Review: Hunger by Michael Grant

*Check out my 100 follower giveaway for your chance to win!*

Hunger by Michael Grant

Release Date: May 26th 2009

Publisher: Egmont UK Limited

Edition: UK Paperback, 600 pages

Goodreads | Book Depository

My Rating 4.5/5

From Goodreads: "It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results."

*If you haven't read the first in the series this review may contain spoilers. For my review of Gone please see here*

I had seen the first in this series, Gone, in the bookstore so many times but never bought it! I really wish I had picked it up that first time! I just love this series! For a situation that is so unrealistic, Michael Grant makes it work and makes it seem plausible!
 Recap: All of the adults have disappeared and a sort of wall has appeared around their little town. No one can get out and no one can get in. The animals have all become mutations of their former selves. Talking coyotes, flying snakes and underwater bats. Strange right? Well it doesn't end there. The kids have started developing odd abilities like invisibility, super speed and laser hands.

Sam is still in charge of everyone (except Caine and his followers) he has taken on the role of the "Mayor." He didn't want to be in charge, but that is the way it turned out. Now he has to deal with sibling fights and other minor things he shouldn't have to.

It has become obvious that there is no end to these conditions in the near future. Sam realises this, he also realises that the food they have won't last much longer but he can't seem to get the other kids to help him.Big problem. The kids are already on rations. This is the main problem throughout this book: hunger. Fighting against Caine and the conditions of the FAYZ to survive is hard enough without going hungry. Now it has come time for new ways of food input to be put in place. There are fields with different vegetables that are surrounded by killer worms (that utterly freaked me out - bleurgh!) These are just some of the problems that the kids face.

I think Michael Grant did a great job of portraying how kids would react to starvation without adults. These kids have relied on their parents and other adults for food and shelter and protection all of their lives. Now they are starving and fighting for their lives constantly and in an altered environment.

Now on to the characters. This book featured more of the characters that were in the background of Gone. Brianna and Jack feature more than what they did, which I thought was great. I LOVE these two characters and I can't wait to see where the story takes them. Jack who used to be part of Caine's following but switched sides. Brianna who thought she was invincible until to her dismay was proven otherwise. Michael Grant touches on a love relationship between these two characters. I think they would make a good pair. However I am a little torn because one of the other girls, Dekka, is in love with Brianna and has been for a long time. It would be nice to see what would happen if that relationship could flourish but at the same time I really like Jack. I just don't know you guys! I guess I will have to wait and see what happens in the next book!

The writing flowed very well and I found I could sit down and read it for long periods of time. Each chapter more or less features one character at a time, at the end of almost all of the chapters you were left hanging to see what would happen to the character. I found that I wanted to keep reading so I could find out what happened to each character in their next feature chapter. So it was a cycle. "Oh no Brianna! Must keep reading to find out what happens to her." "What! Little Petey? Must keep reading." "Must keep reading must keep reading." You get the idea.

Overall a really great read! I recommend YA fanatics to check this series out if you haven't already. If you liked Hunger Games, I think it is comparable to that in terms of violence and survival but still very different at the same time.

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant
Release Date: July 1st 2008
Publisher: Egmont Books
Edition: Paperback, 576 pages
Goodreads | Book Depository

My Rating 4/5

From Goodreads:  "In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else..."

I loved this book! It reminded me of I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes), but then when I thought about it, only because of the light shooting from Sam's hands, and the bullies...

I first heard about this book from Priscila at The Readables youtube channel, you should check her out, she is one of my favourite booktubers!

In the first part of this book there were many varying points of view, each with their own chapter. I find too many points of view to be confusing and hard to keep up with, which I did find a little bit with this book, but only at the start. Some of the characters didn't interact with the main characters, making me wonder why we were seeing their point of view. But i figured that I would find out in due time. As I expected when the story progressed you see where all of the characters fit in, and why we were allowed glimpses into their view.

I liked Sam's character, the hero who doesn't think he is a hero type. When he was younger he saved a school bus of kids when the bus driver collapsed, by driving them to safety on the side of the road. So you can imagine what he would be like in a situation such as this: all people over 15 years old have disappeared, with no explanation, in their place is a big spherical wall that surrounds them from all ends. Not only that there are weird things happening, Sam and some of the other kids are able to do strange things and the animals have started to form mutations. Talking coyotes? No thank you! I found I liked Sam more, knowing that he didn't want to be the one that every body looked to. The one that was relied upon. The only silver lining for Sam goes by the name Astrid.

Astrid is the genius know it all type. Only she is like a fish out of water with all of the current goings on. For someone who knows so much about everything, she has no explanation for what has happened. I loved Astrid's character. The way she looks after her younger brother Petey who has ........................... Petey is her first priority, even when she starts falling for Sam.

Caine, where do I start with Caine? Without giving away any spoilers? I don't know. But I will say that he knows something that Sam doesn't which becomes evident a little ways in to the book, and this kept me hooked, I just had to know. I was reading and reading hoping that it wouldn't be one of those series that doesn't fill you in until the sequel. Thankfully it's not!

Overall, this was a really good dystopian novel, I had to keep reading so I could find out ASAP what was going to happen next! With the bullies and the allies changing more than once, it really kept me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait to read the second one in the series Hunger! I am going to hopefully get this one from the library sometime soon, so I can continue the adventure of Sam and Astrid!

Happy reading!
- Amy