About the Book
-
Author:
- Michael Grant
- Genre:
- Science Fiction
- Voices:
- Cis Boy
- Cis Girl
- White (Non-Specified)
BFF Charm: Yay! And Yay! Again!
Talky Talk: Lord of the Flies Meets Heroes (At the End of the World)
Bonus Factors: Cray-Cray!
Relationship Status: True Love
The Deal:
Okay, I just finished this book, and if I can just have a swimfan moment to squee!!!! OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!!!!!! Thanks, I feel like I could put that in every category, so I needed to get it out.
Okay, so the deal is, Sam and his best friend Quinn are in class one morning, when ‘poof’ the teacher and half the class disappears. It doesn’t take more than a few pages for them– along with Astrid the genius, who also happens to be the girl Sam has been crushing on from afar– to realize that everyone over the age of 14 has disappeared. And now everyone who’s left in Perdido Beach, which they are now calling the FAYZ– I’ll let the book explain it to you later–is looking to Sam to lead them, and to protect them from the bullies who are setting up court in the town square. Sam just wants to be left alone, to go back to the way things were, but he can’t. Plus, there are more pressing concerns: What is the strange force field that seems to reach around the town in all directions, can he trust Caine and the band of kids from Coates Academy, who have just rolled into the town square, and what, exactly, is going to happen when somebody turns 15? Plus, Sam has a secret of his own, and he’s really, really worried about anyone finding out about it.
BFF Charm: Yay! And Yay! Again!
Oh Sam, Sam, I love you! Um, so Sam is kind of my hero. Really. I would be his BFF, his big sister, or his girlfriend. But not ONLY do I love Sam, but I love Astrid! She’s a self-possessed smart girl with a kick-ass sense of humor, and I love her, so much, you guys! And then there’s Edilio, and Albert and many others I won’t take the time to name, but one more who I will: Lana. The situation surrounding Lana and her sweetheart dog Patrick is the one that caused me the most stress, y’all. But for the sake of keeping this spoiler free, that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
This book is one big thrill ride, and part of the thrill– for me– was reading the blossoming romance between Sam and Astrid. Their awkward moments, their tenderness and their adorable banter.
Talky Talk: Lord of the Flies Meets Heroes (At the End of the World)
I kept forgetting that the oldest characters in this book were just shy of 15. Maybe kids thrown into a do-or-die-there’s-no-grownups-left-so-we-better-figure-out-what-to-eat-and-who’s-going-to-take-care-of-the-babies-type situation would all grow up, and fast, or maybe they would devolve into utter lawlessness and eat themselves into diabetic comas. Mr. Grant finds a balance between the two, although our heroes lean toward the growing up bit, of course. Oh, and there are strange changes afoot in Perdido Beach. Animals are changing, and so are some of the kids….(cue foreboding music.)
Anyway, I felt that Mr. Grant’s voice was right-on, though possibly more mature than your average 14-year old. As an adult reader, that suited me just fine.
Bonus Factors: Cray-Cray!
Okay folks, there are TOO MANY AMAZING BONUS FACTORS IN THIS BOOK TO LIST!!!!! Alternate dimensions? Mutations? Asteroids? Honestly, it’s all still pretty much a mystery to me, because this is only the first book in the series (although books 2 and 3 are on my desk, thank you very much!) so I actually DON’T KNOW if any of those things I just listed are true?!!! You just gotta go with me on this, because it is AWESOME. (Or maybe I’m just on a crazy TEABS high.)
Relationship Status: True Love
Maybe it’s still the TEABS speaking, but I’m totes in love, y’all. They might say we’re too young, that we couldn’t possibly know about true love, but since THEY all poofed, we don’t really have to pay attention to that stuff anyway. We’ve made it past some major shizz, through all sorts of trauma and heartache, and although I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the future here in the FAYZ, I do know I have this book by my side, and y’all, we’ve kissed.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received neither money nor cocktails for writing this review (dammit!). Gone is available now.
