**This review most likely contains spoilers**

The Gone series by Michael Grant is probably one of my all-time favorite young adult book series to date. It’s basically a more tame version of the stuff Stephen King writes; horror for teens and young adults.

You start off with Gone, which introduces you to a lot of the main characters and this basic premise: everyone over the age of 15 suddenly disappears one day, and no one knows what caused it to happen. Nor does anyone know what caused a dome to appear and stretch out 20 miles north, south, east, and west of Perdido Beach, California.

In Gone, the kids of the FAYZ, as it eventually gets called, struggle to come to terms with the fact that not only are their parents and older siblings/friends/etc now gone, but there is something even more disturbing going on. Some of the kids have discovered they have powers; the power to heal, the power to cast light from their hands, the power to turn invisible, the power of telekinesis, etc.

As the kids begin to realize there is no way out, and that the wall hurts to touch, their initial thrill at being on their own and being able to do whatever they want starts to fade. Things slowly start to look bleak, especially when the “troubled" kids from Coates Academy roll into town.

In Hunger, the title pretty much says it all. Food supplies are dwindling and the children of the FAYZ must learn to ration, as well as find new ways to get food. They turn to any means necessary to survive, even when a new evil springs up and makes getting their food a little more difficult.

In Lies, the kids of the FAYZ are beginning to realize they may never get out. No one can see in, and they cannot see out. They are alone in their own little world, and things are starting to get more and more out of control. Between the creatures that lurk in the FAYZ and the unease caused by a number of things, the children are no longer sure who to trust. Some even start to go a little insane.

In Plague, the FAYZ sees yet another new, and even more disturbing, development emerge: weird, parasitic bugs that are transmitted via flying snakes eating children unfortunate enough to be plagued by them from the inside out. This story is the one that creeped me out the most. Just picturing these black bugs pushing their way out through your skin is enough to make even the strongest stomach clench in disgust.

In Fear, the Darkness lurking down below is starting to get stronger. It hungers for a way to become something more; to be able to take over the world and cause mayhem and destruction. And when the barrier begins to go dark, the children of the FAYZ have to fight to control their ever increasing fear.

And finally, in Light, which I just finished earlier this morning, the darkness of the barrier has dropped, and now everyone can see out. The people on the outside can also now see in. Parents and anyone 15+ are still out there in the world. TV news crews, military officials, scientists, politicians,tourists, and a number of other people are now able to watch the events unfolding in the FAYZ. The Darkness has found a body and is now seeking to destroy everything in its path, including the one person who can stop it. Will the children of the FAYZ be able to survive? Will the barrier finally drop and reunite families torn apart? What will happen if the Darkness manages to escape into the world? All of these questions, and more, will be revealed in Light.

Overall, the Gone series is one of the most pulse-pounding, heart racing, edge of your seat addictions I have ever come across. It will suck you in, terrify you, have you screaming in rage, laughing with joy, and crying with heartbreak, and finally, finally, let you go. It’s that good.

I highly recommend reading the Gone series. Even if horror/sci-fi isn’t exactly your thing, I can guarantee you will regret not giving these books a chance. So pick them up and introduce yourself to the FAYZ.