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{{short description|Young adult book series by Michael Grant}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Gone'' (novel series)}}
{{use American English|date=August 2015}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox book series
{{Infobox book series
|name =''Gone''
| name
| image = [[File:Gone Michael Grant.jpg|200px|Michael Grant's ''Gone'']]
|image = Gone Michael Grant.jpg
| image_caption = First edition cover of ''Gone''
|image_caption =First edition cover of ''Gone''
| books = Gone<br />Hunger<br />Lies<br />Plague<br />Fear<br />Light
|books = {{plainlist|
*'''Series One'''
| genre = [[Supernatural fiction|Supernatural]], [[Young-adult fiction]], [[Horror fiction|Horror]]
**''Gone''
| publisher = [[HarperCollins]]
**''Hunger''
| author = [[Michael Grant (young adult author)|Michael Grant]]
**''Lies''
| country = [[United States]]
**''Plague''
| language = [[English language|English]]
**''Fear''
| pub_date = 2008–present
**''Light''
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|hardback]] and [[paperback]])
*'''Series Two'''
| Succeeded_by ='''
**''Monster''
**''Villain''
**''Hero''}}
|author =[[Michael Grant (young adult author)|Michael Grant]]
|country =United States
|language =English
|genre ={{plainlist|
*[[Supernatural fiction|Supernatural]]
*[[Superhero fiction|Superhero]]
*[[Horror fiction|Horror]]
*[[Science fiction]]
*[[Dystopia]]
*[[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]}}
|publisher =[[HarperCollins]]
|pub_date ={{plainlist|
*2008–2013 (Season One)
*2017–2019 (Season Two)}}
|media_type =Print ([[hardcover]] and [[paperback]])
|number_of_books =9
}}
}}
'''''Gone''''' is a bestselling [[book series]] written by [[Michael Grant (young adult author)|Michael Grant]].<ref>{{cite news|title=BESTSELLERS|work=[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]|location=Dublin|date=25 August 2013|page=24}}</ref>
{{All plot|date=March 2011}}
'''''GONE''''' is a [[young-adult fiction|young-adult]] [[dystopian novel|dystopian]] [[Science fiction novel|science fiction]] [[book series]] written by [[Michael Grant (young adult author)|Michael Grant]]. The series is centered around the fictional American town of Perdido Beach. Every human 15 and older vanishes, and the town and surrounding areas (later named the FAYZ) are encased within an impenetrable bubble. Many of the people and wildlife develop supernatural powers. The books follow the exploits of various characters, mainly the protagonist Sam Temple and the antagonists, Sam's fraternal twin Caine Soren and the psychopath Drake Merwin, otherwise known as 'Whip Hand'.RAGH


The series is centered on the fictional Southern California town of Perdido Beach, in which every human aged 15 and older vanishes. The town and surrounding areas become encased within an impenetrable barrier that burns to the touch, with many of its inhabitants developing [[supernatural]] powers. The books follow the exploits of the [[protagonist]]/hero, Sam Temple, as he battles [[antagonist]]s Caine Soren, Drake Merwin, and Diana Ladris as well as a mysterious, malevolent creature, known as the Darkness or the Gaiaphage (gai-uh-fage) (derived from [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]], a Greek personification of the Earth, and "phage", from the Greek φαγεῖν ''{{lang|grc-Latn|phagein}}'' "to devour").
The first novel in this series, titled ''Gone'', was originally published in 2008. The second book, ''Hunger'', was released a year later, followed by the third book, ''Lies'', on May 4, 2010. Book four, released on April 5, 2011, is titled ''Plague''. Book five, ''Fear'', was released on April 3, 2012 in the US, although it was released as early as March 23 in Australia, Hong Kong and possibly other countries. Book six will be titled ''Light''.

The first novel in this series, titled ''Gone'', was published in 2008. The second book, ''Hunger'', was released a year later, followed by the third book, ''Lies'', on May 4, 2010. The fourth book, ''Plague'', was released on April 5, 2011. The fifth book, ''Fear'', was released on April 3, 2012, in the United States and the United Kingdom, although it was released as early as March 23 in Australia and Hong Kong. The sixth book, ''Light'', was released on April 2, 2013. The series – "a fun, no-brainer read directed towards teenagers" – has been hailed as "ridiculously popular" and "a sensation in the young adult world".<ref>{{cite news|title=Bookseller Charts|work=[[Western Morning News]]|location=Plymouth|date=13 July 2013|page=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Flights of fiction|work=[[The Sunday Business Post]]|location=Dublin|date=16 June 2013}}</ref>

A planned ''Monster Trilogy'', also known as ''Season Two'', began on October 17, 2017, with the release of ''Monster''. It was set four years later from the events that took place in the other books. ''Villain'' was released on October 18, 2018, and ''Hero'' was released on October 1, 2019.


==Novels==
==Novels==


===''Gone''===
===''Gone''===
The story starts with the sudden disappearance of everybody aged 15 or older from the town of Perdido Beach, causing extreme confusion and chaos amongst those remaining in the town. Students Sam Temple, Quinn Gaither, Astrid Ellison, and Edilio Escobar discover an impermeable barrier cutting Perdido Beach off from the outside world; the area within the barrier is subsequently nicknamed "Fallout Alley Youth Zone", shortened to "the FAYZ". Unknown to the others, Sam had earlier discovered his superhuman ability to fire light from his hands capable of burning objects when he is afraid; after reading a journal entry by his mother Connie, a nurse at the nearby Coates Academy, Sam begins to suspect a connection to the disappearances and the barrier. While looking for Astrid's autistic four-year-old brother "Little" Pete at a nuclear power plant outside of town, the quartet discovers that the barrier's boundaries correspond to predicted radiation patterns in the case of a meltdown. Pete is revealed to have superhuman abilities in an incident where he chokes Sam, and that also exposes Sam's powers to the group, who agree to keep it secret.
Every person over the age of 15 simultaneously vanishes from the school in Perdido Beach, causing confusion and chaos among the pupils. It is quickly established that the adults have vanished from the entire town. Sam Temple steps up and tries to save a girl from a burning building. She does not survive, but it is revealed that the girl had the power to shoot streams of liquid fire from her hands, which caused the blaze. Later this becomes a key feature as why Sam Temple became 'head fire-chief'
Along with Astrid Ellison and Quinn Gather, Sam’s best friend, the group discovers an energy barrier that cuts off the kids from the outside world. Along the way, they find Edilio Escobar, who decides to join them. The group later comes across town bullies Orc(Otherwise known as Charles Merriman but not until lies.) and his sidekick Howard, who have nicknamed the barrier the '''FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone)'''. They find Astrid's brother Little Pete in the nuclear power plant (Astrid and Pete's father's workplace) in which there was a major accident 15 years ago when a meteorite hit and caused an explosion, hence why Perdido Beach is nicknamed Fallout Alley. They also find a map of radiation patterns. The fallout radius from the nuclear power plant lines exactly up with the energy barrier. Later, Sam accidentally scares Little Pete and Pete uses strange powers to choke Sam. It is revealed Sam has his own powers (he can shoot green-white light from his hands when scared/angry). Astrid reveals she's known about Little Pete's powers for a while, and Sam tells the group he once accidentally used his light to burn off his step father's hand, thinking he was going to attack his mother with a knife.


Upon the group's return to Perdido Beach, they encounter vehicles bringing students from Coates Academy, led by the charismatic Caine Soren. Caine restores order to Perdido Beach with the aid of his confidante Diana Ladris and enforcer Drake Merwin, but Sam and Astrid are suspicious of Caine's motives. Caine (revealed to have the power of telekinesis), Diana (who has the ability to determine the strength of others' powers), and Drake (a violent sadist with no powers of his own) discover that when inhabitants of the FAYZ turn 15, they are confronted by something they desire before vanishing, a phenomenon nicknamed "the poof", but can remain in the FAYZ by resisting whatever tempts them. Caine also discovers that he and Sam are twin brothers that were separated at birth, with Sam remaining with their mother, a revelation that deeply upsets Caine. Quinn, who has started hanging out with Caine's friends, tells Caine of Sam's powers. Feeling threatened, Caine enlists his crew, including local bully Charles "Orc" Merriman and his lackey Howard Bassem, to kidnap Sam, Astrid (who has begun dating Sam) and Pete. Quinn frees Sam, and Astrid and Pete are freed from Drake by Pete's abilities. Caine instructs Drake to kill Astrid and Pete, but Sam saves her. Sam, Astrid, Quinn, Pete, and Edilio escape town.
Meanwhile, a girl named Lana was driving through the desert with her grandfather when the "poof", or disappearance, occurs. The truck however drives off road and falls down a large steep rocky hill(a small cliff or gulch). Lana is badly injured while Patrick, her dog, is mostly unharmed. Soon a mountain lion attacks Patrick, who was protecting Lana and Patrick is left dying slowly. Lana puts her hand on his neck hoping he will be okay and Lana falls asleep. In the morning she finds Patrick perfectly fine with no injuries. She tries to heal herself, and it works after hours of resting her hands on her injured spots. Her power will later develop to work almost instantly. She soon gets to "Hermit Jim's" shack, but is then captured by a pack of coyotes, led by Pack Leader, a mutated coyote that can can produce some low level of intellect speech a gift from the giapahge(also known as the darkness). They take Lana to a strange creature in a mine shaft in the desert, who they call the Darkness. The Darkness orders her to teach the coyotes human ways. She does as they say for a while but eventually escapes back to the shack.


Meanwhile, teenager Lana Arwen Lazar is injured in a car crash after her grandfather disappears from the FAYZ. Lana discovers she has healing abilities and uses them to recover. Lana encounters a pack of coyotes that can talk. The coyotes take her to a mineshaft, where an entity the coyotes call "the Darkness" lives. Lana encounters Sam's group and together they escape the coyotes, only to be captured by Drake and taken to Coates Academy. Caine has their hands sealed in concrete, as he has discovered that the superhuman abilities are yielded by hand. Astrid coerces Pete into using his abilities to free Sam's group and the other students held prisoner; Caine, Diana and Drake flee, with Sam burning Drake's arm off in the process. Sam's group and the Coates students - amongst them Taylor, who can teleport, Brianna "The Breeze", who can run at superhuman speeds, and Dekka, who can control gravity - return to Perdido Beach. Drake infiltrates the town and kidnaps Lana, believing she can regenerate his arm. Meanwhile, Orc and Howard decide to escape town to avoid Sam, but encounter Drake and the coyotes, who are still seeking Lana for the Darkness' own ends. Orc is mauled by the coyotes, while Howard convinces the coyotes to bring Drake and Lana to the mineshaft before fleeing. The Darkness gives Drake command of the coyotes and coerces Lana to heal Drake's arm, which regenerates as a whip-like tentacle. Drake returns to Coates Academy and Caine prepares to attack Perdido Beach before he "poofs". Unknown to Caine, Diana sends his subordinate "Computer" Jack, who is concealing his own ability of super-strength, to Perdido Beach to tell Sam how to escape the "poof".
When Sam, Astrid, and Pete return to town, vehicles arrive in Perdido Beach that driven by the students of Coates Academy, a school for the wealthy and troubled, where Sam's mother worked as a nurse. Leading the act is Caine Soren, who gains the townies’ trust by promising better leadership and life. But after using the local church for planning with other elected kids, the building suffers minor damages by a strange force, nearly killing one of the local bullies, Cookie.


At Perdido Beach, Sam anticipates Caine's attack and makes plans to defend the town. He sends Edilio to the power plant to recover a cache of guns, as well as security footage from the time the FAYZ was created. Sam shows the footage to Astrid, revealing that Pete had created the FAYZ in order to prevent the power plant from going into meltdown. The battle begins with Caine's goons distracting Sam while Drake and the coyotes take a class of preschoolers hostage, along with their carer Mary Terrafino. Sam, Quinn, Edilio and the formerly captive Coates kids join forces to rescue the preschoolers; Orc, who survived the coyote attack and had subsequently transformed into a tall, gravel-skinned being, fights Drake to a stalemate. Caine confronts Sam before Jack can tell Sam how to survive the "poof", and the two soon disappear as they turn 15. The duo encounters a vision of Connie, who invites them to return to her. Both boys refuse, with Sam declaring that he has work to do in the FAYZ. Connie transforms into a manifestation of the Darkness, which gloats that Caine will come to it willingly, before disappearing. The boys return to the FAYZ; Sam is the first to recover and coerces Caine and the Coates students to retreat, but Caine declares he will return. Later, student Albert Hillsborough organizes a Thanksgiving dinner for the town and Sam encourages the residents of the FAYZ to stick together. Meanwhile, the coyotes' pack leader takes Caine to the Darkness.
Apparently, Caine also has powers. Some of the other kids have powers, but all of them are different. Along with the psychopathic sadistic student Drake Merwin, Caine soon takes command by using the local bullies to work for him and making Sam the fire chief because of his previous actions, soon resulting in the beating and death of a townie named "bouncing" Bette, killed by Orc who was unaware of his own strength.

Soon Caine and his lackeys steal Sam’s mother’s laptop and secret chest, and find out that Caine and Sam are fraternal twins and that Caine was given up for adoption soon after his birth.

Sam and the gang leave the town when Drake attempts to kill Astrid on Caine's orders. They escape to the far side of the FAYZ. They travel across the desert and encounter mutant rattlesnakes with wings. They meet Lana and become trapped in a shack and attacked by Pack Leader and the non talking coyotes

Meanwhile, Caine and his group return to Coates Academy to witness the disappearance of one of their classmates, discovering that those who vanish are confronted by a monster. Sam's gang and Lana are trapped in the shack when it's set on fire by the coyotes. They manage to escape thanks to Sam, who uses his power at his own will for the first time. However, they are then captured by Drake, who takes them to Coates and shows them what he does to the freaks who oppose Caine. He traps their hands in cement bricks to prevent them using their powers. This is by far the most disturbing part of book 1. He "plasters" the gang but Astrid persuades Little Pete to make the cement disappear by attempting to smash his Game Boy with her plastered hands. A brief fight takes place and Sam shoots off Drake's arm.

Sam and the gang, along with the victims of Caine and Drake's evil "plastering" return to town where they attempt to organize the townies to fight Caine. Drake arrives at Lana's and says he wants her to heal his arm. They drive off but the coyotes arrive. The coyotes mutilate Orc, nearly killing him. The coyotes take Lana and Drake to the Darkness which uses Lana's power to give Drake a new arm, shaped like a long red python which he can use as a deadly whip, and he is raging for revenge.

Caine attacks the town with the help of the coyotes and attempts to use the children in the day care as hostages. This is averted when one of the freaks, Taylor, teleports into the center of the room and throws hamburgers in the air. This distracts the coyotes long enough for Dekka (a mutant who can suspend gravity in certain areas) and several others to rescue the children.

Caine then attacks the town center and damages the church considerably. There is a battle between the townies and the Coates kids, who also have the help of the coyotes. Drake is prevented from joining the battle by a newly mutated Orc who has doubled in size and his injuries (all of his body apart from a small patch of his cheek) are covered in a hard substance that looks like wet gravel. He attacks Drake because Drake ordered him to attack a freak who later died of her injuries (Bette). He thinks the gravel is God's punishment for him. Sam and Caine fight in the town square and Sam successfully burns Caine's side. Sam then poofs because Caine waited for their birthday to attack. He is confronted by his mother who tells him to take her hand. Caine then poofs as well and joins Sam and their 'mother'. Caine knows that it is actually a monster due to an experiment he did earlier and refuses. Sam refuses as well, even though he does not know why Caine does, and their mother is revealed as a hideous and bloodthirsty creature. They pop back into reality and Caine retreats from the town.

Somewhere out in the local desert, Caine follows Pack Leader to the mine and to the Darkness.<ref name="book">{{cite book|last=Grant|first=Michael|title=Gone|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|edition=One|series=Gone (series)|pages=576|isbn=978-0-06-144876-8|oclc=175217385|url=http://browseinside.harperteen.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061448768|accessdate=27 November 2009}}</ref>


===''Hunger''===
===''Hunger''===
Three months after the end of ''Gone'', Sam has become mayor of Perdido Beach, but struggles with the responsibilities of protecting the town. Food supplies are dwindling, exacerbated by the presence of mutated carnivorous worms called "zekes" that prevent access to crop fields and only partially alleviated by Quinn's idea to begin fishing the nearby ocean. Other children are beginning to discover their mutant abilities, including Duck Zhang, who can control his density, and Hunter Lefkowitz, who can emit deadly microwave rays. Little Pete is also starting to reveal more of his powers, including the ability to create life. Tensions between mutants and non-mutants escalate after Hunter accidentally kills his roommate Harry with his powers during a confrontation between Hunter and the anti-mutant Zil Sperry. Zil and his posse, dubbing themselves the "Human Crew", capture and attempt to lynch Hunter before being forced to disperse by Orc. Albert, having learned from Lana of a cache of gold near the mineshaft where the Darkness lurks, travels there with Quinn and Lana to obtain the gold with the intention of using it to make currency for the FAYZ. Lana, traumatized by her encounter with the Darkness, abandons them to attempt to kill the Darkness by detonating LPG in the mineshaft. The Darkness, which calls itself the gaiaphage and whose physical form is revealed as a mass of green crystalline particles, subdues Lana.


At Coates Academy, Caine wakes after having spent the past three months in a fugue state following his encounter with the gaiaphage and makes plans to seize control of the nuclear power plant. While performing reconnaissance, Drake captures Orsay Pettijohn, a mutant with the ability to view people's dreams. Diana manipulates Jack, taking refuge in Perdido Beach, to help Caine in accessing the computers at the plant. Caine and his crew assault the power plant and shut off power to Perdido Beach; Sam, having realized Caine's plan, rushes to confront him. Caine realizes that he has been manipulated by the gaiaphage, as it needs radioactive uranium from the power plant to "feed". Forced to submit to the gaiaphage's will, Caine takes the uranium to the mineshaft, damaging the reactor and permanently cutting off power in the FAYZ, and leaving Drake behind to stall Sam. Caine also sends Bug, a mutant with the ability of camouflage, to bring Orsay to the mineshaft in order to determine the gaiaphage's objectives. Drake coerces Sam into allowing himself to be tortured by threatening to trigger a reactor meltdown. Sam is rescued by Brianna, who severs part of Drake's tentacle, but Sam is left close to death; Drake retreats to join up with Caine.
The '''FAYZ''' has been slowly starving, because of the initial waste of food described as rioting in gone. Sam Temple, the mayor of the town, tries to find various ways to solve this through agriculture. However, his efforts are hampered by the fact that no one wants to work, and that food is distributed evenly. So his friend Albert attempts are further harmed when mutated, territorial worms with razor sharp teeth are found hiding in the cabbage patch, a main supply of food. Albert eventually has to bribe Charles "Orc" Merrimen, who is mainly made of stone and may be invulnerable to the worms, or "zekes", with beer so that he will gather cabbages.

Meanwhile, Albert Hillsborough, who ran the old McDonald's before the food ran out, starts a dance club, where kids must pay an entry fee of toilet paper or batteries in order to get in. Sam and Astrid arrive, but Sam decides to let the McClub, as it's called, stay open. Meanwhile, Quinn Gaither starts a fishing business with Albert, also charging toilet paper and batteries. Albert eventually ponders on creating a monetary financial system.

Caine Soren, Sam's enemy and twin brother, has spent months in a state of insanity due to his interaction with the gaiaphage, also called the Darkness. Diana has nursed him back, though Drake, who serves the gaiaphage willingly, attempts to undermine her. Caine then resumes command of the Coates' kids, although he must put up with Drake's planned rebellion.

Almost immediately after he awakes, Caine devises a plan to break into the nuclear plant to control the electricity of Perdido Beach. Caine also has Diana go to town and get Computer Jack to assist them. They succeed but become trapped in the plant after Sam's soldiers surround them and Caine realizes that he has barely any food. Diana then begins to question what this plan was meant to accomplish. Caine then receives a message from the gaiaphage telling him to feed it. Caine has the horrible realization that his entire plan may have just been him unconsciously obeying the gaiaphage.

Meanwhile, Lana has also been receiving messages from the Darkness telling her to come to it because it has need for her. She devises a plan to destroy the mine shaft using Hermit Jim's truck. She goes to the mining town with Cookie and manages to back up the truck to the cave mouth and kill Pack Leader, but is stopped by the gaiaphage before she can blow it up and is brainwashed. She then is Lead to the Darkness.

While this is all going on, a mutant called Hunter, who is able to fire waves of heat from his hands like a microwave, has a fight with his roommate Zil Sperry and accidentally kills their mutual friend Harry. Zil sets up a group called the Human Crew, who are all normals and believe all freaks are evil and should be killed. They capture Hunter and try to hang him in the plaza. Astrid, with Little Pete in town, try to stop them but are captured and Little Pete receives a blow to the head. Orc eventually prevents the execution, and saves Astrid, Little Pete, and Hunter. Because Hunter killed Harry he is banished and cannot enter the town so he decides to live up to his name and hunts for the kids in the town. He received brain damage being hit over the head with a bat by the human crew and, although perfectly sane, has trouble remembering (especially words) and is more simple minded than before

During this Edilio Escobar and Dekka are on their way to destroy the mine shaft. They arrive and are met by Lana, under the control of the gaiaphage, who tells them to stop and then shoots Edilio. She then retreats into the cave and leaves Dekka to the coyotes, who attack her. It is then revealed that the gaiaphage plans to use Lana's powers to create a new body for itself, one that, if destroyed, reveals an even more deadly monster, like a nesting doll. It will achieve this after Caine arrives and feeds it the fuel rod. Astrid discovers the gaiaphage is in contact with Little Pete, using him to give it the idea of a near-invincible body. She also works out that the gaiaphage is the result of an accident at the plant fifteen years ago, when a meteorite hit. She theorizes that a virus may have been alive on the rock when it hit, and that virus + radiation = mutation. The accident might have affected the kids as well, giving them their powers.

Thanks to the distraction in town Caine is able to use his powers to levitate a uranium rod to the mine shaft, with Diana and Jack. Drake stays behind to deal with anyone who follows. Sam receives this news and heads to the plant to fight Drake. He arrives but Drake tells him that with a push of a button he can release the radiation and destroy everyone, unless Sam lets Drake do whatever he wants to him. Sam, who is in the process of being tortured by Drake, is saved by Brianna, who cuts Drake's whip hand off; as well as stopping the radiation. Drake then flees to Caine.

Sam, who is gravely injured and barely alive, tells Brianna to take Duck Zhang to the mine shaft. Duck Zhang is a mutant who can control his density, and may be the only weapon they have that the gaiaphage does not know about. He then gets picked up by Quinn and gets taken to the mine shaft where he sees Dekka and Edilio, both of who are near death, as well as Caine, Jack, Diana and Drake. Diana is injured by Drake and in a fit of rage Caine hurls the uranium rod at Drake's chest, knocking him into the mine shaft, and then collapses the entrance.


Bug tells the children of Perdido Beach Caine's plan in exchange for food. Edilio takes Orsay to the mineshaft, and Orsay relays to the children of Perdido Beach the gaiaphage's desire to "feed". Astrid speculates that the gaiaphage came to Earth in a meteor strike that hit the power plant 13 years prior, that the radiation both sustains the gaiaphage and has caused the mutations, and that the gaiaphage has been manipulating Pete, Lana, and Caine with the aim of creating indestructible physical forms for itself capable of resisting the children of the FAYZ. Edilio and Dekka travel to the mineshaft to find Lana under the influence of the gaiaphage. Lana shoots and critically wounds Edilio before retreating into the mineshaft, while Dekka is attacked by coyotes. Caine, Drake, Diana and Jack arrive, soon followed by Sam, Quinn, Brianna, and Duck (Sam having reasoned that the gaiaphage is unprepared for Duck's abilities). Drake, now loyal to the gaiaphage instead of Caine, attacks Diana. Enraged, Caine defies the gaiaphage to throw Drake and the uranium into the mineshaft before collapsing it, but realises that Lana must be rescued to save Diana. Using Duck's powers to tunnel into the mineshaft, Caine and Sam confront the gaiaphage, which is "feeding" on the uranium. Duck sacrifices himself by having Caine throw him at the gaiaphage while he uses his power, creating a void that sucks in the gaiaphage. Lana is freed from the gaiaphage's influence and heals the children of their injuries, and Caine and Diana depart.
Brianna then arrives with Duck and together they devise a plan to get Lana. They climb over the shaft and Duck uses his powers to make a hole in the ground to the gaiaphage. Duck, Caine, and Sam go in and Caine uses his powers to throw Duck into the gaiaphage. While Duck is flying through the air, he becomes heavier than a mountain and smashes into the gaiaphage, creating a massive hole that drags him and the gaiaphage down to the bottom of the bubble surrounding the FAYZ, however, it is hinted that Duck dies in the process. Quinn then enters and finds Lana dazed, Sam passed out, and Caine stunned. They then use Lana's powers to heal Edilio, Dekka, Brianna, and Sam. Caine then heads back to Coates.


In the aftermath they mourn Duck who saved them all. Zil and his gang run wild, the kids negotiate with the zekes, and Albert reveals his new system of money, using 'Bertos made of gold. Sam and Quinn then head out into the ocean on their boards, with Dekka on a boat, who uses her powers to create waves for them. The book ends with Brittney, a girl who was killed during the fight for the power plant and has the power to not die, alive in her grave with a pale slug (the end of Drake's whip hand) attached to her while she asks her dead brother to pray for her in Heaven.
Back at Perdido Beach, Sam steps down as mayor and shares responsibilities with a council, though many still sympathize with the Human Crew. The children gain access to the crops by feeding the zekes mutant "blue bats" previously discovered by Duck. Hunter, left brain-damaged as a result of his ordeal, is exiled from Perdido Beach. Brittney Donegal, a girl seemingly killed in Caine's attack on the power plant, is buried in the graveyard in the town plaza; unknown to the rest of the children, Brittney has the power of immortality and remains conscious, with a mysterious slug (Drake's severed tentacle) attached to her arm.


===''Lies''===
===''Lies''===
Four months after ''Hunger'', Sam is still traumatized by his torture by Drake. His fears increase after the Human Crew abduct Jill, a young girl with [[Siren (mythology)|siren]]-like mutant abilities, and dump her in an empty grave which Sam and Edilio realise was previously occupied by Brittney; it is implied that Sam and Edilio know the slug on Brittney's arm was Drake's severed tentacle. Jill is taken in by Orsay and her helper, a mysterious girl named Nerezza unfamiliar to the children of Perdido Beach. Orsay, whose powers have grown so that she can contact people outside the FAYZ through dreams, begins telling children that they can escape the FAYZ through the "poof". After Sam is unsuccessful in concealing Orsay's claims from the council, Astrid convinces the other councillors to tell Perdido Beach that Orsay is lying, despite not being able to disprove Orsay's claims. Sam's deception causes a rift between him and Astrid and prompt their break-up. Brittney reappears in Perdido Beach, guided by visions of her deceased brother Tanner that give her cryptic warnings of a "demon"; her reappearance is soon followed by the discovery of several bodies who show signs of being whipped to death.


At Coates, Caine and his remaining followers learns of San Francisco de Sales, a private island owned by Hollywood power couple Jennifer Brattle and Todd Chance located within the FAYZ, and Caine makes plans to relocate to the island. To this end he reaches out to Zil and the Human Crew, arranging for the Human Crew to set fire to Perdido Beach to create a distraction for Caine and his group to steal boats from the town's marina. While responding to the fire, Sam is attacked by Drake and flees Perdido Beach in terror. Caine and those he deems useful - Diana, Bug, and a cruel mutant named Penny with the ability to create illusions - make it to San Francisco de Sales, which they discover is still occupied by the Brattle-Chances' adopted children. The Brattle-Chances, knowing that they will eventually run out of supplies, drug Caine's group and attempt to flee to Perdido Beach by helicopter. Caine wakes and uses his abilities to stop the Brattle-Chances, but is forced to release them to stop Diana attempting suicide.
Electricity is out in the FAYZ and the water supply no longer works. Sam Temple, the former mayor of Perdido Beach, is walking the streets at 2a.m. Down on the beach he sees Orsay Pettijohn, a mutant who can see other people's dreams. She's with a group of other kids and claiming she can see the dreams of those on the other side of the FAYZ wall. Sam also sees a girl called Nerezza, who he does not recognize. Orsay tells Sam that she's dreamed of Sam's mother, who wants to tell him that there's a time when the world no longer needs heroes. And then the true hero knows to walk away.


In the aftermath of the fire, Albert hosts a cookout to raise morale, while Brianna brings Sam back to town. Astrid, realizing that the children no longer respect her, uses her authority as a council member to pass laws aimed at maintaining order in the town before resigning her position. Nerezza convinces Zil and the Human Crew to launch another attack at the cookout, while Drake reappears and begins attacking the children. Nerezza attempts to kill Pete before being stopped by Astrid, who realizes that the gaiaphage had used Pete to create Nerezza by manipulating Pete into thinking he was creating a protagonist for his game console. Mary attempts to kill the preschoolers by having them jump off a cliff as she turns 15, having been influenced by Orsay and Nerezza to believe that their deaths will allow them to reawaken outside of the FAYZ. The children are saved by Brianna and Dekka, the latter of whom also kills Zil, but Mary disappears. Nerezza, who has killed Orsay, uses Jill's abilities in an attempt to prevent the children from fighting back, but is distracted by the arrival of the Brattle-Chances. Sam destroys Nerezza and attempts to destroy Drake, who now has the ability of regeneration, but ultimately relents when Drake transforms into Brittney and instead has her locked in a basement with Orc keeping guard. Pete's game console is destroyed in the showdown at Clifftop; in his anguish, Pete briefly causes the FAYZ barrier to disappear, giving Perdido Beach a brief glimpse of the outside world.
Meanwhile, a young girl called Jill who lives in the part of town Zil Sperry has declared a no freak zone, is beaten and kicked out of her home because she is like a Siren: when she sings people can do nothing but listen. Sam discovers her gagged and bound in a hole in the ground, in the graveyard. He gets his second in command, Edilio Escobar, who tells him Jill was in the grave of a girl called Brittney, who appears to have escaped, even though she's been buried for over a month.


Throughout the book, many characters are mentioned as having contracted a flu-like disease, foreshadowing events in ''Plague.''
The next day in the "Mall", a boy called Francis tells Sam and Sam's girlfriend, Astrid Ellison, that he's going to step out of the FAYZ on his fifteenth birthday. Before Sam can say anything, Francis disappears. Astrid calls a meeting of the newly appointed council: Sam, Astrid, Edilio, Dekka, John Terrafino, Albert Hillsborough and Howard Bassem. Astrid is furious Sam lied to her about Orsay. The council agree to tell everyone Orsay is lying. Sam and Astrid later have an argument and Sam moves out of the house they both live in. Afterward a girl called Taylor, who can teleport, tells Astrid that someone claims to have spotted Drake Merwin on the beach, the evil boy with a whip hand who nearly killed Sam. They also find a boy with Drake's whip marks all over him. Later on she tells Sam that the supposedly dead Brittney is alive and in Howard and Orc's house. Sam, not knowing what else to do, asks Brianna a.k.a. The Breeze, who has the power of enhanced speed, to look after Brittney.

Meanwhile Sam's corrupt brother, Caine Soren, and the rest of the Coates kids are getting weaker and weaker, slowly starving. A camouflaging freak called Bug tells Caine there might be an island off the coast of Perdido Beach, where there might be food. Desperate, Caine strikes a deal with Zil Sperry. If Zil sets fire to Perdido Beach, it would cause enough distraction for Caine to be able to steal some boats. Caine does not expect Zil to have the courage to actually go through with it, but he does and Caine sails to the island, along with Bug, Diana and Penny; who makes people think they are seeing monsters. After Zil tries to make Sam's people think Caine did it, Caine kills one of Zil's people, Hank, who tried shooting Caine. Sam discovers it is Zil who set fire to the town and sets out to kill him, ignoring both Edilio's and Astrid's warnings. However, he soon finds himself back at the power plant, where Drake had tortured him, and knew that's where he'd end up all along.

When Caine gets to the island, he discovers kids living there; the adopted children of the mansion's owners. A boy called Sanjit gives them food but it's drugged and they all fall unconscious. When they wake up, they see Sanjit is trying to use a helicopter to escape with the other children. Caine nearly kills them, along with Penny, but Diana falls off the edge of the cliff and Caine has to release his hold on the helicopter in order to save her. Sanjit escapes and, flying the best he can with his siblings, heads to Perdido Beach.

In Perdido Beach, the inhabitants manage to stop the fire but many kids are killed. At a cook off in the plaza, Mary Terrafino claims she saw Drake, who soon arrives and causes mass panic. At the same time, Nerezza convinces Mary to take the children to the cliff over the beach. Nerezza then tries to kill Little Pete, Astrid's autistic little brother and the person who caused the FAYZ, but she fails. Astrid arrives at the cliff and sees Mary and a line of children holding hands at the cliff edge. On the moment of her fifteenth birthday, Mary sees her mother and steps off the cliff to try to get to her, pulling the children with her. Sam arrives, but no one can help because they are rendered helpless by Nerezza, who tells Jill to sing. However, Sanjit's helicopter arrives and drowns out the singing. Mary vacates, but the children are saved by Dekka and Brianna. Then Brittney arrives, slowly transforming into Drake. Drake attacks Sam but Sam uses his power to burn Drake. However Drake soon turns into Brittney again and Sam is not able to kill the innocent girl. He asks Brianna to grab some ropes and chains to hold Drake. At the same time, Little Pete finds that his Game Boy, the favourite thing he owns, smashed on the ground. He reacts by screaming and causing the FAYZ wall to disappear for a split second. Astrid sees adults staring on the other side before the wall returns.

It is finally revealed that the evil creature called the gaiaphage is behind everything. It needed both Brittney's immortality and Lana Arwen Lazar's healing powers to bring Drake back from the dead. However, Brittney's willpower stopped Drake taking over the body they shared completely. Nerezza is not human at all; she's the gaiapahge's avatar, brought to life using Little Pete's impossible powers, who was tricked into thinking he was playing a game. The gaiaphage had used Nerezza to try to kill the young children Mary pulled after her, which would have broken the kids of the FAYZ, but the tactic failed, and Astrid almost kills Nerezza by choking her, but realizes it is not the answer and stops. Brittney/Drake needs no food or water to survive, so Sam locks them in Howard and Orc's basement. In the end Sam catches the flu, which is a hint as to the plot of the fourth book, ''Plague.''


===''Plague''===
===''Plague''===
Perdido Beach is now run in all but name by Albert, whose introduction of money and paid labor to the town has placed him in a position of considerable power. With water supplies dwindling, Albert sends Sam, Dekka, Jack and Taylor to find a new water source at Lake Tramonto, on the far side of the FAYZ. Meanwhile, a plague that causes those infected to cough up their insides spreads through Perdido Beach, and the town's inhabitants are instructed not to leave their homes to stop the spread. On the way to the lake, Sam's group encounters Hunter, who has become infested with [[Parasitism|parasitic]] bugs which have begun to eat him from the inside out. At Hunter's request, Sam uses his powers to euthanize him, but in doing so releases bugs that are invulnerable to his abilities. A coyote then leads the group to the creatures that are causing the infections. The group attacks the creatures, and Dekka becomes infested in the process. Meanwhile, Drake escapes his prison after Orc becomes drunk. He makes his way to the mineshaft and is met by the bugs, which clear the way into the mineshaft. Drake transforms into Brittney, who discovers that the Gaiaphage was an alien virus intended to seed planets with life before mutating due to exposure to radiation and human DNA. With Brittney now accepting the gaiaphage as her god, Drake and the bugs split into two armies to attack Sam and Perdido Beach. Orc, ashamed of his actions, takes refuge at Coates with Astrid, who believes that killing Pete will end the FAYZ and worries that the other children will kill him.


Sam's group arrive at a nearby military airbase and encounter a lone boy, Toto, whose mutant power is to tell truth from lies. Sam's group discover that the military was tracking the various mutants before the FAYZ began. They also find a train containing valuable supplies of food, as well as a train car full of handheld missile launchers. Travelling on to the lake, Sam and his group are confronted by Drake and the bugs, which have grown to the size of SUVs. The group escapes back to the military base, with Sam sending Jack to Perdido Beach to either retrieve Caine from San Francisco de Sales or throw Pete to the bugs, assuming that Pete will be induced to use his abilities in response. Dekka attempts to use her abilities to bring the missiles to the power plant and then on to Perdido Beach, but the plan is thwarted when she begins to succumb to her infestation and drops the container. Perdido Beach erupts into chaos with the knowledge that the bugs are approaching, most mutants too far away to help, Albert near death after being attacked by the remnants of the Human Crew, and the plague having hospitalized many kids. Independently of Sam, Edilio instructs Quinn to bring Caine to Perdido Beach, as he has the power to kill the bugs. Caine accepts the challenge, hoping to become king after saving the town.
Sam Temple is revealed to be drunk after seeing Brittney/Drake earlier in the day and feeling particularly low about his and Astrid's relationship decline. Sam had obtained the alcohol from Orc and Howard, stating that he was "confiscating" it but later succumbing to the temptation. In a blind, drunken rage, he attacks the FAYZ wall, but his efforts yield no result; whilst he is up on the clifftop Taylor "bounces" up to see him and they end up kissing. In the end, Sam feels guilty and pulls away. Taylor tells him to come back when he gets bored of Astrid's frigidity.


The bugs arrive in Perdido Beach, and Caine teams up with Brianna to destroy most of the army attacking the town, though many children are killed in the battle. Quinn rescues Sam, Toto and Dekka and brings them back to Perdido Beach, with Sam forced to cut Dekka open to stop the bugs devouring Dekka. Jack encounters Astrid and Orc at Coates, soon joined by Drake and his bugs. When threatened by Drake, Astrid throws Pete to the insects, who realizes the danger and vanishes both the insects and himself, but the FAYZ barrier remains.
The next chapter focuses initially on Diana at the island home, who has qualms about what she has done and decides to become a better person and perhaps reform Caine as well. The second half of the chapter deals with three previously unknown girls, Jennifer B, Jennifer H and Jennifer L; all three are suffering from a new strain of flu which causes the victims to literally cough up their lungs. After Jennifer H dies from the flu, Jennifer B crawls to the makeshift hospital to warn Dahra Baidoo


Caine installs himself as king of Perdido Beach, though it is clear that Albert remains the real power behind the throne. Sam forms a community at Lake Tramonto with a third of Perdido Beach decide to follow him. To Caine's shock, Diana decides to come with Sam, having become sick of Caine's constant need for power, and reveals that she is pregnant with Caine's child. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Pete's disembodied consciousness has survived the encounter with the bugs.
Perdido Beach is now being effectively run by Albert, whose scheme to introduce capitalism has been a success and has placed him in a position of considerable power. Albert sends Sam, Jack and Dekka on a mission to find a new water source over at Lake Tramonto, almost directly opposite Perdido Beach, as the town's supplies are running low. Sam and a few others embark on the journey and presently encounter Hunter. Multiple insects are hatching from within him and he is attempting (and failing) to commit suicide with his microwaving ability. Sam agrees to kill him out of pity; after Hunter and Dekka pray together, Sam incinerates Hunter with his power. The insects within Hunter, however, are unaffected. A new pack leader, who is also infected by the insects, is discovered shortly afterwards. He reveals he knows where the creatures that cause the infections live, and willingly leads Sam's party there, on the premise that Sam will euthanize him afterwards. During Sam's cleansing of the creatures (these are physically different from the insects, being described as flying snakes, and no not share the insectoid invulnerability to Sam's power) one drops a green slime on Dekka; Sam cauterises the area to prevent infection.

Brittney/Drake has been incarcerated in a house basement in Perdido Beach, with Howard and Orc on guard duty; whilst Howard is out, Jamal (Albert's personal bodyguard) visits and accidentally enrages Orc. In the ensuing melee, Drake escapes, and quickly secures Jamal's allegiance through threats of violence.

On their way to the lake, Sam, Jack, and Dekka come across a military base and search it in hope of food. They discover the base was containing and studying freaks, but only one remains: Toto, who has the ability to discern truth from lies. He appears to have mental problems and is constantly speaking to a plastic Spider-man bust, even after Sam grows angry and melts the figure. Toto leads the group to a derailed train, whose containers reveal many things; Nutella, Apple computer products, Pepsi, putrefied oranges and handheld missile launchers. When Sam and his friends finally reach the lake, they are confronted by the insects once more, which have grown to the size of SUVs and are being commanded by Drake. They escape, and learn the town will shortly be under attack. It is also revealed that Sam's cauterising attempt has failed; Dekka is infested with the insects.

Meanwhile the flu is spreading in Perdido Beach, causing the inhabitants to effect a quarantine. Despite assistance from Sanjit and Lana, Dahra's hospital is being over-stretched, and there is still have no effective treatment. Edilio discovers the kid bitten by Hunter's growth, Roscoe, infested with the parasitic insects. He makes the decision to confine him to a heavily-secured room and leave him to die, stopping the insects from spreading further. Between the flu and the water shortage, society begins to break down in Perdido Beach. Former Human-Crew members Turk and Lance attack Albert, leaving him close to death. Meanwhile, Pete - suffering from a fever - removes the walls and ceiling from his room and produces a raincloud to cool himself, revealing his powers to the FAYZ at large. Orc accidentally kills a boy in a drunken rage and goes to find Astrid for redemption. Turk and Lance reach Astrid's house and announce their plan to wound Astrid and murder Pete. A feverish Edilio turns up at the scene and a stand-off ensues - panicking, Edilio shoots both Turk and Lance. Orc takes Astrid and Pete to Coates Academy.

Back up at the cave, Brianna attacks Drake with a garotte, using it to slice him apart in a reversal of an idea Drake previously used to set up traps for her. However, Drake's body reassembles itself - he has gained Brittney's immortality - and Brianna only narrowly escapes. Edilio sends Quinn to get Caine, realising they need his power to offer a defence against the insects. Caine accepts, seeing the invitation as an opportunity to take complete control of the town and become a totalitarian king, ignoring Diana's pleas for them to remain on the island. Later on, after the battle, Caine admits to himself that they should have stayed on the island instead of returning to the mainland.

Sam's party formulate a plan to use Dekka's power to rapidly move themselves and the missile container back to Perdido Beach, intending to use the missiles to kill Drake's insects. Drake's insects attack the town and Caine attempts a defence, but is almost overwhelmed and has to be saved by Brianna. Sam's plan works and he, Toto, Jack and Dekka arrive back at Perdido Beach; however, the insects begin to emerge from Dekka. Brianna and Lana arrive and ultimately save her life. It is strongly hinted that Dekka reveals her attraction to Brianna before passing out. This does not quite sit well with Brianna.

Drake travels up to the Coates academy with some of his insects; he has been ordered by the Gaiaphage to capture Pete, and personally wishes to murder Astrid. Orc attempts to attack Drake but is too drunk to finish the job and falls out of the window, where the insects swarm him. Jack runs in to help Orc. Acting on a gamble, Astrid throws Pete to the insects; he realises the danger and vanishes the insects, along with himself. It is suggested that this move by Astrid, adding to her concerns over Sam, are beginning to affect her sanity. Later on, she and Sam have a blistering confrontation; Astrid assumes that by sacrificing her brother, the FAYZ wall would disappear; it did not. She is disappointed by this and leaves Sam.

Caine and Sam hold a meeting in Perdido Beach, giving every citizen the option of staying in the town with Caine as king or moving to the lake with Sam. Toto is present to ensure that neither party make false promises. Albert stays in Perdido Beach on the grounds that Caine makes several concessions to him, making Sam note that despite his and Caine's abilities, Albert holds the real power. Quinn stays in Perdido Beach with his fishing team. Diana unexpectedly chooses to go with Sam, and reveals that she is pregnant with Caine's child.

The book ends with a view from Pete's mind, who is apparently alive but without a body to inhabit. He revels in the fact that he has overcome the "limitations" of his mind, suggesting his autism disappeared along with his body.


===''Fear''===
===''Fear''===
Four months after the end of ''Plague'', Sam's new community at Lake Tramonto is flourishing. However, Sam discovers that the missile container has been booby-trapped, and suspects that Caine has already claimed the missiles. Astrid has abandoned Sam to live alone in the woods, still guilty over sacrificing Pete and unaware of his survival. Pete experiments with his new state of existence by tampering with the genetic makeup of the inhabitants of the FAYZ, resulting in several gruesome deaths. Amongst his victims is Taylor, who survives her mutation but is transformed into a gold-skinned non-mammalian creature.


Astrid and several other FAYZ inhabitants discover that the energy barrier has begun to turn black, prompting Astrid to seek Sam out at Lake Tramonto and rekindle their relationship. Sam sends a letter to Caine offering to use his powers to provide light to Perdido Beach. Meanwhile, Drake and the coyotes are sent by the gaiaphage to bring the pregnant Diana to its cave. Drake allows the coyotes to eat Howard when they cross paths on the way to Lake Tramonto. This is witnessed by Sam's messenger, who instead runs back to Lake Tramonto to raise the alarm. At night, Astrid clandestinely travels to Perdido Beach alone to bring Sam's offer of aid. Meanwhile, Albert decides to flee to San Francisco de Sales to survive an anticipated societal collapse resulting from the barrier darkening; it is revealed that he has hidden the missiles on the island without telling Caine.
Four months have passed since the events of the previous novel. Pete is experimenting with his current existence by tampering with 'avatars' within his 'new game', actually the inhabitants of the FAYZ. This results in gruesome deaths as he changes their DNA clumsily, and one of his victims is Taylor.


In Perdido Beach, Caine sentences Cigar, one of Quinn's fishermen, to a day being tortured by Penny and her illusions. Cigar claws his own eyes out as a result of Penny's torture, prompting Quinn and his fishermen to go on strike and demand Penny's exile from Perdido Beach. Lana attempts to regenerate Cigar's eyes and is partially successful; however, Cigar is only able to perceive people's auras, but soon realises that he is able to see and communicate with Pete. Penny drugs Caine and encases his hands in concrete, preventing the use of his powers, but is infuriated when the frightened children of Perdido Beach clamor for his release rather than accept her leadership. Lana coerces Penny into leaving town. Astrid encounters Cigar, who reveals that Pete is alive, but Cigar is eaten by zekes soon afterwards. Through mental communication with Pete, Astrid learns that the barrier is connected to the gaiaphage and the gaiaphage needs a host body - Diana's baby - to channel its abilities. Drake takes Diana captive and brings her to the mineshaft, where they encounter Penny. Diana gives birth to her baby, which is possessed by the gaiaphage. The baby, whom Diana names Gaia, shows signs of possessing several powers, including Sam's light generation and Lana's healing abilities.
At Lake Tramonto Sam decides to get the missiles he left in Perido Beach, but discovers that someone has already taken them. While looking for the missiles he sees that the FAYZ wall is turning black. Astrid, who is currently living in the woods, also sees the changed barrier and returns to Lake Tramonto to see Sam and inform him about the barrier.


Outside the FAYZ, nurse Connie Temple learns that the military has been testing the strength of the barrier by hitting it with x-rays and examining how much is reflected back. The FAYZ wall has reflected 100% of the x-rays since the start of the testing but is now only reflecting 98.4. Mary Terrafino and Francis, who 'poofed', are revealed to have been taken outside of the FAYZ and hideously mutilated by the event, they eventually die whilst on life support.
Outside the FAYZ, Sam and Caine's mother, Connie Temple, has become one of the spokespeople for the families of Perdido Beach. Connie struggles with her guilt about knowing of Sam and Caine's abilities before the creation of the FAYZ. Connie learns that the army plans to [[Nuclear weapon|nuke]] the barrier. She and the other children's families attempt to stop the explosion by alerting the media and the other families, but the military finds that the barrier has prevented them from stopping the detonation.


Drake, Diana, Penny and a rapidly developing Gaia make for the barrier, which Gaia intends to destroy so she can escape into the outside world. They are intercepted by Sam and Caine; Caine kills Penny, prompting Gaia to attempt to kill Caine with her own telekinetic abilities. When Sam tries to destroy Gaia with his light (concurrently to the nuclear detonation), the barrier suddenly becomes transparent, allowing Connie and everyone else gathered outside the barrier to witness the confrontation. Gaia flees, followed by Diana and Drake. In the aftermath, Sam and Astrid are reunited with their parents, and communication begins between the FAYZ and the outside world.
In Perdido Beach Caine punishes Cigar, one of the Quinn's fishermen, for killing a boy named Jaden. His punishment is 12 hours with the now insane Penny. Penny's visions eventually cause Cigar to claw his own eyes out. Lana heals him but his vision does not work properly and his eyes only reach the size of marbles. Quinn is very upset about this and retaliates by refusing to fish until Penny is forced to leave Perdido Beach and not come back.


===''Light''===
Drake/Brittney has returned with the task of bringing Diana and her unborn baby to the Gaiaphage, so that it may use the baby as a body.
Two days after ''Fear'', the inhabitants of the FAYZ have become distracted by the outside world and lose interest in their duties, which leads to Quinn returning to San Francisco de Sales to get Albert, as he is the only one who can get everyone back to work. Brianna gives an interview to a news station that reveals the level of violence experienced by the children of the FAYZ. Annoyed at Brianna, Sam and Astrid send her to search for Gaia, Diana, and Drake. Brianna encounters Drake foraging for food for Gaia; she dismembers him and scatters his parts throughout the FAYZ, keeping his head in a chest below the boats on Lake Tramonto.


Gaia schemes to kill the FAYZ residents in order to prevent Pete from fighting her by inhabiting another person's body. Gaia and Diana spot two young men on the other side of the barrier; Gaia uses her power to briefly remove the barrier, causing one of the men, Alex Mayle, to fall through. Gaia removes and eats Alex's arm and informs Alex that she will use him as food. Intimidated, Diana and Alex follow Gaia to Lake Tramonto. Diana escapes and warns the community, but Gaia appears and slaughters most of the community before being forced to retreat by Brianna. Sam and Caine join forces to kill Gaia and rescue Diana. Sam and Caine find Gaia, and their efforts to kill her result in Caine being taken hostage and Sam heavily injured, before he is rescued by Taylor and Lana.
Upon realizing that the FAYZ will go dark, Sam decides to send a message to Caine offering to give light to Perdido Beach. However, the messenger Mohamed sees Drake and his coyotes killing Howard and returns to the lake. Realizing that they will all die if Sam does not give them his Sammy suns, Astrid goes out on her own to send the message to Caine.


The kids regroup at Perdido Beach and discuss their next move. It is revealed that Gaia, though possessing every power of every living person in the FAYZ, loses that power when the person dies. Sam contemplates whether he must sacrifice himself in order to stop Gaia. Meanwhile, Alex brings Drake's head to Gaia; she decapitates Alex, attaches Drake's head to his body, and replaces Alex's missing arm with another tentacle. Gaia attacks Perdido Beach and kills Brianna. Jack is also killed by a stray bullet and Sam is taken prisoner. Drake captures Astrid and begins to torture her, but Astrid incapacitates him and escapes. With the situation desperate, Caine retrieves Albert's missiles and launches them at Gaia. Orc, who was fighting Gaia at the time, is killed in the blast, but Gaia survives. Realizing that there is only one option left, Caine allows Pete's consciousness to inhabit his body at the cost of his own life. Pete fights Gaia, with each destroying each other in the process, as well as the barrier. While the kids flee Perdido Beach, Sam returns alone to confront Drake after receiving a firearm from Lana. Sam finds that he has lost his ability to shoot light, but when Drake attacks he finds that his immortality and Gaia's ability to graft his head onto Alex's body has also been nullified, resulting in Drake's apparent demise.
Darkness fills the FAYZ. Believing there to be no hope, Albert decides to leave for San Francisco de Sales Island with the missiles. Penny cements Caine's hands together and drags Caine through town, humiliating him by making him dance in front of the whole town. Penny announces to the town that she's the new "queen". The residents of Perdido Beach want Caine back as King due to the dire circumstances, and drive Penny out of town where she reunites with Drake, who has captured Diana and is heading for the mineshaft. Caine is in no condition to rule, so Lana makes Quinn temporary leader of PB.


The remaining kids reunite with their families and mourn their losses. Connie tells Sam how Caine and Sam were fraternal twins, fathered by the man whose DNA had merged with the gaiaphage, and becomes distant from Sam. Edilio is forced to go into hiding to avoid being deported back to [[Honduras]], and comes out to his family after learning that his boyfriend Roger survived the massacre at Lake Tramonto. Albert gains the attention of every major business in the world, and does an advertisement for McDonald's in Perdido Beach. Lana returns to her family in Vegas. Sam is targeted by prosecutors intending to bring him to trial for his actions in the FAYZ, and escapes hospital with Quinn's help. Astrid, Todd Chance and Jennifer Brattle hold a press conference and Astrid reveals that Caine had written a confession note prior to his death claiming that he was controlling the children of the FAYZ and was responsible for their actions. Sam crashes the conference and is reunited with Astrid. With Caine's confession muddying the waters and footage of Sam and Astrid's reunion going viral, public opinion forces Sam's release. Astrid decides to write a book about life in the FAYZ and signs off the movie rights to the Brattle-Chances. With the money, Astrid buys a house for herself and Sam next door to Quinn's family. After the survivors attend a memorial to all those who died in the FAYZ, Sam and Astrid ask Diana to live with them, to which she agrees. No one knows what happens to Dekka.
Brianna, Jack, Dekka and Orc all fail to find or stop Drake reaching the Gaiaphage, and Jack is badly injured as a result of his attempt.


===''Monster''===
In the Gaiaphages lair, Diana gives birth to her baby, who the Gaiaphage then inhabits. Drake, Diana, Penny and the Gaiaphage (who is known as Gaia in the baby form) head to the barrier through Perdido Beach.
Four years after the collapse of the FAYZ, more "Anomalous Space Objects" (meteors carrying the gaiaphage virus), head towards Earth, mutating anyone with whom it comes into contact. Genius teenager Shade Darby, who was present when the FAYZ fell and witnessed Gaia kill her mother, steals and ingests some ASO rock, along with her new best friend Cruz Rojas, a trans genderfluid person with a difficult home life. Shade becomes capable of morphing into an insectoid creature with super-speed, while Cruz gains the ability to turn invisible or alter their appearance. Callous artist Justin DeVeere is also exposed to ASO rock and morphs into the giant crustacean-like beast "Knightmare", destroying an aeroplane and the Golden Gate Bridge. Elsewhere, schizophrenic teenager Vincent Vu obtains ASO rock contaminated by starfish and densovirus genetic material and becomes capable of growing into a giant monstrous form able to control reanimated human bodies. The various mutants, dubbed "Rockborn", are able to transform back and forth between human and mutant forms, and feel themselves continually observed by enigmatic "Dark Watchers" while morphed.


Homeland Security Taskforce 66 recruits Dekka to voluntarily ingest some alien rock after revealing that Drake has survived the end of the FAYZ, hoping she can combat the various new threats. She becomes able to morph into a feline beast with the ability to project matter-shredding energies, and soon learns that the corrupt HSTF-66 has abducted and experimented upon numerous people to build a mutant army. Dekka escapes along with Aristotle "Armo" Adamo, a youth with oppositional defiant disorder given a polar bear-like morph form. Dekka and Armo briefly seek refuge in Perdido Beach, where they reunite with Diana. Meanwhile, HSTF-66's leader Tom Peaks is fired by the government, prompting him to vengefully ally with Drake and ingest ASO rock, gaining a dragon-like form capable of vomiting napalm. Shade and Cruz become fugitives from HSTF-66, joined by Shade's equally intelligent ex-boyfriend Malik Tenerife, and Shade fights Justin, who is subsequently captured by HSTF-66. Shade, Cruz and Malik then ally with Dekka and Armo to get to another ASO before Peaks and Drake, leading to a vicious fight interrupted by Vincent, who subdues Peaks before escaping. Malik is fatally burned in the fight between Vincent and Peaks, but Shade and Cruz give him some ASO rock in the hope of saving him. Sam provides sanctuary to Dekka and Armo. A governmental memo reveals that the mutants now occupy the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted, joined by an unknown person named Francis Specter.
Astrid meets Cigar who (with his new eyes) can see Little Pete and the pair accidentally walk into a field of zekes. Cigar gets eaten but Astrid makes it out alive and talks to Pete, who connects with her mind. Pete reveals that the barrier is turning black because it is dying and that it and the Gaiaphage are connected. He realises that without his body, he does not have the power to bring down the wall and that he used the Gaiaphage's power to first create it.


===''Villain''===
Sam finds Astrid and they head to Perdido Beach where they free Caine and get Quinn. Sam, Caine, and Quinn head toward Drake, Penny, Diana, and the Gaiaphage.
Warning Sam and Astrid (who are now married) that Drake is still at large, Dekka secretly provides Astrid with the rest of Shade's ASO rock so she can become Rockborn in order to fight Drake. The horrifically burned Malik gains the ability to morph into an illusory version of his unharmed body, at the cost of projecting unbearable pain to other people and leaving him constantly feeling the Dark Watchers' attention. Shade, Cruz and Malik invade HSTF-66's "Ranch" facility, destroying much of the building and freeing Justin and the other mutant captives, and Shade livestreams footage to expose the organisation's crimes. Aspiring comedian and FAYZ survivor Dillon Poe buys ASO rock on the black market and gains a reptilian morph with the ability of mind control. His love interest Saffron Silverman inspires him to try to take over the world, and they seize control of thousands of people in Las Vegas, causing mass carnage and the deaths of thousands, including Saffron. Dekka and Armo regroup with Shade, Cruz and Malik, and they engage Dillon and his enthralled forces in a battle, discovering he cannot control other Rockborn while they are morphed. They are joined by Francis Specter, a teenager who has the ability to turn intangible by passing into a fourth-dimensional plane. As Francis does not feel the Dark Watchers observing her, Malik identifies her as an anomalous Rockborn that could pose a threat to the Watchers.


The military invades Vegas to stop Dillon, who sends his slaves in kamikaze attacks against them. On his way to Vegas to join the carnage, Vincent is killed by the army. Dillon takes many people hostage and douses them in gasoline. Intending to regain the government's trust, Peaks travels to Vegas but inadvertently ignites the hostages with his napalm, killing most of them, though Dekka and her allies are able to save a few. Malik uses his pain-projecting powers to torture Dillon and coerces him into committing suicide, freeing everyone under his control. Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo and Francis form a superhero team, the "Rockborn Gang", and Cruz becomes their public spokesperson after they are seen saving a baby from the flames, while Shade and Malik resume their relationship.
Outside, the military plans to try and destroy the barrier using a nuclear bomb underground. Sergeant Darius Ashton reveals this to his girlfriend Connie Temple (Sam's mother) and she tells the public. After much protesting, the military decides to stop the detonation, but an unseen force causes the countdown to continue.


===''Hero''===
During the battle, Penny is killed by Caine and Sam fires and hits Gaia. Instantly sunlight returns to the FAYZ as the wall turns transparent. As the world looks in, Sam once again fires on Gaia who burns but is seemingly unhurt. She, along with Diana and Drake, flee the scene.
Various ASOs have landed across Earth, to the point where most countries are becoming overwhelmed by the emergence of destructive Rockborn. Stricken with guilt over his role in Dillon's massacre, Peaks dies of suicide. To prevent a particularly large ASO from obliterating New York, the government fires nuclear missiles at it to break it up, but this still results in many shards hitting New York, killing or infecting much of the city. Many of those infected are abducted and massacred by government forces, but businessman Bob Markovic and his daughter Simone escape using their morphs: Markovic becomes a gestalt swarm of insects capable of inflicting horrific and agonising diseases upon humans while rendering them unable to die, while Simone becomes able to fly in the form of a blue humanoid with many tiny wings. The power-hungry Markovic, now calling himself "Vector", infects New York's government and seizes control of the city, recruiting a small army of Rockborn to assist him, including Justin.


Discovering Astrid has become Rockborn, Sam ingests the rest of Shade's ASO. He becomes able to create domes of various sizes resembling the FAYZ, while she can morph into a Hulk-like form with super strength and invulnerability. Drake ambushes Astrid, but Astrid easily overpowers him with her new abilities and dissolves him in hydrofluoric acid. Forming an uneasy alliance with the US government, the Rockborn Gang, with Dekka as their official leader, travel to New York to stop Markovic, joined by Simone, Sam and Edilio. Francis strands Justin and some of Markovic's other Rockborn in the fourth dimension, which she dubs "Over There". Markovic tries to reach Washington to conquer the government, but he is trapped by Sam's abilities and the Rockborn Gang kill him with nerve gas. However, Shade is almost killed in the battle, while Sam is forced to destroy a train, killing over forty of Markovic's hostages. Cruz and Armo begin a relationship, and Simone becomes romantically interested in Dekka. A military general helps Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo, Francis, Sam, Astrid, Simone and Edilio go into hiding at a secret bunker, and they agree to consider helping deal with other villainous Rockborn.
As communication through signs starts between the FAYZ and parents, Sam and the others feel despair as parents ask where dead children are. Astrid feels distant from her family, and eventually realises it is because she is no longer 'theirs', and that Sam and Astrid now belong to each other, and the FAYZ belongs to them too.


The conclusion of ''Hero'' reveals the truth about the entirety of the universe depicted throughout the nine books. Malik accompanies Francis in a series of excursions to Over There, and he and Shade theorise that their reality is a simulation created by the Dark Watchers. Malik and Francis' final excursion brings them in contact with a future version of Malik, who confirms his younger self's suspicions and notes that Pete was the only other person to discover the nature of their reality. The older Malik explains that the FAYZ universe was created by an MIT team led by him and Shade 26 years in the future using artificial intelligence and based on their own memories. Although the older Malik acknowledges the suffering felt by those in the simulation, he explains that it cannot be altered, but can be switched off, ending their universe. Malik refuses to make the decision without unanimous approval of the Rockborn Gang. The series ends with the Rockborn Gang about to vote, with the ultimate fate of their universe left unknown.
===''Light''===
Light will be the conclusion to the series. Not much is known about it yet. The book should be out on April 2, 2013. Michael Grant confirmed in an interview that the secrets of the FAYZ Wall will be revealed in the book.

It's been more than a year since every person over the age of fifteen disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach, California. In that time, countless battles have been fought. Battles against hunger and lies and plagues and worse, battles of good against evil, and kid against kid. Allegiances have been won, lost, betrayed, and won again; ideologies have been shattered and created anew, and the kids of the FAYZ have begun to believe that their new society is the only life they'll ever know. But now that the darkness has found a way to be reborn, the tenuous existence they've established is likely to be shattered for good. Will the kids of Perdido Beach even survive?


==Characters==
==Characters==
* '''Sam Temple''' - The main protagonist of the series, a caring, determined and reliable young man who's extremely respected in the FAYZ. Sam receives supernatural power in the form of being able to generate light from his hands. This light can either be to illuminate a dark area or as a lethal weapon. Throughout the series, Sam is constantly pushed to his limits physically and mentally. As the series goes on, Sam frequently encounters challenges that he is the only one capable of dealing with, leaving a large sense of pressure on him at all times. Sam is also a frequent adversary of Caine, his twin brother, before the two ally against the Gaiaphage. Sam's nemesis is Drake Merwin, and the two battle many times before the FAYZ falls. Sam is also in an ongoing relationship with Astrid throughout the series. Before the FAYZ Sam was a hero after saving the school bus from crashing when the driver has a heart attack he then becomes one of the most important people in Perdido Beach after the barrier appears. Later in the series he tries to relinquish his political power.

* '''Caine Soren''' - Born "David Temple", Caine is the twin brother of Sam Temple and a primary antagonist throughout most of the series. Narcissistic, charismatic, intelligent and ruthless, Caine seeks power over others and attempts to take control of the FAYZ multiple times throughout the series. Caine gains supernatural powers in the form of telekinesis. He is one of the most powerful mutants in the FAYZ. He has a recurring romantic interest in Diana, which results a child, Gaia. Throughout the series, Caine becomes increasingly heroic, ultimately joining Sam in the fight against the Gaiaphage. Caine eventually dies in the final confrontation with the monster and the destruction of the barrier.
'''Sam Temple:''' A fifteen-year-old boy named Sam is the main character. He is the fraternal twin of Caine, and was born earlier, but was smaller, as said in ''Fear''. He was nicknamed "School-Bus Sam" after saving a group of schoolkids when their bus driver had a heart attack. He took the wheel and steered the kids to safety. He is also described to be good-looking, but not so much that girls would call him a "hottie." He is tall, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He has a crush on Astrid Ellison throughout the entire novel and eventually becomes a leader among the "townies" while in the FAYZ. Like others he has developed a freak (mutant) ability; he can shoot green beams of energy from his hands. He can also make little balls of light that hover in the air. Howard coins them "Sammy suns." After the Thanksgiving battle, Sam is officially elected the leader of the children of Perdido Beach. However, with the new title comes a whole new batch of responsibilities. Sam is shown to be falling apart due to the vast amount of stress placed on him through the next two books (appearing to suffer from [[post traumatic stress disorder]]'). Though a council is established at the end of ''Hunger'', he is still ineffectively running the entire town but becomes tired of the constant pressure, demands and blame for anything that goes wrong. Sam's mother was a non-observant Jew, Connie Temple, and his father's name on the birth certificate is Taegan Smith. At the end of ''Plague'', Sam lead a group of volunteers to live at Lake Tremonto. In ''Fear'', Sam must cope with the FAYZ blotting out the sky and faces his worst fear, total darkness. During the time of the novel, Sam loses his virginity to Astrid. After the barrier became clear, he displayed his power to the world by trying to burn Penny, who is dead, and Gaia, Diana and Caine's baby who is controlled by the gaiaphage.
* '''Astrid "the Genius" Ellison''' - Often referred to as the smartest person in the FAYZ. An honor student and devout Catholic, Astrid gained her nickname "Astrid the Genius" before the barrier manifested. Caring, intelligent, and ambitious, Astrid often is behind much of the policymaking in the FAYZ. Her knowledge of politics and science makes her the foremost authority on a variety of issues, making her an extremely important figure in the community. Astrid is also the older sister of Peter "Little Pete" Ellison; her role as caretaker for him throughout the series takes a constant toll on Astrid. Throughout much of the series, Astrid is in an ongoing relationship with Sam Temple, which continues after the barrier falls.

* '''Diana Ladris''' - A skilled manipulator whose power to determine other mutants' power levels make her a valuable asset and political ally. Diana often plays the part of both protagonist and antagonist in the series. Starting as one of Caine's henchmen, she slowly starts to try and distance herself from villainy as the series goes on. She is the mother of Gaia Ladris-Soren, the only baby born in the FAYZ. Diana is in a strained relationship with Caine through most of the series, thus motivating her switch between hero and villain multiple times.
'''Astrid Ellison:''' A fifteen-year-old girl dating Sam Temple and is the sister of "Little Pete". She is nicknamed "Astrid the Genius" because she is considered a brainiac and seemingly knows everything. Astrid is conventionally pretty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Astrid's style is described as very proper and slightly formal, but after the coming of the FAYZ she begins dressing more casually. Astrid and Sam's relationship deteriorates during the later portion of the books. One of the most important parts of Astrid's life is caring for her brother, something she often puts before her role on the town council and her relationship with Sam. Astrid, like Sam, finds the job of running Perdido Beach's council too difficult, and the job is passed to Edilio Escobar, a close friend of Sam and of Astrid. Astrid is highly religious and through the later books she has many moral struggles, starting with the realization that "a simple act of murder" caused Little Pete to create a disruption in the FAYZ wall, revealing the outside world for a split second. Life in the FAYZ eventually causes Astrid, like so many others, to crumble and ultimately she throws her brother to the bugs sent by Drake Merwin to destroy the town, hoping that this act will cause the FAYZ to end. In ''Fear'', Astrid is lost in the FAYZ after running off at the end of ''Plague''. She sleeps with Sam a couple of times in the book. Ultimately, when the barrier becomes clear at the end, she turns her back on her parents. During the book she gives up on her faith.
* '''Lana Arwen Lazar''' - One of the most important and respected persons in the FAYZ, Lana has the ability to heal any injury. Brooding, sulky, and sometimes hostile, Lana views the role of healer to be a burden. Lana is also one of the few to have a profound connection with the Gaiaphage, making it a constant adversary for her. Throughout the series, Lana is seen mostly as a loner and often goes on missions of her own.

* '''Albert Hillsborough''' - A fourteen-year-old African-American student in charge of food, water, and work in Perdido Beach. He is considered by many to be the most responsible person in the FAYZ. Known for his wealth and for controlling the food and water, he also is known for creating markets in the FAYZ. Although he is clever and powerful, Albert is selfish and somewhat of a coward, as evidenced by him running away when the barrier turns dark. Albert is the inventor of the official currency of the FAYZ. At the dawn of the FAYZ, Albert takes control of the local [[McDonald's]] and begins to provide the community with food. As the series progresses, Albert becomes a business tycoon, gathering countless children under his employment. As his power and influence grows, Albert becomes less and less agreeable, making him sometimes an antagonist.
'''Peter "Little Pete" Ellison:''' A five-year-old [[autistic]] boy. He is described as being pretty like a girl, and more than a bit strange. He is a Freak with strong but unknown powers. It has been shown that he has the power to teleport others and himself to other locations, the power to choke someone telepathically, create illusions, imagine things and make them come to life, levitate, create rain clouds and many other abilities. Pete has not been measured by Diana and, although he is very powerful, He can't control his powers properly. Sam and Edilio see via a security tape at the power plant that he is the one responsible for the FAYZ; he is said to be the most powerful Freak in the FAYZ by far. Unfortunately, Pete only reacts to trigger words such as "window seat", "munchy munchy" and "walkie walkie"; otherwise, he is almost completely unresponsive and keeps his attention focused on his Game Boy system, which he is described to be playing Pokémon. In ''Hunger'' Pete's dreams come to life as real beings. He is also in contact with the Darkness, who thinks of him as “Nemesis” - “Nemesis with infinite power held only in check by the twists and turns, the blind alleys and sudden high walls inside his own damaged brain”. He plays "games" with the Darkness who uses these "games" to make Pete do what he wants. Pete goes to the Darkness in his head to escape the overly bright real world. At the end of Plague, Astrid throws him to the bugs, and Pete and them vanish. However, it is stated that Pete is still alive but without a body to inhabit, making the world less painful for him and causing the gaiaphage to be afraid of him. It is important to note that Little Pete may have caused the FAYZ in one of his panics. It is revealed in "Fear" that not only did Little Pete cause the FAYZ, but he also lives in a supernatural form that can interact with the inhabitants of the FAYZ, but he ends up killing half of the people he touches. He drives Cigar crazy after he is tortured by Penny, and Cigar dies close to the end by zekes. Pete touches Astrid but doesn't damage her. He explains to her everything about the FAYZ.
* '''Peter "Little Pete" Ellison''' - Astrid's severely [[Autism|autistic]] younger brother. The most important individual person in the FAYZ, with numerous abilities demonstrated throughout the series ranging from telekinesis and teleportation to creating life, he is also the one who created it. He is constantly fighting the Gaiaphage and stopping it from taking over the FAYZ and its inhabitants throughout the series. The FAYZ wall only comes down when Pete chooses to die during the final battle with Gaia. During the series, all the actions he takes are directed only to solve an immediate problem of his, and he does not comprehend any effects his actions may have on people in the future.

* '''Brianna "The Breeze" Berenson''' - One of Sam's best friends, Brianna has the power to run at superhuman speeds, boasting that she is capable of outrunning a speeding bullet. Brianna is brave and fearless, often enthusiastically tangling with Caine and Drake, but her bravado ultimately proves to be her downfall when Gaia attacks the people of the FAYZ.
'''Caine Soren:''' Caine is a decisive antagonist, meaning he shows both great acts of good, but more or less greed, cruelty and malevolence. He is described as charming and charismatic, able to easily obtain whatever he desires. He leads the kids of Coates Academy on a rampage to attack the power plant, thus leaving the kids of Perdido Beach in the dark. The first book reveals that Caine is Sam's fraternal twin brother. Like Sam, he is a Freak. He is telekinetic, which means he is able to move things around with his mind. Caine struggles with his mental health after meeting the gaiaphage. The creature appears to have nested inside his head and is quickly driving him to the brink of insanity. He shuts down the nuclear power plant to steal uranium fuel rods to feed the gaiaphage, but changes sides when Diana is injured by Drake and on the brink of death. He's in love with Diana, but seems to have no problem with hurting anyone else. Caine has impregnated Diana by the end of PLAGUE but it is unknown if the baby is more powerful than its father, Diana currently reads it at a "two bar" unlike Caine and Sam who are "four bars". Sam's, and thus Caine's, mother was a non-observant Jew (GONE, chapter 14). In Plague, despite Diana's attempts to reform him, Caine returns to Perdido Beach (after being summoned by a dying Edilio) to attempt both to kill the bugs and to rule Perdido Beach and become its king. During ''Fear'', Caine sentences Cigar to a torturing from Penny after he killed a kid. Caine has hardly any influences with Sam during the novel, but in the end attempts to stop the gaiaphage alongside Sam at the end of the story. He ultimately becomes a protagonist.
* '''Computer Jack''' - The tech master of the FAYZ, whose passion for technology often leads him to make morally dubious decisions before he ultimately allies with Sam. Jack becomes involved in a complicated relationship with Brianna.

* '''Dekka Talent''' - An African-American lesbian girl who intimidates most of the kids not only because of her close relationship with Sam, but also for her power to cancel gravity in a small area. Dekka has unrequited love for Brianna, which initially causes awkwardness between the two friends.
'''Diana Ladris:''' Caine's chief assistant, with the power to read power levels of other teens and children. Though described as beautiful at the beginning, she's depicted as giving Caine and everyone else a hard time and snarky remarks and she is usually called a witch by Sam's people. Caine seems to be in love with her despite this. Diana nurses Caine through his insanity and tries to keep him from succumbing to the will of the Darkness, out of her own love for him. Drake attempts to kill her, but his attempt is stopped by Caine. She barely survives, but with Lana's healing, she does. In Plague she sleeps with Caine and later reveals that she believes she is pregnant at the end of 'Plague', and that Caine is the father. She leaves Caine and goes with Sam to the lake. She saved the lives of Virtue, Pixie, Bowie, Peace, and Sanjit by distracting Caine so they could escape him and the island. She is able to gauge power levels in a system like cellphone bars. In ''Fear'', Diana gives birth to her child, which turns out to be a girl, five months too early. Her child becomes possessed by the gaiaphage and ages at a much accelerated rate, with it being an infant in the later stages of the book to it being described as the size of a two-year-old at the end. Diana names her daughter 'Gaia'. She defects to the side of the gaiaphage after having her child.
* '''Edilio Escobar''' - A Honduran illegal immigrant who proves himself to be essential to the running of the FAYZ, despite having no mutant abilities. Determined, sensitive and brave, Edilio is shown as Sam Temple's right-hand man, and later as his equal, showing extreme loyalty and resolve in the most dangerous of situations. Later in the series he is revealed to be gay, entering a relationship with "The Artful" Roger. A recurring joke is Edilio often being mistaken for Mexican, a joke which he occasionally makes himself.

* '''Quinn Gaither''' - Sam's best friend before the FAYZ. When the FAYZ occurs, Quinn betrays Sam to Caine but frees him after learning of Caine's intentions. During the food shortage plaguing the FAYZ, Quinn takes the initiative to start fishing, ultimately leading Perdido Beach's fishing crew.
'''Drake Merwin:''' A psychopathic teen with shark-like features, nicknamed "Whip-Hand" because one of his arms becomes replaced by a red whip-like tentacle by the Darkness with Lana's help after Sam burns his arm off. Drake willingly serves the gaiaphage, frequently challenging Caine's authority and taking advantage of his mental instability. Drake almost kills Sam after threatening to flood the FAYZ with radiation, but part of his arm is severed by Brianna (a.k.a. Breeze), one of the Mutants loyal to Sam. He later attempts to betray Caine, badly injuring Diana (whom he seems to have a sadistic fixation on). Drake is killed by Sam and Caine, but is resurrected by the gaiaphage using Brittney's immortal body as well as Lana's healing powers. After unsuccessfully attempting to take over Brittney, they keep switching over control and are captured and imprisoned by Sam and his team. Drake later escapes and takes Brittney to the gaiaphage. He then leads the army of bugs against Sam. Drake fails and heads back to the gaiaphage. In ''Fear'' Drake's prime directory given to him by the gaiaphage is to retrieve Diana so the gaiaphage can be born. He goes about most of the novel attempting to do just this. He sides with Penny before reaching the gaiaphage with Diana and a hostage named Justin. Drake constantly whips Diana and threatens to kill her even after she gives birth. Diana sides with him after the gaiaphage absorbs Diana's daughter's body. Drake and Diana retreat to the mineshaft after they are defeated by Sam and Caine.
* '''Drake "Whip Hand" Merwin''' - A violent, sadistic and misogynistic [[psychopath]] who begins the series as Caine's right hand before coming to serve the Gaiaphage, who regenerates his burned arm as a 10-foot-long tentacle which he can use to whip or strangle people. Despite apparently being killed by Caine in ''Hunger'', part of Drake's tentacle bonds to Brittney, a mutant with the power of immortality, allowing the two to share a single body.

* '''Gaia "The Gaiaphage" Soren-Ladris''' - The daughter of Diana Ladris and Caine Soren. The only baby born in the FAYZ, Gaia is possessed by the Gaiaphage almost immediately after her birth. Gaia quickly grows into a child and becomes the second-most powerful mutant in the FAYZ, behind Little Pete. Her malice and affinity for carnage make her an immediate threat to the children of the FAYZ. Gaia can use the abilities of any mutant in the FAYZ, though that power disappears when that person dies.
'''Quinn Gaither:''' Sam's best friend, who is described as giving off a "cool-guy vibe" with the way he dresses and acts. Quinn is a surfer and despite being bigger and supposedly stronger than Sam, he is not mentally able to handle devastating events. He breaks down quite frequently and in his fear, he does not think too clearly and turns on his friends to save himself. However, his conscience comes back to haunt him and keeps him wavering on the brink of insanity while he's in the FAYZ. He relies on Sam's guidance most of the time; whenever he does things for himself, he ends up getting confused or scared. In spite of all this, he proves to be helpful during situations in which he is too afraid to do anything. He discovers a knack for fishing and begins to catch fish and sell them to Albert. Quinn helps Sam after he is severely injured by Drake. Though he wants to go with Sam to the lake, Quinn stays in Perdido Beach at the end of PLAGUE with his fishing crew. In ''Fear'' he is deeply involved in the Perdido Beach story arc and becomes a more important character in the town. At the end of it he offers to help Sam and Caine fend off Diana and Drake, despite Sam telling him not to. He serves as the distraction during the battle, but keeps his pistol at his side.
* '''Charles "Orc" Merriman''' - Nicknamed so for his gargantuan size and limited intelligence, Orc is the original school bully in Perdido Beach. Closely accompanied by his friend Howard Bassem at all times, Orc begins the series as an antagonist. His lack of fear and empathy cause him to accidentally kill a mutant, Bette, the guilt of which causes him to become an alcoholic before becoming a born-again Christian. After being mauled by coyotes, Orc's skin is replaced by a gravel-like substance that makes him almost immune to pain and incredibly strong.

* '''Brittney Donegal''' - A devout Christian seemingly killed in ''Hunger'', who discovers she has the ability of immortality. Initially believing that her ability is a divine gift to kill Caine and Drake, Brittney becomes bonded with Drake and shares her body with him, and is manipulated by the Gaiaphage into accepting it as her god.
'''Edilio Escobar:''' A [[Honduras|Honduran]] boy who is Sam's second in command. He is in charge of the Perdido Beach security and later takes charge of the council. He has a team loyal to him who he trains in using weapons. He is also the main source of transportation for Sam as he has learned to drive. He is shot and seriously wounded by Lana in HUNGER but she eventually saves him. He makes up one of the six members of the law determining counsel and is the Sheriff of Perdido Beach. So far into the series he has no known powers. He also had very honorable morals and is respected when Sam tells people to, though some doubt his abilities since he does not have the Power. He is also the one responsible for digging graves in the plaza, which causes mental stress. He becomes dangerously sick in PLAGUE but manages to survive and accompanies Sam to the lake. He reveals to Sam that he is [[gay]] in the later points of ''Fear'' and takes over running the lake after Sam goes out to find Astrid. His role becomes permanent.

'''Lana Arwen Lazar:''' Lana, aka '''the Healer''', was driving with her grandfather and her dog Patrick when the FAYZ occurred. The truck veered off the road into a gully and left her too injured to think, but it is because of this that she soon discovers she has the power to heal with her touch. Lana secludes herself from the town to avoid being constantly asked to heal minor injuries. Like Caine, she is influenced by the Darkness, and plans to kill it by blowing up the mine it dwells in. She ultimately fails and is completely taken over by it, shooting Edilio under its will, and attempting to kill herself through radiation poisoning, but is freed by Caine, Duck, and Sam, who send the gaiaphage to the bottom of the bubble surrounding the FAYZ and bury it. However, the contact with the gaiaphage has started to shatter her mental stability, and by the end of LIES she (with Patrick) flees from Coates Academy and goes to Clifftop. In PLAGUE, Lana has a love interest, Sanjit. She is addicted to nicotine. She plays a considerably minor role in ''Fear'', only being there to heal the wounded in Perdido Beach. She starts to lead Perdido Beach along with a couple other major characters at the end of the book.

'''Dekka Talent:''' An African American Mutant girl from Coates. She can remove gravity from a limited space, causing everything in that area to be lifted into the air. She is loyal to Sam and shares many battles with him. She is mauled by coyotes but is saved by Lana. Dekka tends to be the person that deals with any problems that Edilio is unable to solve, at least partially because she is an exceedingly powerful Freak. Dekka doesn't like to talk about herself much so other kids tend to think of Dekka as a fearless and a scary person. Dekka is also a lesbian, and is (unrequitedly) in love with Brianna, who, until FEAR, is unaware of Dekka's feelings. In PLAGUE she is attacked by bugs. Sam, Lana, and Quinn save her. At the end of PLAGUE it appears (but isn't directly stated) that she confesses her feelings to Brianna and accompanies Sam to the lake. During ''Fear'', she helps search for Drake, but runs into emotional trouble, with an argument with Brianna ensuing that culminates with them two deciding to be "badass sisters". She is scarred by Penny after she makes an illusion so that Dekka thinks that she is being buried alive in stone and that the bugs are eating her inside out. She travels to Perdido Beach (after Orc helps her) and manages to help with the final battle with Drake and Diana.

'''Brianna aka "The Breeze":''' A 12-year-old mutant with the ability to run at incredibly fast levels of speed. Her top speed is unknown (she claims to have run over 600&nbsp;mph when she beat a bullet) but she can cover a few thousand feet in the blink of an eye. She saves Sam's life when he is on the verge of being beaten to death by Drake by cutting off part of Drake's snake-like arm. She is known to be talkative and seems to be the person who embraces their powers the most. She likes to be powerful and is the last to back down from a fight. Because of her speed she is responsible for delivering messages throughout Perdido Beach. She seems to have feelings for Computer Jack, though to a significantly lesser extent in Lies. It is confirmed she is dating Jack in Plague, and is angry when he leaves town without telling her. When Dekka is attacked by the greenie and it appears she may die she whispers in Brianna's ear. We don't find out what she says but it is likely Dekka was telling her that she liked her. After this Brianna starts avoiding her, but they ultimately have an argument in ''Fear'' when out searching for Drake. She starts to fear about losing her power during the novel and is tricked to helping the gaiaphage possess Diana's daughter. She shows off to the audience when the barrier turns clear.

'''Computer Jack:''' Jack is a Freak with super strength. He is also the tech guru of Perdido Beach. Originally from Coates, Jack has joined Sam and his team in Perdido Beach. Despite his strength, he lacks confidence and is very easily manipulated. He is responsible for removing the uranium core from the Power Plant and turning off the electricity. He had a crush on Diana that was later transferred to Brianna, though he still seems to have feelings for Diana. He tries to help Sam avoid the poof during the final battle in GONE, however only did so on Diana's bidding, as well as fighting Drake in Plague and giving Astrid enough time to throw Petey to the bugs. He reveals that he is dating Brianna in Plague after living together because of the epidemic in Lies, and is considering asking her if she will 'make out with him'. He is the least secure with his powers and often forgets that he even has any. He goes to the lake with Sam at the end of PLAGUE. During ''Fear'' he is hit severely by Drake to the neck and fatally bleeds. It has been stated by Michael Grant that he will live.

'''Albert Hillsborough:''' An African American boy who originally kept the McDonald's open in town until he ran out of supplies. In its place he opened McClub a place where the town kids can party and have fun for the price of batteries or toilet paper. After no one in town wants to work, he comes up with the idea of establishing the pay system because he believes no person will work for no money. Uses the gold in Hermit Jim's shack and bullet molds and long forgotten McDonald's monopoly game cards to bring money to Perdido Beach (Six cards equals one gold bullet). The currency, although named "slugs" by Albert was called "'Bertos" by Howard and the name stuck. He is highly respected in town. He is also one of the Town Council members. Is brutally beaten but survives in Plague and remains in Perdido Beach, on several conditions. Despite having no mutant powers, it transpires that Albert is the most powerful and influential person in the FAYZ. He flees to the San Francisco de Sales island during ''Fear''.

'''Zil Sperry:''' A non-freak boy, who constantly makes fun of Mutants. He threatens Hunter which leads to the death of Harry. He decides that chuds (a derogatory name he calls kids with abilities) get all the breaks and food, and comes up with the Human Crew in an attempt to take over the town. With the Human Crew he finds Hunter and strings him up at the church in an effort to hang him. He is stopped by Orc and thrown through the air. Later he is found with four broken ribs. In LIES, Zil becomes the main antagonist, and along with the Human Crew, burns down much of Perdido Beach before the fire is stopped by Edilio and his crew. At the end of LIES, he is killed by Dekka. His girlfriend was Lisa.

'''Charles "Orc" Merriman:''' A half-human, half gravel-like boy. He became like this when he was attacked by mutated coyotes. Gravel started to replace the parts where they attacked him so his only remaining section of skin is a small patch on his cheek. His tough exterior makes him invulnerable to most physical damage and also gives him superhuman strength. He developed an alcohol problem after hitting Bette with a baseball bat and accidentally killing her, and will only do assignments in exchange for beer. Orc plays a major part in gathering food from the fields because he is tough enough to withstand the zekes that are there. He plays a minor part in trying to take the Power Plant back from Caine and his crew. He also saves Astrid and Hunter's lives when the Human Crew attacks them. In PLAGUE he saves Pete from the remnants of the Human Crew and defends Astrid from Drake in Coates in the end of PLAGUE. He thinks of Astrid as his only real friend. Whilst attempting to drink himself to death, Orc tore off the human side of his face. In ''Fear'', Orc becomes sober and starts reading the bible. He attempts to settle a vendetta between himself and Drake during the novel and spends most of it trying to find him. It is also implied in "Fear" that he may have a crush on Sinder, with whom he works in the gardens.

'''Brittney Donegal:''' Brittney has a Regenerative ability. She was originally part of Edilio's soldiers but was killed in HUNGER. However she came back to life thinking herself as an avenging angel. She is in the same body as Drake. In the beginning she didn't know she shared the same body as Drake. When she found out she was in the same body as Drake she told Sam (and a few other people) to kill her. She believes she was sent back alive to kill Drake by her dead brother Tanner (who appears as an angel), who was actually a hallucination made by the gaiaphage. In PLAGUE she meets and is manipulated by the gaiaphage and helps Drake to try to kill Sam, Jack and Dekka. She was very Christian but now believes that the gaiaphage is actually God and that she must follow His orders.

'''Gaiaphage/Darkness:''' The series' main antagonist. Astrid believes it is an alien bacterium which came from the asteroid that impacted the nuclear plant, but in actuality it is said to be an organism created by a dying race of benevolent aliens in order to spread life throughout the dead cosmos, but the good intentions were flawed when the meteor it rode upon hit a power plant, killing a man, and fusing with his DNA, causing it to become a malevolent being that intends to kill all life on earth and 'start anew.' Although evident by its history, this may all just be a lie to get Brittany to join him and Drake. It feeds on nuclear energy and when it comes into contact with Freaks it co-opts their power, particularly that of Lana, Caine, Little Pete (or Nemesis, as the gaiaphage calls him) and Drake. It uses Lana's power to create Drake's whip-hand, Little Pete's to create Nerezza and to resurrect Brittney. The gaiaphage is locked in battle for supremacy over the FAYZ with Pete, the autistic five-year-old. Its name revealed to mean "World Eater" in Plague. It is a strange organism, possibly known to have made the FAYZ built of Alien DNA, Human DNA, and raw radiation. It has been described as "Thousands of crystals revolving over one gravitational center, suggesting a sphere". It has questionable power over everyone in the FAYZ, though it has almost total power over anyone who has been touched by it. In Fear the gaiaphage is reborn in Diana's baby, and it is revealed by Little Pete that the barrier is made from the gaiaphage, and that the main reason the barrier was going dark was because of the gaiaphage getting weaker. It is hinted that the human DNA absorbed by the Gaiaphage was that of Sam and Caine's father after it is said that he was the only person killed by the meteor. This would in a way, make the Gaiaphage their father.

'''Mary Terrafino:''' Known to all as 'Mother Mary,' she is the main caretaker for the littles. The kids of the FAYZ, especially the younger ones, look to her as a mother figure and she is highly respected throughout the FAYZ. Despite her good nature, Mary struggles with depression, anorexia, bulimia and the inevitable stress of being responsible for too many other children. She has one younger brother, John, whom she leaves behind when she attempts to escape the FAYZ after being told by Orsay that when you die you exit the FAYZ, by attempting to hold hands with all the day care children and jumping over a cliff. She peed herself before hand because of her problems. All of the children are saved, but Mary 'poofed'. In ''Fear'' Mary reappears outside the FAYZ. She is mangled and nearly unrecognizable as a human. Mary later dies in a hospital that also houses Francis, a boy who 'poofed' as well.

'''Hunter:''' Accidentally killed his friend Harry in HUNGER with his power to shoot heat waves from his hands and cook things from the inside-out. He was prosecuted by Zil Sperry, causing Zil to create the Human Crew. He ran from the group and asked 'Duck' to help him but was caught and nearly hung by the Human Crew and suffers severe brain damage. Afterwards, he was forced into exile for killing Harry. He takes up the job of hunting for the town and becomes very skilled at this. He is killed in PLAGUE when the large insects from the 'greenies' start to eat his insides out and he uses his own powers on his head, to try to kill himself. When this does not work he asks Sam to kill him, which Sam does unwillingly, to stop Hunter from being eaten completely by the bugs.

'''Orsay Pettijohn:''' She first appears in Hunger. She has the power to see inside others' dreams. She would have meetings where she would see inside the peoples' dreams that were not inside the FAYZ. She is controlled by Nerezza, a creature created by the gaiaphage. She is murdered by Nerezza (the gaiaphage's avatar) in Lies. The gaiaphage made her believe that the only way to get out of the FAYZ, besides turning 15, was to die.

'''Nerezza:''' Only appears in Lies. She is the vehicle of the gaiaphage, and attempts to control Orsay. When Orsay decides to end the charade, Nerezza murders her. Astrid attempts to strangle her to death, failing. Sam attempts to kill her as well, but before he can, she vanishes.

'''Bug:''' A freak with the power of camouflage (invisibility), Bug mainly plays the role of spy for Caine; however, he appears to be loyal to himself before all others.

'''Taylor:''' An Asian teen with the power to teleport, or 'bounce,' Taylor is a loyal supporter of Sam and his doings in the FAYZ. She is also known to openly have a crush on Sam, which is a source of hostility between her and Astrid. At the beginning of PLAGUE Sam gets very drunk and fools around with her but it doesn't go far. Her main role is the relay of messages around Perdido Beach. At the end of PLAGUE, Taylor was offered to be rowed to Caine's island, so she could teleport there and enjoy it whenever she wanted. This causes her to switch to Caine's side. At the end of PLAGUE she stays with Caine. In FEAR Pete accidentally mutates her after touching her avatar, changing her body, turning her skin gold and causing her to teleport into things.

'''Penny:''' Introduced in LIES, Penny is a twelve-year-old girl from Coates Academy with the power to cause others to hallucinate and see monsters. She is extremely useful to Caine, and is loyal to him above all others (likely due to her crush on him). When Diana is trying to help Sanjit escape from the island, she tries to stop her. Caine holds her over the helicopter, and when Diana falls he throws her onto the island, breaking both of her legs. Caine gets her legs fixed by Lana when they get back to Perdido Beach. Her powers are used for punishment for crimes in Perdido Beach under Caine's rule in ''Fear'', but defects to Drake's side to seek revenge after she "cemented" Caine, imprisoning his hands in a block of cement. She fights with Drake until the very end. She is killed by Caine after he uses a piece of cement to crush her head in revenge. Sam burns the rest of her body.

'''Sanjit:''' Brother to Virtue ('Choo), Peace, Pixie and Bowie. Flies the helicopter from his house to the mainland at the end of LIES with his siblings. Sanjit has a big crush on Lana, and finally by the end of PLAGUE they are considered going out. Sanjit has a "class clown" attitude. Helps out with the plague victims at the hospital in PLAGUE. Before being adopted by the famous actors and living on the island, he and his adopted siblings each lead hard lives in different poor countries and lived on the streets. He travels to the lake bearing a warning from Lana about the stain. He, with other kids, run into a group of coyotes that distracts Sanjit and kills most of the children. He is kept at the lake under Sam's orders.

'''John 'Brother John' Terrafino:''' The younger brother of Mother Mary, John Terrafino cares for the littles alongside his sister. He is commonly called "Brother John" by the littles. When the council is established, John is one of six members (because Mary does not have the time). Against his better judgement, John lies to Mary about Orsay's powers of prophecy with hopes of stopping Mary from 'stepping out' on her birthday.

'''Dahra Baidoo:''' First introduced in GONE, she is the closest thing the FAYZ has to a doctor. She volunteered for it because her mother, Abana Baidoo, is a medical professional. She has grown to dislike this occupation, but she still keeps doing it. Dahra takes on a more prominent role in PLAGUE, where she leads the "fight" against the Supernatural Death Cough by charting the progress of the disease, taking care of the victims, and ordering Quinn and his people to quarantine themselves. She also strikes up a friendship with Virtue. In FEAR, she takes care of Cigar until Lana can heal his eyes. Her and Lana often collaborate, and are also friends. Dahra is probably fourteen at the start of the series, where it is said she is in the ninth grade along with her boyfriend Elwood, and therefore has probably survived the poof. Her loyalty appears to belong to her patients first.

'''Howard Bassem:''' Orc's follower, usually does negotiating for him. He came up with the term FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) in GONE, and came up with the slang for money ('Bertos). He was an original council member. He is sarcastic and rude, he also runs a "black-market" for drugs and alcohol in the FAYZ and made a still at the deserted Coates Academy. He doesn't seem to care about peoples' lives as shown in PLAGUE where he saves Albert, but demands a reward from him. Astrid openly despises him. He doesn't appear to have any friends but in PLAGUE it is revealed that he not only controls Orc but thinks of him as a friend. In ''Fear'' Howard is choked to death by Drake and eaten by the Coyotes. It has been indirectly mentioned that Howard is African American.

'''Duck Zhang:''' Duck is an Asian boy with a love of swimming. He has the power to control his density; he can make himself so light that he floats into the air, or so heavy that he can drill through the ground. However, he found out he had to be happy to do the prior and angry or upset to do the latter. He has a highly introverted personality, being described as unattractive and unable to socialize with girls. He is initially terrified of and ridiculed for his power. Due to his shyness, he is largely unaware of the social goings-on of the FAYZ - something which nearly causes his death, as he walks unaware into a Human Crew mob. When Lana is held captive underground by the gaiaphage, he hesitantly accepts the duty of drilling into the mineshaft as part of a rescue attempt. During the ensuing fight, he uses his power of density to drill through the gaiaphage and carry it deep into the earth after both Sam and Caine prove to be incapable of damaging it. Duck is killed in the resulting fall. Moments before his death, he realizes that despite his outward aversion to becoming involved in the various conflicts of the FAYZ, deep down he wanted to be a hero. As his body could not be recovered, a monument is constructed by Edilio to honour his sacrifice.

===Minor Characters===

'''Bette:'''
Bette was known as Bouncing Bette, but dies in the first book, GONE, by Orc's relentless beating; her death is a major source of guilt for Orc, who began drinking heavily in order to cope. The personality changes her death provokes in Orc last throughout the series so far. Bette had the power to make her hands glow.

'''Pack Leader:'''
The leader of Coyotes that took Lana to the Darkness in the first book. The role of Pack Leader is changed numerous times throughout the series due to the deaths of previous pack leaders.

'''Sinder:'''
Sinder was first introduced in Lies, she is represented as a goth girl dressing in black. In Fear she developed the power to accelerate the growth of plants.

'''Jezzie:'''
A good friend of Sinder in ''Fear'', she assists Sinder with growing vegetables for the children at Lake Tramonto.

'''Roscoe:'''
Sinder's ex, who was bitten by the bug in Hunter's shoulder. He was quarantined until the bugs inside of him ate their way out.

'''Cigar:'''
A thirteen-year-old member of Quinn's fishing crew, he first appears in Fear. He is sentenced to spend a day with Penny, from sunrise to sunset for killing a boy named Jaden in an alcohol fueled fight. He claws his own eyes out as a result of Penny's horrific visions. When Lana attempts to heal him, his eyes only partially grow back and he is unable to see properly, only seeing spectral images of people and objects. He plays a small role in developing the plot when he helps Astrid communicate with Little Pete for the first time, at the expense of his sanity. He is killed by zekes near the end of Fear.

'''Harry:'''
Harry was a boy described as having glasses. Apparently, he lived with Zil Sperry, Hunter and Charlie . After Zil and Hunter get into an argument that quickly turns into a confrontation when Zil grabs a Fire Poker and jabs at Hunter who tries to strike him down with The Power. Unaware that Hunter's power was active at the time Harry jumped between the two trying to break them up and was killed from the heat wave. This leads to Zil accusing Hunter of killing Harry. Hunter leaves to find Lana unaware that she has disappeared. It is assumed his body was buried at the Plaza. Harry's death also becomes a main reason of why Zil Sperry created the "Human Crew".

'''Stacey:'''
Stacey is one of the workers brought up at the hotel scene in book 1 where the barrier is discovered. She is found dead on the front desk.

==Terms==
''There are multiple terms and abbreviations used by the inhabitants of the FAYZ;''

'''FAYZ'''- Fallout Alley Youth Zone. The area within the barrier that the kids are trapped in.

'''Zeke'''- A carnivorous worm like creature that inhabits farmland. It is described as black, with a ring of razor-sharp teeth, note similarity to monster Sam and Caine encounter at end of ''Gone''

'''Greenie'''- The flying snakes that inhabit the hills. Their spit can cause parasitic ants to grow inside the kids. For example Hunter was the first victim.

'''Bugs''' - The bugs that result from the ''Greenies'' spitting on a person. These bugs rapidly grow within their victim, eating them from the inside out. When grown, they chew their way out of their victims, leaving them for dead. The resulting insects grow rapidly- within less than twelve hours, they are said to be the size of small vans.

'''Moof'''- Mutant Freak- Derogatory term used by the "Human Crew" to be guards the children with powers.

'''Chud'''- Another derogatory term used to insult children with powers. Said to be even more offensive than 'Moof' or 'Freak'.

'''Freak'''- one with the power.

'''The Power'''- a supernatural ability.

''''Berto'''- The currency used by the inhabitants of the FAYZ, invented by (and named after) Albert.

'''Sammy Sun'''- The power that Sam has to make "Suns"- Little balls of green light that are known as "Sammy Suns" Sam discovers this ability before the happenings of the FAYZ, when, stressed out and scared, alone in his room, he creates one, out of fear of the dark.

'''Lake Evian'''- Another term coined by Howard, this refers to the water brand [[Evian]], referring to the way that most of the FAYZ's drinking water is obtained from this reservoir.

'''The Big Split'''- The event in which two groups, led by Sam and Caine, split from each other in ‘’Plague''. Sam's group headed torwards the large lake situated northwards, while Caine, while acting king, remained with his group in the town.

'''PB'''- ''Abv''-Perdido Beach

'''Poof'''- when a person over the age 14 disapears


==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
Reviews have generally been mixed to positive,<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Michael-Grant/dp/0061448788/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319960364&sr=8-1</ref> though many note Gone's success in its intended demographic. Mal Peet of [[The Guardian]] pointed to the series' "rave reviews, most of them posted on websites by teenagers," though noting that such success stemmed from literary sacrifices that made characters into "crude two-dimensional digitisations."<ref name=conlon>{{cite news | author = Mal Peet | title = Gone: Mal Peet on the novel as Xbox | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/apr/18/gone-michael-grant-book-review | publisher = The Guardian | date = 2009-04-17 | accessdate = 2011-10-28}}</ref>
Reviews have generally been mixed to positive, though many note ''Gone''{{'}}s success in its intended demographic. Mal Peet, for ''[[The Guardian]]'', pointed to the series' "rave reviews, most of them posted on websites by teenagers", though noting that such success stemmed from literary sacrifices that made characters into "crude two-dimensional digitisations".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/apr/18/gone-michael-grant-book-review|first=Mal|last=Peet|title=Gone: Mal Peet on the novel as Xbox|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|date=April 17, 2009|access-date=October 28, 2011}}</ref>


Amanda Craig, for ''[[The Times]]'', noted that ''Gone'' was "heavily influenced by TV series such as ''Lost'' and ''Heroes'', and described the book as "Clever but a little too predictable."<ref>{{cite news|title=Save the Truffula Tree: Amanda Craig's Easter round-up will give young readers a spring in their step|last=Craig|first=Amanda|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|date=April 4, 2009|page=12}}</ref> Jayne Howarth, for the ''[[Birmingham Post]]'', called ''Gone'' "superb" and said she found the book "full of suspense, action and the supernatural. Think of a potent mix of ''Lord of the Flies'', ''Heroes'' and ''Lost'' and you get an idea of the audience this will appeal to." Describing the pace of the novel as "frantic and frenetic" Howarth summed up: "This is an incredible mystery story, with twists and turns, cameos and protagonists, to keep readers engrossed... Violent in parts, Grant does not hold back at showing the feral nature of humans when faced with a world without order. Unputdownable."<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't let sci-fi theme put you off reading this great novel|last=Howarth|first=Jayne|work=[[Birmingham Post]]|location=Birmingham|date=April 17, 2009|page=8}}</ref>
The Book smugglers have taken to a more positive note, saying "The GONE books are some of the darkest, most violent, deliciously horrific and provoking dystopian series’ out there. Since I was introduced to Michael Grant’s Stephen King-esque work, his novels have consistently made my top 10 favorite reads of the year of their publication."<ref>http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/05/book-review-plague-by-michael-grant.html</ref>


Dinah Hall, reviewing ''Lies'' for ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'', also drew comparison with ''[[Lord of the Flies]]'' and ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', and wrote: "While it's never going to make it on to the GCSE syllabus, it definitely has the addictive pull of a cult television series... I would sell my soul for the next installment."<ref>{{cite news|title=Flicker like bats, slip like cats: Dinah Hall picks the best books to fill children's stockings|last=Hall|first=Dinah|work=[[The Sunday Telegraph]]|location=London|date=December 5, 2010|page=38}}</ref> Toby Clements, reviewing ''Hunger'' for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', wrote: "Grant's world is hard-edged but thought-provoking, a Stephen King novel for youngsters in which the children are challenged with reshaping society while fighting off evil. ''Hunger'' ought to be required reading for any teenager who thinks adults suck."<ref>{{cite news|title=Ancient prophecies - and a dog called Elvis|last=Clements|first=Toby|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|date=March 27, 2010|page=27}}</ref>
Stephen King likes the series, writing:<ref>http://stupidblogname.com/2009/03/blurbed-by-stephen-king/</ref>
<blockquote>
"I’ve been corresponding with your 'Michael Grant' about his Gone books. More important, I’ve been reading the Gone books–the first and Hunger, the follow-up. These are exciting, high-tension stories told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up. There are monsters, there are kids with mad-crazy super powers, there’s the mystery of where all the adults went. Most of all, there are children I can believe in and root for. This is great fiction.
<br/><br/>
If you want to quote any or all of that, be my guest. I love these books."
</blockquote>


[[Stephen King]] has also praised the series, writing: "These are exciting, high-tension stories told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up. There are monsters, there are kids with mad-crazy super powers, there's the mystery of where all the adults went. Most of all, there are children I can believe in and root for. This is great fiction."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stupidblogname.com/2009/03/blurbed-by-stephen-king/ |title=Blurbed By Stephen King |work=Stupid Blog Name |date=March 14, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017202401/http://stupidblogname.com/2009/03/blurbed-by-stephen-king/ |archive-date=October 17, 2013 }}</ref>
Critics{{who|date=March 2012}} often praise the action packed, page turning style of the series, while noting that it also finds time for ample character development. Other critics say the books are "More disturbing than The Millenium series."


==References==
==References==
Line 278: Line 150:


==External links==
==External links==
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.themichaelgrant.com/gone/|title=michael grant - gone|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414010422/http://themichaelgrant.com/gone/|archive-date=April 14, 2015|df=mdy-all}}
*[http://www.falloutalleyyouthzone.com ''The Fayz'']
*[http://www.harperteen.com/features/gone/index.asp ''Gone'' homepage at HarperTeen]
*[http://www.egmont.co.uk/gone ''Gone'' main page at Egmont Publishing]
*[http://browseinside.harperteen.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061448768 read ''Gone'']
*[http://userbasedcasting.com/GONE Gone at User Based Casting]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Gone (Series)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gone (Series)}}
[[Category:Science fiction book series]]
[[Category:Dystopian novels]]
[[Category:Dystopian novels]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]
[[Category:Science fiction novel series]]
[[Category:Young adult novel series]]
[[Category:Young adult novel series]]
[[Category:Novels by Michael Grant]]

[[it:Gone (Michael Grant)]]
[[nl:Gone (boek)]]
[[no:Gone-serien]]
[[pl:GONE: Zniknęli]]

Latest revision as of 01:25, 11 July 2024

Gone
First edition cover of Gone
  • Series One
    • Gone
    • Hunger
    • Lies
    • Plague
    • Fear
    • Light
  • Series Two
    • Monster
    • Villain
    • Hero
AuthorMichael Grant
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre
PublisherHarperCollins
Published
  • 2008–2013 (Season One)
  • 2017–2019 (Season Two)
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
No. of books9

Gone is a bestselling book series written by Michael Grant.[1]

The series is centered on the fictional Southern California town of Perdido Beach, in which every human aged 15 and older vanishes. The town and surrounding areas become encased within an impenetrable barrier that burns to the touch, with many of its inhabitants developing supernatural powers. The books follow the exploits of the protagonist/hero, Sam Temple, as he battles antagonists Caine Soren, Drake Merwin, and Diana Ladris as well as a mysterious, malevolent creature, known as the Darkness or the Gaiaphage (gai-uh-fage) (derived from Gaia, a Greek personification of the Earth, and "phage", from the Greek φαγεῖν phagein "to devour").

The first novel in this series, titled Gone, was published in 2008. The second book, Hunger, was released a year later, followed by the third book, Lies, on May 4, 2010. The fourth book, Plague, was released on April 5, 2011. The fifth book, Fear, was released on April 3, 2012, in the United States and the United Kingdom, although it was released as early as March 23 in Australia and Hong Kong. The sixth book, Light, was released on April 2, 2013. The series – "a fun, no-brainer read directed towards teenagers" – has been hailed as "ridiculously popular" and "a sensation in the young adult world".[2][3]

A planned Monster Trilogy, also known as Season Two, began on October 17, 2017, with the release of Monster. It was set four years later from the events that took place in the other books. Villain was released on October 18, 2018, and Hero was released on October 1, 2019.

Novels

[edit]

Gone

[edit]

The story starts with the sudden disappearance of everybody aged 15 or older from the town of Perdido Beach, causing extreme confusion and chaos amongst those remaining in the town. Students Sam Temple, Quinn Gaither, Astrid Ellison, and Edilio Escobar discover an impermeable barrier cutting Perdido Beach off from the outside world; the area within the barrier is subsequently nicknamed "Fallout Alley Youth Zone", shortened to "the FAYZ". Unknown to the others, Sam had earlier discovered his superhuman ability to fire light from his hands capable of burning objects when he is afraid; after reading a journal entry by his mother Connie, a nurse at the nearby Coates Academy, Sam begins to suspect a connection to the disappearances and the barrier. While looking for Astrid's autistic four-year-old brother "Little" Pete at a nuclear power plant outside of town, the quartet discovers that the barrier's boundaries correspond to predicted radiation patterns in the case of a meltdown. Pete is revealed to have superhuman abilities in an incident where he chokes Sam, and that also exposes Sam's powers to the group, who agree to keep it secret.

Upon the group's return to Perdido Beach, they encounter vehicles bringing students from Coates Academy, led by the charismatic Caine Soren. Caine restores order to Perdido Beach with the aid of his confidante Diana Ladris and enforcer Drake Merwin, but Sam and Astrid are suspicious of Caine's motives. Caine (revealed to have the power of telekinesis), Diana (who has the ability to determine the strength of others' powers), and Drake (a violent sadist with no powers of his own) discover that when inhabitants of the FAYZ turn 15, they are confronted by something they desire before vanishing, a phenomenon nicknamed "the poof", but can remain in the FAYZ by resisting whatever tempts them. Caine also discovers that he and Sam are twin brothers that were separated at birth, with Sam remaining with their mother, a revelation that deeply upsets Caine. Quinn, who has started hanging out with Caine's friends, tells Caine of Sam's powers. Feeling threatened, Caine enlists his crew, including local bully Charles "Orc" Merriman and his lackey Howard Bassem, to kidnap Sam, Astrid (who has begun dating Sam) and Pete. Quinn frees Sam, and Astrid and Pete are freed from Drake by Pete's abilities. Caine instructs Drake to kill Astrid and Pete, but Sam saves her. Sam, Astrid, Quinn, Pete, and Edilio escape town.

Meanwhile, teenager Lana Arwen Lazar is injured in a car crash after her grandfather disappears from the FAYZ. Lana discovers she has healing abilities and uses them to recover. Lana encounters a pack of coyotes that can talk. The coyotes take her to a mineshaft, where an entity the coyotes call "the Darkness" lives. Lana encounters Sam's group and together they escape the coyotes, only to be captured by Drake and taken to Coates Academy. Caine has their hands sealed in concrete, as he has discovered that the superhuman abilities are yielded by hand. Astrid coerces Pete into using his abilities to free Sam's group and the other students held prisoner; Caine, Diana and Drake flee, with Sam burning Drake's arm off in the process. Sam's group and the Coates students - amongst them Taylor, who can teleport, Brianna "The Breeze", who can run at superhuman speeds, and Dekka, who can control gravity - return to Perdido Beach. Drake infiltrates the town and kidnaps Lana, believing she can regenerate his arm. Meanwhile, Orc and Howard decide to escape town to avoid Sam, but encounter Drake and the coyotes, who are still seeking Lana for the Darkness' own ends. Orc is mauled by the coyotes, while Howard convinces the coyotes to bring Drake and Lana to the mineshaft before fleeing. The Darkness gives Drake command of the coyotes and coerces Lana to heal Drake's arm, which regenerates as a whip-like tentacle. Drake returns to Coates Academy and Caine prepares to attack Perdido Beach before he "poofs". Unknown to Caine, Diana sends his subordinate "Computer" Jack, who is concealing his own ability of super-strength, to Perdido Beach to tell Sam how to escape the "poof".

At Perdido Beach, Sam anticipates Caine's attack and makes plans to defend the town. He sends Edilio to the power plant to recover a cache of guns, as well as security footage from the time the FAYZ was created. Sam shows the footage to Astrid, revealing that Pete had created the FAYZ in order to prevent the power plant from going into meltdown. The battle begins with Caine's goons distracting Sam while Drake and the coyotes take a class of preschoolers hostage, along with their carer Mary Terrafino. Sam, Quinn, Edilio and the formerly captive Coates kids join forces to rescue the preschoolers; Orc, who survived the coyote attack and had subsequently transformed into a tall, gravel-skinned being, fights Drake to a stalemate. Caine confronts Sam before Jack can tell Sam how to survive the "poof", and the two soon disappear as they turn 15. The duo encounters a vision of Connie, who invites them to return to her. Both boys refuse, with Sam declaring that he has work to do in the FAYZ. Connie transforms into a manifestation of the Darkness, which gloats that Caine will come to it willingly, before disappearing. The boys return to the FAYZ; Sam is the first to recover and coerces Caine and the Coates students to retreat, but Caine declares he will return. Later, student Albert Hillsborough organizes a Thanksgiving dinner for the town and Sam encourages the residents of the FAYZ to stick together. Meanwhile, the coyotes' pack leader takes Caine to the Darkness.

Hunger

[edit]

Three months after the end of Gone, Sam has become mayor of Perdido Beach, but struggles with the responsibilities of protecting the town. Food supplies are dwindling, exacerbated by the presence of mutated carnivorous worms called "zekes" that prevent access to crop fields and only partially alleviated by Quinn's idea to begin fishing the nearby ocean. Other children are beginning to discover their mutant abilities, including Duck Zhang, who can control his density, and Hunter Lefkowitz, who can emit deadly microwave rays. Little Pete is also starting to reveal more of his powers, including the ability to create life. Tensions between mutants and non-mutants escalate after Hunter accidentally kills his roommate Harry with his powers during a confrontation between Hunter and the anti-mutant Zil Sperry. Zil and his posse, dubbing themselves the "Human Crew", capture and attempt to lynch Hunter before being forced to disperse by Orc. Albert, having learned from Lana of a cache of gold near the mineshaft where the Darkness lurks, travels there with Quinn and Lana to obtain the gold with the intention of using it to make currency for the FAYZ. Lana, traumatized by her encounter with the Darkness, abandons them to attempt to kill the Darkness by detonating LPG in the mineshaft. The Darkness, which calls itself the gaiaphage and whose physical form is revealed as a mass of green crystalline particles, subdues Lana.

At Coates Academy, Caine wakes after having spent the past three months in a fugue state following his encounter with the gaiaphage and makes plans to seize control of the nuclear power plant. While performing reconnaissance, Drake captures Orsay Pettijohn, a mutant with the ability to view people's dreams. Diana manipulates Jack, taking refuge in Perdido Beach, to help Caine in accessing the computers at the plant. Caine and his crew assault the power plant and shut off power to Perdido Beach; Sam, having realized Caine's plan, rushes to confront him. Caine realizes that he has been manipulated by the gaiaphage, as it needs radioactive uranium from the power plant to "feed". Forced to submit to the gaiaphage's will, Caine takes the uranium to the mineshaft, damaging the reactor and permanently cutting off power in the FAYZ, and leaving Drake behind to stall Sam. Caine also sends Bug, a mutant with the ability of camouflage, to bring Orsay to the mineshaft in order to determine the gaiaphage's objectives. Drake coerces Sam into allowing himself to be tortured by threatening to trigger a reactor meltdown. Sam is rescued by Brianna, who severs part of Drake's tentacle, but Sam is left close to death; Drake retreats to join up with Caine.

Bug tells the children of Perdido Beach Caine's plan in exchange for food. Edilio takes Orsay to the mineshaft, and Orsay relays to the children of Perdido Beach the gaiaphage's desire to "feed". Astrid speculates that the gaiaphage came to Earth in a meteor strike that hit the power plant 13 years prior, that the radiation both sustains the gaiaphage and has caused the mutations, and that the gaiaphage has been manipulating Pete, Lana, and Caine with the aim of creating indestructible physical forms for itself capable of resisting the children of the FAYZ. Edilio and Dekka travel to the mineshaft to find Lana under the influence of the gaiaphage. Lana shoots and critically wounds Edilio before retreating into the mineshaft, while Dekka is attacked by coyotes. Caine, Drake, Diana and Jack arrive, soon followed by Sam, Quinn, Brianna, and Duck (Sam having reasoned that the gaiaphage is unprepared for Duck's abilities). Drake, now loyal to the gaiaphage instead of Caine, attacks Diana. Enraged, Caine defies the gaiaphage to throw Drake and the uranium into the mineshaft before collapsing it, but realises that Lana must be rescued to save Diana. Using Duck's powers to tunnel into the mineshaft, Caine and Sam confront the gaiaphage, which is "feeding" on the uranium. Duck sacrifices himself by having Caine throw him at the gaiaphage while he uses his power, creating a void that sucks in the gaiaphage. Lana is freed from the gaiaphage's influence and heals the children of their injuries, and Caine and Diana depart.

Back at Perdido Beach, Sam steps down as mayor and shares responsibilities with a council, though many still sympathize with the Human Crew. The children gain access to the crops by feeding the zekes mutant "blue bats" previously discovered by Duck. Hunter, left brain-damaged as a result of his ordeal, is exiled from Perdido Beach. Brittney Donegal, a girl seemingly killed in Caine's attack on the power plant, is buried in the graveyard in the town plaza; unknown to the rest of the children, Brittney has the power of immortality and remains conscious, with a mysterious slug (Drake's severed tentacle) attached to her arm.

Lies

[edit]

Four months after Hunger, Sam is still traumatized by his torture by Drake. His fears increase after the Human Crew abduct Jill, a young girl with siren-like mutant abilities, and dump her in an empty grave which Sam and Edilio realise was previously occupied by Brittney; it is implied that Sam and Edilio know the slug on Brittney's arm was Drake's severed tentacle. Jill is taken in by Orsay and her helper, a mysterious girl named Nerezza unfamiliar to the children of Perdido Beach. Orsay, whose powers have grown so that she can contact people outside the FAYZ through dreams, begins telling children that they can escape the FAYZ through the "poof". After Sam is unsuccessful in concealing Orsay's claims from the council, Astrid convinces the other councillors to tell Perdido Beach that Orsay is lying, despite not being able to disprove Orsay's claims. Sam's deception causes a rift between him and Astrid and prompt their break-up. Brittney reappears in Perdido Beach, guided by visions of her deceased brother Tanner that give her cryptic warnings of a "demon"; her reappearance is soon followed by the discovery of several bodies who show signs of being whipped to death.

At Coates, Caine and his remaining followers learns of San Francisco de Sales, a private island owned by Hollywood power couple Jennifer Brattle and Todd Chance located within the FAYZ, and Caine makes plans to relocate to the island. To this end he reaches out to Zil and the Human Crew, arranging for the Human Crew to set fire to Perdido Beach to create a distraction for Caine and his group to steal boats from the town's marina. While responding to the fire, Sam is attacked by Drake and flees Perdido Beach in terror. Caine and those he deems useful - Diana, Bug, and a cruel mutant named Penny with the ability to create illusions - make it to San Francisco de Sales, which they discover is still occupied by the Brattle-Chances' adopted children. The Brattle-Chances, knowing that they will eventually run out of supplies, drug Caine's group and attempt to flee to Perdido Beach by helicopter. Caine wakes and uses his abilities to stop the Brattle-Chances, but is forced to release them to stop Diana attempting suicide.

In the aftermath of the fire, Albert hosts a cookout to raise morale, while Brianna brings Sam back to town. Astrid, realizing that the children no longer respect her, uses her authority as a council member to pass laws aimed at maintaining order in the town before resigning her position. Nerezza convinces Zil and the Human Crew to launch another attack at the cookout, while Drake reappears and begins attacking the children. Nerezza attempts to kill Pete before being stopped by Astrid, who realizes that the gaiaphage had used Pete to create Nerezza by manipulating Pete into thinking he was creating a protagonist for his game console. Mary attempts to kill the preschoolers by having them jump off a cliff as she turns 15, having been influenced by Orsay and Nerezza to believe that their deaths will allow them to reawaken outside of the FAYZ. The children are saved by Brianna and Dekka, the latter of whom also kills Zil, but Mary disappears. Nerezza, who has killed Orsay, uses Jill's abilities in an attempt to prevent the children from fighting back, but is distracted by the arrival of the Brattle-Chances. Sam destroys Nerezza and attempts to destroy Drake, who now has the ability of regeneration, but ultimately relents when Drake transforms into Brittney and instead has her locked in a basement with Orc keeping guard. Pete's game console is destroyed in the showdown at Clifftop; in his anguish, Pete briefly causes the FAYZ barrier to disappear, giving Perdido Beach a brief glimpse of the outside world.

Throughout the book, many characters are mentioned as having contracted a flu-like disease, foreshadowing events in Plague.

Plague

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Perdido Beach is now run in all but name by Albert, whose introduction of money and paid labor to the town has placed him in a position of considerable power. With water supplies dwindling, Albert sends Sam, Dekka, Jack and Taylor to find a new water source at Lake Tramonto, on the far side of the FAYZ. Meanwhile, a plague that causes those infected to cough up their insides spreads through Perdido Beach, and the town's inhabitants are instructed not to leave their homes to stop the spread. On the way to the lake, Sam's group encounters Hunter, who has become infested with parasitic bugs which have begun to eat him from the inside out. At Hunter's request, Sam uses his powers to euthanize him, but in doing so releases bugs that are invulnerable to his abilities. A coyote then leads the group to the creatures that are causing the infections. The group attacks the creatures, and Dekka becomes infested in the process. Meanwhile, Drake escapes his prison after Orc becomes drunk. He makes his way to the mineshaft and is met by the bugs, which clear the way into the mineshaft. Drake transforms into Brittney, who discovers that the Gaiaphage was an alien virus intended to seed planets with life before mutating due to exposure to radiation and human DNA. With Brittney now accepting the gaiaphage as her god, Drake and the bugs split into two armies to attack Sam and Perdido Beach. Orc, ashamed of his actions, takes refuge at Coates with Astrid, who believes that killing Pete will end the FAYZ and worries that the other children will kill him.

Sam's group arrive at a nearby military airbase and encounter a lone boy, Toto, whose mutant power is to tell truth from lies. Sam's group discover that the military was tracking the various mutants before the FAYZ began. They also find a train containing valuable supplies of food, as well as a train car full of handheld missile launchers. Travelling on to the lake, Sam and his group are confronted by Drake and the bugs, which have grown to the size of SUVs. The group escapes back to the military base, with Sam sending Jack to Perdido Beach to either retrieve Caine from San Francisco de Sales or throw Pete to the bugs, assuming that Pete will be induced to use his abilities in response. Dekka attempts to use her abilities to bring the missiles to the power plant and then on to Perdido Beach, but the plan is thwarted when she begins to succumb to her infestation and drops the container. Perdido Beach erupts into chaos with the knowledge that the bugs are approaching, most mutants too far away to help, Albert near death after being attacked by the remnants of the Human Crew, and the plague having hospitalized many kids. Independently of Sam, Edilio instructs Quinn to bring Caine to Perdido Beach, as he has the power to kill the bugs. Caine accepts the challenge, hoping to become king after saving the town.

The bugs arrive in Perdido Beach, and Caine teams up with Brianna to destroy most of the army attacking the town, though many children are killed in the battle. Quinn rescues Sam, Toto and Dekka and brings them back to Perdido Beach, with Sam forced to cut Dekka open to stop the bugs devouring Dekka. Jack encounters Astrid and Orc at Coates, soon joined by Drake and his bugs. When threatened by Drake, Astrid throws Pete to the insects, who realizes the danger and vanishes both the insects and himself, but the FAYZ barrier remains.

Caine installs himself as king of Perdido Beach, though it is clear that Albert remains the real power behind the throne. Sam forms a community at Lake Tramonto with a third of Perdido Beach decide to follow him. To Caine's shock, Diana decides to come with Sam, having become sick of Caine's constant need for power, and reveals that she is pregnant with Caine's child. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Pete's disembodied consciousness has survived the encounter with the bugs.

Fear

[edit]

Four months after the end of Plague, Sam's new community at Lake Tramonto is flourishing. However, Sam discovers that the missile container has been booby-trapped, and suspects that Caine has already claimed the missiles. Astrid has abandoned Sam to live alone in the woods, still guilty over sacrificing Pete and unaware of his survival. Pete experiments with his new state of existence by tampering with the genetic makeup of the inhabitants of the FAYZ, resulting in several gruesome deaths. Amongst his victims is Taylor, who survives her mutation but is transformed into a gold-skinned non-mammalian creature.

Astrid and several other FAYZ inhabitants discover that the energy barrier has begun to turn black, prompting Astrid to seek Sam out at Lake Tramonto and rekindle their relationship. Sam sends a letter to Caine offering to use his powers to provide light to Perdido Beach. Meanwhile, Drake and the coyotes are sent by the gaiaphage to bring the pregnant Diana to its cave. Drake allows the coyotes to eat Howard when they cross paths on the way to Lake Tramonto. This is witnessed by Sam's messenger, who instead runs back to Lake Tramonto to raise the alarm. At night, Astrid clandestinely travels to Perdido Beach alone to bring Sam's offer of aid. Meanwhile, Albert decides to flee to San Francisco de Sales to survive an anticipated societal collapse resulting from the barrier darkening; it is revealed that he has hidden the missiles on the island without telling Caine.

In Perdido Beach, Caine sentences Cigar, one of Quinn's fishermen, to a day being tortured by Penny and her illusions. Cigar claws his own eyes out as a result of Penny's torture, prompting Quinn and his fishermen to go on strike and demand Penny's exile from Perdido Beach. Lana attempts to regenerate Cigar's eyes and is partially successful; however, Cigar is only able to perceive people's auras, but soon realises that he is able to see and communicate with Pete. Penny drugs Caine and encases his hands in concrete, preventing the use of his powers, but is infuriated when the frightened children of Perdido Beach clamor for his release rather than accept her leadership. Lana coerces Penny into leaving town. Astrid encounters Cigar, who reveals that Pete is alive, but Cigar is eaten by zekes soon afterwards. Through mental communication with Pete, Astrid learns that the barrier is connected to the gaiaphage and the gaiaphage needs a host body - Diana's baby - to channel its abilities. Drake takes Diana captive and brings her to the mineshaft, where they encounter Penny. Diana gives birth to her baby, which is possessed by the gaiaphage. The baby, whom Diana names Gaia, shows signs of possessing several powers, including Sam's light generation and Lana's healing abilities.

Outside the FAYZ, Sam and Caine's mother, Connie Temple, has become one of the spokespeople for the families of Perdido Beach. Connie struggles with her guilt about knowing of Sam and Caine's abilities before the creation of the FAYZ. Connie learns that the army plans to nuke the barrier. She and the other children's families attempt to stop the explosion by alerting the media and the other families, but the military finds that the barrier has prevented them from stopping the detonation.

Drake, Diana, Penny and a rapidly developing Gaia make for the barrier, which Gaia intends to destroy so she can escape into the outside world. They are intercepted by Sam and Caine; Caine kills Penny, prompting Gaia to attempt to kill Caine with her own telekinetic abilities. When Sam tries to destroy Gaia with his light (concurrently to the nuclear detonation), the barrier suddenly becomes transparent, allowing Connie and everyone else gathered outside the barrier to witness the confrontation. Gaia flees, followed by Diana and Drake. In the aftermath, Sam and Astrid are reunited with their parents, and communication begins between the FAYZ and the outside world.

Light

[edit]

Two days after Fear, the inhabitants of the FAYZ have become distracted by the outside world and lose interest in their duties, which leads to Quinn returning to San Francisco de Sales to get Albert, as he is the only one who can get everyone back to work. Brianna gives an interview to a news station that reveals the level of violence experienced by the children of the FAYZ. Annoyed at Brianna, Sam and Astrid send her to search for Gaia, Diana, and Drake. Brianna encounters Drake foraging for food for Gaia; she dismembers him and scatters his parts throughout the FAYZ, keeping his head in a chest below the boats on Lake Tramonto.

Gaia schemes to kill the FAYZ residents in order to prevent Pete from fighting her by inhabiting another person's body. Gaia and Diana spot two young men on the other side of the barrier; Gaia uses her power to briefly remove the barrier, causing one of the men, Alex Mayle, to fall through. Gaia removes and eats Alex's arm and informs Alex that she will use him as food. Intimidated, Diana and Alex follow Gaia to Lake Tramonto. Diana escapes and warns the community, but Gaia appears and slaughters most of the community before being forced to retreat by Brianna. Sam and Caine join forces to kill Gaia and rescue Diana. Sam and Caine find Gaia, and their efforts to kill her result in Caine being taken hostage and Sam heavily injured, before he is rescued by Taylor and Lana.

The kids regroup at Perdido Beach and discuss their next move. It is revealed that Gaia, though possessing every power of every living person in the FAYZ, loses that power when the person dies. Sam contemplates whether he must sacrifice himself in order to stop Gaia. Meanwhile, Alex brings Drake's head to Gaia; she decapitates Alex, attaches Drake's head to his body, and replaces Alex's missing arm with another tentacle. Gaia attacks Perdido Beach and kills Brianna. Jack is also killed by a stray bullet and Sam is taken prisoner. Drake captures Astrid and begins to torture her, but Astrid incapacitates him and escapes. With the situation desperate, Caine retrieves Albert's missiles and launches them at Gaia. Orc, who was fighting Gaia at the time, is killed in the blast, but Gaia survives. Realizing that there is only one option left, Caine allows Pete's consciousness to inhabit his body at the cost of his own life. Pete fights Gaia, with each destroying each other in the process, as well as the barrier. While the kids flee Perdido Beach, Sam returns alone to confront Drake after receiving a firearm from Lana. Sam finds that he has lost his ability to shoot light, but when Drake attacks he finds that his immortality and Gaia's ability to graft his head onto Alex's body has also been nullified, resulting in Drake's apparent demise.

The remaining kids reunite with their families and mourn their losses. Connie tells Sam how Caine and Sam were fraternal twins, fathered by the man whose DNA had merged with the gaiaphage, and becomes distant from Sam. Edilio is forced to go into hiding to avoid being deported back to Honduras, and comes out to his family after learning that his boyfriend Roger survived the massacre at Lake Tramonto. Albert gains the attention of every major business in the world, and does an advertisement for McDonald's in Perdido Beach. Lana returns to her family in Vegas. Sam is targeted by prosecutors intending to bring him to trial for his actions in the FAYZ, and escapes hospital with Quinn's help. Astrid, Todd Chance and Jennifer Brattle hold a press conference and Astrid reveals that Caine had written a confession note prior to his death claiming that he was controlling the children of the FAYZ and was responsible for their actions. Sam crashes the conference and is reunited with Astrid. With Caine's confession muddying the waters and footage of Sam and Astrid's reunion going viral, public opinion forces Sam's release. Astrid decides to write a book about life in the FAYZ and signs off the movie rights to the Brattle-Chances. With the money, Astrid buys a house for herself and Sam next door to Quinn's family. After the survivors attend a memorial to all those who died in the FAYZ, Sam and Astrid ask Diana to live with them, to which she agrees. No one knows what happens to Dekka.

Monster

[edit]

Four years after the collapse of the FAYZ, more "Anomalous Space Objects" (meteors carrying the gaiaphage virus), head towards Earth, mutating anyone with whom it comes into contact. Genius teenager Shade Darby, who was present when the FAYZ fell and witnessed Gaia kill her mother, steals and ingests some ASO rock, along with her new best friend Cruz Rojas, a trans genderfluid person with a difficult home life. Shade becomes capable of morphing into an insectoid creature with super-speed, while Cruz gains the ability to turn invisible or alter their appearance. Callous artist Justin DeVeere is also exposed to ASO rock and morphs into the giant crustacean-like beast "Knightmare", destroying an aeroplane and the Golden Gate Bridge. Elsewhere, schizophrenic teenager Vincent Vu obtains ASO rock contaminated by starfish and densovirus genetic material and becomes capable of growing into a giant monstrous form able to control reanimated human bodies. The various mutants, dubbed "Rockborn", are able to transform back and forth between human and mutant forms, and feel themselves continually observed by enigmatic "Dark Watchers" while morphed.

Homeland Security Taskforce 66 recruits Dekka to voluntarily ingest some alien rock after revealing that Drake has survived the end of the FAYZ, hoping she can combat the various new threats. She becomes able to morph into a feline beast with the ability to project matter-shredding energies, and soon learns that the corrupt HSTF-66 has abducted and experimented upon numerous people to build a mutant army. Dekka escapes along with Aristotle "Armo" Adamo, a youth with oppositional defiant disorder given a polar bear-like morph form. Dekka and Armo briefly seek refuge in Perdido Beach, where they reunite with Diana. Meanwhile, HSTF-66's leader Tom Peaks is fired by the government, prompting him to vengefully ally with Drake and ingest ASO rock, gaining a dragon-like form capable of vomiting napalm. Shade and Cruz become fugitives from HSTF-66, joined by Shade's equally intelligent ex-boyfriend Malik Tenerife, and Shade fights Justin, who is subsequently captured by HSTF-66. Shade, Cruz and Malik then ally with Dekka and Armo to get to another ASO before Peaks and Drake, leading to a vicious fight interrupted by Vincent, who subdues Peaks before escaping. Malik is fatally burned in the fight between Vincent and Peaks, but Shade and Cruz give him some ASO rock in the hope of saving him. Sam provides sanctuary to Dekka and Armo. A governmental memo reveals that the mutants now occupy the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted, joined by an unknown person named Francis Specter.

Villain

[edit]

Warning Sam and Astrid (who are now married) that Drake is still at large, Dekka secretly provides Astrid with the rest of Shade's ASO rock so she can become Rockborn in order to fight Drake. The horrifically burned Malik gains the ability to morph into an illusory version of his unharmed body, at the cost of projecting unbearable pain to other people and leaving him constantly feeling the Dark Watchers' attention. Shade, Cruz and Malik invade HSTF-66's "Ranch" facility, destroying much of the building and freeing Justin and the other mutant captives, and Shade livestreams footage to expose the organisation's crimes. Aspiring comedian and FAYZ survivor Dillon Poe buys ASO rock on the black market and gains a reptilian morph with the ability of mind control. His love interest Saffron Silverman inspires him to try to take over the world, and they seize control of thousands of people in Las Vegas, causing mass carnage and the deaths of thousands, including Saffron. Dekka and Armo regroup with Shade, Cruz and Malik, and they engage Dillon and his enthralled forces in a battle, discovering he cannot control other Rockborn while they are morphed. They are joined by Francis Specter, a teenager who has the ability to turn intangible by passing into a fourth-dimensional plane. As Francis does not feel the Dark Watchers observing her, Malik identifies her as an anomalous Rockborn that could pose a threat to the Watchers.

The military invades Vegas to stop Dillon, who sends his slaves in kamikaze attacks against them. On his way to Vegas to join the carnage, Vincent is killed by the army. Dillon takes many people hostage and douses them in gasoline. Intending to regain the government's trust, Peaks travels to Vegas but inadvertently ignites the hostages with his napalm, killing most of them, though Dekka and her allies are able to save a few. Malik uses his pain-projecting powers to torture Dillon and coerces him into committing suicide, freeing everyone under his control. Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo and Francis form a superhero team, the "Rockborn Gang", and Cruz becomes their public spokesperson after they are seen saving a baby from the flames, while Shade and Malik resume their relationship.

Hero

[edit]

Various ASOs have landed across Earth, to the point where most countries are becoming overwhelmed by the emergence of destructive Rockborn. Stricken with guilt over his role in Dillon's massacre, Peaks dies of suicide. To prevent a particularly large ASO from obliterating New York, the government fires nuclear missiles at it to break it up, but this still results in many shards hitting New York, killing or infecting much of the city. Many of those infected are abducted and massacred by government forces, but businessman Bob Markovic and his daughter Simone escape using their morphs: Markovic becomes a gestalt swarm of insects capable of inflicting horrific and agonising diseases upon humans while rendering them unable to die, while Simone becomes able to fly in the form of a blue humanoid with many tiny wings. The power-hungry Markovic, now calling himself "Vector", infects New York's government and seizes control of the city, recruiting a small army of Rockborn to assist him, including Justin.

Discovering Astrid has become Rockborn, Sam ingests the rest of Shade's ASO. He becomes able to create domes of various sizes resembling the FAYZ, while she can morph into a Hulk-like form with super strength and invulnerability. Drake ambushes Astrid, but Astrid easily overpowers him with her new abilities and dissolves him in hydrofluoric acid. Forming an uneasy alliance with the US government, the Rockborn Gang, with Dekka as their official leader, travel to New York to stop Markovic, joined by Simone, Sam and Edilio. Francis strands Justin and some of Markovic's other Rockborn in the fourth dimension, which she dubs "Over There". Markovic tries to reach Washington to conquer the government, but he is trapped by Sam's abilities and the Rockborn Gang kill him with nerve gas. However, Shade is almost killed in the battle, while Sam is forced to destroy a train, killing over forty of Markovic's hostages. Cruz and Armo begin a relationship, and Simone becomes romantically interested in Dekka. A military general helps Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo, Francis, Sam, Astrid, Simone and Edilio go into hiding at a secret bunker, and they agree to consider helping deal with other villainous Rockborn.

The conclusion of Hero reveals the truth about the entirety of the universe depicted throughout the nine books. Malik accompanies Francis in a series of excursions to Over There, and he and Shade theorise that their reality is a simulation created by the Dark Watchers. Malik and Francis' final excursion brings them in contact with a future version of Malik, who confirms his younger self's suspicions and notes that Pete was the only other person to discover the nature of their reality. The older Malik explains that the FAYZ universe was created by an MIT team led by him and Shade 26 years in the future using artificial intelligence and based on their own memories. Although the older Malik acknowledges the suffering felt by those in the simulation, he explains that it cannot be altered, but can be switched off, ending their universe. Malik refuses to make the decision without unanimous approval of the Rockborn Gang. The series ends with the Rockborn Gang about to vote, with the ultimate fate of their universe left unknown.

Characters

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  • Sam Temple - The main protagonist of the series, a caring, determined and reliable young man who's extremely respected in the FAYZ. Sam receives supernatural power in the form of being able to generate light from his hands. This light can either be to illuminate a dark area or as a lethal weapon. Throughout the series, Sam is constantly pushed to his limits physically and mentally. As the series goes on, Sam frequently encounters challenges that he is the only one capable of dealing with, leaving a large sense of pressure on him at all times. Sam is also a frequent adversary of Caine, his twin brother, before the two ally against the Gaiaphage. Sam's nemesis is Drake Merwin, and the two battle many times before the FAYZ falls. Sam is also in an ongoing relationship with Astrid throughout the series. Before the FAYZ Sam was a hero after saving the school bus from crashing when the driver has a heart attack he then becomes one of the most important people in Perdido Beach after the barrier appears. Later in the series he tries to relinquish his political power.
  • Caine Soren - Born "David Temple", Caine is the twin brother of Sam Temple and a primary antagonist throughout most of the series. Narcissistic, charismatic, intelligent and ruthless, Caine seeks power over others and attempts to take control of the FAYZ multiple times throughout the series. Caine gains supernatural powers in the form of telekinesis. He is one of the most powerful mutants in the FAYZ. He has a recurring romantic interest in Diana, which results a child, Gaia. Throughout the series, Caine becomes increasingly heroic, ultimately joining Sam in the fight against the Gaiaphage. Caine eventually dies in the final confrontation with the monster and the destruction of the barrier.
  • Astrid "the Genius" Ellison - Often referred to as the smartest person in the FAYZ. An honor student and devout Catholic, Astrid gained her nickname "Astrid the Genius" before the barrier manifested. Caring, intelligent, and ambitious, Astrid often is behind much of the policymaking in the FAYZ. Her knowledge of politics and science makes her the foremost authority on a variety of issues, making her an extremely important figure in the community. Astrid is also the older sister of Peter "Little Pete" Ellison; her role as caretaker for him throughout the series takes a constant toll on Astrid. Throughout much of the series, Astrid is in an ongoing relationship with Sam Temple, which continues after the barrier falls.
  • Diana Ladris - A skilled manipulator whose power to determine other mutants' power levels make her a valuable asset and political ally. Diana often plays the part of both protagonist and antagonist in the series. Starting as one of Caine's henchmen, she slowly starts to try and distance herself from villainy as the series goes on. She is the mother of Gaia Ladris-Soren, the only baby born in the FAYZ. Diana is in a strained relationship with Caine through most of the series, thus motivating her switch between hero and villain multiple times.
  • Lana Arwen Lazar - One of the most important and respected persons in the FAYZ, Lana has the ability to heal any injury. Brooding, sulky, and sometimes hostile, Lana views the role of healer to be a burden. Lana is also one of the few to have a profound connection with the Gaiaphage, making it a constant adversary for her. Throughout the series, Lana is seen mostly as a loner and often goes on missions of her own.
  • Albert Hillsborough - A fourteen-year-old African-American student in charge of food, water, and work in Perdido Beach. He is considered by many to be the most responsible person in the FAYZ. Known for his wealth and for controlling the food and water, he also is known for creating markets in the FAYZ. Although he is clever and powerful, Albert is selfish and somewhat of a coward, as evidenced by him running away when the barrier turns dark. Albert is the inventor of the official currency of the FAYZ. At the dawn of the FAYZ, Albert takes control of the local McDonald's and begins to provide the community with food. As the series progresses, Albert becomes a business tycoon, gathering countless children under his employment. As his power and influence grows, Albert becomes less and less agreeable, making him sometimes an antagonist.
  • Peter "Little Pete" Ellison - Astrid's severely autistic younger brother. The most important individual person in the FAYZ, with numerous abilities demonstrated throughout the series ranging from telekinesis and teleportation to creating life, he is also the one who created it. He is constantly fighting the Gaiaphage and stopping it from taking over the FAYZ and its inhabitants throughout the series. The FAYZ wall only comes down when Pete chooses to die during the final battle with Gaia. During the series, all the actions he takes are directed only to solve an immediate problem of his, and he does not comprehend any effects his actions may have on people in the future.
  • Brianna "The Breeze" Berenson - One of Sam's best friends, Brianna has the power to run at superhuman speeds, boasting that she is capable of outrunning a speeding bullet. Brianna is brave and fearless, often enthusiastically tangling with Caine and Drake, but her bravado ultimately proves to be her downfall when Gaia attacks the people of the FAYZ.
  • Computer Jack - The tech master of the FAYZ, whose passion for technology often leads him to make morally dubious decisions before he ultimately allies with Sam. Jack becomes involved in a complicated relationship with Brianna.
  • Dekka Talent - An African-American lesbian girl who intimidates most of the kids not only because of her close relationship with Sam, but also for her power to cancel gravity in a small area. Dekka has unrequited love for Brianna, which initially causes awkwardness between the two friends.
  • Edilio Escobar - A Honduran illegal immigrant who proves himself to be essential to the running of the FAYZ, despite having no mutant abilities. Determined, sensitive and brave, Edilio is shown as Sam Temple's right-hand man, and later as his equal, showing extreme loyalty and resolve in the most dangerous of situations. Later in the series he is revealed to be gay, entering a relationship with "The Artful" Roger. A recurring joke is Edilio often being mistaken for Mexican, a joke which he occasionally makes himself.
  • Quinn Gaither - Sam's best friend before the FAYZ. When the FAYZ occurs, Quinn betrays Sam to Caine but frees him after learning of Caine's intentions. During the food shortage plaguing the FAYZ, Quinn takes the initiative to start fishing, ultimately leading Perdido Beach's fishing crew.
  • Drake "Whip Hand" Merwin - A violent, sadistic and misogynistic psychopath who begins the series as Caine's right hand before coming to serve the Gaiaphage, who regenerates his burned arm as a 10-foot-long tentacle which he can use to whip or strangle people. Despite apparently being killed by Caine in Hunger, part of Drake's tentacle bonds to Brittney, a mutant with the power of immortality, allowing the two to share a single body.
  • Gaia "The Gaiaphage" Soren-Ladris - The daughter of Diana Ladris and Caine Soren. The only baby born in the FAYZ, Gaia is possessed by the Gaiaphage almost immediately after her birth. Gaia quickly grows into a child and becomes the second-most powerful mutant in the FAYZ, behind Little Pete. Her malice and affinity for carnage make her an immediate threat to the children of the FAYZ. Gaia can use the abilities of any mutant in the FAYZ, though that power disappears when that person dies.
  • Charles "Orc" Merriman - Nicknamed so for his gargantuan size and limited intelligence, Orc is the original school bully in Perdido Beach. Closely accompanied by his friend Howard Bassem at all times, Orc begins the series as an antagonist. His lack of fear and empathy cause him to accidentally kill a mutant, Bette, the guilt of which causes him to become an alcoholic before becoming a born-again Christian. After being mauled by coyotes, Orc's skin is replaced by a gravel-like substance that makes him almost immune to pain and incredibly strong.
  • Brittney Donegal - A devout Christian seemingly killed in Hunger, who discovers she has the ability of immortality. Initially believing that her ability is a divine gift to kill Caine and Drake, Brittney becomes bonded with Drake and shares her body with him, and is manipulated by the Gaiaphage into accepting it as her god.

Critical reception

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Reviews have generally been mixed to positive, though many note Gone's success in its intended demographic. Mal Peet, for The Guardian, pointed to the series' "rave reviews, most of them posted on websites by teenagers", though noting that such success stemmed from literary sacrifices that made characters into "crude two-dimensional digitisations".[4]

Amanda Craig, for The Times, noted that Gone was "heavily influenced by TV series such as Lost and Heroes, and described the book as "Clever but a little too predictable."[5] Jayne Howarth, for the Birmingham Post, called Gone "superb" and said she found the book "full of suspense, action and the supernatural. Think of a potent mix of Lord of the Flies, Heroes and Lost and you get an idea of the audience this will appeal to." Describing the pace of the novel as "frantic and frenetic" Howarth summed up: "This is an incredible mystery story, with twists and turns, cameos and protagonists, to keep readers engrossed... Violent in parts, Grant does not hold back at showing the feral nature of humans when faced with a world without order. Unputdownable."[6]

Dinah Hall, reviewing Lies for The Sunday Telegraph, also drew comparison with Lord of the Flies and Lost, and wrote: "While it's never going to make it on to the GCSE syllabus, it definitely has the addictive pull of a cult television series... I would sell my soul for the next installment."[7] Toby Clements, reviewing Hunger for The Daily Telegraph, wrote: "Grant's world is hard-edged but thought-provoking, a Stephen King novel for youngsters in which the children are challenged with reshaping society while fighting off evil. Hunger ought to be required reading for any teenager who thinks adults suck."[8]

Stephen King has also praised the series, writing: "These are exciting, high-tension stories told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up. There are monsters, there are kids with mad-crazy super powers, there's the mystery of where all the adults went. Most of all, there are children I can believe in and root for. This is great fiction."[9]

References

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  1. ^ "BESTSELLERS". Sunday Independent. Dublin. August 25, 2013. p. 24.
  2. ^ "Bookseller Charts". Western Morning News. Plymouth. July 13, 2013. p. 15.
  3. ^ "Flights of fiction". The Sunday Business Post. Dublin. June 16, 2013.
  4. ^ Peet, Mal (April 17, 2009). "Gone: Mal Peet on the novel as Xbox". The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  5. ^ Craig, Amanda (April 4, 2009). "Save the Truffula Tree: Amanda Craig's Easter round-up will give young readers a spring in their step". The Times. London. p. 12.
  6. ^ Howarth, Jayne (April 17, 2009). "Don't let sci-fi theme put you off reading this great novel". Birmingham Post. Birmingham. p. 8.
  7. ^ Hall, Dinah (December 5, 2010). "Flicker like bats, slip like cats: Dinah Hall picks the best books to fill children's stockings". The Sunday Telegraph. London. p. 38.
  8. ^ Clements, Toby (March 27, 2010). "Ancient prophecies - and a dog called Elvis". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 27.
  9. ^ "Blurbed By Stephen King". Stupid Blog Name. March 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
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