Sunday, April 14, 2013

READING RESPONSE: GONE BY MICHAEL GRANT

I am now nearly a third through 'Gone' by Michael Grant, and the book has majorly progressed since my last post. The adults aged 15 and over still show no sign of returning, and the younger children are becoming very distressed, only having teenagers to look after them. Sam, Quinn, and Astrid, the three main characters also discovered something out of the ordinary. Their town, Perdido Beach, is encased in a dome made of indestructible material, preventing them from leaving. The author also revealed that children in nearby towns are suffering from disappearing adults. In addition to all these strange occurrences, more children have begun to develop supernatural powers. Originally it was just Sam who could create fire by opening the palm of his hand, but a three year old girl was recently gifted with the power, but unfortunately she died a little while later.

I predict that the remaining residents of Perdido Beach will grow increasingly hysterical and agitated, as they realize the adults are nowhere to be found. The oldest children are being placed under a lot of pressure at the moment, having to take care of the younger children and attempting to uncover where the adults have gone. The children are relying on their survival skills and common knowledge to assist them in their altered world. I also predict that soon food and other supplies will run out, leaving the children in an even more desperate situation.

The author, Michael Grant, writes the story in multiple perspectives. His most common perspectives are the main character Sam Temple, and a girl from another town, Lana, whose grandfather disappeared while driving, and left her in a car crash. I admire how he uses multiple perspectives while writing, as I think it adds to the story's appeal. This book has been an amazing experience to read, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

READING RESPONSE: GONE BY MICHAEL GRANT

I have just begun to read the first book in a series of books by Michael Grant. This book is called 'Gone', which is followed by 'Hunger'. Since I am only on chapter two, I don't know much about the book, but here is some information I am gathering: It takes place in an imaginary town in America called Perdido Beach. This town and surrounding areas are encased in a bubble, and everyone 15 and over mysteriously vanishes. Randomly, the people left in Perdido Beach and some animals develop supernatural powers, which assist them when trying to find the missing people. This book follows the adventures of the protagonist Sam Temple and his twin sister Caine Soren.
 
I predict that Sam and Caine will find a way to break out of the bubble, even though it appears to be impenetrable. They will probably go on a mission to find the adults who have disappeared. I know that these to characters gain a third companion, who is called Drake Merlin, who is insane, so I'm predicting that he will lead them astray.
 
Although I am barely 40 pages into the book, I can already see how talented the author Michael Grant is. He writes the book in three different characters perspectives, which is a very hard thing to accomplish. He develops each character separately, so they all have their own unique and distinguishing personality. I can't wait to get through this book so I can read the follow up, Hunger.