Review: Gone by Michael Grant

 

🌌 Gone by Michael Grant — Still Just as Wild

Some stories mark a moment in time — a spark that ignites your love for an entire genre. For me, Gone by Michael Grant was that spark.

I first read it back in middle school, when dystopian fiction was just starting to sink its claws into me. I didn’t know it then, but Gone would become one of those stories that stayed, tucked somewhere between the chaos and the quiet of growing up.

People see the label “YA” and assume it’s a category, a boundary. But this book isn’t for young adults — it’s about them. Or rather, about those who never got the chance to stay young. Kids who have to lead, fight, make choices no one should ever have to make. There’s something raw about that. Something that makes you think about what power really does to a person, even when they’re still figuring out who they are.

I remember falling in love with the voices in this story — the way each character felt slightly different, distinct in their rhythm and speech. And the hooks — oh, they’re masterful. Every page tugs at the next, threading you deeper into a world that feels larger than the one you started in. You can feel the groundwork being laid for something immense. Gone isn’t just the start of a story; it’s the spark before the wildfire.

Now, at 29, with three little ones and a life full of very real responsibilities, I revisited it. This time as an audiobook — folding laundry, making snacks, living my grown-up life while listening to kids trapped in a world without adults. It hit differently. It reminded me how stories like this never really leave you; they just wait until you circle back, a little older, a little softer, ready to see what you missed the first time.

If you haven’t read Gone, or if it’s been years, go back. Give it another listen. Let yourself remember what it feels like to be pulled into a world that’s brutal and brilliant and brimming with heart.

Some books earn a permanent place on the shelf — Gone is one of them. 🌿

Check it out here:  Gone by Michael Grant — Buy on Amazon