Michael Grant’s Gone begins with a familiar teenage fantasy, a world where the adults have just disappeared:

For a moment he thought he had imagined it, the teacher disappearing. For a moment he thought he’d slipped into a daydream.
Sam turned to Mary Terrafino, who sat just to his left. “You saw that, right?”
Mary was staring hard at the place where the teacher had been.

But, Sam hadn’t imagined it, the teacher was gone, as were the policemen, the firefighters, the parents, and anyone else in Perdido Beach fifteen or older.  The rest have been left: in schools, in cars that suddenly crashed, in charge of younger siblings, searching for a reason for the disappearance and fearing that the separation may be permanent.

Gone is one of those novels where the plot depends on a number of revelations and twists for much of its energy, so discussing what happens in the book is a dangerous prospect.  However, the plot is tight and, though some of the explanations seem far fetched in the *real* world, all resonate with the reality that is present in the book and the characters that live within it. Grant does an excellent job balancing the tension that the mystery of the disappearance creates with the struggle that daily life without adults becomes.  The characters are looking for reasons, but they are struggling to survive as well, and much of the story follows them as they plan, pick sides, and discover just how isolated they really are.

It is in the characters, in Sam the leader, Astrid the genius, Quinn the friend, Mary the caregiver, that Gone finds its heart.  These characters are complete and satisfying, neither adults who-happen-to-be-described-as-children nor cookie cutter cutouts of childhood stereotypes. Instead, they are solid and recognizable, and they grow and interact in ways that are both believable and appropriate for the age they are–the cookies still get eaten before the bean sprouts, after all. Even tertiary characters are drawn with consistency and compassion, and their struggles feel as vitally important as any of the travails the major characters go through.  In fact, it is in some of these outside characters that the true repercussions of the disappearances are felt, the strongest of the children, the leaders, they have goals, something to do, things to fight for, but, without that purpose, many of the other children are lost, and lonely, and afraid.

This is a young adult novel that can fascinate adult readers.  The characters are strong and unique, and it is easy to want to help them as they struggle to survive in a world where most of their support has vanished. Although the thrill at the idea of all adults disappearing may be gone when one is an adult, these teenagers are worth watching as they grow into their responsibilities and begin to investigate the cause of the disappearance.

Gone is the first in what will be (at least) a trilogy and serves as an excellent introduction to the characters, the setting, and the specific struggles that Grant has set up for his story.  Although it is certainly a young adult novel in action, plot, and tone, it asks the big questions about identity, responsibility, and character–and keeps the reader turning pages in search of answers and hoping, above all, for the kids’ survival.

Bookmark to