I wanted to review the first novel of my favorite book series of all time. I read this book when I was in middle school before the series was even finished. I can almost perfectly rememember when my middle school librarian got the last book in. She pulled it up very slowly behind her desk to show me and my twin, and of course we started to shove each other to get to it. 

That’s how good this book series is.

Gone is one of the best reads I have ever had. The story starts off in a class room where our protagonist, Sam, is daydreaming. Suddenly everyone over the age of fourteen disappears. Poof. Gone. Kids are the only thing left in the town. Some of the kids are even newborns. The kids start to panic and start to wander their small California town, Perdido Beach, only to find that there is a solid dome barrier enclosing part of their town and the surrounding area. 

Stephen King described the book as a modernized Lord of the Flies type story. 

What would you do? You’re a middle school kid stuck with other middle school kids that have no inclination about what it takes to survive. And that’s what you have to do. Survive. Would you step in as a leader and keep all of the kids safe? Would you come together to set up a plan of action? There are no rules or laws to follow in this new town of Perdido Beach. And don’t forget that puberty does not stop just because there are no adults. How do you navigate something that’s so normal or standard in your teenage years when your sense of normalcy is brutally interrupted?

A radiation meteorite hit their town thirteen years before the disappearance of the older population and creation of the dome. And that is the only spoiler (kinda) that I will leave for you in this review.

 Oh and just one more thing. The kids start to develop superpowers. Isn’t that fucking sick? 

There’s TONS of characters in this book. Complex characters. You’re given a fairly decent backstory for all of them too considering this is a six book series. Gone is only scratching the surface of this action packed, gory, thrilling story. You can also read Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear, and Light. Each part of the series tackles a new challenge for the survivors left in Perdido Beach. 

Gone is just the beginning. Do you think you can hold on to this wild ride until the end? Read the book to find out for yourself.