Review : Fear by Michael Grant
Fear by Michael Grant
Pages : 509
Genre : YA, Speculative Fiction
Sêries : Gone, Book 5
My Rating : 3,5/5
From the back of the book :
It’s been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, 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 Thoughts :
I feel like I have been doing some complaining even in my positive reviews lately, but I have to say : I feel like Michael Grant’s Gone series needs to end soon. Sure, Fear was fun, scary at times, complex with characters. But even though the book had a lot going on, I felt a bit bit tired of it all. I am ready for the big reveal, the conclusion that will give us final answers and let the characters at peace, finally.
Fear innovates from the previous books with a very particular twist that I think most fans of the series will enjoy : finally, we are taken outside the dome, and we get to see what is/might be happening. We meet knew characters, but we also get a better understanding of what is going on. This certainly kept me reading, along with the strong story line.
For me, Michael Grant really is the “Stephen King for teens”. Like the king, it is not his writing that makes his books so captivating; it’s the constant action, unpredictable twists and fantastically complex characters. Astrid is, from my point of view, the one who changed the most since the start of the story. In Fear, she seemed to have a new understanding of herself, but also of what their lives have become since the adults disappeared. She sure has been annoying at times, but as a reader, her adventure was one of the most rewarding.
As the series go on, it becomes more and more difficult to review the books without spoiling anything, but here is what I can say : Grant excels at making the story new with every book, rather than using again and again the same plot devices. It’s a thrill! But in some places, I did feel that the book was dragging a little. And this is why, while I would still recommend the series, I can’t say I’m feeling the love for it right now. But I’ll certainly be reading Light, which should finally conclude this epic journeu! And I just know Grant will have more surprises in store for his readers.
Series Reading Order :
The premise of the Gone series seems sound. What will happen when all the adults disappear? Hm, the Stephen King of young adult lit, is there also gore and horror to accompany the action? That would make me more interested in reading this 🙂
It is hard to review an ongoing series. I might need to try one of the early books from the series to see if I’m brave enough for Stephen King.
My kids have read these books over and over again, and now that I know there is another one out, it’s only a matter of time before they start to ask me about it. Though it wasn’t the greatest, it’s really good to know that it’s out there!
I downloaded one of his books ages ago and never got around to reading it. I like the sound of “Stephen King for teens,” though!