Farshore Gone

good

good product

Having discovered this book on recommendation, I was slightly sceptical that this book would deliver on its promises. The blurb boasts of a recommendation from Stephen King, and the first few pages lists other acclaim from various sources. The person who recommended this book to me also couldn't stop raving about its greatness- "it's great, trust me, I couldn't put it down". So why was I sceptical?Because it's young adult, and usually this translates to dark in a toned-down, scary-lite kind of science fiction.However, having devoured the first book and currently racing through the second, I have to admit: Gone is a damn good read, whether you're 15 or fifty. Oh, and my presumption couldn't have been further from the truth.In order not to spoil the book for future readers, I've tried to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.THE STORYThe story begins with a rather ordinary boy called Sam sat in a classroom amongst his friends, pondering going surfing with his best friend Quinn. All of a sudden, the teacher disappears. Literally, vanishes. Into thin air.Consequent investigation leads to the discovery that all adults and anyone in fact over the age of 15 have disappeared and nobody knows how or why or if they are ever coming back.The story from here-on-in is truly gripping. It deals with many themes: science fiction and the mystery of the dystopian world the characters find themselves in, the inevitable power plays between the strong and the weak, survivability issues (think about it- where are the doctors, the nurses, the firefighters, the farmers and most importantly the parents?), coming-of-age, sexuality and relationships, and an almost supernatural element of the creature which is lurking in the forest.Imagine a mixing pot of Lord of the Flies, Lost, X-Men and almost Harry Potter-style mystery and magic and you are somewhat close to what Gone has to offer.A word of warning- the story here can be violent. It is never gratuitous (it's not a Saw film) but it can be graphic; however the violence is entirely in context and very realistic of how children would act if ever found in this situation. I found the violence always added to the story rather than taking away from it.THE CHARACTERSSam is a typical hero character- noble, conflicted, with good intentions. This is perhaps my only gripe with the story- I found Sam could be a little two dimensional. The "baddie" is a little cardboard cut out. But this does not pretend to be a work of great classic literature and otherwise, most of the characters instilled sympathy and hatred in various measures.I found Astrid to be very reminiscent of Hermione from Harry Potter.Perhaps the most fascinating characters are Lana and her dog Patrick, and one character/creature who may not be entirely human and certainly not as noble as our good hero Sam...The characterisation of bullies (which remains a strong theme throughout these novels) is painfully accurate and will resonate with many children, and indeed adults who can remember their own experiences at school.THE WRITINGGrant is a good writer. I say this because I cannot stand bad writing in a book and will immediately stop reading e.g. Stephanie Meyer's dreaded Twilight series. Admittedly, he's not a truly great writer, but he is certainly a good one, and knows how to keep you hooked. He knows he's got a great story and he's not afraid to make use of cliffhangers etc to keep you reading until late into the night.OVERALLI would recommend this book to anyone. Don't let the fact this book is aimed at young adults put you off- the book deals with adult themes and you certainly don't feel like it's been toned down for younger audiences. The story is incredibly unique and compelling. I have not been so engrossed in a series since George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire- which is high praise indeed.

This is a scary looking book and the back cover contains a warning of violence, which is well deserved. Very much in the style of the Hunger Games , and more so the Lord of the Flies, this book has all the adults disappear in the first moments and then proceeds to have teens fifteen and under are literally abandoned to try and run the world.I particularly like the fact that almost none of the protagonists can drive, and adult skills such as cooking, child minding, computers are spread among the populatin with an occaisional child having a strong talent, and the rest being fairly cluelessThe story never stops and you are forever on the edge of your seat, but with so many questions not answered at the end, it can feel a little un satisfactory, but then there are sequels.So read this in anticipation of a long journey through the sequels that follow

I think that Gone is a bit of a guilty pleasure novel for me. I did really enjoy reading it - far more than I thought I would - but I can't deny that it has some problems.The story suffers from first novel syndrome, leaving so many loose ends and unanswered questions that it does not stand on its own as a story. The plot is also fairly predictable and a lot of the secondary cast members who seemed to be important at the start of the novel did not really get a lot of development.However, the novel was certainly exciting and never felt bored reading it, even during its quiet sections. It does a very good job of setting out the ground rules for the world and therefore sets the stage for the rest of the series. I really hope that this means that the characters have more room to grow over the next few novels, as I think that this series really has promise to be something great.

I was a little disappointed with the quality of this item as it said it was ‘very good’ . I received a book that I ordered at the same time which was very good and virtually brand new but Gone was very tattered and although it was readable, it felt very used.

Having read the synopsis, I really wanted to like this book! And guess what? I did! It was action-packed and left me full of questions from the very beginning.Why should you read it?> It has a quick pace> Boy friendly> After simply reading the sample, you will want to find out more!> Full of action> Likeable main character> Intriguing plot> Adult friendly too> It's a long book (I see that as a positive when I don't want them to end!)What are the negatives? For me personally, some parts were just a bit too far-fetched. I'm all for dystopian worlds, and seeing what the future COULD look like, but for me this is just too out there. Some readers may really enjoy the supernatural element, but I'm not overly keen.Nonetheless, it was a gripping story that left me wanting more...