Gone (novel series)


Gone is a bestselling book series written by Michael Grant.
The series is centered on the fictional Southern Californian 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 .
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".
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

''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. Friends Sam Temple, Astrid Ellison and Quinn Gaither set out to explore the area until they 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". It is determined that the barrier has a 20-mile radius, centered on a nuclear power plant located outside of town Exploring the power plant, the group finds Astrid's severely autistic four-year-old brother Pete, along with a map marking predicted radiation patterns in the case of a meltdown that lines up exactly with the boundaries of the energy barrier. The town children look to Sam as a leader, but chaos ensues. Several inhabitants of Perdido Beach are revealed to have superhuman powers caused by the power plant's explosion 15 years ago, including Sam and Pete: Sam has the ability to fire light from his hands that is capable of burning objects, but Pete's are unknown.
Upon the group's return to Perdido Beach, they encounter vehicles bringing students from the nearby Coates Academy. A Coates student, Caine Soren, impresses the townsfolk and he becomes a leader, but Sam and Astrid are suspicious of his motives. Caine, revealed to have the ability of telekinesis, discovers that when inhabitants of the FAYZ turn 15, they are confronted by something they desire before vanishing, nicknamed "the poof". Caine also discovers that he and Sam are twin brothers that were separated at birth, with Sam remaining with their mother; this revelation deeply upsets Caine. Quinn, who has started hanging out with Caine's friends, tells Caine of Sam's powers. Feeling threatened, Caine enlists the help of local bullies, including the sadistic Coates student Drake Merwin, to kidnap Sam and Astrid. Quinn frees Sam and Astrid is freed from Drake by Pete, whose abilities include teleportation. Caine instructs Drake to kill Astrid, but Sam saves her. Sam, Astrid, Quinn, Pete, and their classmate Edilio Escobar escape town.
Meanwhile, teenager Lana Arwen Lazar is injured in a car crash after her grandfather disappears from the FAYZ, but discovers she has healing abilities and uses them to heal herself. Lana encounters a pack of coyotes that can talk. The coyotes take her to a cave, where something the coyotes call "the Darkness" lives. Lana encounters Sam's group and 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 channelled by hand. Pete uses his abilities to free Sam's group and they return to Perdido Beach with Coates students also held prisoner by Caine. When Drake attempts to stop them, Sam uses his abilities to burn his arm off, and Drake flees. Drake encounters Lana, whom he thinks can regrow his arm, and takes her back to the Darkness. Lana is coerced into heal Drake's arm, which regenerates as a whip-like tentacle. Drake returns to Caine, who learns how to escape "the poof", and they attack Perdido Beach. Sam's group and the Coates hostages defend the town. Sam and Caine fight, but as they turn 15 they suddenly see a manifestation of their mother, Connie, who invites them to return to her. Both boys refuse, and Caine is forced to retreat. Later, student Albert Hillsborough organizes a Thanksgiving dinner for the town and Sam encourages the residents of the FAYZ to stick together. Meanwhile, Caine follows the coyotes and is introduced to the Darkness, which consumes him.

''Hunger''

Hunger begins three months after the end of Gone with Sam, Edilio, Albert, and E.Z searching for food. They discover the zekes, mutated worms who eat E.Z. Caine who has been insane since the end of gone wakes up and decides to attack the power plant. Sam and his people, distracted with responsibilities and trying to find food miss judge Caine and he takes the power plant so that he can feed the Gaiaphage. While this is happening Zil is introduced after Hunter, a mutant, kills their best friend, Harry. Zil runs around trying to recruit normals to stop all freaks. Sam, Edilio, Dekka and Co. begin to try to take back the powerplant and realize that Lana is missing. Lana has been taken over by the Gaiaphage in the attempt to kill it. Sam sends Edilio and Dekka to the mineshaft and gets Orc and Howard to get Brianna while he takes on Drake and Caine. Caine had already left to feed radiation to the Gaiaphage but drake is there and whips Sam who is saved by Brianna. Sam send Brianna to get a mutant named Duck, who can change his density and heads to the mineshaft himself. Lana controlled by the Gaiaphage shoots Edilio and coyotes maul Dekka. Drake at the mineshaft takes on Caine and nearly kills Diana, but Sam interferes and Caine kills Drake. Brianna comes back with Duck and then, Duck, Sam, and Caine go up against the Gaiaphage and win by throwing Duck at the Gaiaphage and drilling them both into the ground. Duck uses his power to make himself as heavy as a mountain and dies in the process. they go back to town and sam steps down as mayor and the council is created and then Sam and Quinn go surfing.

''Lies''

Lies is set long months after Gone. The town is run by a council, headed by Astrid. Zil's anti-freak Human Crew have taken over a small section of Perdido Beach. Orsay, who has the mutant power to see people's dreams, claims she can see the dreams of the children's parents. She is dubbed "The Prophetess" and holds nightly rituals to give children messages from their families. Orsay is helped by the mysterious Nerezza, who urges Orsay to continue to use her power and tell children to "step-out" when they turn fifteen. A young girl, Jill, is beaten due to some people's knowledge of her powers and falls into an empty grave. Sam discovers her and is told by Edilio that she was in the grave of Brittney, who died in Hunger. Sam learns of Brittney's empty grave and of Orsay's rituals, but he does not tell Astrid this during the next council meeting. Astrid discovers this and she and Sam argue; they break up. Astrid tells the council to claim that Orsay is lying and leading them to suicide, as they believe "stepping-out" results in death. The townsfolk learn she has lied and lose faith in the council. It is revealed in a side note that the outside world is attempting to break the FAYZ barrier and that all the adults from inside the FAYZ are alive. Children who "step-out" at fifteen appear outside the barrier in the normal world. Meanwhile, on an island far out to sea, several children attempt to survive in the abandoned but well-stocked mansion of their adoptive celebrity parents. Caine, Diana and the remaining Coates academy students struggle to survive and resort to cannibalism. They hear of the island with the mansion and plan to steal boats from Perdido beach undetected, to go to the island to find food. Caine makes a plan with Zil who riles up a mob and sets fire to a large section of the town at night, creating a diversion and allowing Caine to reach the Marina undetected. Sam attempts to stop the "Human Crew" but fails. Sam and many others believe they have seen Drake, who is believed to be dead. Unsure how to proceed, Sam leaves Perdido Beach. Zil wished for chaos to ensue after the fire, but, instead, calm prevails. Astrid announces a set of laws and steps down, knowing she will no longer be trusted. Drake then appears and Zil uses the opportunity to cause anarchy, before panic ensues as most of the townsfolk flee to the highway and the beach. Dekka confronts Zil, and the Human Crew leader dies of his injuries upon being dropped from her anti-gravity field. Little Pete, who has been playing on his GameBoy, is revealed to be controlling events in the FAYZ through the game, and it is hinted that Pete himself is the Gaiaphage, which was not killed in the last book. Nerezza eventually attempts to kill Pete but fails when Astrid intervenes. Nerezza is an avatar of the Gaiaphage, created by Pete, who manipulated Orsay. Mary, who is turning fifteen, intends to "step-out" and lead all the daycare children off a cliff, convinced that killing them will cause them to reappear alive outside the FAYZ. Dekka suspends gravity and rescues the children, but Mary "steps-out". In the chaos, Little Pete's GameBoy is broken. He screams, causing the energy barrier surrounding the area to disappear for a brief second. Astrid and many others see the normal world beyond, but Pete regains control and the barrier reappears. The Gaiaphage is revealed to have been attempting to use Brittney's immortality and Lana's healing powers to bring Drake back from the dead, sharing the same body as Brittney. Sam returns, fighting Drake long enough for him to turn into Brittney. Unable to kill her, Sam decides to lock Drake / Brittney away with Orc as their jailer, as he experiences no pain at being whipped by Drake. Caine, Diana and the two remaining Coates children reach the mansion island and meet the five children there. Throughout the book, many characters have fallen sick by a flu-like disease, foreshadowing events in Plague.

''Plague''

Perdido Beach is now run by Albert, whose introduction of money and paid labor to the town has placed him in a position of considerable power. Water supplies are running out and Albert sends Sam with Dekka, Jack and Taylor on a mission to find a new water source, Lake Tramonto, on the far side of the FAYZ. Meanwhile, an infectious plague leading those who catch it to almost certain death is spreading in Perdido Beach, for when catching it, one begins to cough up his own lungs. All are instructed not to leave their homes to stop the spread. On the way to the lake, Sam's group encounters Hunter who was banished from Perdido Beach. He has become infested with parasitic bugs, which have begun to eat him from the inside out. After revealing that he was unable to use his powers on himself, Hunter tearfully begs Sam to kill him, believing the bugs to be his punishment for being bad. Sam agrees, but Hunter's death releases bugs that cannot be killed by Sam. A coyote then leads them to the creatures that are causing parasitic insect infections. The group attacks the creatures, but Dekka becomes infested with insects in the process, even though Sam burned off her shoulder in order to protect her. When near the lake, Sam and the others find a building from a nearby military airbase They find a lone boy, Toto, whose mutant power is to tell truth from lie. They also find a train, with valuable supplies of Pepsi and Nutella, as well as Apple devices and lawn appliances and a train car full of handheld missile launchers. Turk and Lance assault Albert and shoot him in the eye. Drake, who has been locked up in a basement escapes, as his guard, Orc, is drunk. Meanwhile, Astrid realizes that she can kill Little Pete and end the FAYZ. Thirsty, Little Pete destroys the top floor of Astrid's house and creates a rain cloud. Once free, Drake travels to the gaiaphage and is met by an army of bugs, who begin to clear the way into the mine shaft. When they reach the lake, Sam and his group are confronted by the bugs. The bugs have grown to the size of SUVs and are being commanded by Drake. The group escapes back to Perdido Beach. The town is in chaos: the plague overwhelms the town and hospitalizes many kids; Albert is attacked by the "Human Crew" and is only saved when his maid finds him near death. The bugs have grown again and Edilio instructs Quinn to row to the island and find Caine, as he has the power to kill the bugs. Caine accepts the challenge, hoping to become king after saving the town. Drake is instructed to bring Nemesis to the gaiaphage and travels to Coates Academy, where Astrid and Orc are hiding. The bugs arrive in Perdido Beach but Caine and Brianna cannot fight them. Dekka uses her powers to levitate Sam and the train car of missiles to Perdido beach to fight the bugs, but they do not reach the town in time as Dekka is infected with the parasite, and is only saved when Sam cuts her open to kill the bugs inside her. When threatened by Drake, Astrid throws Pete to the insects, who realizes the danger and vanishes both the insects and himself; her hope was that Pete's death would cause the energy barrier to dissipate, which does not happen. Pete is later revealed to be without a body, but alive. Caine attempts to install himself as king of Perdido Beach, but Sam offers to form a community at Lake Tramonto. Around 80 kids decide to go with Sam, along with Diana, who has become sick with Caine's constant need for power, with two-thirds of the population of Perdido Beach staying behind, under Caine's rule. Between these two camps, Lana is granted free access to both places, being the Healer, as well as there being free trade, a condition laid down by Albert. Diana then reveals to a stunned Sam, Brianna and Dekka that she is pregnant with Caine's child. The plague proves fatal only in one out of ten cases, but many have died.

''Fear''

Four months after the end of Plague, Sam's new community at Lake Tramonto is flourishing. However, Sam discovers that the missile container in Perdido Beach 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 inhabitants of the FAYZ, resulting in gruesome deaths as he clumsily changes their DNA. Amongst his victims is Taylor, who is transformed into a gold-skinned non-mammalian creature.
Astrid and several other FAYZ inhabitants discover that the energy barrier has beguns to turn black, prompting Astrid to seek Sam out at Lake Tramanto and rekindle their relationship. Sam sends Mohamed, Albert's representative in Lake Tramanto, to Perdido Beach with a letter to Caine offering to use his powers to provide light to Perdido Beach. Meanwhile, Drake is sent by the Gaiaphage to bring the pregnant Diana to its cave. Drake is escorted by the coyotes; Drake allows them to eat Howard when they cross paths on the way to Lake Tramanto. This is witnessed by Mohamed, who runs back to Lake Tramanto to raise the alarm. At night, Astrid clandestinely travels to Perdido Beach alone to bring Sam's offer of aid.
In Perdido Beach, Cigar, one of Quinn's fishermen, accidentally kills another child in a fight. Caine sentences him to a day being tortured by Penny and her illusions, resulting in Cigar clawing his own eyes out. Quinn and his fishermen go on strike and order that Penny be sent away from Perdido Beach. Fearing social collapse in the approaching darkness, Albert decides to flee to the island, where it is revealed he has hidden the missiles without telling Caine. 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 kids of Perdido Beach clamor for his release. Lana coerces Penny into leaving town. With Albert gone and Caine chastened by his ordeal, Quinn takes charge of Perdido Beach. 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 takes her to the mineshaft, where they encounter Penny. Diana gives birth to her baby, and the gaiaphage hypnotizes Brianna into putting the baby on the gaiaphage so it can inhabit it. 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 Abana Baidoo, Dahra's mother, 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 crush Caine with her own telekinetic abilities. When Sam tries to kill Gaia with his light, 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''

The inhabitants of the FAYZ are divided in the wake of the barrier becoming transparent: some, such as Brianna, are thrilled with the attention, while others, like Orc, are ashamed of what they have become and pray that the barrier never comes down. Distracted by the outside world, the kids lose interest in their duties, which leads to sending Quinn to the island to get Albert, as he is the only one who can get them back to work. Annoyed at Brianna, Sam and Astrid send to hunt for Drake. Brianna dismembers Drake and scatters his parts throughout the FAYZ, keeping his head in a chest below the boats on Lake Tramonto.
Meanwhile, Gaia and Diana are out in the desert, where 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, 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 Tramanto, where Gaia begins slaughtering the inhabitants of Sam's community, beginning with the non-mutants. She is forced to retreat by Brianna. Sam and Caine go hunting for Gaia together to kill her and rescue Diana. Sam and Caine find her alone, 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 what to do next. 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 kills Alex, attaches Drake's head to his body, and replaces Alex's missing arm with another tentacle. Gaia attacks Perdido Beach and kills Brianna. Computer Jack is also killed by a stray bullet and Sam is taken prisoner. 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, destroying each other in the process, as well as the barrier. While the kids flee Perdido Beach, Sam returns alone to confront Drake. 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 final demise.
The remaining kids reunite with their families and mourn their losses. Connie tells Sam how Caine and Sam were fraternal twins, though Caine looked more like her husband, and becomes distant from Sam. Lana visits Astrid and Diana in hospital. Sam, who is being guarded, makes contact with Quinn and escapes with him. Edilio goes into hiding to avoid being deported back to Honduras, though he is later given US citizenship for his heroism, and is reunited with his boyfriend Roger. Albert gains the attention of every major business person in the world, and does an advertisement for McDonald's in Perdido Beach, though the film crew are disturbed to find that all the graves in the plaza are real. Lana returns to her family in Vegas. Sam is ordered to stand trial for his actions in the FAYZ, but is freed after it is discovered that Caine had written a confession note prior to his death claiming that he was controlling the kids and was responsible for their actions. Astrid decides to write a book about life in the FAYZ and signs off the movie rights to Todd Chance and Jennifer Brattle, Sanjit's parents. With the money, Astrid buys a house for herself and Sam, next door to Quinn. 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.

''Monster''

Four years after the collapse of the FAYZ, more ‘Anomalous Space Objects’, space rocks, head towards Earth, containing a mutagenic virus that alters the DNA of anyone with whom it comes into contact. It becomes clear that while those who acquired powers within the FAYZ have subsequently lost them, those who were physically mutated have remained so. Drake, who was mutated, is revealed to still be ‘alive’ and in hiding, while Brittney is now a face protruding from his chest. As the ASOs arrive, they fall into the hands of several individuals, including genius teenager Shade Darby, who was present when the FAYZ fell and witnessed Gaia kill her mother. She uses the rock to become able to morph into an insectoid creature with super-speed, and her new best friend Cruz Rojas, a trans girl with a difficult home life, gains the ability to turn invisible or alter her appearance. Elsewhere, callous artist Justin DeVeere acquires some ASO rock and morphs into the giant crustacean-like beast ‘Knightmare’, destroying an aeroplane and the Golden Gate Bridge. The ‘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, hoping she can combat the 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 deranged polar bear-like morph form, and HSTF-66's leader Tom Peaks is fired by the government, prompting him to vengefully ally with Drake and ingest the rock, gaining a dragon-like form capable of vomiting napalm. Shade and Cruz become fugitives from HSTF-66, along with Shade's equally intelligent ex-boyfriend Malik Tenerife, and Shade fights Justin, who is captured by HSTF-66. Another ASO is found at sea and ingested by schizophrenic child Vincent Vu, who gains starfish and densovirus DNA, growing to a giant monstrous form able to control reanimated human bodies. Shade, Cruz and Malik ally with Dekka and Armo to get to the sea ASO before Peaks and Drake, leading to a vicious fight interrupted by Vincent, who subdues Peaks before escaping. Peaks’ lava fatally burns Malik, but Shade and Cruz give him some ASO rock in the hope of saving him. Sam provides sanctuary to Dekka and Armo.

''Villain''

Warning Sam and Astrid 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 the internet to expose the organisation's crimes against humanity. Aspiring comedian and FAYZ survivor Dillon Poe buys ASO rock on the black market and gains a reptilian morph with the ability to control minds. His love interest Saffron Silverman inspires him to try to take over the world, and they stage a terrorist attack in Las Vegas, enthralling hundreds of people and causing mass carnage and murder, but Saffron is killed in the confusion. Dekka and Armo regroup with Shade, Cruz and Malik, and they engage Dillon and his enthralled forces in a battle, discovering he cannot control them while they are morphed. They are joined by Francis Specter, a teenager from a biker gang, who has the ability to turn intangible by passing into a fourth-dimensional plane. As she 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 company are able to save a few. Malik uses his pain-projecting powers to torture Dillon into committing suicide, freeing everyone under his control. Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo and Francis form an ersatz superhero team, the ‘Rockborn Gang’, and Cruz becomes their public spokesperson after she is seen saving a baby from the flames, while Shade and Malik resume their relationship. Meanwhile, another ASO creates a giant deep sea whale-crab chimera, which attacks a submarine, resulting in the detonation of warheads aboard. The nuclear blast kills all life within ten miles of Savannah, Georgia.

''Hero''

By now the ASOs have spread across Earth, to the point where most countries are becoming overwhelmed by the emergence of destructive Rockborn. Unable to cope with his role in Dillon's massacre, Peaks commits suicide. To prevent a particularly huge ASO from obliterating much of the US, the government has nuclear missiles fired at it to break it up, but this still results in many shards hitting New York, killing many and infecting more. A hundred people who were struck with shards of the rock are abducted by the ATF, ICE and FBI, who try to murder all of them, but businessman Bob Markovic and his daughter Simone escape using their morphs: Markovic becomes a gestalt swarm of insects capable of inflicting horrific diseases upon humans while rendering them unable to die, leaving them trapped in unending agony; 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. Drake ambushes them, but Astrid easily defeats him and dissolves him in 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, or ‘Over There’ as she calls it. Markovic tries to reach Washington and conquer the government, but the Rockborn Gang stop him, using nerve gas to kill him. However Shade is almost killed in the battle, while Sam is forced to destroy a bullet 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.

Over There

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, where he learns, as he and Shade often theorised, that their reality is a simulation created by the Dark Watchers - who are revealed to be a team of MIT scientists in the ‘real world’, which is 26 years ahead of the FAYZ universe. The MIT team is led by the ‘real’ versions of Malik and Shade, who created the simulation based on their own memories. Acknowledging the suffering experienced by the simulants, the ‘real’ Malik agrees to switch off the simulation and end their universe, if the Rockborn Gang unanimously agree. The result of the ensuing vote is not revealed.

Characters

Sam "Laser Hands" Temple

Sam Temple is the main protagonist of the series. Caring, determined, and reliable, Sam is 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.

Caine Soren

Antagonist Caine is the twin brother of Sam Temple and a primary antagonist throughout most of the series. Narcissistic, 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. Caine is also extremely charismatic and can often trick people into doing what he wants. He has a recurring romantic interest in Diana, which results in the birth of their 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, which is quite sad, as in the series Caine grows as a person, and at the end, finally finds peace with Diana and has a change of heart.

Albert Hillsborough

Neutral Albert Hillsborough is 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 controlling the food and water he also is known for creating markets in the FAYZ he is a true "businessman" despite his young age. Although he is clever and powerful, Albert is selfish and somewhat of a coward due to him running away when the barrier turns to black. 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 goes on, 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

Neutral Peter Ellison is autistic. The most important individual person in the FAYZ, he is also the one who caused it. He is the brother of Astrid Ellison. He is constantly fighting the Gaiaphage and stopping it from taking over the FAYZ and its inhabitants throughout the series. He stopped a nuclear meltdown in the nuclear reactor as there was "too much noise" while the workers were trying to shut it down, and he took all the adults out of the newly created FAYZ, so he would face no pain or disturbance. He is the FAYZ's "little, ignorant God", as once referenced in the series. Although he can do anything he wishes to do through his power, he is limited by his autism. He is the only being in the FAYZ with mutant powers stronger than Caine or Sam, along with Gaia. The FAYZ wall only comes down when Pete, its creator, 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 care for any effects his actions may have on people in the future due to his autism.

Astrid "the Genius" Ellison

Protagonist Astrid Ellison is the smartest person in the FAYZ. An honor student and a devout Christian, Astrid gained the nickname "Astrid the Genius" before the barrier manifested. Caring, intelligent, and ambitious, Astrid often is behind much of the policy making in the FAYZ once the dome goes up. 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. This relationship continues after the barrier falls.

Diana Ladris

Protagonist Diana is a very influential person in the FAYZ. Her knowledge of how to manipulate people makes her a valuable asset and political ally. Diana often plays the part of both protagonist and antagonist in the series. With an intellect rivaling that of Astrid, Diana knows just what people want to hear and can use them to get what she wants. Diana is gifted a supernatural power in the form of "reading". She is able to read the strength of other mutants within the FAYZ. Although she is unable to tell what their specific mutation is, she can determine the extent of their power and how much of a threat they will be. 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 "The Healer" Arwen Lazar

Protagonist Lana is a person of extreme importance in the FAYZ. Gifted with the power to heal any injury, Lana becomes an invaluable asset to the kids of Perdido Beach. 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.

Computer Jack

Neutral Computer Jack is the tech master of the FAYZ. He would do anything to play with his computers. He switched sides many times because he gets baited with the technology involved. For example, at the end of gone, Jack was in Perdido Beach, but then Diana lured him to be on Caine's side for the "ultimate technological challenge". But in the end he was on Sam's side and was in a complicated relationship with Brianna. He was one of Sam's friends, and Sam liked to have him around because he was smart. Unfortunately he died to a bullet in the leg. The
shooter didn't aim properly and accidentally killed him.

Brianna "The Breeze" Berenson

Protagonist Breeze is a fairly significant character of the FAYZ. Known to be one of Sam's best friends, Breeze has the power to run at supernatural speeds, up to 200mph. She has managed to "kill" Drake Merwin. Breeze is a very boastful yet skilled girl who keeps going through the hardest of times. She dies a gruesome death at the hands of Gaia Ladris-Soren, after Gaia used Sam's killing light and shot Brianna through the heart, killing her immediately.

Dekka Talent

Protagonist Dekka Talent is a fifteen-year-old, tall girl. She is, according to Brianna, curvy although she doesn't "show it off". She does not dress very femininely and prefers to wear what she finds comfortable. Dekka is found intimidating by most of the kids because of not only her power and close relationship with Sam, but also for her strong physique. Dekka is an African-American girl with the ability to 'cancel gravity' from a small area, causing everything in the area to be lifted into the air. She was part of the Coates 'freaks' who were trapped by Caine. She, along with Brianna and Taylor, were saved by Sam. Dekka is a very internal person who does not talk about herself, especially not about her thoughts or feelings. Because of this, people consider her threatening and scary, but she's really not. She claims that being a little scary at Coates Academy isn't a bad thing. She's tough and always there to help, even in dangerous situations. She is a lesbian and has a crush on Brianna. She has been faced with homophobia and racism, but she is comfortable in her own skin. Sam thinks of Dekka as an ally and thinks of her as possible leader of the FAYZ if he dies. In the series, it is discovered that she fancies Brianna, who rejects her. For a while, Dekka and Brianna don't talk due to the awkwardness between the two. She is one of Sam's best friends, and helps him fight against Caine and any other threats. Her full name is Dekka Talent, which is found out later in the series, Sam admitting that he never knew that she had a second name and "thought she was like Beyoncé".

Edilio Escobar

Protagonist Edilio, Originally from Honduras, Edilio is often essential to the running of the FAYZ. Determined, sensitive, and brave, Edilio is one of the toughest people of the FAYZ despite having no supernatural powers. He is the most handy, often knowing how to use machinery, tools, and weapons. He 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. Edilio is often mistaken for Mexican, which becomes a running gag throughout the series. Often overlooked in many of the successful operations in the FAYZ, Edilio is very unassuming and humble. Edilio is also one of the few gay characters in the series, revealed to have a relationship with "The Artful" Roger in the later installments.

Quinn Gaither

Neutral Quinn was Sam's best friend before the FAYZ. He and Sam love to surf and it is shown that they understand and care for each other. Quinn is an only child and lives with his parents. When the FAYZ occurs, Quinn becomes scared and expresses this through mean and rude comments towards the characters and mainly Edilio. Quinn later betrays Sam and Astrid by telling Caine where they were, leading to Sam being tortured by Caine. Quinn frees him and apologizes, saying that he did not know what Caine would do. Quinn spends the rest of the novel trying to make up for betraying Sam. He plays a big part in defending the Daycare in the Thanksgiving battle. In the second novel, Quinn and Sam grow apart not seeing each other at all until the middle of the book. It is then were Quinn shows a love interest for Lana. He also discovers that you can produce food in the FAYZ by fishing. Quinn then becomes head fisherman in the FAYZ and has a respectable position. He is said to have been well known and respected through the FAYZ as the head fisherman for the FAYZ. He is referred to as 'the Fisherman'. He grew much since the first book, showing in how he stood up to Caine to defend Sam towards the end of the series. In the finale book, Sam calls Quinn for help to break him out of the hospital and Quinn helps him. Astrid said that Quinn has grown a lot from the first book and has become a better person. After the FAYZ ends, Sam, Astrid and Diana move close to Quinn's new house with his mom.

Drake "Whip Hand" Merwin

Antagonist and the darkest character in the series, Drake is described as a "...smiling, playful, mean-eyed kid", but soon reveals himself to be a violent psychopath. Sadistic, vile, and highly immature, Drake begins the series as Caine's right hand. He has a profound disdain for those who were granted supernatural powers, bragging that he could beat any with his will alone. Drake also is the nemesis of Sam Temple, and the two battle many times throughout the series. Early on, Drake pledges himself to the Gaiaphage and receives a gift in the form of a "whip arm", a weapon literally attached to his body. His characteristics include taunting his victims before he attacks and using people's mutations against them. Drake eventually becomes bonded with Brittney, taking advantage of her immortality, the two share a body. Drake switches bodies multiple times throughout the series before being shot by Sam during the final battle and destruction of the barrier. In Monster, it is revealed that Drake did not actually die at the end of the Gone series.

Gaia "The Gaiaphage" Soren-Ladris

Antagonist Gaia is 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, making her a monster of human creation. 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 who live in Perdido Beach. Gaia gains a supernatural power in the form of "borrowing". Her power is to speak telepathically but she is able to use an ability of any living mutant in the FAYZ. As long as that mutant is alive, Gaia is able to use that same ability. She revels in killing non-mutants and causing as much destruction as possible. Her mission was to kill all the mutants and turn the whole world into... her. The most significant kills she was responsible for was Brianna "The Breeze" Berenson and Caine Soren.

Charles "Orc" Merriman

Neutral Charles Merriman, more commonly known as "Orc" for his gargantuan size and limited intelligence, is the original school bully in Perdido Beach. Closely accompanied by his friend Howard at all times, Orc begins the series as an antagonist. His lack of fear and empathy cause him to accidentally kill a girl, Bette, with a baseball bat, an act he struggles with throughout the series. Orc receives a supernatural power after being nearly torn apart by Coyotes. His skin is replaced with gravel, making him impervious to pain and incredibly strong. Orc remains one of the few characters to have a redeeming character arc through the series, eventually quoting scripture and protecting Astrid. Orc is killed during the final battle with the Gaiaphage and the destruction of the barrier.

Jack “Computer Jack”

Neutral Jack, more commonly known as Computer Jack due to his impressive technology skills, is a main characters featured in every book. Jack has the power of super strength and is a 2 bar. He started off as someone that worked for Caine Soren, in technology and was the one to discover how to beat the poof when someone turns 15. When Jack released what Caine was doing was the wrong thing, he escaped from Coates Academy, to tell Sam Temple. He didn’t make it in time, but Sam still beat the poof and the knowledge went out in the FAYZ. Later, he was feeling depressed because Sam wasn’t letting him turn on the phones because it could help the Coates kids. When Diana convinced Jack to come back, promising him that Caine would let him use his technology skills, he willingly went. The Coates broke into the Power Plant and Jack turned off the power in Perdido Beach. When Caine revealed his plan to feed the Gaiaphage, Jack had to help with the Uranium rods. In ‘Lies’ he had gotten the flu and was living with Brianna, who he had a crush on. They made out a few times, and then Brianna got the cold. When Brianna died, Jack felt a bit awkward and sad at her funeral. Computer Jack died when he saved Sam Temple and died from being shot in the back.

Brittney Dolegal

Neutral Brittney Donegal is a good guy turned bad. She first appeared in ‘Hunger’, where she was guarding the Power Plant. When the Coates Kids, including Caine, Drake, Diana and Jack, invaded the Power Plant, Brittney was whipped to death by Drake. However, her power turned out to be immortality, and she climbed out of her own grave, dug by Edilio. She soon released that the Gaiaphage had combined her with Drake, to make him live forever, and gifted them both with regeneration. At first Brittney fought Drake all the way, but the Gaiaphage, pretending to be her dead brother Tanner, convinced her to join its side. Brittney used to be very religious but her faith went from God to the Gaiaphage.

Critical reception

Reviews have generally been mixed to positive, though many note Gones 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".
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." 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."
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." 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."
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."