It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
In the time since everyperson over the age of fourteen disap-peared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?
Light, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series by Michael Grant, creates a masterful, arresting conclusion to life in the FAYZ.
Review:
So this is it. The final book of the epic series. Before I get into it though, a word about the genre. As all of you should know, this is dystopian, a genre many of you enjoy. I, on the other hand, have a different opinion. In my mind, dystopias are sorely overused in Teen and YA fiction today. There are SO MANY of them it's frustrating. Dystopian, in tandem with paranormal romance (one of the genres I avoid like the plague), is nearly drowning out all other genres geared towards our age group (with the exception of chick lit - another genre I avoid simply because I'm a GUY). I find this frustrating because I'm a thriller aficionado and connoisseur, dystopian or not and good non-dystopian thrillers for teens are getting few and far in between. Thankfully, there are some genre-mixing series for teens that are just amazing (Tunnels, TimeRiders, and Virals, to name a few), and these I am sure to read.
Ranting aside, in order to gain a top rating, a dystopian book must be able to rise above the crowd. It must be unique in plot, plot elements, and premise, the writing must be of good quality, etc. If a dystopian does not do this, a top rating is impossible. Now, back to the book.
As those of you from last year know, I was very disappointed by Fear (the penultimate book in the series). In the conclusion to my review of it I said "I'm hoping Fear is like the first part of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie in that it's a setup for an epic final battle/conclusion, otherwise this series has the potential to end on a real sour note... Hopefully Light will be better though." And so the big question is, does it deliver as an epic conclusion that Fear set up for?
In a word, I would have to say "yes". Not an all-caps yes with triple exclamation marks, but a yes nonetheless. For the most part, Light fulfilled my expectations, and exceeded them in terms of intensity, which I must say, was nearly breathtaking. About 2/3 of the way in the story sinks its claws into you and does not let go! It also stays true to the other books, with the same grim tone, etc. although it isn't quite as disturbing as some of the earlier ones, but that just comes with the "epic finale" territory. Despite these high points though, the book had it's share of issues.
Firstly, something I learned about story-writing while in elementary school was to "show, not tell". This makes a whole lot of sense - why lecture/tell someone something when you can just demonstrate/show it. Unfortunately, Grant does a bit too much "telling" in Light. He keeps on saying "Endgame this" and "Endgame that" without too much "endgame" stuff actually happening to a point where the reader's reaction becomes "yeah, so?" somewhere in the middle of the book. Thankfully though, the book isn't all smoke and no fire (if you've read the book, you'll see the pun in there) - there IS a big endgame-type thing, but contrary to what is SAID it doesn't really all come down to it until the back half of the book...
...Which brings me to another issue - pacing. The pacing here is really inconsistent. Despite all the "endgame" bluster, it actually starts fairly slow. Starting slow isn't horrible, but then it... stutter steps. They'll be a big action sequence, but it'll end lamely/fatalistically and then, like, nothing intense will happen for a while and then the cycle repeats - this takes place several times before the final battle. When the pacing finally picks up permanently, though, it gets going nice and fast, but...
... Frustratingly enough, Little Pete and Gaia's big final showdown is practically over when it starts. It's a "blaze of glory" type thing to be sure, but in the end there's no real feeling of struggle to it. Once second it starts, a few later it's over... and that's it.
Speaking of Gaia, I found the way her character was constructed frustrating to say the least. In one scene she's practically invincible, in the next she's surprisingly vulnerable - another annoying inconsistency issue - it's like Grant couldn't quite find the happy middle between the two. Also, Gaia's plan is incredibly logical. The only way to kill "Nemesis" and open the FAYZ is to destroy the source of her powers, and yet she still expects to dominate the world after the FAYZ is opened? How is that supposed to work?
In addition to all that, the conclusion (Spoiler Alert as in, after the wall comes down (duh) End Spoiler Alert) wasn't what I'd hoped. I'd really wanted Sam to go before a court and explain his actions, etc. like he dreams/thinks about throughout the series, but it doesn't happen. Oh, and Drake's end isn't as fitting as it should've been.
Lastly, the premise of this series is VERY unoriginal. This is like a mix of Stephen King's Under the Dome, William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and Heroes (the TV show). The FAYZ wall is almost exactly the same as in Under the Dome (only in Under the Dome it's transparent the whole time), not to mention there are similar psychopathic and megalomanic characters present in both as well. Frankly I'm surprised King actually COMPLIMENTED Grant on the books instead of suing him for plagiarism/copyright infringement! LOL
All complaints aside though, Light was quite a good book, and does indeed work very well indeed as an epic finale to the Gone series. It was intense, it had the action and turmoil which Fear lacked and it tied up most of the series' loose ends. The series as a whole, despite having originality issues, did have some original plot elements to it, and writing was of good quality. The intensity and disturbing-ness of this series sets it above the crowd of dystopians clamoring for attention if nothing else.
So, to conclude, I highly recommend this series for anyone into dystopian or suspense who can stomach all kinds of events of a disturbing nature. If you read this series I do suggest though that you have a friend briefly summarize all the important stuff that happened in Fear to you rather than read it yourself. This series is quite a ride, and once you start you are in for the long haul. Enjoy!
4/5 stars
PS I still think Edilio being gay makes no sense whatsoever and was just thrown in to increase appeal to the LGBTQ audience.
PPS I strongly suggest those who have finished the series either read Under the Dome or watch the tv series they're making out of it.
In the time since everyperson over the age of fourteen disap-peared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?
Light, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series by Michael Grant, creates a masterful, arresting conclusion to life in the FAYZ.
Review:
So this is it. The final book of the epic series. Before I get into it though, a word about the genre. As all of you should know, this is dystopian, a genre many of you enjoy. I, on the other hand, have a different opinion. In my mind, dystopias are sorely overused in Teen and YA fiction today. There are SO MANY of them it's frustrating. Dystopian, in tandem with paranormal romance (one of the genres I avoid like the plague), is nearly drowning out all other genres geared towards our age group (with the exception of chick lit - another genre I avoid simply because I'm a GUY). I find this frustrating because I'm a thriller aficionado and connoisseur, dystopian or not and good non-dystopian thrillers for teens are getting few and far in between. Thankfully, there are some genre-mixing series for teens that are just amazing (Tunnels, TimeRiders, and Virals, to name a few), and these I am sure to read.
Ranting aside, in order to gain a top rating, a dystopian book must be able to rise above the crowd. It must be unique in plot, plot elements, and premise, the writing must be of good quality, etc. If a dystopian does not do this, a top rating is impossible. Now, back to the book.
As those of you from last year know, I was very disappointed by Fear (the penultimate book in the series). In the conclusion to my review of it I said "I'm hoping Fear is like the first part of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie in that it's a setup for an epic final battle/conclusion, otherwise this series has the potential to end on a real sour note... Hopefully Light will be better though." And so the big question is, does it deliver as an epic conclusion that Fear set up for?
In a word, I would have to say "yes". Not an all-caps yes with triple exclamation marks, but a yes nonetheless. For the most part, Light fulfilled my expectations, and exceeded them in terms of intensity, which I must say, was nearly breathtaking. About 2/3 of the way in the story sinks its claws into you and does not let go! It also stays true to the other books, with the same grim tone, etc. although it isn't quite as disturbing as some of the earlier ones, but that just comes with the "epic finale" territory. Despite these high points though, the book had it's share of issues.
Firstly, something I learned about story-writing while in elementary school was to "show, not tell". This makes a whole lot of sense - why lecture/tell someone something when you can just demonstrate/show it. Unfortunately, Grant does a bit too much "telling" in Light. He keeps on saying "Endgame this" and "Endgame that" without too much "endgame" stuff actually happening to a point where the reader's reaction becomes "yeah, so?" somewhere in the middle of the book. Thankfully though, the book isn't all smoke and no fire (if you've read the book, you'll see the pun in there) - there IS a big endgame-type thing, but contrary to what is SAID it doesn't really all come down to it until the back half of the book...
...Which brings me to another issue - pacing. The pacing here is really inconsistent. Despite all the "endgame" bluster, it actually starts fairly slow. Starting slow isn't horrible, but then it... stutter steps. They'll be a big action sequence, but it'll end lamely/fatalistically and then, like, nothing intense will happen for a while and then the cycle repeats - this takes place several times before the final battle. When the pacing finally picks up permanently, though, it gets going nice and fast, but...
... Frustratingly enough, Little Pete and Gaia's big final showdown is practically over when it starts. It's a "blaze of glory" type thing to be sure, but in the end there's no real feeling of struggle to it. Once second it starts, a few later it's over... and that's it.
Speaking of Gaia, I found the way her character was constructed frustrating to say the least. In one scene she's practically invincible, in the next she's surprisingly vulnerable - another annoying inconsistency issue - it's like Grant couldn't quite find the happy middle between the two. Also, Gaia's plan is incredibly logical. The only way to kill "Nemesis" and open the FAYZ is to destroy the source of her powers, and yet she still expects to dominate the world after the FAYZ is opened? How is that supposed to work?
In addition to all that, the conclusion (Spoiler Alert as in, after the wall comes down (duh) End Spoiler Alert) wasn't what I'd hoped. I'd really wanted Sam to go before a court and explain his actions, etc. like he dreams/thinks about throughout the series, but it doesn't happen. Oh, and Drake's end isn't as fitting as it should've been.
Lastly, the premise of this series is VERY unoriginal. This is like a mix of Stephen King's Under the Dome, William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and Heroes (the TV show). The FAYZ wall is almost exactly the same as in Under the Dome (only in Under the Dome it's transparent the whole time), not to mention there are similar psychopathic and megalomanic characters present in both as well. Frankly I'm surprised King actually COMPLIMENTED Grant on the books instead of suing him for plagiarism/copyright infringement! LOL
All complaints aside though, Light was quite a good book, and does indeed work very well indeed as an epic finale to the Gone series. It was intense, it had the action and turmoil which Fear lacked and it tied up most of the series' loose ends. The series as a whole, despite having originality issues, did have some original plot elements to it, and writing was of good quality. The intensity and disturbing-ness of this series sets it above the crowd of dystopians clamoring for attention if nothing else.
So, to conclude, I highly recommend this series for anyone into dystopian or suspense who can stomach all kinds of events of a disturbing nature. If you read this series I do suggest though that you have a friend briefly summarize all the important stuff that happened in Fear to you rather than read it yourself. This series is quite a ride, and once you start you are in for the long haul. Enjoy!
4/5 stars
PS I still think Edilio being gay makes no sense whatsoever and was just thrown in to increase appeal to the LGBTQ audience.
PPS I strongly suggest those who have finished the series either read Under the Dome or watch the tv series they're making out of it.
I haven't read Light yet but after your review I'm itching to get my hands on it! I'm curious to see if my opinion will differ from yours, as (if I remember correctly) I LOVED Fear and you hated it. Glad to hear that Grant didn't bomb the finale - I've been reading way too many series lately that start out phenomenal and finish horribly (ahem Delirium, Hunger Games to name a couple).
ReplyDeleteWOW this is a thorough review!!! And haha I remember us three talking about this series last year. So pumped to finish it! And I'll definitely post my review of Light once I'm done! As Ashini said, there are wayyy too many series that start out fantastically and dwindle their way to a disappointing finale. Glad this series won't be one of them :))
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