Fear by Michael Grant

book: fear
written by: Michael Grant
series: Gone #5
genres: young adult, horror, sci-fi
pages: 509 (hardcover)
publication date: April 3rd, 2012
publisher: Katherine Tegen Press


first thoughts:
Holy crap I love this series, even though it horrifies me. I reviewed part 4 of the series. you can view it HERE. This series definitely isn't for the ones that throw up often, and if you do you might want to keep a bucket to puke in close to you... *no, just exaggerating a lot, if you survived part 4 in the series you will be OK with this part*

the book: 
It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone. (#1)


Despite the hunger (#2) and the lies (#3), even despite the plague (#4), the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.


Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost. 

my review:

zillions of spoilers if you haven't read #1-4 in this series. Impossible to review without any spoilers for those books. SORRY

Well, immidiately after starting reading this book, one of my main questions about this series was answered. There was still life outside the FAYZ. But also, that answer made me have tons of more questions that are in despate need of an answer.

The characters in this series improve again. I have no idea how Michael Grant keeps his characters so realistic :o It feels as if you're with the characters in the FAYZ. and that's a terrifying feeling. Really, I'd rather live on the North Pole for the rest of my life, or anywhere, than live in the FAYZ for one week, or even one day. In this book there were some new characters introduced, and other ones disappeared and / or died. And of course it hurt me when anyone died, no matter how they died. I just don't like to see characters I have read about and loved from the first part of the series die... Also, all of the characters *and by that I mean ALL of them* changed so much between #4 and #5 in the series, it was almost impossible to 'recognise' them. So this was not character development, but complete transformation of the characters. It annoyed me in the first chapters, but fell in love / hated *in a good way* the new characters quickly.

The plot of this book contains an abundance of unpredictable twists, too keep it more interesting than it already was, which made the book even more perfect. The story was, again, told with the times underneath the chapters. *chapter 1, 65 hours, 11 minutes* and there were some 'Outside' chapters, in which you find out a little more of the horrible thruth of the FAYZ.

Then there was the Gaiaphage, which was still trying to take over the world with a terrifying huge amount of power. and oh my god, what the hell is he doing?!

The writing style of Michael Grant is one of the things that makes this book unique. He writes from multiple points of views *and with multiple I mean that there were over 10* without making it hard to understand the book. It's just a book you're flowing through. The pace of this story was above average, but again, that's one of the things that belongs with this series. A lot of things should happen in a little amount of pages.

I compare this book to the Hunger Games very often. Maybe because I bought the hunger games at the same time I bought Gone #1, or maybe just because I think they're both great series, but I think that every hunger games fan will love the gone series! So if you need to read a hunger games-like book I think this one would be a great choice. *this isn't dystopia*

final thoughts

A great story, with so many plot twists that kept on surprising me. A definite must for every Hunger Games fan. Even if you don't like Sci-fi, you'll love the gone series, mark my words!

(and OMG the ending, Light (#6) is one of my most anticipated books of 2013! Can't waiit)

rating: 5 stars

xo Mar