Customer Reviews

Hunger: A Gone Novel

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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, 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!

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

This book was a very dissapointing sequal to Gone. I could barley read it all. The only reason I finnished is because Im a reader who has to finish the book but come on! it droned on and on.......and on again. And Sam is acting all high and mighty and stuff. He doesnt want to think other peoples ideas to survive is good. Then some ones dies just to save the rest of thier ungreatful butts. And Sam is all mopey and stuff. Everyone is mopey of course and hes still a kid but like i said before COME ON. Read if your a fan but i personally could barley get through it.

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.

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...

I liked Gone, but I liked Hunger a lot more. this book addressed quite a few of the issues I had from the first book. Since rationing food really didn't seem to be taken all that seriously at first, and no one wants to harvest the fields everyone is hungry. Things are getting desperate, and everyone seems to be reaching there breaking point. It was tough watching Sam struggle to get people motivated to try to help save there own lives. There are also a few main characters that are driving me nuts, pick a side already! I am curious to see where this human vs freaks story lines goes. Also I loved watching Sam and Caine towards the end. If only they could continue to work together maybe things would get better. Now the Darkness...I oddly enough hope we see more, I find its attachment to certain people very intriguing. I give this one 4 stars!

Hunger takes you on a ride and doesn't let you go. I devoured it in two days and was left yearning for more.

Once again Sam is bombarded with stress from being in charge. Astrid stays by his side and helps him with all of his difficulties. But now after 3 more months almost all of the food is gone in the FAYZ and the fields are infested with zekes, man-eating worms. As starvation begins to set in kids become desperate. Tensions begin to rise to when humans and freaks start to divide. After three months of fevers and nightmares from the Darkness Caine finally awakens. He launches an attack on the Power plant in order to please the darkness. The healer decides to try and destroy the darkness. Mother Mary starves herself nearly to death. Petey begins to make monsters in his dreams. Duck gains the power to change his density. And much much more occurs. This just shows how much Micheal Grant manages to fit into his stories.

The point of view changes make this story the masterpiece it is. I'm always dying to know what Sam will do when the next catastrophe strikes, or when Sam will learn of this. It kept me constantly engaged in what was going on in the story.

Some of the moments are graphic, frustrating or upsetting but they're all realistic. The reason why these moments are like that are not because of poor writing it's just the way that people react in times of desperation. Micheal Grant does a wonderful job of developing many different personalities in his characters. The Emotions he creates are so realistic there almost tangible.

i liked this book but didnt think it was as good as the first one. this one was definitely more scary and dark than the first one. it also dealt with some innapropriate mterial for younger kids. i was diisapointed with some of the plot.

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 readers with surprises on every page. The sequel also offers fistfuls of colorful characters, each as interesting and engaging as the next, with problems to which readers can relate and problems never dreamed up in the wildest nightmares. Grant challenges his readers with intense subject matter, like bigotry and war, and sometimes-violent confrontations, always giving them something to think about long after the book is finished. Hopefully he won't keep his fans waiting too long for LIES, the next installment in this incredible series.