HUNGER we see him full of doubts and finally quite eager to divest himself of his responsibilities. And so, when it matters most, can he come thru for the children he safeguards?

But while Sam is the featured protagonist, it's still an ensemble cast, and a terrific one. Grant's characters feel complex and believable, believable even given these extraordinary circumstances. Astrid the Genius makes a very likeable heroine, and I wish she'd had a more prominent role (for most of the book, she's pretty much relegated to worrying about Little Pete). Whether or not you like the enterprising Albert, he's an interesting cat and the most forward-looking inhabitant of Perdido Beach, and it's cool watching him trying to scope out the big picture and even re-establish a monetary system. Even the so-called bad guys, Caine and Diana, aren't etched in straight out villainy (the arm-tentacled Drake, though, is irredeemably heinous, never mind that Stephen King seems to favor him). Bullies have become prohibitive good guys, even if Orc is motivated by the reward of beer for his good deeds - and Computer Jack is so wishy-washy that he can't figure out which side he's on. Anyway, things happen. The stakes escalate. There's a desperate, knuckle-gnawing confrontation with the fiendish thing in the mine shaft. By the end, character dynamics will have changed, the status quo shooken up. Not everyone makes it.

This being only the second installment, there are many questions still left looming. We're still waiting to learn just where the rest of the people went. Is Earth waiting beyond the bubble? Or was Perdido Beach translocated to another dimension? What happens to the kids who vanish on their 15th birthday? How important is Little Pete? Michael Grant keeps the pedal to the metal, and I, for one, am pretty psyched and totally hooked into this series. The third volume, which will be titled LIES, cannot come any sooner.

Okay, one gripe: I just don't dig the acronym, the FAYZ. It smacks of Michael Grant trying to be too cute. Other than that - awesomeness! Read more ›

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner!! May 31, 2009

By Lisa A. Richards

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too May 29, 2009

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

Having not read the first book in the series, GONE, I was thoroughly intrigued about this book.

HUNGER takes place three months after the events of the previous story. The kids are running out of food, gaining powers, and a Darkness is calling to some of the members of The FAYZ.

I enjoyed this story so much that after I read it I promptly ordered the first book. I am eagerly awaiting its arrival so that I can see how this all started.

I thought the story flowed very well, was well-written, and the characters pulled me in from beginning to end. I literally had trouble putting the book down once I started reading.

HUNGER can stand alone, but you'll probably want to read the first title in the series, like me, either before or after finishing this one.

Reviewed by: Breia "The Brain" Brickey

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Hunger didn't leave me hungry for more. May 9, 2010

By MH

Format:Paperback

I read Gone by Michael Grant and LOVED it. so I was SUPER excited when I got my hands on the 2nd book Hunger. however, it took me longer to read this book than I expected. This book did not live up to my expectations. Although, yes some of the parts of the book were great, I felt like the plot was very underdeveloped & drug on & on at some points. I still love this series though & will be reading the 3rd book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Gone but leaves you hanging for more June 28, 2009

By Debbie's World of Books

Format:Hardcover

This is a 3.5 stars really.

I have to admit I did not enjoy this one as much as Gone but boy does it leave you with a cliff hanger and anxiously waiting to find out what will happen in the next book. This second book definitely felt darker to me and more along the lines of Lord of the Flies. There are killer snakes guarding fields of food, "normal" kids facing off against the "freaks" and there is still the Darkness underground, bidding its time. While the Darkness, Caine and Drake are still threats the most disturbingly fascinating part of this book is seeing how everyone is reacting to the panic of the lack of food and what they are willing to do for any piece of food they can get. I felt the book could have been much shorter than the near 600 pages but I still cannot wait for the next book to see what Caine will do next and what happens with Brittany.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars loved it!!! May 27, 2009

By T. Ward

Format:Hardcover

Was so excited when I saw this in store,bought it and have sat here last day and half reading it..once stuff got going it kept me on the edge of my seat.I loved all the new characters that were introduced and was glad the other ones had great storylines.Brianna aka the Breeze is as adorable as ever and Albert with his "McClub"..mr entrepreneur...Everyones story was told and I liked that.I can't wait for the next one....beer me...