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Gone #3
Lies
It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.
As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?
It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.
As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?
447 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2010
About the author
Michael Grant
77 books11.2k followersCo-author with Katherine Applegate of Ocean City, Making Out, Summer, Animorphs, Everworld, Remnants, Eve and Adam.
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.
Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.
Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.
AKA Michael Robinson (restaurant reviews and newspaper features).
AKA Michael Reynolds (legal name) political media producer. (Team Blue).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,704 reviews
July 28, 2021
Gone book 3 In the mysteriously (to most) cut-off and domed part of San Francisco known as the FAYZ hunger, wildness and savagery abound in he adult-less reality. There's wanton destruction, drug and alcohol abuse, accidents and more, and only one thing has helped create some form of order in Perdido Beach... money! It's not enough, with a rebellious and dangerous anti-'freak' movement; the existence of the deadly other faction led by Caine; rumours of a 'freak' in contact with people outside of the dome(!); and sightings of 'Zombies', the newly formed council resorts to using a very dangerous weapon... lies!
Although the core reality, continuity and character building all remains strong, I felt that there were too many sub-plots going on in this volume, which was made even worse when some of those sub-plots didn't even feed into the core storyline! The plus side with this, and all the volumes is the overarching mystery of the FAYZ itself, the Darkness and Little Pete, which more or less guarantees me reading this entire series - but, this is by far the weakest volume 7 out of 12.
Although the core reality, continuity and character building all remains strong, I felt that there were too many sub-plots going on in this volume, which was made even worse when some of those sub-plots didn't even feed into the core storyline! The plus side with this, and all the volumes is the overarching mystery of the FAYZ itself, the Darkness and Little Pete, which more or less guarantees me reading this entire series - but, this is by far the weakest volume 7 out of 12.
February 6, 2012
Wow! Another greatly delivered book by Michael Grant. The 3rd installment of the GONE series is not to be missed.
Just when Sam and his town have conquered hunger, Orsay is claimed to be able to see past the FAYZ wall. Lies? Unsure. Drake is rumoured to be back from the dead. Lies? Unsure. Brittney seem to be a tough little cookie who is not yet ready to give up her fight with Death yet. She is aslo rumoured to have returned. As if lies and rumours were not enough, Zil is teaming up with Caine for the unltimate desctuction of Perdido Beach. Can Sam handle all this? Will Astrid let him?
This fabulously fabricated book kept me guessing and wondering throughout the entire night. It's darker than the previous two books but that's exactly what was needed to bring this series to an even higher level. Decisions will be made. Paths will cross. A great book that revealed a secrect that many of us readers have been wondering since GONE. What is outside the FAYZ wall? This book involved a lot of mental actions unlike the first 2 books in the seiries. But the struggles that these characters face are still very close to the heart. A great book many of us can relate to.
I wish I could give this book 11 out of 5! I could not put it down. Not even if my house was burning down.
Just when Sam and his town have conquered hunger, Orsay is claimed to be able to see past the FAYZ wall. Lies? Unsure. Drake is rumoured to be back from the dead. Lies? Unsure. Brittney seem to be a tough little cookie who is not yet ready to give up her fight with Death yet. She is aslo rumoured to have returned. As if lies and rumours were not enough, Zil is teaming up with Caine for the unltimate desctuction of Perdido Beach. Can Sam handle all this? Will Astrid let him?
This fabulously fabricated book kept me guessing and wondering throughout the entire night. It's darker than the previous two books but that's exactly what was needed to bring this series to an even higher level. Decisions will be made. Paths will cross. A great book that revealed a secrect that many of us readers have been wondering since GONE. What is outside the FAYZ wall? This book involved a lot of mental actions unlike the first 2 books in the seiries. But the struggles that these characters face are still very close to the heart. A great book many of us can relate to.
I wish I could give this book 11 out of 5! I could not put it down. Not even if my house was burning down.
March 27, 2011
Plot: 2.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Sci-fi Element: 3.5 stars
Ending: 3 stars
Overall: 3.3 stars
This series is getting weaker. After really enjoying the first two in the series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the third installment. But it just didn't add anything to the series, it was still well-written but I felt like the author was merely prolonging the story and not really moving the plot along. Maybe it's the old: longer series = more money, but that's just... crap.
July 3, 2019
1.) Gone ★★★★
2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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DAMN THAT WAS CRAY
2.) Hunger ★★★
3.) Lies ★★.5
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DAMN THAT WAS CRAY
August 5, 2011
I am a little bit sad. For the past two weeks, my life (well, my book life) has been revolved around reading this series. I re-read the thrill rides which are Gone and Hunger-- then it was time for the main event, the newest installment in the Gone series. Lies.
I have to say it wasn't my favorite in the series. The flaws I had previously brushed aside in the first too became so blatant in this one that I couldn't ignore them. Don't get me wrong- it was still fantastic and I enjoyed it immensely, but it just wasn't my favorite.
The first disappointment was the length. Hunger was a monster, but this one was like it's runty cousin. I was confused about that. Usually books get longer as the plot thickens, and I didn't see why that wasn't the case for this installment. I mean, it was certianly possible to make it longer. There were plenty of loose ends and point that could have been ellaborated on. Perhaps he wanted to leave that to the next book (Plague!!). Also, maybe the fact that the time period for this one was shorter (only a few days as opposed to a couple weeks) had something to do it.
All the characters were great though. They become darker, more complex. Gone (yay for puns!) are the innocent children. Now they are intense. Every person to the smallest tot carries a weapon. Everyone is looking out for themselves, most concerned only about getting food. They aren't hesitant to kill, either, or do what they have to to stay alive. And yes, everyone lies. Big manipulative lies that are the reason for the title. Everyone is changed though, for the worse or for the better. We are also introduced to some new characters, which makes up for the loss of some of the old ones (kinda). I really think Michael Grant is accurate is portraying the desperation these kids would have.
The writing was meh. I mean, it was never amazing to begin with, but in this book it got worse. I think he should get a new editor. Many typos and things that didn't add up to previous infromation given in the previous books. Sam said Caine and him where half brothers, when they are twins. Dekka said she loved Brianna from first sight, where in Hunger, she said she fell in love with Brianna when they were imprisoned. And where did Astrid's powers go? After the first book, they are never mentioned again.
The plot was kinda jumpy. I really love how he tries to get everyone's point of view in, but it didn't pull together that nicely. It was very character driven, and there was less sci-fi (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). It was also more slow-paced than the previous two.
Overall, I still really enjoyed it. This is one of my favorite series. It's thrilling and thought-provoking and dark. All the things I didn't quite like about Lies, I shall attribute it to being a middle book in the series. I am very excited for Plague and cannot believe the release date is an entire year away! Fortunately, Michael did some foreshadowing, which leaves me with great material for speculation.
And does anyone mind telling who the kids on the back cover are supposed to be? I'm guessing Brittney and Drake, but I'm not sure.
I have to say it wasn't my favorite in the series. The flaws I had previously brushed aside in the first too became so blatant in this one that I couldn't ignore them. Don't get me wrong- it was still fantastic and I enjoyed it immensely, but it just wasn't my favorite.
The first disappointment was the length. Hunger was a monster, but this one was like it's runty cousin. I was confused about that. Usually books get longer as the plot thickens, and I didn't see why that wasn't the case for this installment. I mean, it was certianly possible to make it longer. There were plenty of loose ends and point that could have been ellaborated on. Perhaps he wanted to leave that to the next book (Plague!!). Also, maybe the fact that the time period for this one was shorter (only a few days as opposed to a couple weeks) had something to do it.
All the characters were great though. They become darker, more complex. Gone (yay for puns!) are the innocent children. Now they are intense. Every person to the smallest tot carries a weapon. Everyone is looking out for themselves, most concerned only about getting food. They aren't hesitant to kill, either, or do what they have to to stay alive. And yes, everyone lies. Big manipulative lies that are the reason for the title. Everyone is changed though, for the worse or for the better. We are also introduced to some new characters, which makes up for the loss of some of the old ones (kinda). I really think Michael Grant is accurate is portraying the desperation these kids would have.
The writing was meh. I mean, it was never amazing to begin with, but in this book it got worse. I think he should get a new editor. Many typos and things that didn't add up to previous infromation given in the previous books. Sam said Caine and him where half brothers, when they are twins. Dekka said she loved Brianna from first sight, where in Hunger, she said she fell in love with Brianna when they were imprisoned. And where did Astrid's powers go? After the first book, they are never mentioned again.
The plot was kinda jumpy. I really love how he tries to get everyone's point of view in, but it didn't pull together that nicely. It was very character driven, and there was less sci-fi (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). It was also more slow-paced than the previous two.
Overall, I still really enjoyed it. This is one of my favorite series. It's thrilling and thought-provoking and dark. All the things I didn't quite like about Lies, I shall attribute it to being a middle book in the series. I am very excited for Plague and cannot believe the release date is an entire year away! Fortunately, Michael did some foreshadowing, which leaves me with great material for speculation.
And does anyone mind telling who the kids on the back cover are supposed to be? I'm guessing Brittney and Drake, but I'm not sure.
June 2, 2010
The title didn't do anything good to me but just made me paranoid while reading the book. It made me doubt everything in it. I want to believe the explanation to what happen to the adults but the title just makes me doubt it. I want to believe that Sam and Astrid has finally learned and finally embraced their dark side but the title makes me doubt it. I want to believe that the conflict between the freaks/moofs and normals is finally over but the title makes me doubt it. I want to believe that this is another epic book from an epic series and I certainly have no doubts about it.
Just like the first two books, LIES still gives me an adrenaline rush. This may not be as action packed as GONE and HUNGER but its more of a mind game. You will be caught in between conflicting ideas and be confused which to believe. At the same time, you can also feel that this is an introduction to the fourth book, PLAGUE, as per the new characters, the weird flu phenomena, etc. (This paragraph makes me wonder why I always feel that I need to type the book titles in capslock for this series. Sure, I read and reviewed books with one-word titles but only in this particular series that I feel a need to hit the capslock button.)
Its just now that I notice that for every book there are new characters emerging from the places left unexplored in the map. For HUNGER, Orsen came from the National Park while here in LIES the celebrity interracial adopted children(which you can also call as the Brad and Angelina Parody) came from the San Francisco de Sales Island. So I'll keep my eyes open for the future books cause if you look closely at the map, there are still places left unexplored like the Lake Tramonto, Evanston Air National Guard Base(this sounds like a major one), and the two other islands.
Although I missed some of my favorite characters like Jack and Brianna cause they don't have that much appearance, I am still glad for the development of the other characters. Sam for stepping up against Astrid and for finally embracing his natural human instinct(not his previous Acting President Instinct). Astrid for finally stop trying to be perfect. And Quinn for stepping up for himself and not just being someone else's sidekick. Ofcourse Little Pete who doesn't fail to surprise me and make me gasp. Like what I did with HUNGER, I also created my top ten LIES favorite characters which I posted here.
Caine and Diana's badass romance keeps getting better. Their romance (aside from Peeta-Katniss-Gale's which I am still undecided who's ship to ride on) is the only romance in YA books that I like. Diana just gave the most romantic scene in the book, if not for the whole series.
Overall, LIES is my 2nd favorite from the series so far. Just a little below HUNGER and a notch higher than GONE. I just can't wait for PLAGUE, which I suppose that can shake that ranking.
Just like the first two books, LIES still gives me an adrenaline rush. This may not be as action packed as GONE and HUNGER but its more of a mind game. You will be caught in between conflicting ideas and be confused which to believe. At the same time, you can also feel that this is an introduction to the fourth book, PLAGUE, as per the new characters, the weird flu phenomena, etc. (This paragraph makes me wonder why I always feel that I need to type the book titles in capslock for this series. Sure, I read and reviewed books with one-word titles but only in this particular series that I feel a need to hit the capslock button.)
Its just now that I notice that for every book there are new characters emerging from the places left unexplored in the map. For HUNGER, Orsen came from the National Park while here in LIES the celebrity interracial adopted children(which you can also call as the Brad and Angelina Parody) came from the San Francisco de Sales Island. So I'll keep my eyes open for the future books cause if you look closely at the map, there are still places left unexplored like the Lake Tramonto, Evanston Air National Guard Base(this sounds like a major one), and the two other islands.
Although I missed some of my favorite characters like Jack and Brianna cause they don't have that much appearance, I am still glad for the development of the other characters. Sam for stepping up against Astrid and for finally embracing his natural human instinct(not his previous Acting President Instinct). Astrid for finally stop trying to be perfect. And Quinn for stepping up for himself and not just being someone else's sidekick. Ofcourse Little Pete who doesn't fail to surprise me and make me gasp. Like what I did with HUNGER, I also created my top ten LIES favorite characters which I posted here.
Caine and Diana's badass romance keeps getting better. Their romance (aside from Peeta-Katniss-Gale's which I am still undecided who's ship to ride on) is the only romance in YA books that I like. Diana just gave the most romantic scene in the book, if not for the whole series.
Overall, LIES is my 2nd favorite from the series so far. Just a little below HUNGER and a notch higher than GONE. I just can't wait for PLAGUE, which I suppose that can shake that ranking.
June 16, 2013
4.5 stars
*This review contains spoilers from previous books in the series
Lies is the third book in the Gone series. What I love so much about this series is really the characters, and the insane situations that Michael Grant comes up with. Everything is so original and intense, and that's always good in a dystopian! I'm going to take a minute and give a play by play on some of the characters in the story.
Sam Sam is probably my favorite character of the series. He is really the main MC, but he was missing for a lot of this book. Just like in the last story, he is still dealing with his powers, and now he's feeling very stifled by Astrid. But what I love about Sam is really the "Hero" factor he has going on.
Astrid Astrid has never been my favorite character, but she was useful to the FAYZ. Not in this story! She infuriated me with her big ideals. She just wasn't being very practical, and seemed to think that she was always right. I really hope her character improves in the next book!
Little Pete He, again, seems like such a bit character until the very end and you realize just how much power he has. I think if anything will get the kids out of FAYZ, it will be Pete!
Caine Caine is also mostly a bit part for this story, but we get a whole new set of characters and location out of it. Caine is still his big, bad self, although he is now starving and makes some big mistakes in this story.
Diana I have always really liked Diana. She's smart and savvy, and knows exactly how to ride on Caine's coattails. I had a lot of respect for her by the end of this story.
Quinn Its taken three books, but I think Quinn is finally growing up! This is the character that has always driven me nuts, in just how stupid he can be at times! But not in this story! You know its bad when Quinn is the one to bring about order!
Edilio Edilio is one of the best characters in the FAYZ. He steps up again and again, and for a kid with no powers, I think that's huge! I think he gets taken for granted a lot because of it.
Lana Lana is another one of my favorites, but she is absent from a good chunk of the story. She's always waiting in the wings to heal people, but I think she's having a breakdown even worse than Sam's!
Albert Albert hasn't changed at all, and he is starting to come across as a little greedy in this book. I think its his way of dealing with chaos, in trying to make order out of it. He actually is a lot like Astrid, except much less emotional, and therefore, I think he's more effective.
Zil I was really hoping Sam would kill him in this story. He is such a waste of space! I don't want to give away any spoilers of what happens with him, but I was very pleased with it!
Mary Poor, poor Mary. I always feel so bad for her...she was kind of a wreck even before the FAYZ, and she flies under the radar a lot. She does so much for all those little kids, and she's falling apart at the same time! Astrid does something to her in this story that I think is unforgivable!
Orsay Orsay puzzled me the most in this story. I didn't really know what she was all about, and if her prophecies were real, or some trick of the Darkness (we know the Darkness can't really be gone, right?).
Nezerrah Again, she just kind of appeared, but I sensed she had an ulterior motive for everything she did.
Howard I think Howard finally shows his true colors in this story. He's always been Orc's sidekick, but he is finally getting a taste of power. I didn't really disagree with him, but he could have gone about things better.
Dekka Dekka is another favorite character of mine, and she is so kick ass by the end of this story!
Penny I don't really remember Pepper much in the earlier books, but she comes into this story like a bull! I think she is going to have some major power plays coming up!
Brittany Brittany comes up out of the ground, and a few of the powerful characters know she's around, but they are afraid to tell the kids. They fear her immensely, so she spends a lot of time alone, seeing her dead brother and talking to him. She's really pretty creepy in this book!
Brianna and Computer Jack make a few appearances, but they are suffering from some sort of flu, so they are bed ridden for a good chunk of the book. Orc is also around some, but only mentioned a few times. Same goes with Taylor. And what about Drake? Is he really dead?
Lots of things go down in this book, like the previous books, and the ending sets thing up nicely for the next book. We still have a lot of questions to be answered!
*This review contains spoilers from previous books in the series
Lies is the third book in the Gone series. What I love so much about this series is really the characters, and the insane situations that Michael Grant comes up with. Everything is so original and intense, and that's always good in a dystopian! I'm going to take a minute and give a play by play on some of the characters in the story.
Sam Sam is probably my favorite character of the series. He is really the main MC, but he was missing for a lot of this book. Just like in the last story, he is still dealing with his powers, and now he's feeling very stifled by Astrid. But what I love about Sam is really the "Hero" factor he has going on.
Astrid Astrid has never been my favorite character, but she was useful to the FAYZ. Not in this story! She infuriated me with her big ideals. She just wasn't being very practical, and seemed to think that she was always right. I really hope her character improves in the next book!
Little Pete He, again, seems like such a bit character until the very end and you realize just how much power he has. I think if anything will get the kids out of FAYZ, it will be Pete!
Caine Caine is also mostly a bit part for this story, but we get a whole new set of characters and location out of it. Caine is still his big, bad self, although he is now starving and makes some big mistakes in this story.
Diana I have always really liked Diana. She's smart and savvy, and knows exactly how to ride on Caine's coattails. I had a lot of respect for her by the end of this story.
Quinn Its taken three books, but I think Quinn is finally growing up! This is the character that has always driven me nuts, in just how stupid he can be at times! But not in this story! You know its bad when Quinn is the one to bring about order!
Edilio Edilio is one of the best characters in the FAYZ. He steps up again and again, and for a kid with no powers, I think that's huge! I think he gets taken for granted a lot because of it.
Lana Lana is another one of my favorites, but she is absent from a good chunk of the story. She's always waiting in the wings to heal people, but I think she's having a breakdown even worse than Sam's!
Albert Albert hasn't changed at all, and he is starting to come across as a little greedy in this book. I think its his way of dealing with chaos, in trying to make order out of it. He actually is a lot like Astrid, except much less emotional, and therefore, I think he's more effective.
Zil I was really hoping Sam would kill him in this story. He is such a waste of space! I don't want to give away any spoilers of what happens with him, but I was very pleased with it!
Mary Poor, poor Mary. I always feel so bad for her...she was kind of a wreck even before the FAYZ, and she flies under the radar a lot. She does so much for all those little kids, and she's falling apart at the same time! Astrid does something to her in this story that I think is unforgivable!
Orsay Orsay puzzled me the most in this story. I didn't really know what she was all about, and if her prophecies were real, or some trick of the Darkness (we know the Darkness can't really be gone, right?).
Nezerrah Again, she just kind of appeared, but I sensed she had an ulterior motive for everything she did.
Howard I think Howard finally shows his true colors in this story. He's always been Orc's sidekick, but he is finally getting a taste of power. I didn't really disagree with him, but he could have gone about things better.
Dekka Dekka is another favorite character of mine, and she is so kick ass by the end of this story!
Penny I don't really remember Pepper much in the earlier books, but she comes into this story like a bull! I think she is going to have some major power plays coming up!
Brittany Brittany comes up out of the ground, and a few of the powerful characters know she's around, but they are afraid to tell the kids. They fear her immensely, so she spends a lot of time alone, seeing her dead brother and talking to him. She's really pretty creepy in this book!
Brianna and Computer Jack make a few appearances, but they are suffering from some sort of flu, so they are bed ridden for a good chunk of the book. Orc is also around some, but only mentioned a few times. Same goes with Taylor. And what about Drake? Is he really dead?
Lots of things go down in this book, like the previous books, and the ending sets thing up nicely for the next book. We still have a lot of questions to be answered!
May 16, 2010
Lies was the most legit book I've read in a long time. It contains so much: action, science-fiction, dystopia, romance, a gay character, supernatural, oh my goodness. There is no one term to summarize Grant's latest addition to the Gone series. Okay, I lied. Maybe one word can describe this phenomenal book, which also aptly is the title - Lies.
If the characters in Lies were dropped in the world of "Pinocchio", then their noses would be metaphorically massive. Lies, lies, and more lies. Did any character in the novel not tell a lie? Even the good guys - Sam, Edilio, Mary... even Astrid, of all the people, lie! And these aren't little lies either, they're gargantuan, ginormous lies. I had one heck of a time trying to differentiate between the truth tellers and the fear mongers in the book.
A lot of the characters transitioned from "good" to "bad", and vice versa. There was so many conflicting, internal motives and crazy mental struggles that completely blurred the lines between what was right and what was wrong. Certain characters fell from grace, while others stole the spotlight and took the throne. I loved every little plot twist and character developing detail.
By the way, I think I'm in love with Astrid. Oh man, this chick is bad. The innocent, self-righteous girl from Gone whose only title was Astrid the Genius? Gone. And guess what is she replaced with? Lies. She is my personal favorite because she goes through an absurd amount of annoyances and anger and... yeah, don't want to give too much away. But seriously, just look at her on the cover. Now that's the epitome of fierce and ferocious.
Grant also included some fantastic foreshadowing for the next book in the series, Plague. I'm already sick of waiting for it.
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If the characters in Lies were dropped in the world of "Pinocchio", then their noses would be metaphorically massive. Lies, lies, and more lies. Did any character in the novel not tell a lie? Even the good guys - Sam, Edilio, Mary... even Astrid, of all the people, lie! And these aren't little lies either, they're gargantuan, ginormous lies. I had one heck of a time trying to differentiate between the truth tellers and the fear mongers in the book.
A lot of the characters transitioned from "good" to "bad", and vice versa. There was so many conflicting, internal motives and crazy mental struggles that completely blurred the lines between what was right and what was wrong. Certain characters fell from grace, while others stole the spotlight and took the throne. I loved every little plot twist and character developing detail.
By the way, I think I'm in love with Astrid. Oh man, this chick is bad. The innocent, self-righteous girl from Gone whose only title was Astrid the Genius? Gone. And guess what is she replaced with? Lies. She is my personal favorite because she goes through an absurd amount of annoyances and anger and... yeah, don't want to give too much away. But seriously, just look at her on the cover. Now that's the epitome of fierce and ferocious.
Grant also included some fantastic foreshadowing for the next book in the series, Plague. I'm already sick of waiting for it.
Want to read more of my reviews? Follow me here.
May 5, 2010
As a big fan on the Gone series, I must admit, I was both impressed and dissapointed with Lies.
Let's start on a happy note: The air of mystery is still there. While you get many, many, many hints as to what happened the the adults, and where you go when you 'poof', it is admitted that it could be a trick of the Darkness, or Little Pete.
Another drama was added: people are coming back from the dead. Brittney, a girl who died four months ago, dugs her way out of her grave. She had no heartbeat, does not need to drink or eat, and does not have to breath - by all accounts, zmobie without a craving for brains. She insists that she is an angel, sent by God and her brother to take the 'prisoners' of the FAYZ out.
Much to Sam's dismay, Drake also 'pulls a Gandalf', and is hell bent on distruction.
Mary is quite likely my favorite character - I wish there had been more of her in the story. I also feel like she was left hanging after the Hunger - I feel like Michael Grant just didn't do all his homework on eating disorders. As someone who suffers from Bulimia, I can safely say that while all people with EDs are different, you are just not going to hop from ED to ED, throwing an addiction to anti-depressents into the mix as time goes on. It takes many months, if not years, to do what Mary has done in four months. Not very realistic, Michael. Not very realistic at all.
Also - just too much recap. You could very easily have picked up Lies without reading either of the past two and known exactly what was going on.
Sam - Sam, Sam, Sam. It's all about Sam. On the outside world (what may just be the darkness trying to 'eff with everyone) we find that Connie Temple (Sam's mother) has been appointed Spokesperson for the families of FAYZ victims. What are the odds that the mother of one of the most powerful/mayor/suddenly reunited twin/'major hottie, even having spent seven months starving' would become the one to tell everyone what was going on? Again, not very realistic, Michael.
While we're on the topic of Sam... such is the Mary Sue. Or Marty Sue, if you will. Character Development needs touching up, badly. Not everything is about Sam.
Orsay telling everyone she could see the dreams of their loved ones on the outside - this I enjoyed very much. Mary - so called sensible Mother of the FAYZ - believing she should kill all the children after five minutes speaking with her, not so much. Once more, not realistic!
And, finally, we have reached the Helicopter. If I was the adopted, angst filled child of two actors, I think I would rather take my chances on the very comfortable island than try to fly my brothers and sisters to land after watching a 12 second movie clip of someone flying a helicopter, and reading a book about Veitnam. Let's face it, you can do both of those until your face turns purple, but you're not going to learn how to fly a helicopter that way. I'm not even going to say the 'R' word this time.
To wrap things up, this story was very '2-D'. Such a book like this should 'haunt' a person. It should make you rethink getting in a car with someone, fearing that they will suddenly vanish, leaving you spriling out of control. It should make you worry about the fate of your children if you were suddenly to 'poof'. It should make you wonder if you could step up in the face of all the hardships these kids face. I got very little of this.
On the whole, it was a very good book that I will probably read over and over, just like the other two. Was it realistic? No. Are many of the characters Mary and Marty-Sues? Yes. Are the sentences choppy and not well put together? Yes. Was it enjoyable? Yes.
Not the best it could have been. I will patiently await the arrival of 'Plauge' and hope for the best.
Let's start on a happy note: The air of mystery is still there. While you get many, many, many hints as to what happened the the adults, and where you go when you 'poof', it is admitted that it could be a trick of the Darkness, or Little Pete.
Another drama was added: people are coming back from the dead. Brittney, a girl who died four months ago, dugs her way out of her grave. She had no heartbeat, does not need to drink or eat, and does not have to breath - by all accounts, zmobie without a craving for brains. She insists that she is an angel, sent by God and her brother to take the 'prisoners' of the FAYZ out.
Much to Sam's dismay, Drake also 'pulls a Gandalf', and is hell bent on distruction.
Mary is quite likely my favorite character - I wish there had been more of her in the story. I also feel like she was left hanging after the Hunger - I feel like Michael Grant just didn't do all his homework on eating disorders. As someone who suffers from Bulimia, I can safely say that while all people with EDs are different, you are just not going to hop from ED to ED, throwing an addiction to anti-depressents into the mix as time goes on. It takes many months, if not years, to do what Mary has done in four months. Not very realistic, Michael. Not very realistic at all.
Also - just too much recap. You could very easily have picked up Lies without reading either of the past two and known exactly what was going on.
Sam - Sam, Sam, Sam. It's all about Sam. On the outside world (what may just be the darkness trying to 'eff with everyone) we find that Connie Temple (Sam's mother) has been appointed Spokesperson for the families of FAYZ victims. What are the odds that the mother of one of the most powerful/mayor/suddenly reunited twin/'major hottie, even having spent seven months starving' would become the one to tell everyone what was going on? Again, not very realistic, Michael.
While we're on the topic of Sam... such is the Mary Sue. Or Marty Sue, if you will. Character Development needs touching up, badly. Not everything is about Sam.
Orsay telling everyone she could see the dreams of their loved ones on the outside - this I enjoyed very much. Mary - so called sensible Mother of the FAYZ - believing she should kill all the children after five minutes speaking with her, not so much. Once more, not realistic!
And, finally, we have reached the Helicopter. If I was the adopted, angst filled child of two actors, I think I would rather take my chances on the very comfortable island than try to fly my brothers and sisters to land after watching a 12 second movie clip of someone flying a helicopter, and reading a book about Veitnam. Let's face it, you can do both of those until your face turns purple, but you're not going to learn how to fly a helicopter that way. I'm not even going to say the 'R' word this time.
To wrap things up, this story was very '2-D'. Such a book like this should 'haunt' a person. It should make you rethink getting in a car with someone, fearing that they will suddenly vanish, leaving you spriling out of control. It should make you worry about the fate of your children if you were suddenly to 'poof'. It should make you wonder if you could step up in the face of all the hardships these kids face. I got very little of this.
On the whole, it was a very good book that I will probably read over and over, just like the other two. Was it realistic? No. Are many of the characters Mary and Marty-Sues? Yes. Are the sentences choppy and not well put together? Yes. Was it enjoyable? Yes.
Not the best it could have been. I will patiently await the arrival of 'Plauge' and hope for the best.
September 25, 2017
Unexpected menace. We usually think of children as little folk that need our protection and yet, they are really uncivilized savages. They've not learned the inhibitions that adults have learned and are equally capable of the tenderest caring and the most horrific violence. It's this potential for violence, this feeling of menace that makes Michael Grant's stories from the FAYZ so compelling.
The third installment in the series continues the tradition and manages to find new ground to cover; new challenges to overcome, and even new issues to raise. Riveting from start to finsh and thought-provoking along the way it's a great read but not for the faint of heart. This book contains challenging material and in the wrong hands can wound souls.
I've heard it said that that this series is a cross between the X-Men and bedtimes stories that Stephen King might write. But that's only if he wanted to be sure the children never got another night's sound sleep. This is the stuff that nightmares are made of.
The third installment in the series continues the tradition and manages to find new ground to cover; new challenges to overcome, and even new issues to raise. Riveting from start to finsh and thought-provoking along the way it's a great read but not for the faint of heart. This book contains challenging material and in the wrong hands can wound souls.
I've heard it said that that this series is a cross between the X-Men and bedtimes stories that Stephen King might write. But that's only if he wanted to be sure the children never got another night's sound sleep. This is the stuff that nightmares are made of.
September 7, 2023
Yet again ... 5 full 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯!
April 9, 2024
I enjoyed this installment very much. I did lose interest for a little bit because I got bored whenever the perspectives from anyone on the island showed up. I couldn't get into the new characters but that could absolutely change in the coming books. I enjoyed seeing all the different storyline coming together in the climax. It was very entertaining. Looking forward to what's next.
October 26, 2010
I was surprised to find Lies at the library last week. I have enjoyed this series a lot and I was hoping for a resolution with this book. Well, there wasn’t any resolution. The story is still not finished and three more books are planned.
Lies continues where Hunger left off. Everyone over the age of fifteen has disappeared. The remaining kids are trying to follow some sort of order, but everything seems to be falling apart. Some kids are very successful at contributing to this new society; others are doing their best to make sure that they fail.
Some of my favourite characters have returned. Astrid continues the job of leading the council. Sam is our unlikely leader. Quinn starts a fishing collective. Albert ensures that there is some sort of economy. Others like Mary work tending to the young children.
The world of the FAYZ is a terrifying world. Some of the kids have developed super powers – some destructive, some useful. These kids are called Freaks by some of the normal kids. Underlying all of these super powered kids is a sort of evil, the gaiaphage. This evil seems to thrive on chaos and destruction.
I loved the new characters that were added to the story. Wisdom (Sanjit) and Virtue (Choo) were absolutely wonderful characters. Both these characters and their three other siblings had been living on an island off of Perdido Beach, so they were unaware of the chaos. I also liked how we were given a quick glimpse of the outside world.
I had feelings of despair when I read this book. I still can’t decide if I like this series or not. It reminds me of something that Stephen King would write – it’s just that creepy in parts. I did tire of the general whininess of some of the characters. I’m not sure if I’ll want to read the rest of the series. I really was hoping for an end, a resolution, the light at the end of the tunnel.
I probably will read the next instalment. I feel compelled to do so.
Lies continues where Hunger left off. Everyone over the age of fifteen has disappeared. The remaining kids are trying to follow some sort of order, but everything seems to be falling apart. Some kids are very successful at contributing to this new society; others are doing their best to make sure that they fail.
Some of my favourite characters have returned. Astrid continues the job of leading the council. Sam is our unlikely leader. Quinn starts a fishing collective. Albert ensures that there is some sort of economy. Others like Mary work tending to the young children.
The world of the FAYZ is a terrifying world. Some of the kids have developed super powers – some destructive, some useful. These kids are called Freaks by some of the normal kids. Underlying all of these super powered kids is a sort of evil, the gaiaphage. This evil seems to thrive on chaos and destruction.
I loved the new characters that were added to the story. Wisdom (Sanjit) and Virtue (Choo) were absolutely wonderful characters. Both these characters and their three other siblings had been living on an island off of Perdido Beach, so they were unaware of the chaos. I also liked how we were given a quick glimpse of the outside world.
I had feelings of despair when I read this book. I still can’t decide if I like this series or not. It reminds me of something that Stephen King would write – it’s just that creepy in parts. I did tire of the general whininess of some of the characters. I’m not sure if I’ll want to read the rest of the series. I really was hoping for an end, a resolution, the light at the end of the tunnel.
I probably will read the next instalment. I feel compelled to do so.
May 14, 2010
well, the cover is a lot better than the book, which I was very very dissapointed in. I was hoping that something truly exciting would happen, but nooo. INstead Sam turns out to be just another jurk and astrid is almost stuck up, and the plot is kinda slow and plain. No exciting turns or anything. NOt to mention that they're SILL not over!
June 30, 2020
Another great book from this series, they never seem to disappoint not matter how many times I read them I can picture the town with the children in it. I can see the wall and the desperation for food.
This series is a must read for adults as well as teens it’s so well written even in these awful times, it still manages to entertain and take your mind away from all the sad news happening all over the world.
This series is a must read for adults as well as teens it’s so well written even in these awful times, it still manages to entertain and take your mind away from all the sad news happening all over the world.
May 18, 2010
I thought this book was really good. I thought it was a little more slow-paced than the other two, but that's probably because it takes place over the course of three days rather than more than a week. I liked how Astrid made mistakes and didn't seem so perfect anymore. I also liked how Sam was breaking down from stress and bad memories. It wasn't my favorite because my favorite characters (Caine, Diana, and Lana) weren't in it very much. I thought the scenes showing the outside world were interesting, although I'm not entirely convinced they were true, based on the title of the book and the fact that Orsay was responsible for them. Mary's insanity was not entirely unexpected but definitely unsettling, and it seems like the Day Care has very bad luck with its workers taking the poof. There was a lot of death, but mostly minor characters. I was disappointed in the lack of mutated animals in this book. I liked the new characters introduced, like the island kids, Penny, Jill, and Nerezza. I felt like the plot involving Caine's group and the island kids and the plot involving Sam's group, the Human Crew, Orsay, and Drake were too seperate and should have come together at some point. Also, I thought that the canibalism scenes were just a little too creepy. I love Caine and Diana's relationship, though, and I was thrilled to see it develop, with her finally admitting that she loves him and everything. Overall, Lies was a very enjoyable book to read and I'm definitely a fan of the series. I would definitely recomend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2010
I could write so much about this book. About how this series is still awesome, the characters still engaging, the bad guys still terrifying, and the story still completely enthralling and compulsively readable, but you guys already know all that. Just add an extra dose of backstabbing and treachery and you have LIES , the newest, and possibly most satisfying of the series to come along yet.
And while it doesn't completely outright say "Hey this is the answer to all the weird shit that's going on, you don't need to read the next 3 books, now, kthnxbai!" It feels the most satisfying in giving little hints and glimpses to where the adults went, how they got there, and who sent them. Which is a great testament to Mr. Grant's writing, because it's the shortest of the series so far (about 150 pages short of Hunger ).
Loved, loved, loved. Three years is waaaaaay to long to wait to see how this thing plays out.
And while it doesn't completely outright say "Hey this is the answer to all the weird shit that's going on, you don't need to read the next 3 books, now, kthnxbai!" It feels the most satisfying in giving little hints and glimpses to where the adults went, how they got there, and who sent them. Which is a great testament to Mr. Grant's writing, because it's the shortest of the series so far (about 150 pages short of Hunger ).
Loved, loved, loved. Three years is waaaaaay to long to wait to see how this thing plays out.
March 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this third installment of the Gone series. The author has built up an interesting and mostly likeable group of characters that he can utilise, but sadly it did mean we saw slightly less of some of my favourites (eg Brianna).
The book picks up shortly after the prior installment, with the children trapped inside the FAYZ adapting to their new normal. With Drake dead, the main threat appears to be an upstart boy Zil, who takes a "Human first" approach , detesting the other part of the population who have developed powers.
I think the book successfully handled this book's central mystery (is the girl calling herself the Prophetess speaking the truth), and did a good job showing how our main protagonists make poor decisions as well at points.
Very well done indeed, will certainly return for Book 4.
The book picks up shortly after the prior installment, with the children trapped inside the FAYZ adapting to their new normal. With Drake dead, the main threat appears to be an upstart boy Zil, who takes a "Human first" approach , detesting the other part of the population who have developed powers.
I think the book successfully handled this book's central mystery (is the girl calling herself the Prophetess speaking the truth), and did a good job showing how our main protagonists make poor decisions as well at points.
Very well done indeed, will certainly return for Book 4.
May 20, 2020
Esta tercera parte es la típica novela intermedia de saga decepcionante que está de relleno
Los dos primeros libros de la saga me han gustado muchísimo, cogí este también con muchas ganas pero he de ser sincera y decir que aunque me ha gustado, porque eso es innegable, también me ha resultado decepcionante. Ya a simple vista se ve que es el libro más finito de la saga y eso hizo que me saltaran las alarmas. Ahora entiendo que es la típica novela intermedia de saga que es decepcionante y está un poco de puente para las siguientes.
Aun así insisto en que me ha gustado y ya estoy leyendo la cuarta que adelanto que me está gustando mucho.
Sigo recomendando leer esta saga, merece la pena si os gusta la distopía y buscáis algo diferente. Creo que el hecho de que sus protagonistas sean menores de quince años le dan una perspectiva muy distinta y es sorprendente cómo los seres humanos luchan para sobrevivir en cualquier circunstancia.
Eso sí, la tensión se mantiene y el misterio que rodea la historia es muy potente.
Los dos primeros libros de la saga me han gustado muchísimo, cogí este también con muchas ganas pero he de ser sincera y decir que aunque me ha gustado, porque eso es innegable, también me ha resultado decepcionante. Ya a simple vista se ve que es el libro más finito de la saga y eso hizo que me saltaran las alarmas. Ahora entiendo que es la típica novela intermedia de saga que es decepcionante y está un poco de puente para las siguientes.
Aun así insisto en que me ha gustado y ya estoy leyendo la cuarta que adelanto que me está gustando mucho.
Sigo recomendando leer esta saga, merece la pena si os gusta la distopía y buscáis algo diferente. Creo que el hecho de que sus protagonistas sean menores de quince años le dan una perspectiva muy distinta y es sorprendente cómo los seres humanos luchan para sobrevivir en cualquier circunstancia.
Eso sí, la tensión se mantiene y el misterio que rodea la historia es muy potente.
May 6, 2010
LIES WAS AMAZING!!!!! Just as I knew it would be. I don't have anything negative to say; I never do. This series is just so good. I get lost in it. I start reading and I lose track of time. I lose myself in the words and the images that come to my head. Really good books do that to you! =) I can't wait for Plague!!
I love the way the books always switch with the Point of Views. But every point of view gets you hooked. You can move from character to character and each one grabs your interest. I like every single character. Every single one gets you hooked right in. Even Zil. xD But he's such a horrible person...I hope he gets what's coming to him in one of the next books! I like the new characters, like Virtue and Sanjit. I like how Diana stood up for them. I like her a lot, she knows when not to cross that line, and she's starting to stand up for what she believes.
AND OH GOD DRAKE IS BACK! I'm glad about that though. xD He's a good villian. Very messed up. And that whole thing with Brittany and Drake!!! Loved that!!! Drake's gonna be a big problem. Sam couldn't kill Brittany - I can understand why. She has no control over her change to Drake. But it's gonna be bad later on most likely. Drake's gonna bring lots more trouble!
Nerezza; I suspected her of being the DARKNESS right away! xD I didn't believe anything Orsay said. Though it's awful how she was used by the Darkness. I just love this Darkness. I love the mystery. I want to know what the hell/or how this DARKNESS came to be.
I love the foreshadowing of PLAGUE. I'm guessing that "flu" going around isn't just some normal flu, and that book four is named PLAGUE for a reason. Oh boy, things are gonna get even worse. Makes a lot of sense for a Plague to hit, cause what with the living conditions and all.
The mystery with Little Pete and the game, how the WALL went down for a moment in the FAYZ - it makes me wanna know if it was REAL or not. Although it could just be that DARKNESS again. It makes me wanna know what's going on. Little Pete may have created the FAYZ in a way. But weird things were going on before the FAYZ started. It makes me so curious to know the whys! And I love that we don't know - just like the kids don't have a clue!!
Poor Mary. :( It's awful what happened to her. I don't believe for a second death or the Poof is the way to escape the FAYZ. It's what the DARKNESS wants. So it can't be good. Makes me wonder what happens to those who die in the FAYZ, or poof. I doubt it's anything good or being united with your parents.
I like the theme of this book; all the Lies being told. I like how we see different characters coping with things, like Astrid and Sam. It all feels very realistic. The characters feel real. When I went on a walk today I tried to picture what it would be like walking through the FAYZ. I'm 18, so I'd be gone, xD But it makes me wonder what it would be like.
Glad Edilio is still alive!!! I was worried about him. I really like him! =) And Quinn is right, about "ALL of the Above" They need everyone working together.
Just love this series. And I love all the mystery. It makes it feel more real, we're as confused as the kids in the story. We get more hints each book, more clues, more things revealed. But we're still as confused. And for the kids; well, sure, they'd love to know what in the hell is going on. But there main focus now is to survive. Cause it doesn't look like things will go back to normal. Which makes me wonder how this series will end. Will it be a happy ending? WIll the kids still be trapped?
This series is just so, so, so good. I wish someone I knew read this series. People who don't give these books a try are missing out!!!!
Thanks for another AWESOME book Michael Grant. This series ROCKS. It's so good!!!!!! =) AMAZING!!! I'm gonna have to re-read it and the others again.
Everytime I read these books, I always find myself thinking about it for so long after. You get this certain feeling. The story feels so real, and you get so into it and it's on your thoughts long afterwards.
ANOTHER GREAT BOOK! =)
I love the way the books always switch with the Point of Views. But every point of view gets you hooked. You can move from character to character and each one grabs your interest. I like every single character. Every single one gets you hooked right in. Even Zil. xD But he's such a horrible person...I hope he gets what's coming to him in one of the next books! I like the new characters, like Virtue and Sanjit. I like how Diana stood up for them. I like her a lot, she knows when not to cross that line, and she's starting to stand up for what she believes.
AND OH GOD DRAKE IS BACK! I'm glad about that though. xD He's a good villian. Very messed up. And that whole thing with Brittany and Drake!!! Loved that!!! Drake's gonna be a big problem. Sam couldn't kill Brittany - I can understand why. She has no control over her change to Drake. But it's gonna be bad later on most likely. Drake's gonna bring lots more trouble!
Nerezza; I suspected her of being the DARKNESS right away! xD I didn't believe anything Orsay said. Though it's awful how she was used by the Darkness. I just love this Darkness. I love the mystery. I want to know what the hell/or how this DARKNESS came to be.
I love the foreshadowing of PLAGUE. I'm guessing that "flu" going around isn't just some normal flu, and that book four is named PLAGUE for a reason. Oh boy, things are gonna get even worse. Makes a lot of sense for a Plague to hit, cause what with the living conditions and all.
The mystery with Little Pete and the game, how the WALL went down for a moment in the FAYZ - it makes me wanna know if it was REAL or not. Although it could just be that DARKNESS again. It makes me wanna know what's going on. Little Pete may have created the FAYZ in a way. But weird things were going on before the FAYZ started. It makes me so curious to know the whys! And I love that we don't know - just like the kids don't have a clue!!
Poor Mary. :( It's awful what happened to her. I don't believe for a second death or the Poof is the way to escape the FAYZ. It's what the DARKNESS wants. So it can't be good. Makes me wonder what happens to those who die in the FAYZ, or poof. I doubt it's anything good or being united with your parents.
I like the theme of this book; all the Lies being told. I like how we see different characters coping with things, like Astrid and Sam. It all feels very realistic. The characters feel real. When I went on a walk today I tried to picture what it would be like walking through the FAYZ. I'm 18, so I'd be gone, xD But it makes me wonder what it would be like.
Glad Edilio is still alive!!! I was worried about him. I really like him! =) And Quinn is right, about "ALL of the Above" They need everyone working together.
Just love this series. And I love all the mystery. It makes it feel more real, we're as confused as the kids in the story. We get more hints each book, more clues, more things revealed. But we're still as confused. And for the kids; well, sure, they'd love to know what in the hell is going on. But there main focus now is to survive. Cause it doesn't look like things will go back to normal. Which makes me wonder how this series will end. Will it be a happy ending? WIll the kids still be trapped?
This series is just so, so, so good. I wish someone I knew read this series. People who don't give these books a try are missing out!!!!
Thanks for another AWESOME book Michael Grant. This series ROCKS. It's so good!!!!!! =) AMAZING!!! I'm gonna have to re-read it and the others again.
Everytime I read these books, I always find myself thinking about it for so long after. You get this certain feeling. The story feels so real, and you get so into it and it's on your thoughts long afterwards.
ANOTHER GREAT BOOK! =)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2010
Who can tell a lie?
Evidently a lot of people.
Some times to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, and some times just to be flat out nasty.
I found this book fairly univentful other than the fact it expressed that people were becoming more and more edgy. They're desperate for a way out. If the way out is death, then so be it.
Not to mention the Human Crew is raging against the mutants of Perdido Beach. And now their in leuge with Caine in some master plan that could cause the utter destruction of Perdido Beach. Mutants, normals, small children, everybody, could be consumed in the flames after the power strugle.
Oh, and for smaller issues that in the end cause bigger issues. Relationship problems. Sam and Astrid break-up? It can't be true!!! Well, you just have to find out for yourself.
By the way, I just have to give Sam a bit of a b-slap. Stop hinting at "it" you idiot. You're fifteen!
Anyways, you can pretend that that didn't happen.
The book again jumps between characters. Which gnawed at me slightly before because I just kind of wanted to stick with the main characters like Sam and Astrid. I'm afraid I may be getting bored with them however. I'm not sure they can be replaced as interesting characters either, which is troubling. Who's going to fill the void, slowly expanding with increasing boredom? Maybe Lana? She's one awesome chica and I feel that her character growth has become drastic and sad. She always looks at things upfront, she doesn't beat around the bush, she just submits to the reality of things. She survives but that doesn't mean she's going to like it and she fully lets you know to.
Grant can be given credit for this. He does individualize his characters well. However, sometimes I feel the constant nicknaming (Duck, Panda, Paint, Whip-Hand, Cinder [yeah, that's not her real name, don't ask me how I know:], etc.) is an atempt at creating a unique invironment. As a high school student, I know people with nick names like Lu instead of Lucy but nothing like Giraffe or Squint. I mean, it's rather unrealalistic and it gets on my nerves. Do any of these kids have real names? If they do they usually have titles like Astrid the Genius or Computer Jack.
Grant, on occasion, failed to prove his point. We're introduced to Sanjit and his small crew of brothers and sisters sitting out on one of the islands outside of Perdido Beach. They take up a large majority of the book and I have no idea what tht heck they're really doing there. If they don't have some important role in the next book, Plague (ooh! scwary), I'm really not going to apreciate them. Ever. Sanjit's brother has some sort of power that they don't really know about or understand. He has potential. My personal oppinion: They were thrown in to take up space.
I pittied Orsay. She'd jumped into the maw of the Gaiaphage and she never really come out. Keep an eye out for Nerezza by the way. Some of the peices are thrown together around end of the book.
There is true confusion as to which side to take at some point. It's fishy at either end.
Diana is also becoming somehow lovable. No, that makes her sound fuzzy. You side with her actually. The developement between her and Caine is a bit obvious but I liked the way they interacted with eachother throughout the book, especially towards the end. You hate Caine even more, simply because you realize what he's done to her.
Oh, and as for the apparent return of someone rather dubious and dispicable, you'll get some action on that. I don't really have a comment to throw in there. I mean, it happened and it had something to do with whacky powers and abilities and alien manipulation but that doesn't mean it was thrilling. I'll leave this to be the victim of your own opinions once you read the book.
You may get a little peak somewhere very special... but I can't tell you now.
Over all, it was a good and intertaining read for a rainy weekend and a late night. I wouldn't say it was an intire success, but Grant is trying to get somewhere with this.... I hope.
Evidently a lot of people.
Some times to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, and some times just to be flat out nasty.
I found this book fairly univentful other than the fact it expressed that people were becoming more and more edgy. They're desperate for a way out. If the way out is death, then so be it.
Not to mention the Human Crew is raging against the mutants of Perdido Beach. And now their in leuge with Caine in some master plan that could cause the utter destruction of Perdido Beach. Mutants, normals, small children, everybody, could be consumed in the flames after the power strugle.
Oh, and for smaller issues that in the end cause bigger issues. Relationship problems. Sam and Astrid break-up? It can't be true!!! Well, you just have to find out for yourself.
By the way, I just have to give Sam a bit of a b-slap. Stop hinting at "it" you idiot. You're fifteen!
Anyways, you can pretend that that didn't happen.
The book again jumps between characters. Which gnawed at me slightly before because I just kind of wanted to stick with the main characters like Sam and Astrid. I'm afraid I may be getting bored with them however. I'm not sure they can be replaced as interesting characters either, which is troubling. Who's going to fill the void, slowly expanding with increasing boredom? Maybe Lana? She's one awesome chica and I feel that her character growth has become drastic and sad. She always looks at things upfront, she doesn't beat around the bush, she just submits to the reality of things. She survives but that doesn't mean she's going to like it and she fully lets you know to.
Grant can be given credit for this. He does individualize his characters well. However, sometimes I feel the constant nicknaming (Duck, Panda, Paint, Whip-Hand, Cinder [yeah, that's not her real name, don't ask me how I know:], etc.) is an atempt at creating a unique invironment. As a high school student, I know people with nick names like Lu instead of Lucy but nothing like Giraffe or Squint. I mean, it's rather unrealalistic and it gets on my nerves. Do any of these kids have real names? If they do they usually have titles like Astrid the Genius or Computer Jack.
Grant, on occasion, failed to prove his point. We're introduced to Sanjit and his small crew of brothers and sisters sitting out on one of the islands outside of Perdido Beach. They take up a large majority of the book and I have no idea what tht heck they're really doing there. If they don't have some important role in the next book, Plague (ooh! scwary), I'm really not going to apreciate them. Ever. Sanjit's brother has some sort of power that they don't really know about or understand. He has potential. My personal oppinion: They were thrown in to take up space.
I pittied Orsay. She'd jumped into the maw of the Gaiaphage and she never really come out. Keep an eye out for Nerezza by the way. Some of the peices are thrown together around end of the book.
There is true confusion as to which side to take at some point. It's fishy at either end.
Diana is also becoming somehow lovable. No, that makes her sound fuzzy. You side with her actually. The developement between her and Caine is a bit obvious but I liked the way they interacted with eachother throughout the book, especially towards the end. You hate Caine even more, simply because you realize what he's done to her.
Oh, and as for the apparent return of someone rather dubious and dispicable, you'll get some action on that. I don't really have a comment to throw in there. I mean, it happened and it had something to do with whacky powers and abilities and alien manipulation but that doesn't mean it was thrilling. I'll leave this to be the victim of your own opinions once you read the book.
You may get a little peak somewhere very special... but I can't tell you now.
Over all, it was a good and intertaining read for a rainy weekend and a late night. I wouldn't say it was an intire success, but Grant is trying to get somewhere with this.... I hope.
January 30, 2011
Original Review HERE
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES. If you have not read the first two books and do not wish to be spoiled, AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES!**
Over half a year has passed since the impenetrable dome-like force field has settled over the seaside town of Perdido Beach. Everyone over the age of 15 vanished in an instant – poofed out – while the children were left behind. Times have been hard for the children and teens trapped in the FAYZ (the “Fallout Alley Youth Zone”); the FAYZ not only cut off the trapped children’s contact with the outside world, but it also somehow manifested in strange mutations. Some of the children and teens developed powers – the ability to fire light from hands, to cancel gravity, to move at incredible speeds, to teleport. The animals in the FAYZ began to change too – snakes grow wings, coyotes learn to speak, and worms grow to monstrous size. Under the ruthless leadership of Caine, the rich, troubled kids from the Coates Academy clashed with the Perdido Beach children with their reluctant leader, Sam. An all-out war ensued in Hunger, especially as food dwindled, and the children of the FAYZ began to starve.
And all the while, the ominous Darkness – an evil entity that calls itself “the gaiaphage” – remains fixated on these trapped children, determined to manipulate, to kill, to devour, to break their will, and to take control of this isolated, trapped universe in an impenetrable bubble.
In Lies, things are even more dire for our trapped youth in the FAYZ. The food situation has been kind-of sorted out, though everyone is still constantly hungry. Resentment continues to breed in Perdido Beach, even with the exile of Caine and the Coates kids and the death of the twisted, sadistic Drake. Zil and his thug followers on the “Human Crew” thrive on the lack of stability in town, and propagate their mission to isolate and kill all the “Freaks” (those kids with superpowers). Sam struggles with the ineffectiveness of the newly formed Town Council, while Astrid is livid at his decision to keep secrets from her and her fellow Council members. And Orsay, the girl with the ability to walk in others’ dreams, begins to see the dreams of those outside of the FAYZ. Known as “the Prophetess” and with a growing following hungry for her news of the outside world, Orsay may be the salvation of every trapped child, or their damnation.
Man, I love this series.
If I had to describe this book, and this series overall, in a single word, it would be “relentless.” The action never quits; these poor kids have not a second of solace, as the tension and horrors keep mounting. Driven mad by hunger and malnutrition, pushed to their absolute breaking points, our hero Sam is tested harshly in this third novel. One of my only complaints with the prior books in this series was how the bulk of this multi-cast of characters fell simple along the lines of “good” or “evil” – there are the sadists like Caine, Drake and Diana; sycophants like Computer Jack and Howard; and the troupe of good guys, with Sam, Astrid, Edilio, Dekka, and Breeze. In particular, the ostensible lead characters – Sam and Astrid – came across as almost too good to be true. True, Sam has had his share of reluctance as a leader, and he has made questionable decisions, but Astrid prior to this book has been largely relegated to the supporting, motherly/virginal/good girl role. In Lies, I was delighted to see that this simplicity is gone. Sam loses it (and really, who wouldn’t lose it, considering the circumstances? Seven months of death, destruction, and fear grind down on even the staunchest of heroes). We finally get a look at what makes Astrid tick, and she gains color and depth as a character. For a genius, she makes her own share of mistakes – she’s the perfect example of idealism failing in a situation where realism is needed. Condescending, hypocritical, and haughty, the Astrid of Lies is not the infallible girlfriend of the earlier books. And this, along with her gradual realization of her mistakes and her ability to finally take action, endeared her to me as a character. I loved it.
There’s a LOT going on in terms of plotting for Lies too, and I don���t want to spoil anyone eager to scoop up book three. So, I’ll just drop a few teasers: Lies introduces us to a new group of excellent characters. It also gives readers a glimpse of what is outside the bubble. There are more deaths, more tragedies, and more desperate acts from an increasingly desperate group under Cain’s leadership.
And you didn’t really think the gaiaphage was defeated, did you? You didn’t think you’d seen the last of certain characters, did you? No. I didn’t think so.
While the descriptions and general level of writing is pretty straightforward in this book (as it has been for the prior books), what Mr. Grant lacks in writerly finesse and style, he more than makes up for with his gift for plot and his ability to tell a story. I am constantly amazed at Michael Grant’s ability to balance the supernatural elements of this story, managing to keep things grim, dark, and terrifying when it’s such an easy slide into cheese or comedy. Kids with superpowers, religious zeal, the embodiment of evil…it’s a lot to handle, but the GONE books do it with aplomb.
I devoured Lies in a day, unable to sleep until I knew where the story was going – because I really had no clue how everything would tie together by the end of this installment (and holyfreakingcrap is it GOOD). The GONE books are reminiscent of early Stephen King – there’s a reason why he’s blurbed the series. (On that note, if you read Under the Dome and were left wanting more, look no further. In my opinion, the GONE novels are superior.) Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that Lies and the other books in this series are even darker than anything “adult” fiction I’ve read recently. Lies is chilling stuff, dudes. It’s the good stuff. If you haven’t been to the FAYZ yet, you should. Horror fans, Lord of the Flies fans, apocalyptic/dystopian fans, if you haven’t read this series, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Get GONE. Now.
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES. If you have not read the first two books and do not wish to be spoiled, AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES!**
Over half a year has passed since the impenetrable dome-like force field has settled over the seaside town of Perdido Beach. Everyone over the age of 15 vanished in an instant – poofed out – while the children were left behind. Times have been hard for the children and teens trapped in the FAYZ (the “Fallout Alley Youth Zone”); the FAYZ not only cut off the trapped children’s contact with the outside world, but it also somehow manifested in strange mutations. Some of the children and teens developed powers – the ability to fire light from hands, to cancel gravity, to move at incredible speeds, to teleport. The animals in the FAYZ began to change too – snakes grow wings, coyotes learn to speak, and worms grow to monstrous size. Under the ruthless leadership of Caine, the rich, troubled kids from the Coates Academy clashed with the Perdido Beach children with their reluctant leader, Sam. An all-out war ensued in Hunger, especially as food dwindled, and the children of the FAYZ began to starve.
And all the while, the ominous Darkness – an evil entity that calls itself “the gaiaphage” – remains fixated on these trapped children, determined to manipulate, to kill, to devour, to break their will, and to take control of this isolated, trapped universe in an impenetrable bubble.
In Lies, things are even more dire for our trapped youth in the FAYZ. The food situation has been kind-of sorted out, though everyone is still constantly hungry. Resentment continues to breed in Perdido Beach, even with the exile of Caine and the Coates kids and the death of the twisted, sadistic Drake. Zil and his thug followers on the “Human Crew” thrive on the lack of stability in town, and propagate their mission to isolate and kill all the “Freaks” (those kids with superpowers). Sam struggles with the ineffectiveness of the newly formed Town Council, while Astrid is livid at his decision to keep secrets from her and her fellow Council members. And Orsay, the girl with the ability to walk in others’ dreams, begins to see the dreams of those outside of the FAYZ. Known as “the Prophetess” and with a growing following hungry for her news of the outside world, Orsay may be the salvation of every trapped child, or their damnation.
Man, I love this series.
If I had to describe this book, and this series overall, in a single word, it would be “relentless.” The action never quits; these poor kids have not a second of solace, as the tension and horrors keep mounting. Driven mad by hunger and malnutrition, pushed to their absolute breaking points, our hero Sam is tested harshly in this third novel. One of my only complaints with the prior books in this series was how the bulk of this multi-cast of characters fell simple along the lines of “good” or “evil” – there are the sadists like Caine, Drake and Diana; sycophants like Computer Jack and Howard; and the troupe of good guys, with Sam, Astrid, Edilio, Dekka, and Breeze. In particular, the ostensible lead characters – Sam and Astrid – came across as almost too good to be true. True, Sam has had his share of reluctance as a leader, and he has made questionable decisions, but Astrid prior to this book has been largely relegated to the supporting, motherly/virginal/good girl role. In Lies, I was delighted to see that this simplicity is gone. Sam loses it (and really, who wouldn’t lose it, considering the circumstances? Seven months of death, destruction, and fear grind down on even the staunchest of heroes). We finally get a look at what makes Astrid tick, and she gains color and depth as a character. For a genius, she makes her own share of mistakes – she’s the perfect example of idealism failing in a situation where realism is needed. Condescending, hypocritical, and haughty, the Astrid of Lies is not the infallible girlfriend of the earlier books. And this, along with her gradual realization of her mistakes and her ability to finally take action, endeared her to me as a character. I loved it.
There’s a LOT going on in terms of plotting for Lies too, and I don���t want to spoil anyone eager to scoop up book three. So, I’ll just drop a few teasers: Lies introduces us to a new group of excellent characters. It also gives readers a glimpse of what is outside the bubble. There are more deaths, more tragedies, and more desperate acts from an increasingly desperate group under Cain’s leadership.
And you didn’t really think the gaiaphage was defeated, did you? You didn’t think you’d seen the last of certain characters, did you? No. I didn’t think so.
While the descriptions and general level of writing is pretty straightforward in this book (as it has been for the prior books), what Mr. Grant lacks in writerly finesse and style, he more than makes up for with his gift for plot and his ability to tell a story. I am constantly amazed at Michael Grant’s ability to balance the supernatural elements of this story, managing to keep things grim, dark, and terrifying when it’s such an easy slide into cheese or comedy. Kids with superpowers, religious zeal, the embodiment of evil…it’s a lot to handle, but the GONE books do it with aplomb.
I devoured Lies in a day, unable to sleep until I knew where the story was going – because I really had no clue how everything would tie together by the end of this installment (and holyfreakingcrap is it GOOD). The GONE books are reminiscent of early Stephen King – there’s a reason why he’s blurbed the series. (On that note, if you read Under the Dome and were left wanting more, look no further. In my opinion, the GONE novels are superior.) Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that Lies and the other books in this series are even darker than anything “adult” fiction I’ve read recently. Lies is chilling stuff, dudes. It’s the good stuff. If you haven’t been to the FAYZ yet, you should. Horror fans, Lord of the Flies fans, apocalyptic/dystopian fans, if you haven’t read this series, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Get GONE. Now.
June 10, 2024
3.5⭐️
this book was cool with a lot of action.
I didn’t have the time for bored.
The characters are many and we have a lot of point of views. But this is a children’s book the different point of view (that changes in just one chapter) is simple to understand.
There is a rembour account that corresponds to a particular characters. I realized who it was halfway through the book.
The lies is an integral part of the book, according to Orsay's theory, I confess I had trouble knowing whether it was true or not.
But the menace is so present. Above all of the “gaiaphage”. Him really…
this book was cool with a lot of action.
I didn’t have the time for bored.
The characters are many and we have a lot of point of views. But this is a children’s book the different point of view (that changes in just one chapter) is simple to understand.
There is a rembour account that corresponds to a particular characters. I realized who it was halfway through the book.
The lies is an integral part of the book, according to Orsay's theory, I confess I had trouble knowing whether it was true or not.
But the menace is so present. Above all of the “gaiaphage”. Him really…
March 16, 2024
This series has taken an exciting direction, but I like it.
I'm glad Michael Grant has allowed more character personalities to blossom and grow.
I love the entrance of Sanjit and Virtue.
The entire Brittany subplot was spectacular, if not messed up.
One of the strongest in the series thus far!
4-4.5 Stars
I'm glad Michael Grant has allowed more character personalities to blossom and grow.
I love the entrance of Sanjit and Virtue.
The entire Brittany subplot was spectacular, if not messed up.
One of the strongest in the series thus far!
4-4.5 Stars
July 11, 2021
This book felt like a filler in some ways to make sense of all the chaos in the FAYZ, especially after hunger, which took away for its effectiveness.
The characters in these books are amazing, but some of the plot lines were just less interesting. However, Astrid and Mary’s stories were griping and very interesting for their character development.
The characters in these books are amazing, but some of the plot lines were just less interesting. However, Astrid and Mary’s stories were griping and very interesting for their character development.
June 12, 2012
I was wrong. Sam and Astrid are perfect for each other. Sam has that blind heroism and lack of thinking things through, while Astrid does nothing but analyze everything like it's a textbook she's studying. Sam is a hero, but a 15 year old one that can't take the stress that comes with it. Astrid has very little emotion or compassion, and pretty much just lectures everyone and wants them to do what she says. She wants Sam to back off of the Zil guy because the "council will take care of it". Horse crap. The "council" literally sat around. Here's how their meetings would go:
Astrid: So...I guess everyone is here.
blank stares
Astrid: Uh...Alfred, hows the...money thing coming along?
Alfred: Good, good.
silence
John: Shouldn't we be making rules for the FAYZ?
silence
Alfred: Yeah. What should they say?
silence that lasts until the end of their meeting.
Clearly, if it took the entire book for them to come up with 9 laws on the fly, then there's something messed up about the situation altogether. And the whole time, Astrid's saying how the council can save everything and take the weight off Sam's shoulders. But at least he was actually doing something instead of sitting around and watching the place burn. *cough* ASTRID *cough*. I felt like she did almost nothing throughout the entire book. Something would happen, and Sam would rush off to help. Meanwhile, she'd stay home and yell at her autistic brother who is actually more important to the plot line than she is. Just my opinion. So, with Sam's lack of planning and Astrid's lack of compassion, they clearly make the asanine couple of the century hands down. I barely finished this book, and I will (hopefully not have to) drag myself through the next one to see if anything exciting happens that actually generates a legit response from me besides boredom. Because that's all I got out of this one.
Astrid: So...I guess everyone is here.
blank stares
Astrid: Uh...Alfred, hows the...money thing coming along?
Alfred: Good, good.
silence
John: Shouldn't we be making rules for the FAYZ?
silence
Alfred: Yeah. What should they say?
silence that lasts until the end of their meeting.
Clearly, if it took the entire book for them to come up with 9 laws on the fly, then there's something messed up about the situation altogether. And the whole time, Astrid's saying how the council can save everything and take the weight off Sam's shoulders. But at least he was actually doing something instead of sitting around and watching the place burn. *cough* ASTRID *cough*. I felt like she did almost nothing throughout the entire book. Something would happen, and Sam would rush off to help. Meanwhile, she'd stay home and yell at her autistic brother who is actually more important to the plot line than she is. Just my opinion. So, with Sam's lack of planning and Astrid's lack of compassion, they clearly make the asanine couple of the century hands down. I barely finished this book, and I will (hopefully not have to) drag myself through the next one to see if anything exciting happens that actually generates a legit response from me besides boredom. Because that's all I got out of this one.
February 23, 2017
Mi è piaciuto abbastanza, ma non quanto il secondo.
L'ho trovato un libro di passaggio, senza svolte narrative particolarmente importanti per la trama orizzontale. Inoltre, il finale secondo me è stato gestito in maniera frettolosa. Un paio di capitoli in più sarebbero stati graditi, ecco.
Comunque, al di là delle mie aspettative, passiamo alla parte positiva della recensione.
Ciò che rende la serie avvincente è la presenza di personaggi fantastici, che con i loro pregi e difetti, risultano reali, umani. Infatti, considerando la situazione che stanno vivendo, è così che si comportano: da umani.
Le loro azioni non risultano forzate, anzi. E' meraviglioso vedere come si rialzano dopo aver toccato il fondo, poiché avviene in un modo del tutto naturale e organico.
Questo lo dimostra Sam, affrontando di petto le sue paure, recandosi nel luogo che lo ha traumatizzato. O anche la stessa Astrid, che finalmente ha tirato fuori il carattere.
Poi vabbè, c'è Caine che è sempre un passo avanti a tutti e io lo amo per questo. Infatti, è il mio preferito all'interno della saga.
A mio parere, Lies ha voluto lanciare degli spunti, sia per quanto riguarda lo sviluppo dei personaggi che della trama, per poi approfondirli in seguito.
Sinceramente non vedo l'ora, perché il tutto mi sembra molto interessante.
Infine, vi riporto un messaggio bellissimo che il libro mi ha trasmesso, e che tutti noi dovremmo ricevere: non essere ciò che gli altri si aspettano che tu sia.
L'ho trovato un libro di passaggio, senza svolte narrative particolarmente importanti per la trama orizzontale. Inoltre, il finale secondo me è stato gestito in maniera frettolosa. Un paio di capitoli in più sarebbero stati graditi, ecco.
Comunque, al di là delle mie aspettative, passiamo alla parte positiva della recensione.
Ciò che rende la serie avvincente è la presenza di personaggi fantastici, che con i loro pregi e difetti, risultano reali, umani. Infatti, considerando la situazione che stanno vivendo, è così che si comportano: da umani.
Le loro azioni non risultano forzate, anzi. E' meraviglioso vedere come si rialzano dopo aver toccato il fondo, poiché avviene in un modo del tutto naturale e organico.
Questo lo dimostra Sam, affrontando di petto le sue paure, recandosi nel luogo che lo ha traumatizzato. O anche la stessa Astrid, che finalmente ha tirato fuori il carattere.
Poi vabbè, c'è Caine che è sempre un passo avanti a tutti e io lo amo per questo. Infatti, è il mio preferito all'interno della saga.
A mio parere, Lies ha voluto lanciare degli spunti, sia per quanto riguarda lo sviluppo dei personaggi che della trama, per poi approfondirli in seguito.
Sinceramente non vedo l'ora, perché il tutto mi sembra molto interessante.
Infine, vi riporto un messaggio bellissimo che il libro mi ha trasmesso, e che tutti noi dovremmo ricevere: non essere ciò che gli altri si aspettano che tu sia.
January 3, 2023
4.5 ZAMAWIAM KOLEJNĄ CZĘŚĆ W TYM WŁAŚNIE MOMENCIE.
February 17, 2021
Great book!!!! The characters were continuously making me angry throughout the whole book though.
Thoughts on the Characters:
Sam Temple (Sammy, Brah, Fire Fist, Bright Hands, Mayor, School Bus Sam, Surfer Dude, Boss, Brother, The laser-shooting surfer man, Big Sam, Mr. Laser Hands, Sam Sam the Hero Man): Sam in the book made me very angry. In the middle, when he just left everyone!!! Like, what the crap?!?! He left when they needed him the most!!! I get that Drake is scary and that you have a bad history with him, but you knew what you were getting into when you signed up to be the "hero!!!"
Astrid Ellison (Astrid the Genius, The Genius, Smart-Girl Barbie, Lisa Simpson, Astrid the Fraud, Loud Sister, Blondie, Babe, Frosty prig, Ice Princess): I am also angry with Astrid in this book too. She wasn't as bad as Sam was, but she was still out of control. She did need to step up and take care of things, even if she didn't sign up for it. Do you think Mother Mary really signed up to be a babysitter 24/7?
Zil Sperry (Zilly, The Leader, Leader Zil): He is OUT OF CONTROL!!!!! Seriously!!! I know that being in the FAYZ is hard, but that doesn't give you permission to go around killing everyone!!! There are not enough words in the world to describe my hatred for him.
Mary Terrafino (Mother Mary): She is amazing!! I mean, minus the part where she tried to kill a bunch of little kids. But she was amazing. Even though she just got stuck with the littles, she still dedicated her life to them. That has happened to me before. Not the part where there are no adults to take care of them, but I have had to watch multiple little kids, even though I didn't want to because if I didn't, they would get hurt and into trouble. This isn't even close to how she took care of them, but I am just saying that I kind of know how she feels.
Caine Soren (Mayor, King Caine, Your Highness, King of the FAYZ, Napoleon, Baby, Dada, Daddy, Father, Fearless Leader): He is officially out of his mind. I mean, 100% psycho. He needs to get himself together, and that is all I have to say.
Favorite Quotes:
“Hey, thanks for stopping by," Howard said. "I'd offer you some tea and cookies, but all we have is boiled mole and artichokes. Plus, we kind of have a dead girl in the living room.”
"The devil does not have a fork Brianna, he has a whip."
“I’ve helped you when I could, Caine. I’ve done all of it. I kept you alive and changed your filthy crap-stained sheets when the Darkness held you. I betrayed Jack for you. I’ve betrayed everyone for you. I ate…God forgive me, I ate human flesh to stay with you, Caine!”
Something flickered in Caine’s cold gaze.
“I won’t stay with you for this,”
“This fish, slowly gasping his last breath, looked very edible.”
Thoughts on the Characters:
Sam Temple (Sammy, Brah, Fire Fist, Bright Hands, Mayor, School Bus Sam, Surfer Dude, Boss, Brother, The laser-shooting surfer man, Big Sam, Mr. Laser Hands, Sam Sam the Hero Man): Sam in the book made me very angry. In the middle, when he just left everyone!!! Like, what the crap?!?! He left when they needed him the most!!! I get that Drake is scary and that you have a bad history with him, but you knew what you were getting into when you signed up to be the "hero!!!"
Astrid Ellison (Astrid the Genius, The Genius, Smart-Girl Barbie, Lisa Simpson, Astrid the Fraud, Loud Sister, Blondie, Babe, Frosty prig, Ice Princess): I am also angry with Astrid in this book too. She wasn't as bad as Sam was, but she was still out of control. She did need to step up and take care of things, even if she didn't sign up for it. Do you think Mother Mary really signed up to be a babysitter 24/7?
Zil Sperry (Zilly, The Leader, Leader Zil): He is OUT OF CONTROL!!!!! Seriously!!! I know that being in the FAYZ is hard, but that doesn't give you permission to go around killing everyone!!! There are not enough words in the world to describe my hatred for him.
Mary Terrafino (Mother Mary): She is amazing!! I mean, minus the part where she tried to kill a bunch of little kids. But she was amazing. Even though she just got stuck with the littles, she still dedicated her life to them. That has happened to me before. Not the part where there are no adults to take care of them, but I have had to watch multiple little kids, even though I didn't want to because if I didn't, they would get hurt and into trouble. This isn't even close to how she took care of them, but I am just saying that I kind of know how she feels.
Caine Soren (Mayor, King Caine, Your Highness, King of the FAYZ, Napoleon, Baby, Dada, Daddy, Father, Fearless Leader): He is officially out of his mind. I mean, 100% psycho. He needs to get himself together, and that is all I have to say.
Favorite Quotes:
“Hey, thanks for stopping by," Howard said. "I'd offer you some tea and cookies, but all we have is boiled mole and artichokes. Plus, we kind of have a dead girl in the living room.”
"The devil does not have a fork Brianna, he has a whip."
“I’ve helped you when I could, Caine. I’ve done all of it. I kept you alive and changed your filthy crap-stained sheets when the Darkness held you. I betrayed Jack for you. I’ve betrayed everyone for you. I ate…God forgive me, I ate human flesh to stay with you, Caine!”
Something flickered in Caine’s cold gaze.
“I won’t stay with you for this,”
“This fish, slowly gasping his last breath, looked very edible.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
I love book challenges and I also hate them. Mostly, I love participating in those that push me into reading things I would not read otherwise. Even when the story isn't my favorite, I still learn something even if it is only about writing. But this one was truly UGH worthy.
I don't even know what to say. There were so many things that made me cringe. And if that wasn't enough, the audio was truly the worst part. First, this one included dialogue tags. And if that wasn't bad enough, the tags felt prerecorded and then inserted. If I didn't need to read this book, I would have been glad to DNF it and find a new one, even though that is a rare occurrence for me. That wasn't an option here. But I did get my craft closet sorted during the hours it took to slog through this, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.
I don't even know what to say. There were so many things that made me cringe. And if that wasn't enough, the audio was truly the worst part. First, this one included dialogue tags. And if that wasn't bad enough, the tags felt prerecorded and then inserted. If I didn't need to read this book, I would have been glad to DNF it and find a new one, even though that is a rare occurrence for me. That wasn't an option here. But I did get my craft closet sorted during the hours it took to slog through this, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.
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