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Plague (Gone #4)

by Michael Grant (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 14,257 ratings · 1,103 reviews

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in...more

Hardcover, 497 pages

Published April 5th 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books

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Apr 23, 2011 Alli rated it 5 of 5 stars

OMFG. this was amazing. i loved it. great character development, action-packed plot....just wow.

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May 02, 2011 Abdal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: To Everyone (This book series is one of the best out there in today's YA market)

OMFG I am totally shizzing myself due to the awesome-waves this book is radiating XD.

A friend and I found early copies in a WHSmith close to our school.

OMFG.

Ultra-eeek.

I've read about two hundred pages or so.

IT. IS. EPIC.

o_0

Too much awesomeness, not enough time *flail*

Will review this soon.

Now, must go back to reading

*Walter Brothers Intro*

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

After much frenzied reading, torn up emotions, a few gross, a few aw...more

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May 28, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like stories such as Lord of the Flies, Lost, Battle Royale, and X-Men

Shelves: dystopian-worlds-hells-and-cesspits, 2011-reads, best-characters, best-couples, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, reviewed

Ongoing series. Some people have their favorites among young adult fiction: Maximum Ride, Morganville Vampires, House of Night, etc. Me? I have an unyielding love for the Gone series.

Truth be told, Gone is one of those series that I'm sure makes a lot of my reader friends raise their eyebrows and think, "Really? She likes that?" Yes, I do. Very much so. Even though my reading reportoire is laden down with young adult contemporary, fantasy, and paranormal, Gone piqued by interest back in 2009 whe...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, sci-fi, dystopia-utopia, 2011, wtf-sexism

This book pretty much completely overruled everything negative I may have said about Lies. The last book seemed like the series was running out of juice and I found it impossible to believe that Grant could sustain the story throughout the 3 more books he had planned. But alas, all is forgiven and Plague was pretty much awesome, apart from some of the same old annoying factors that got on my nerves before in Gone and Hunger. Books 1 and 2 built up this overall plot about the radiation effects f...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Gemma rated it 4 of 5 stars

POST READING UPDATE:

Why do I do this to myself? Even as I was checking it out from the library, I was berating myself for my lack of common sense. Checking out a book I am fully aware will terrify me...

And it did. Not as much as the others, because I read it quickly and in the daylight, but I have the feeling I'm going to be checking the far corners of my room for glowing green lights and being freaked out by the lightbulb on my smoke detector...

Honestly... were this any other book, it would ha...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, harper-collins, 2011, ya-kids-teen, series-books, own

For the most part, Plague was just as entertaining and action-packed as its predecessors.
To be honest, though, I'm starting to have an issue with the determined length of this series.
You see, I kind of wish this series would only be 5 books, instead of, like, 6. Knowing that there are (at least) two more books to go before any kind of resolution hits is rather exhausting.
I loved Gone and thought Hunger was very well-done, but starting with Lies, the series started to take on an almost soap-opera...more For the most part, Plague was just as entertaining and action-packed as its predecessors.
To be honest, though, I'm starting to have an issue with the determined length of this series.
You see, I kind of wish this series would only be 5 books, instead of, like, 6. Knowing that there are (at least) two more books to go before any kind of resolution hits is rather exhausting.
I loved Gone and thought Hunger was very well-done, but starting with Lies, the series started to take on an almost soap-opera element: there were so many characters to keep track of, and they all seemed to develop sudden, inconsequential fights with each other. And while I initially loved Sam and Astrid (the series' main couple), I hate to say that now it's difficult to read their segments, because they're always fighting. For no reason. At the beginning of the book, Sam does something really stupid (and I mean REALLY stupid, like "Almost-Put-the-Book-Down-and-Abandoned-It" stupid), and Astrid seems to have developed this nasty, crabby personality.
I understand why the characters are portrayed this way - at least, I think I do. It's like the author's trying to add drama with character interactions, but having characters who don't get along and act incredibly immature is not the way to maintain intrigue. At least, I don't think it is.
To be fair, this was a quick book to read, mainly because the plot was very absorbing. Grant has always done a great job giving readers excitement and lots of action. However, there really wasn't anything new that happened in Plague. That's one of the reasons I'm getting a little bored with this series: it just seems like everything's been done already and there really wasn't anything new here. Instead, Plague just kind of meanders along, biding time until the next installment.I still enjoyed Plague and since I'm already hooked on the series, I'll definitely be reading the next installments. If you haven't read the series, I'd still put it on your 'to-do' list, because the concept (what would a society made up of kids 15 and younger look like?) is really intriguing, but this series is starting to take a repetitive path...(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Stella ☢FAYZ☢ Chen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

This book, along with Patrick Ness' Monsters of Men have been on my currently-reading shelf for a lonnnnnggg time. What were they doing there? Having a tea break, chatting about their similar colour scheme, of course.

Actually, it's probably I loved both books so much that I needed time to think about each review. I just couldn't really find the right words to describe both books, so just left them all on the shelf to chill. (I still can't find the words to give these two books justice so I won'...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Emma Hoke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Plague, out of all the four Gone novels, was definitely the most graphic and harsh, but very realistic. The thing I like about Michael Grant is that he doesn't gloss over stuff, but dives right into it-- the characters, the plot, the drama, was all perfectly detailed and well- written. I like how the author goes between different kids in all his books, because it lets the readers get a good feel of what everyone is going through. The kids were all very relateable, to me, with all their strengths...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

AGH!!!!! I NEED THIS BOOK! THE COVER LOOKS AMAZING!

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Apr 04, 2013 Paul Beimers rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who: have read the previous installments.

Shelves: sci-fi, series, fiction, dystopian, beloved-favorites

This review is also available on Kat and Stephanie's wonderful Cuddlebuggery book blog.

4 1/2 stars

The general consensus seems to be that Plague is a superior sequel to Lies, which many fans see as the weakest installment in Michael Grant's series thus far. I read both with this in mind, under the assumption that my opinion would end up being similar, if not identical.

And, wouldn't you know it? I ended up loving the latter more than the former. Go figure.

To be honest, I feel that this series ma...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Carina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have no words to describe how awesome this book was...okay maybe I do.

Compared to the rest of the books in Michael Grant's Gone Series, I found Plague to be by far my favorite. For me, the third book, Lies, just didn't cut it for me and I was afraid that the rest of the forthcoming books in the series would suffer as well. Luckily this wasn't the case.

Michael Grant loves to keep readers guessing, all the while leaving them gripping tightly to the edge of their seats in a frantic nail-biting an...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, scifi-dystopian, young-adult-fiction, 2013-rereads, own-it

Hmmm. Definitely a five star book-- and every bit as good or better than its predecessors for sure.

I will say, though, that there was a sadder feel to this one. Perhaps it was because of the fact that kids were dropping dead right and left due to insects possessing their bodies or a coughing virus so violent it could practically break a person in half...but because that stuff is pretty typical in the FAYZ, I don't think that's the case.

No, I think it had more to do with the fact that for the f...more Hmmm. Definitely a five star book-- and every bit as good or better than its predecessors for sure.

I will say, though, that there was a sadder feel to this one. Perhaps it was because of the fact that kids were dropping dead right and left due to insects possessing their bodies or a coughing virus so violent it could practically break a person in half...but because that stuff is pretty typical in the FAYZ, I don't think that's the case.

No, I think it had more to do with the fact that for the first time since I've been reading the series, my sister was not along for the ride beside me. On the Tuesday Plague came out, I went and bought a copy for the both of us and tried to make plans to read together. After a few days of blowing me off, she finally told me to start without her and she'd catch up. Well guess who had to finally go ahead and finish the book because sis never started? If you guessed me, you are correct.

So, kind of disappointing reading experience, but still a top notch book. Michael Grant has already touched on alcohol, drugs, and rock and roll (if you count Albert's dance club and the frequent mentions of the band Weezer), but we finally get some long overdue sexin'. Now, here's the thing-- I am pretty old fashioned in my views on sex in my PERSONAL life, but I'm not an idiot. I know people have (gasp!) pre-marital sex...I even know that kids have (double gasp!) pre-marital sex. I'm not saying I'm for it, but hey, it happens-- and I think it adds to the realism (haha, kind of a funny word to use considering we're talking about a land of disappeared adults and mutating kids) and I have actually been expecting it to be addressed since the first book.

Aside from the kids dying and banging each other, there was the typical amount of twists and turns in the story making it super fun and ridiculously frustrating. Drake is as frightening as ever, Caine is as manipulative as ever, Astrid is annoying as ever (haha, actually, she improved a bit from the last book) and Sam is our same beloved tortured hero. The side characters are wonderful too-- especially my Sanjit:)

Oh, and this one offers my favorite cliffhanger ending so far.

In short, if you've read the previous books, I feel confident you will enjoy this one. If not, well...why are you reading this review?

Thank you Michael Grant!

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Apr 14, 2011 Vicky N. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, favorites

As Stella would say: "Oh my Gaiaphage!"

I knew Michael Grant was EVIL, but never has his evilness reached such levels. So many questions, no answers & a WHOLE year ahead until it's sequel. *hyperventilates*

Plague as it's predecessor is full of fast-pacing, killing action. The FAYZ has never before been in such more trouble. Everything is backwards, Sam & Astrid, Diana & Caine.

Although this book was awesome, I can't help but feel it sort of precedes something BIGGER. And I know that if...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Morgan F rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, sci-fi, dystopian-apocalyptic, 2011, read-2011, otis-library, supernatural, survival, multiple, good-sized

O.O

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Apr 11, 2011 Mitchel Broussard rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

My favorite ongoing series of the past couple of years continues with Plague, and proves that the first three books were no fluke. This is just as action-packed, jaw-dropping and lightning-paced as the first books. And a TON bloodier.

So it's been eight months since every adult disappeared and the impenetrable dome descended on the sleepy town of Perdido Beach. Throughout fires, horrid blood-baths, mutating monsters, and freak evolutions in the kids, the town has survived. The very unstable soci...more My favorite ongoing series of the past couple of years continues with Plague, and proves that the first three books were no fluke. This is just as action-packed, jaw-dropping and lightning-paced as the first books. And a TON bloodier.

So it's been eight months since every adult disappeared and the impenetrable dome descended on the sleepy town of Perdido Beach. Throughout fires, horrid blood-baths, mutating monsters, and freak evolutions in the kids, the town has survived. The very unstable societal structure built up in the first books continues here, but the council is loosing its grip, Sam is gone for the majority of this book, and Caine is eying the town from his safety nest on the island.

So, the major "problem" in this one is, well, a plague. There are two possible guesses as to what it is: a deathly whooping cough that reaches such extremities it cracks your neck; or a series of bugs that hatch in your intestines and numb your pain sensors to eat your way out without you feeling anything. They go hand-in-hand in making Plague the most brutal and unsympathetic of the series, which is why it's my favorite. These are kids. The oldest are 15. They are being ripped in half by giant cockroaches, thrown out of windows, decapitated, disemboweled and eaten. Their young age makes the proceedings feel as if you're watching a train-wreck you can't look away from.

A glorious, beautiful, exciting train-wreck.

With tons of gore. The previous books were, well, mature in their descriptions of violence, but Plague is on a whole different level. The previously mentioned bugs eating out of your pores; giant roaches chewing on kids lying helpless in hospital beds; someone being cut into three separate pieces by barbed wire; Drake talking about microwaving a puppy. This shit is legit. And I loved it for its brutal, simple and honest portrayal of these horrors.

But, otherwise, it's what we expect from this series. A tightly wound narrative told at a breakneck pace, with chapters counting down to a sure-fire epic showdown (this time with GIANT COCKROACHES, oh yeh). We get to know a lot more about the giaphage and its origin. I can't help but feel like I know exactly what it is and why its doing what its doing, but I know Grant has something up his sleeve.

We also get, in some three or four chapters, the perspective of Little Pete, Astrid's autistic brother. The kaleidoscopic and disjointed view he has on the life of the FAYZ is so intriguing, I wished we had gotten these from book one. He knows, and understands, WAY more than I every thought, and I really hope Grant puts these in the next two books.

My only real bash against this series as a whole is the re-caps. Or lack there of. I feel like this series lends itself to a TV show set-up amazingly well. And in that regard I felt like I needed a little "Previously On..." prologue for each book. And even within this novel, there are so many characters, so many plots, that I forgot the death of a major character, to the point that when it was brought up by someone else in the story, I was shocked and horrified a second time. I'm not saying Grant doesn't handle this all well, he does, like a pro; I just feel like maybe this one in particular does definitely jump around perspectives more so than the previous books.

There are now only two left in the series. And I read that the last will fully explain the causes of the FAYZ and detail life after it has ended for the kids. Sad. I don't want this series to end. Ever. And, as always, with the scandalous cliffhanger this one ends with, waiting another year will be utter torture.(less)

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May 15, 2012 Ammi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-make-me-think-ick, male-point-of-view, serious-themes, scifi

MUST. READ. NOW.

Well I suppose I should read Lies first, haha. I really love this series if only because it scares me out of my mind. I cautiously turn each page, shutting it at the very mention of something gruesome, let my mind wander to dark places, check under my bed at night. I love it. Plus, I got my best friend to read the series. That is a lifetime achievement.

And the reallyreallyreallyreally hot guy on the cover doesn't hurt either. Because, seriously, look at him *q*

UPDATE: Apparently,...more

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May 18, 2013 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

For me, this was something of a comedown after Lies, even though it still has every much bit of awesome in it as the rest of the series. Grant continues this amazing trend of introducing new areas/kids of Perdido Beach, and then, as always unraveling the double entendre in his title. (IE, in Hunger, the type of hunger going on was twofold: physical and then relating to the Darkness.) And, as always, crazy shit goes down. The unbeatable bugs was one of the creepiest and gruesomest things to happe...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Kacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whew! This book was intense and brought a lot of new conflict into the FAYZ while still making sure that old conflict grew steadily worse. As usual, the countdown alerted me to the fact that something big was going down. There was a lot more going in here than in Lies, to the point where I finished this in a few hours because I was so anxious to know what happened next.

First I want to get the problems out of the way. I've complained before about how there are too many characters here, but in thi...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Cindy Gu rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is probably one of my favorite series. I love the whole idea of no adults, children off to fend for their own, without any sort of technological devices. It got better when I found out that on the other side of the FAYZ wall, there were people still living, wondering what was inside of the glass dome.

So Caine is in his fancy little island with plenty of food and water, and Sam and the rest of the kids are stuck in Perdido Beach, struggling to get food. To add onto their stress, there's sca...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was absolutely wonderful.

And terrible.

And amazing.

And horrible.

Okay, I'll start with Diana and Caine.
Now, I personally have always been a fan of the dark couple. They are both sick and sweet at the same time and have that certain little piece of personality that makes them lovable. I was so happy when they were living on the island but that happiness was close to diminished when Caine returned to Perdido Beach.
But now Diana's left Caine and gone to live in Sam's town, where she'll give bir...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Rachel Fisher rated it 5 of 5 stars

For more of my reviews, visit www.rachelefisher.com

Title: Plague
Author: Michael Grant
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Amazon Summary:

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

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building in Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series.

A highly contagious, fatal illness is spreading at an alarming rate, while sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdid...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Carey rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-fiction, age-15-to-18-high-school

In an effort to raise the stakes, this installment in the Gone series lost its way. Previous books revealed mysteries and created suspense, but this one simply had gore - mutant bugs nesting and hatching type of gore. It felt like I left an entertaining summer action blockbuster to get popcorn and walked back in on the wrong movie - a shlocky low-budget horror film.

It didn't help that the story lost its fragile hold on reality. The kids walk for a day or two to find a lake that they saw on a map...more

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Aug 15, 2012 cait rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Could the series get any more intense?

Superior to Lies (the third book in the Gone Series) is another stunning, gripping read. Unlike it's prequel, the book concentrated on the main characters -- the ones, by now, we know and love. Reading turned from being frustrating to knuckle whitening. And things just keep building up in the FAYZ.

Though evil ran rampage as normal (with the Darkness continuing its horror and Drake being back), the main conflict came from the characters. Their guilt. Their...more Could the series get any more intense?

Superior to Lies (the third book in the Gone Series) is another stunning, gripping read. Unlike it's prequel, the book concentrated on the main characters -- the ones, by now, we know and love. Reading turned from being frustrating to knuckle whitening. And things just keep building up in the FAYZ.

Though evil ran rampage as normal (with the Darkness continuing its horror and Drake being back), the main conflict came from the characters. Their guilt. Their fear. Their doubt. Characterization strengthened -- yet again. You don't just read what is happening to these kids: you get to see it, understand it, and almost touch it.

Unlike the first three books, I felt Plague reached out to an older audience. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but, in this case, the jump is staggering. I was a little disappointed. Morals dipped, language slid a little and the subject of "religion" was brought up often and discussed -- usually ending with God painted in a really negative picture. I was really impressed with the "cleanness" of Gone. But I can't say that for Plague.

My favourite part of this novel was the excellent writing. It's intense, it's fast -- and it's real. The plot moves along at a good speed, though I believed it lagged on characters it could have skipped, and the twists kept you wondering. And, I have to say with a sigh, again, it was extremely hard to put down. The dialogue is real. The action never lags and is easy to see. Violence takes a new level -- with huge bugs eating everyone, attempted murders, and a coughing disease that makes you hack up your insides. A little extreme. I love it how the characters are so real, so typical of "normal" kids -- though hardened after surviving the cruelty of the FAYZ. Most of all, I love how the kids react. It's what you would expect, which makes them less like "perfect" kids in a book, and more like people we could know.

Only two more in the series: Fear and Light.

When are they coming out?
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Jul 17, 2012 Braiden rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plague is the fourth installment in the Gone series by Michael Grant. It will be released on April the 5th 2011. I received an early review copy from the Australian publisher Hardie Grant Egmont and let me just begin by saying: Thank You! Thank you! Thank you, Jenny! You made my life complete.

After reading the previous three books of the series one after another at the time when Lies was published in 2010, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on and read Plague (or rather the rest of the series. If P...more Plague is the fourth installment in the Gone series by Michael Grant. It will be released on April the 5th 2011. I received an early review copy from the Australian publisher Hardie Grant Egmont and let me just begin by saying: Thank You! Thank you! Thank you, Jenny! You made my life complete.

After reading the previous three books of the series one after another at the time when Lies was published in 2010, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on and read Plague (or rather the rest of the series. If Plague was money, locked away in a safe at a bank, you would need to immediately lock me up because no way would you be able to stop me from getting my hands on it.). I fell in love with the series from the beginning. Each of the characters were believable and whether they had a good or evil outlook on life or presence in their society (the FAYZ), you still felt their journey: their struggles, achievements, downfalls, conflicts and everything else any human being on Earth faces in their lifetime. It is one thing to read about a character, but it is another thing to know the character, inside out. This is where Michael Grant should be praised. I just feel really happy that I had met him back in November at Borders South Yarra where he was signing for his ANZ tour. Also I’m glad I have a photo to look back on.

Now I’ll try not to go into details about the plot of Plague and try to not spoil anything considering it is the fourth installment in the series, but it is really, really difficult to control myself from gushing about how much I loved and enjoyed it. First I just want to warn you: If you haven’t read the first three then I highly recommend that you do. You won’t regret it. It is time well spent. Continue reading at your own risk though. Okay! In Gone, everyone over the age of 15 disappears. In Hunger, food begins to run out and the thirst for power emerges. In Lies, manipulation becomes a tool and sides are taken based on physicality. In Plague, we see the situation of the surviving children in the FAYZ become incredibly dire. It is not just food this time, but water supplies are running low, and the search begins for drinkable water. In addition to these conditions they have to try to survive in, there is a few other unsuspecting problems they have to deal with. One of them is the (taken from the synopsis) disease [that] is spreading through the streets of Perdido Beach: a devastating, hacking cough that makes the sufferers choke their guts up – literally. The other: is Drake.

The array of characters is the driving force in this series and without a cast such as that of Michael’s imaginings, I highly doubt it’d be anything special. To be frank, nothing would happen. In Plague, Michael Grant immediately puts emphasis on the flaws that few of the characters have and the obstacles they have to face and deal with for the duration of the novel. What I loved was that you are thrown in the deep end immediately; into the internal & external, personal & shared conflicts and struggles that the characters are facing and will be faced with. Am I repeating myself? It sure sounds like it but it’s just because I can’t not think about and empathise for each of the characters. An example would be Sam. Within the first chapter, we take witness to his personal decisions, which sadly enough becomes an unwanted mistake. For the rest of the novel he is tortured by this single decision and he has to try and make it right again. In my eyes, this novel focuses on the human condition. That’s it! Morality plays a major part in each of the character’s thoughts, as well as belief in God, which was to me, a very surprising addition to the plot. I loved how God is viewed as two separate entities depending on which way you look at Him and your own life. Is there such a thing as God in the FAYZ when there is really only grief, devastation and so much wrong? Also happiness is touched on. I could go on and on about all these things I have hinted at but this review seems to be turning into a thesis. I must move on.

Plague is still like its predecessors: a fast-paced rollercoaster packed with action and thrills, twists and turns, as well as a number of times that make you laugh, tear, think, or feel love or hate towards certain individuals. Weaved in the extensive amount of devastation, there is that highly prized and witty humor. A fun addition was Nutella. I knew about it anyway because he told us about it at his signing. But living just off Nutella? Unheard of! You’ll read about it too. However one thing was that Plague is a lot gorier and violent than the previous books.

To conclude (and which could be used as an in short review): There is not one thing that is wrong with Plague. It was written to perfection and I loved it! Wait! There is one thing I don’t agree on though and that was this couple of lines about Apple Macs (yes there’s Apple promotion in the book as well). On page 210 in the Australian paperback edition or a couple pages into chapter 18, Jack says, “They ship them fully charged.” I’m sorry Jack…or Michael Grant, but my Macbook wasn’t charged at all, brand new too, straight out of the box. Obviously more specific research was needed. Oh no! I’m only kidding. Plague was awesome no matter what.

I’ve begun to not like rating out of 5 or whatever, but if that’s what you want, then it is another definite 5 star book. This series is a 5 star series. Michael Grant is a 4 bar (HAHA! I just had a giggle to myself!)…5 star author. Waiting for FEAR in 2012 will be torture and hopefully the world doesn’t end because I want to know the ending of this series before it does, and that will probably end in the years after that.
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Jul 03, 2012 ConvincoDude rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventures, fantasy, freaky-supernatural-adventures, read-this-if-it-kills-you, thrillers, young-adult, apocalyptic-or-post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, why-isn-t-this-a-bloody-movie-yet

Eight months ago, Perdido Beach, CA, was cut off from the world by an impenetrable force field twenty miles in diameter. All the children age 14 and under remained, while everyone else vanished, resulting in what was called the Fallout Alley Youth Zone or FAYZ. Some of the kids developed powers. All sorts of powers.

Four months ago, the food started to run out, and the Darkness in the wilderness began to grow.

One month ago, the Darkness tried to convince the kids of the FAYZ to kill themselves in...more Eight months ago, Perdido Beach, CA, was cut off from the world by an impenetrable force field twenty miles in diameter. All the children age 14 and under remained, while everyone else vanished, resulting in what was called the Fallout Alley Youth Zone or FAYZ. Some of the kids developed powers. All sorts of powers.

Four months ago, the food started to run out, and the Darkness in the wilderness began to grow.

One month ago, the Darkness tried to convince the kids of the FAYZ to kill themselves in order to make it through to the other side.

Now, the story continues...

Remember Hunter? The guy who could shoot microwaves out of his hands, accidentally killed his attacker, and got banished from Perdido Beach for it? Ever since, he's been living up to his name, killing off wild animals and leaving them for the kids in town to eat. Until now. He's just returned to Perdido Beach, to show the council of kids something...disgusting. He's got giant wasp-like things poking out of his skin in several places. Needless to say, the things kill him, and Sam has to cremate the body. And there's more wasp things where those came from.

Even worse, it's not the only plague the Perdido Beach kids have to put up with. The mild flu circulating during the previous book, Lies, has mutated into a killer Supernatural Death Cough, which causes its unlucky victims to cough hard enough to break their backs and barf up their insides. "Body Horror" just doesn't quite cover it.

Without a doubt, Grant really stepped up to the plate starting with this novel, which I consider to be one of my top five YA stories of 2011, along with (in no particular order) Angel, Clockwork Prince, The Power of Six, and Divergent. Here the series really starts getting into more deep-dark, mature territory, due to the combination of grossgusting plagues, the ever-present Darkness (of course), and even teen sex. Face it, that last one was coming sooner or later. At least Grant leaves out his typical graphic detail where that stuff is concerned. And, of course, it gets even better with the follow-up, Fear.(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Marshiee Kai rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's never a moment of peace for the kids in the FAYZ. The major problem now is the plague. The kids find out that a flying snake that they called greenies are squirting (yucks) green stuff and the person who are hit by it will face an agonizing death. The green stuff will eat its way from inside you and burst its way out from your stomach. The miseries of all is that even Sam's blazing light can't kill it. Next, the kids are also catching flu. A flu that makes you cough so hard it would brea...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Crazyjamie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plague is the fourth instalment in the Gone series. Given that I felt like the third book in the series was a bit too much like filler for something bigger, there was some pressure on this book in my eyes to push on and improve.

This time around the plot has a number of different strands to it. There is, of course, the plague, which should come as a surprise to no one, causing a medical epidemic in the FAYZ beyond anything that has been seen thus far. It has even struck down Little Pete. But bey...more Plague is the fourth instalment in the Gone series. Given that I felt like the third book in the series was a bit too much like filler for something bigger, there was some pressure on this book in my eyes to push on and improve.

This time around the plot has a number of different strands to it. There is, of course, the plague, which should come as a surprise to no one, causing a medical epidemic in the FAYZ beyond anything that has been seen thus far. It has even struck down Little Pete. But beyond that the kids have to contend with a rather grizzly development of giant carnivorous bugs, as well as the fact that water is now limited to the point of almost running out. And then there is always the lingering threat of Drake.

The title of this one is somewhat more one dimensional than previous books in terms of how it effects the plot. Lies had themes that spread amongst several plot strands, but Plague really only describes one. The tendency therefore would be to think that this book abandons the multiple plot line mechanism that Grant has put into place in the last two books. But to think that would be wrong; the book contains three very distinct plot strands, and only one of them is the plague itself.

For the most part, Grant manages to successfully intertwine those three plot strands and maintains the trademark pace that his series has become known for. All three plotlines are also interesting in their own way, which is always a good thing. But beyond that I thought there was some accomplished character development in this book, with both main and peripheral characters being dealt with in a solid fashion.

The main plotline of what is beyond the FAYZ and how it all may end still remains a mystery for the most part. It's fair to say that, like Lies, the reader is given very little information as to how that might progress. Which in one way is disappointing, because the main plot has to be significantly advanced at some point, but fortunately the self contained plotlines in this book are good enough that for now that doesn't really matter. Overall, Plague is an improvement on Lies, though it still falls short of Hunger. Still an essentially read for fans of the series however you spin it though, and a worthy addition. (less)

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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May 13, 2012 Alana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't drop the series, obviously.

I've been thinking about why I like it so much, and I think it's because of the way that the series treats youth as a weakness that the characters cannot overcome. The characters are all under the age of 15, and the plans made by even the strongest leaders and worst villains fall apart quickly, usually due to lack of foresight or follow through. They're constantly shifting alliances, not because they are evil and disloyal, but because they are scared and weak....more

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Feb 29, 2012 Jesseehs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jesse Saylor
2-29-12
Miss Jackson
English I
Plague Book Review
I read the book Plague by Michael Grant. It is the fourth and final book of the Gone series, and it is four hundred and ninety two pages long. I really like this series a lot and I hope that they make a fifth book to this series because the story line is far from being over. I like this book because there is a lot of action in it, throughout the whole thing. I am not going to say anything about the story line because it would be a comple...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The YA Dystopian ...: #4 - Plague - Spoiler Thread	7	12	Apr 17, 2013 05:04am
Cover Characters?!?!?!?!?!?!	71	269	Mar 02, 2013 09:14pm
If you were in the FAYZ, what would your power be and how many bars would it have?	28	88	Feb 06, 2013 09:26pm
We ♥ YA Books! : Series Read Along #1: Gone series - Book 4: Plague	2	11	Jan 01, 2013 02:48am
Just a thought Spoilers?	12	79	Dec 23, 2012 07:44am
Sam kissing Taylor anyone mad?	8	37	Dec 10, 2012 09:37pm

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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 attention span. Easily bored...more

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Quotes from Plague

“Okay, look. I get it. You're one of those people who thinks they have to help screwed-up people. Or maybe you're attracted to dangerous, unbalanced people. But listen up: I'm not Edward and you're not Bella" - Lana” — 135 people liked it

“The gaiaphage. That's the other word they use. 'Gaia,' as in world. 'Phage,' as in a worm or something that eats something up. I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say I don't think something that calls itself a 'world eater' is a good thing.” — 99 people liked it

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Plague (Gone #4)

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