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Lies (Gone #3)

by Michael Grant (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · rating details · 6,492 ratings · 663 reviews

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought.

As Perdido

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Hardcover, 447 pages

Published May 4th 2010 by HarperCollins

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Feb 05, 2012

Stella ☢FAYZ☢ Chen rated it

Recommends it for: X-Men lovers

Shelves: favorites

Wow! Another greatly delivered book by Michael Grant. The 3rd installment of the GONE series is not to be missed.

Just when Sam and his town have conquered hunger, Orsay is claimed to be able to see past the FAYZ wall. Lies? Unsure. Drake is rumoured to be back from the dead. Lies? Unsure. Brittney seem to be a tough little cookie who is not yet ready to give up her fight with Death yet. She is aslo rumoured to have returned. As if lies and rumours were not enough, Zil is teaming up ...more

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Aug 04, 2011

Morgan F rated it

Shelves: young-adult, series, sci-fi, goodreads-author, own, multiple, 2010, good-sized, re-read, read-2010, read-2011

I am a little bit sad. For the past two weeks, my life (well, my book life) has been revolved around reading this series. I re-read the thrill rides which are Gone and Hunger-- then it was time for the main event, the newest installment in the Gone series. Lies.

I have to say it wasn't my favorite in the series. The flaws I had previously brushed aside in the first too became so blatant in this one that I couldn't ignore them. Don't get me wrong- it was still fantastic and I enjoy...moreI am a little bit sad. For the past two weeks, my life (well, my book life) has been revolved around reading this series. I re-read the thrill rides which are Gone and Hunger-- then it was time for the main event, the newest installment in the Gone series. Lies.

I have to say it wasn't my favorite in the series. The flaws I had previously brushed aside in the first too became so blatant in this one that I couldn't ignore them. Don't get me wrong- it was still fantastic and I enjoyed it immensely, but it just wasn't my favorite.

The first disappointment was the length. Hunger was a monster, but this one was like it's runty cousin. I was confused about that. Usually books get longer as the plot thickens, and I didn't see why that wasn't the case for this installment. I mean, it was certianly possible to make it longer. There were plenty of loose ends and point that could have been ellaborated on. Perhaps he wanted to leave that to the next book (Plague!!). Also, maybe the fact that the time period for this one was shorter (only a few days as opposed to a couple weeks) had something to do it.

All the characters were great though. They become darker, more complex. Gone (yay for puns!) are the innocent children. Now they are intense. Every person to the smallest tot carries a weapon. Everyone is looking out for themselves, most concerned only about getting food. They aren't hesitant to kill, either, or do what they have to to stay alive. And yes, everyone lies. Big manipulative lies that are the reason for the title. Everyone is changed though, for the worse or for the better. We are also introduced to some new characters, which makes up for the loss of some of the old ones (kinda). I really think Michael Grant is accurate is portraying the desperation these kids would have.

The writing was meh. I mean, it was never amazing to begin with, but in this book it got worse. I think he should get a new editor. Many typos and things that didn't add up to previous infromation given in the previous books. Sam said Caine and him where half brothers, when they are twins. Dekka said she loved Brianna from first sight, where in Hunger, she said she fell in love with Brianna when they were imprisoned. And where did Astrid's powers go? After the first book, they are never mentioned again.

The plot was kinda jumpy. I really love how he tries to get everyone's point of view in, but it didn't pull together that nicely. It was very character driven, and there was less sci-fi (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). It was also more slow-paced than the previous two.

Overall, I still really enjoyed it. This is one of my favorite series. It's thrilling and thought-provoking and dark. All the things I didn't quite like about Lies, I shall attribute it to being a middle book in the series. I am very excited for Plague and cannot believe the release date is an entire year away! Fortunately, Michael did some foreshadowing, which leaves me with great material for speculation.

And does anyone mind telling who the kids on the back cover are supposed to be? I'm guessing Brittney and Drake, but I'm not sure. (less)

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Jul 27, 2010

Amber rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who has read <i>Gone</i> and <i>Hunger</i>

Recommended to Amber by: Everyone I know

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, books-i-own, comedy, fantasy, i-read-in-2010, post-apocolyptic, teenage, young-adult, 4-stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The long awaited 3rd installment in the Gone series was finally in my hands. I had to order it from Barnes and Noble, wait FOREVER, and then grab my package of books on the front porch from barnesandnoble.com.
It was soooooooo worth it. There were moments I just wanted to cry because I was laughing so hard. Then I had to show my friends the book, and they started laughing, too. But I was careful not to reveal anything-most of my friends read this infactuating series.
I.E. one of the ...more

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Jun 19, 2011

Mary-Joy Pugh rated it

I'm SO excited for this to come out!! I'm hoping it will be even better than the last two, and the books will just keep getting better and better...

like 3 likes

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Dec 03, 2011

Stephen Knapp rated it

Shelves: read-in-2010, teen-reads, read-in-2011, science-fiction

Unexpected menace. We usually think of children as little folk that need our protection and yet, they are really uncivilized savages. They've not learned the inhibitions that adults have learned and are equally capable of the tenderest caring and the most horrific violence. It's this potential for violence, this feeling of menace that makes Michael Grant's stories from the FAYZ so compelling.

The third installment in the series continues the tradition and manages to find new ground to...more

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Apr 07, 2011

Elisa rated it

Shelves: fantasy, future, young-adult-fiction

As I've just finished my re-read, I think I'll go through and tweak my original review a tad. Not because any of my opinions have changed necessarily, but I'd just like to expand on some of them. Note to Tia, Emily, and Kelsey-- my dear goodreads and real life friends, do not read on until you have read the book!

I suppose I was a bit premature in announcing my glee over the teaming of Sam and Caine in the previous book. Guess that was a one time thing, because they seemed to be back...moreAs I've just finished my re-read, I think I'll go through and tweak my original review a tad. Not because any of my opinions have changed necessarily, but I'd just like to expand on some of them. Note to Tia, Emily, and Kelsey-- my dear goodreads and real life friends, do not read on until you have read the book!

I suppose I was a bit premature in announcing my glee over the teaming of Sam and Caine in the previous book. Guess that was a one time thing, because they seemed to be back to their old dynamic in this book- which is fine, it will just make for a better payoff when they do finally team up permanently. (Hey, a girl can dream.)

Lies was by far the most stressful and frustrating of the "Gone" series. I seriously felt like I was one gasp away from a full on panic attack the whole way through. The book was definitely title appropriately though- lying became sort of the "thing to do" in the FAYZ, in order to accomplish some kind of ultimate goal...and of course-- go figure, no one's ultimate goals are ever in line with one another. So the result is (once again) lots of verbal spats, physical encounters and all around drama-rama.

Perhaps the most annoying example of said drama-rama is what becomes of Sam and Astrid. Now, I was never full-on in favor of their relationship anyway, because I've always loved Sam, but Astrid is just sort of...eh. I think her lack or likability is due in part (no disrespect) to the fact that men struggle to write female characters. Astrid is sort of the poor man's Hermione Granger-- super duper smart, a tad pretentious, yet still conscious of the welfare of others...however, something in her just doesn't translate right. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but if I had to guess, I'd say at the end of the day, she's a lot weaker than Hermione, and she doesn't put enough confidence in the people that she loves-- namely, Sam. What bothered me the most is when she has the nerve to tell Sam that she was able to get over a slap in the face from the psychotic Drake Merwin, so he (Sam) should be able to get over the ruthless whipping Drake gave him. Um...excuse me? Not the same thing, dear. And she never even apologizes. So I don't exactly dislike Astrid, but I certainly don't give a rats about her now either...which is a ahame, considering she is such a main character.

Now don't go thinking there aren't any badass ladies here, though. One word: Diana. I would have given two words, except I can't remember her last name. Anyway, even with her cold, stony heart, moments with her draw a thousand times more sympathy from me than any moments with Astrid. Plus, as with the end of Hunger, Lies offers an incredibly sweet moment (or at least as sweet as they can get) between Diana and Caine.

There are many characters and storylines weaving together in this books which may throw off soem readers, but really succeeds in keeping my interest (you all know how I love my intertwining stories). My favorite addition to the FAYZ cast in this book would have to be that of Sanjit, Virtue (Choo), Peace, Bowie, and Pixie. As the adopted chilren of two huge movie stars (think Brangelina), they were stranded on a private island when the "poof" happened, and have been fending for themselves ever since. Rather than being snotty, useless rich kids like you might expect, they are actually very caring and capable, probably due to the fact that the majority of them spenf half of their lives in third world countries. They were a lot of fun, and able to dupe Caine, which immediately makes qualifies someone as hardcore. My favorite part in the whole book comes from Sanjit, after he and Choo have exchanged brotherly love sentiments and he attempts to fly them off the island in a helicopter...

"Great," Sanjit said aloud though only he could hear his own voice. "And now that we've had that touching scene, it's time for our heroes to go out in a flaming ball of glory."
Virtue frowned, trying to hear.
"I said," Sanjit shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm invincible! Now let's fly!"

It's probably really dorky out of context, but I just felt so much power behind the words:)

I'm leaving this part of my original review intact, because (unfortunately) it's still relevant:
As a final note, I just want to say that I'm getting increasingly disturbed by how much my sister loves Drake, who, (for those of you who don't know) is a ruthless, pain loving psychotic freak. She has affectionately declared Lady Gaga's "Monster" her song for him, and much to my dismay even I can't hear the song now without thinking about the guy. Any recovering Drake lovers out there? I think she may need help(less)

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May 16, 2010

Thomas rated it

Shelves: five-stars, own-physical

Lies was the most legit book I've read in a long time. It contains so much: action, science-fiction, dystopia, romance, a gay character, supernatural, oh my goodness. There is no one term to summarize Grant's latest addition to the Gone series. Okay, I lied. Maybe one word can describe this phenomenal book, which also aptly is the title - Lies.

If the characters in Lies were dropped in the world of "Pinocchio", then their noses would be metaphorically massive. Lies, lies, an...more

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May 18, 2010

Lizzie rated it

Shelves: post-apocolyptic, science-fiction, fantasy, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this book was really good. I thought it was a little more slow-paced than the other two, but that's probably because it takes place over the course of three days rather than more than a week. I liked how Astrid made mistakes and didn't seem so perfect anymore. I also liked how Sam was breaking down from stress and bad memories. It wasn't my favorite because my favorite characters (Caine, Diana, and Lana) weren't in it very much. I thought the scenes showing the outside world were ...more

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Dec 03, 2009

Gordon P added it

I have to get this book!

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May 21, 2010

Jillian -always aspiring- rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of the first two books -- and flawed characters who grab your heart

Shelves: best-characters, best-endings, favorite-books, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, dystopian-worlds-hells-and-cesspits, amazing-storytelling, 2010-reads

W.O.W.

Michael Grant has done it again -- boggling my mind and making me turn page after page just to see what happens to all these characters I have come to love. Between his books and the TV series LOST, my mind is never going to be the same. (I hope that’s a good thing.)

Now, on to my review (if I can call it that since I will likely be gushing too much about so-and-so or going into some speculative theory about something in the book). LIES is the third book in the GO...more

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May 03, 2010

Mitchel Broussard rated it

Shelves: apocalypse, dystopia, paranormal-and-supernatural, sci-fi, series, ya-fiction, thriller-suspense, mind-equals-blown

I could write so much about this book. About how this series is still awesome, the characters still engaging, the bad guys still terrifying, and the story still completely enthralling and compulsively readable, but you guys already know all that. Just add an extra dose of backstabbing and treachery and you have LIES , the newest, and possibly most satisfying of the series to come along yet.

And while it doesn't completely outright say "Hey this is the answer to all the weird shi...more

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May 28, 2011

Emily rated it

Shelves: series, young-adult

So I've been reading this book alongside the Walking Dead graphic novel series and I don't know what it is about post-apocalyptic lit but it takes me a couple volumes to appreciate and understand the severity with which these characters are in. I was in the middle of Lies when the brick hit me and the full weight of the FAYZ registered. Grant is phenomenal with building up suspense and making the situation seem hopeless and dire and then somehow he makes the world bearable for at least another b...more

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Mar 27, 2011

Emily May rated it

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi, read-in-2011

Plot: 2.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Sci-fi Element: 3.5 stars
Ending: 3 stars

Overall: 3.3 stars

This series is getting weaker. After really enjoying the first two in the series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the third installment. But it just didn't add anything to the series, it was still well-written but I felt like the author was merely prolonging the story and not really moving the plot along. Maybe it...more

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May 14, 2010

Anna rated it

well, the cover is a lot better than the book, which I was very very dissapointed in. I was hoping that something truly exciting would happen, but nooo. INstead Sam turns out to be just another jurk and astrid is almost stuck up, and the plot is kinda slow and plain. No exciting turns or anything. NOt to mention that they're SILL not over!

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Jun 23, 2010

Steph added it

Recommends it for: EVERYONE :P

Theres billions of books that follow the same old story line. It may follow the story of magic, werewolves, or of course, vampires. Right when i was getting sick and tired of those predictable books, i found Gone. It was amazing, as was the second book in the series, Hunger. When i got to Lies, it was like a breath of fresh air. Guess what? There were no vampires whatsoever. I KNOW RIGHT? IMPOSSIBLE! Just kidding.
Heres a small summary of the series to let you almost understand what im talk...moreTheres billions of books that follow the same old story line. It may follow the story of magic, werewolves, or of course, vampires. Right when i was getting sick and tired of those predictable books, i found Gone. It was amazing, as was the second book in the series, Hunger. When i got to Lies, it was like a breath of fresh air. Guess what? There were no vampires whatsoever. I KNOW RIGHT? IMPOSSIBLE! Just kidding.
Heres a small summary of the series to let you almost understand what im talking about. All the adults in a small beach town dissapear, mysterious leaving their children alone. So now the children need to fend for themselves while theyre mutating (getting strange powers) dealing with wars against eachother, and fighting hunger.

I really loved Lies. I love how you finally found out where the poof lead you. (Into the arms of the gaiaphage) Congrats Michael on finally giving us some information about the outside world too. - When Astrid sees a glimpse of the world behind the barrier. I really liked how she also started to break down in the book... letting some of us, shall i say jealous, teenage girls finally be shown that shes human. Not just 'Astrid the Genius'
The information that you're told in Lies answers many questions you get while reading this series. Like, Whats happening in the outside world?
To what extent are Peteys powers? What does Petey see when hes playing his video game? Is the darkness atually gone? Will it ever be?

Also, the book ends strangely. At the very end Sam coughs, then says something along the lines of "I let out a cough. The flu thats been going around is finally catching up to me. I guess thats all you can ask of the FAYZ."
This leads to think, is that where the 4th books title comes to play? Plague- which means something along the lines of a deadly disease. Many people think that that flu is going to become a dangerously deadly disease which kills and defeats many people among the FAYZ. Will your favourite character be one of them? At least we know that Sam is safe, seeing that hes the main character. LOL

Hope this helped.
"Why am i with you?" - Astrid
"Because im devilishly handsome." - Sam
Pce. I hope you survive the FAYZ.

(less)

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Feb 11, 2012

Kayla rated it

For me this book is where the story really drew me in. Up until this book I liked the series, but I definitely wasn't fangirling over it. I don't know exactly what about this one really sucked me in, but I know that it did. I love most of the characters- even though sometimes I feel like their are too many- it really only focus' on a few each book. I hated all the characters your supposed to hate with a passion and loved a majority of the main characters. Though I do really dislike the main cha...moreFor me this book is where the story really drew me in. Up until this book I liked the series, but I definitely wasn't fangirling over it. I don't know exactly what about this one really sucked me in, but I know that it did. I love most of the characters- even though sometimes I feel like their are too many- it really only focus' on a few each book. I hated all the characters your supposed to hate with a passion and loved a majority of the main characters. Though I do really dislike the main characters love interest, she's really annoying and I can't really connect with her. A big part for me is that I like to be able to see what the main character sees in their love interest- don't get me wrong I see that here. She's smart and can be very helpful to him when he needs her, but she also puts pressure on him and overall I just don't care for her much.

Luckily, romance takes a less important part in this book so I am able to enjoy it anyway. The action of Lies is just as good as ever, though at times I felt it was a little predictable. I guessed the twist at the end very early on, but in this case it didn't take much away from the book. The description and story in Grants words is more important than simply what took place. I really like Grants writing style it's easy to read and the children feel like children- granted ones that are having to grow up very fast.

What really intrigued me about this was all the questions which are being brought up all of a sudden. It's issue in the lasts books are still present, they didn't just go away, but new problems are arising and your trying to figure things out along with the characters.

As for the villains in this book, The Human Crew from the last book play a major role, and what a major creep is Zil? I wanted to smack him so much through out this book. The Britney and Drake thing was fascinating and I really liked that idea, though that in it's own brings up some major questions. Caine plays less of a role in this one and you really start to see how tame he is in contrast to Drake, who is without a doubt a sociopath.

These books are sort of long but at no point do I wish it was shorter, I like the progression of the story and how it unfolds. I have grown to really like the alternating character perspectives and I love the count down of hours till the big action of the book. It constantly keeps you wondering what that big event is going to be.

As soon as I finished this book I started the next one which for me means it was a good read. I definitely recommend this for people who are fans of Lord of the Flies and/or Lost. It's such a good story and it will have you dying to know what brought about the Fayz and what's on the other side of that barrier.

Check Out My Blog:http://kaylasbookchat.blogspot.com/(less)

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Jan 30, 2012

Glendalee rated it

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi

I'm really enjoying this series as it progresses . The first book was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did with the second and third book. It kept me on my toes as I was reading it and kept me guessing. I'm really looking forward to read the fourth book because the way this one ended with so much drama and action unraveling as the book was coming to its conclusion left me wanting to read more!.

I recently found out that Plague is not the conclusion to this series as I first bel...moreI'm really enjoying this series as it progresses . The first book was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did with the second and third book. It kept me on my toes as I was reading it and kept me guessing. I'm really looking forward to read the fourth book because the way this one ended with so much drama and action unraveling as the book was coming to its conclusion left me wanting to read more!.

I recently found out that Plague is not the conclusion to this series as I first believed, that information kind of worries me because sometimes series that continue on with more than four books or sometimes even three just become a drag, and I know Plague is going to be great and there are a lot of unanswered questions that will be answered but if Grant can't capture the whole story in the last book then that just worries me.

As for the characters, some have grown in the book while others i have grown to just be annoyed with. For example Sam, I understand him and I like him but he is a bit of a pushover and I think hes a good leader. Astrid, I am not sure what to make of her. I don't believe she really loves Sam, she just needs a protector for her brother and her, and this was mentioned several times throughout this book by other characters including Sam himself and I can't help but agree with that, she's very arrogant and I remember in the first book how her feelings towards her brother were, even though at times it is understandable because he does have a sickness that easily frustrates. As for the other minor characters I really enjoy reading there story and I see them growing as the series progress and I like them so much that i would be sad if they were to die in the FAYZ or turn evil.

The writing has gotten better too as the series progressed, I noted in the first book that the writing was a bit childish but it has gotten better and more detailed so thats another aspect I enjoyed in this novel. I'm really enjoying the way this series is progressing and I hope it doesn't disappoint me in the end.(less)

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Dec 18, 2011

Crazyjamie rated it

· review of another edition

After the intriguing Gone and the excellent Hunger, Michael Grant now tempts us with the third instalment of his series which, at this point, seems to be gathering some notable pace.

The story this time around follows on closely from the events of the last book. Ford is still short and there is no electricity, but starvation is no longer a major concern. Instead the newly appoint Town Council is doing its best to control an increasingly strained society of kids within the FAYZ. Orsay, ...moreAfter the intriguing Gone and the excellent Hunger, Michael Grant now tempts us with the third instalment of his series which, at this point, seems to be gathering some notable pace.

The story this time around follows on closely from the events of the last book. Ford is still short and there is no electricity, but starvation is no longer a major concern. Instead the newly appoint Town Council is doing its best to control an increasingly strained society of kids within the FAYZ. Orsay, the girl with the power to see the dreams of others, is now accompanied by a mysterious girl called Nerezza, and proclaiming that kids should 'step out' when they reach their fifteenth birthday in order to see their family again. Over at Coates, Caine and his small band of followers are genuinely starving, to the point where Caine seeks to strike a deal with the zealously anti mutant Zil and his Human Crew. And in addition to all of this, sightings are being reported of the evil Drake, who everyone thought dead.

With his last book, Grant made it abundantly clear what one of the main theme was in the title of the book. With Lies, he effectively does the same. However, unlike the one dimensional problem of starvation in Hunger, in Lies the theme of lying and trust (or lack of it) spreads beyond a single plot strand. In the main the title refers to the mystery of whether or not Orsay is telling the truth regarding 'stepping out', which is an intriguing question in itself for the reader, but there are certainly other notable examples of characters lying which are not at all clear cut in terms of the morality of their actions.

In a way bringing into question the actions of several different characters in how they deal with unfolding events is a slightly new direction for Grant to move in. Previously 'good' characters are no longer making major decisions out of necessity, which leads them open to criticism from both other characters in the book and the reader, and in turn gives the book a darker tone. It's a clever way of developing the relationships between characters and the characters themselves, and for the most part it works quite well.

Unfortunately, however, this focus seems to come at a cost. Specifically, the main plot in this week feels quite weak in comparison to the previous book. With Caine crippled, no Gaiaphage and (initially at least) no Drake, Grant has to introduce new plot elements to create the sense of adversarial tension that was so effective in Hunger. And these simply aren't as strong as in the previous books.

There is clearly still an overarching plot that will no doubt be revealed in good time, and a couple of interested tidbits towards the end work well to perk the reader's interest in these, but on the whole Lies feels a lot like filler after a previous book that came to a solid conclusion. It is still perfectly readable and enjoyable, and fans of the first two books will lap it up, but given what Grant produced in Hunger there is surely better to come in subsequently instalments. (less)

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Oct 12, 2011

Hannah rated it

Shelves: 10th-grade

This edition to the Gone series wasn't as good has Hunger or Lies, in my opinion. The conflict was, like the title implies, lies. The new town council was lying their butts off and most of the citizens of Perdido Beach were totally unaware. Mainly they lie about Orsay's 'visions' which tell the kids that if they 'step out' they'll be transported outside of the FAYZ and back with their parents. They have no proof that she's wrong, but they tell everyone that Orsay is completely wrong anyw...more

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Oct 11, 2011

Dlora rated it

Shelves: adventure-action, scifi, young-adult

Oh, this Gone series has at least six more books planned; I thought it was a trilogy with all the trilogy irritations. But no, each of the six books can have those cliffhanger type endings! Lies does have a kind of wrap-up at the end but all the bad guys are still around, if neutralized for the moment, so you know more bad things are to come. I actually found myself wanting to put down the book because I hated the atmosphere of hate and doom and depression. How many more bad things can happen to...more

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Sep 27, 2011

Micah Dawson rated it

Shelves: micah-s-faves

I feel horrible ranking a Gone Novel this low but Lies has excellent potential but fell flat.

Forgive me as it has been almost a year since I read Lies so it is hard remembering what happened and what didn't happen in this one.

Was it bad? No of course not

Does it live up to it's predecessors? Not in the slightest

Pros:

Drake/Brittany---(view spoiler)...more

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May 12, 2011

Kate Quinn rated it

The third installment of the "Gone" series explodes right out of the gate. Grant always gives us a timeline ticking down to zero on the last page, and it should say something that the first book covered several weeks but this one covers a mere 72 hours. That's 72 hours of pedal to the medal, and by the end hearts will be broken, leaders will fall, and children will die. This is not Young Adult fiction for the faint-hearted. The kids of the FAYZ have become tough and brutalized - ru...more

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Apr 24, 2011

Kyle Monda rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 10, 2011

Micah Dawson rated it

Shelves: favorite-books

As I sat in the other reviews, I am a fan of the series. I read the second book(Hunger) and this one back to back so i was able to see the effects of what happened in book 2 instantly. All in All, i was not disappointed in lies however i wasn't exactly entertained. There wasn't a lot of intense action that you found in Gone and especially in hunger and it relied more on the drama in town. Book 3(Lies) is kind of like a resting period between Book 2 and Book 4. It gives you a lot more knowledge a...more

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Jan 30, 2011

TheBookSmugglers rated it

Shelves: best-of-2010

Original Review HERE

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES. If you have not read the first two books and do not wish to be spoiled, AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES!**

Over half a year has passed since the impenetrable dome-like force field has settled over the seaside town of Perdido Beach. Everyone over the age of 15 vanished in an instant – poofed out – while the children were left behind. Times have been hard for the children and teens trapped in the F...more

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Jan 26, 2011

Stephanie rated it

Shelves: young-adult, horror, science-fiction

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

More than half a year has passed since the adults of Perdido Beach suddenly vanished, leaving a motley horde of juveniles to fend for themselves. In that time these kids have faced devastating hunger, worsening living conditions, internal fractiousness, and eerie preternatural events. But while things have reached an uncomfortable stasis, with a truce of sorts called in the horrendous aftermath of the events of Hunger (s...moreThis review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

More than half a year has passed since the adults of Perdido Beach suddenly vanished, leaving a motley horde of juveniles to fend for themselves. In that time these kids have faced devastating hunger, worsening living conditions, internal fractiousness, and eerie preternatural events. But while things have reached an uncomfortable stasis, with a truce of sorts called in the horrendous aftermath of the events of Hunger (see our review), cracks, as always, are beginning to appear. The democratically elected Council has been thwarted by internal ambivalence, and is teetering under the weight of its own importance, something that the canny clusters of anarchic dissidents throughout the town have noted well. And when certain presumed-dead characters make a terrifying appearance in Perdido Beach, their effect is precipitative, offering the incendiary spark needed for these dissidents to wage war on those against whom they’re ideologically and, well, xenophobically, opposed. Meanwhile, a messiah-like figure of sorts makes an appearance, tempting the youngsters away from the safety of their flock and into the unknown. The members of the Council, increasingly hamstrung by the challenges of maintaining order and cohesion, resort to coercion and lies, and things rapidly degenerate…

My thoughts

In Hunger, the predecessor to Lies, author Michael Grant offered up all manner of intelligent thematic material, into which he dove with impressive vigour. Hunger brought us musings on racism and fear of the Other more generally, and touched on issues of egalitarianism and democracy, as well as on issues of incentivisation and motivation, and economics and sustainability. These same themes recur in Lies, but with greater emphasis on the ambiguity of morality, Robespierreian ends-justifies-the-means politics, and the notion of the sacrifice of rights and freedoms in the name of the “greater good”. These are challenging themes for a YA novel such as this one, particularly as it has to juggle all of this realistically and sensitively while maintaining a cracking pace from start to finish, but as always Grant does an excellent job of touching on these issues without resorting to naval-gazing or As-You-Know-Bobbing. Character-wise, it’s fascinating to watch stoic Sam slowly rescind his duties as a leader as it becomes ever more challenging to take the moral high ground as the choices available become increasingly desultory, and to see “genius” Astrid struggle so painfully with issues of truth, disclosure, and the rights of the individual. Far from maintaining her typically lofty ideals and spiritually informed intransigence, Astrid finds herself struggling with the appropriateness of spreading misinformation and resorting to punitive measures in “unusual” circumstances. This struggle eventually results in the Council finally creating a set of ostensibly liberterian rules for the Perdido Beach enclave, but with the chilling caveat that “special measures” may be implemented should the Council deem this to be necessary. There’s potential for a tremendous slippery-slope slide towards totalitarianism and the establishment of a police-state here, and one can’t help but make comparisons between the events in the book and recent events…

Lies, too, addresses the notion of the power of the individual in a curious way, and it’s interesting to see how Grant examines this. Many of the physically weak characters (and those, incidentally, without super-powers) are increasingly seen as powerful, and there’s an emphasis on the need for personal resilience and internal strength, rather than on physical strength or that gained through powers. Uber-strong Computer Jack, for example, sits out most of this book with an illness, which lightning-fast Brianna also succumbs to. Sam’s nasty brother Caine, similarly, grows increasingly weak, with each passing day highlighting the need to rely on his wiles over his physical abilities. Interesting, Little Pete, Astrid’s severely autistic brother, is shown to be ever more powerful, a fact that surprises the residents of Perdido Beach due to fact that he is generally so unresponsive and inward-looking.

The power of the individual also butts up against the idea of trust, and it’s this that Lies so fascinatingly and unflinchingly explores. Astrid and her Council have for so long positioned themselves as the “good” guys, relying on the bonhomie created by Sam’s heroic actions to see them through, but the trust that they have spent months garnering amongst their followers is noticeably fragile in the wake of recent events. Indeed, so many of Astrid, Sam, and the Council’s actions have been a compromise between what they believe is the appropriate response, and what they can manage at a given point in time, and needless to say the responses to their efforts have been lukewarm at best. Astrid, without Sam, struggles with engendering trust between the other children because she has performed none of the heroic acts of Sam: her own efforts have been more off-stage, and it seems that without these sort of demonstrable actions, others are wary of her all talk, no action policies. The reverse is seen with the character of Mother Mary, who has for seven months now played the role of full-time carer for the younger kids, despite battling a serious illness of her own. The other children will blindly follow Mary due to her previously altruistic actions: there’s little need for second-guessing or analysing her motivations. Similarly, the reappearance of dream-reader Orsay and the subsequent impact on the settlement is fascinating: Orsay’s ability to step into others’ dreams is well-known, but some such as sceptical Astrid are unsure as to whether the scope of this power is as broad as claimed. But while Astrid attempts to pit the others against Orsay for fear of civil disharmony, the others are looking towards a strong leader with a clear direction, and are willing to place their trust in such an individual. Needless to say, the events that play out are quite fascinating. An intriguing addition, too, is the fact that we at last see what is beyond the dome in which the children are trapped: needless to say this raises all manner of moral/ethical issues.

Despite these strong themes, however, Lies isn’t quite as strong as Hunger, in part because the majority of the major characters are sidelined throughout the book, while some seemingly minor characters are given quite a good deal of page space. Similarly, while the introduction of a group of new characters will no doubt raise the tension in the forthcoming books, their actions in this book weren’t especially notable given the page-time they were allotted. Grant has mentioned wanting to avoid the George RR Martin trap (where a zillion characters are followed relentlessly over a series of incredibly fat novels), and this late introduction is no doubt a result of that. Still, by the end of the book, the characters are positioned in what is sure to be a fascinating showdown in the next of the series–unfortunately I have to wait until April to see what the author has in store.(less)

· see review

Nov 12, 2010

Ebony McKenna rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The unrelenting horrors of life inside the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) continues in this third instalment. Everyone over the age of 15 has vanished and there's a strange, impenetrable dome extending over the town of Perdido Beach, California. All communication with the outside world is shut off.

In book one, the kids had to adapt or die. Some of them adapted so well they developed mutant powers. In book two, they ran out of food. In book three, they not only lost a lot of weight, t...moreThe unrelenting horrors of life inside the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) continues in this third instalment. Everyone over the age of 15 has vanished and there's a strange, impenetrable dome extending over the town of Perdido Beach, California. All communication with the outside world is shut off.

In book one, the kids had to adapt or die. Some of them adapted so well they developed mutant powers. In book two, they ran out of food. In book three, they not only lost a lot of weight, they started losing their minds.

Aye-ya, it's horrible. And unputdownable. Thoroughly absorbing, and I'm so glad it's happening to them and not me!

It is a mite confusing at times. My fault completely, but I'm having a hard time remembering who is who. We've got Sam and Edilio and Astrid and Petey and Mary and John on the good side, Caine and Diana and then some new nasties on the bad side, and Zil and his gang of 'Human Crew' who vow death to all 'freaks'. On top of this, we meet a handful of new characters, so there is a lot going on.

I've found the series riveting so far, and the end of the book says the series 'continues' in Plague. Not 'concludes' but 'continues' which makes me wonder if this is heading for five books or ten? Just how much can these poor kids put up with?

Despite the rivetingness of this book - it is so a word - there were moments when I felt genuinely annoyed by the all-seeing narrator. This is not a spoiler, but there comes a time during the book where the narrator shows us something happening that none of the kids could possibly know about - which means the reader ends up knowing more than the characters. This lessened the fear and genuine suspense from the plot and it also changed the way I was feeling about one of the characters.

For a series that has turned tension into an artform, the decision to give us so much information was baffling. It also took me out of the story for a short while. I say short, because I read this in two days. Gobbled it up, nom nom nom.

Each book so far has counted down towards a horrible event, a big battle, a showdown etc. Lies is no different. What happened after that was such a fast summary of 'tell' I couldn't help feel a bit cheated. Not enough to hate the book - but again, the lead up was so well shown, that to suddenly tell the reader that everyone worked out their problems . . . it tarnished an otherwise fabulous read. So many pages of blow-by-blow, why not give us another five or ten pages, showing us how the characters put the pieces together themselves? Argh, what would I know?

It's an amazing read and I can't wait for the Plague!

Note: Lies, Hunger & Gone are published in the UK by Egmont, which are also the publishers of my Ondine novels. (less)

· see review

Aug 29, 2010

Kelly rated it

I really enjoyed Lies. I really do love the series, and personally I think that Michael Grant's style of writing is very unique. That being said, I did find some flaws in the book that I think need to be addressed. First of, I found a few spelling errors that I can't believe where not caught by the editors or by Grant himself. And next, I found a few flaws in Grants writing style. I liked how he tried to get everyone's point of view in, but I felt that at some point's, it was not neccesary. Ther...more

· see review

Jul 24, 2010

Elsa rated it

Lies is the third book in the GONE series, and in my opinion, lives up to its expectations. Although the writing and the attention to detail were sloppy at times, the never-ending action and mind games made up for it, along with the character development.

Astrid ends up as a very interesting character, showing much more than one side of her and although it's very easy to hate her at times, in the end you just can't help but to sympathize with her, especially as she continues to stand up...more

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Jul 12, 2010

Gail Carriger rated it

Shelves: ya, sci-fi

I should say at the outset that I have not read any of the other Gone books.

In this third book of the Gone series, Sam is once more the only mutant capable of moral integrity and fast thinking action. Or is he? Short choppy sentences drive the very fast pace of this near future, post-apocalyptic meets comic book video game style fantasy. Some very thoughtful and stylish concepts, micro-economics, and social developments are described. Sam is sure to appeal to the Harry Potter fans, sam...more

· see review

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Length	2	10	Feb 10, 2012 02:18pm
It's not just a FAYZ: Can you love someone who you think is "screwed up"	4	5	Jan 13, 2012 07:15pm
It's not just a FAYZ: Are thes books sexist? - Redux	1	9	Dec 03, 2011 01:10pm
It's not just a FAYZ: The time for heroes is over?	1	6	Dec 03, 2011 11:46am
It's not just a FAYZ: The cover art	4	5	Dec 03, 2011 08:55am
It's not just a FAYZ: Astrid's Epiphany	1	5	Dec 03, 2011 03:23am
It's not just a FAYZ: The Perdido Beach Anomoly	2	1	Dec 02, 2011 07:01pm

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About Michael Grant

I was born in a manger and grew up in a log cabin where I read law books by firelight. . . Oh, wait, that wasn't me, that was someones else.

I had a hard childhood. Hard for my parents. Not that bad for me. I was an Army brat, moved around a lot. Then I didn't settle down. I just kept moving. Why? What inner turmoil drove me? Mmmm, I gotta say none. I just have a short attent...more

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Trivia About Lies

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Quotes from Lies

“What do you think that fish is?' Sam asked Astrid.
She peered closely at the alleged fish. 'I think that's an example of Pesce inedibilis,' she said.
'Yeah?' Sam made a face. 'Do you think it's okay to eat?'
Astrid sighed theatrically. 'Pesce inedibilis? Inedible? Joke, duh. Try to keep up, Sam, I made that really easy for you.'
Sam smiled. 'You know, a real genius would have known I wouldn't get it. Ergo, you are not a real genius. Hah. That's right. I threw down an 'ergo.''
She gave him a pitying look. 'That's very impressive, Sam. Especially from a boy who has twenty-two different uses for the word 'dude.” — 70 people liked it

“We do need a system, and we do need you and your 'Bertos, and sometimes we need Sam to just come along and kick some ass. - Quinn” — 52 people liked it

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