Hunger by Michael Grant

Hunger by Michael Grant

This, the second of the Gone series by Michael Grant, continues the story of the children in the dome in Perdido Beach, the place they now call the FAYZ. The children who are still around have figured out how to avoid the leap, where everyone previously disappeared when they turned fifteen. There are those with powers, everything from the ability to stop gravity to the ability to heal and many, many others. Then there are those who are normal. In addition to this, there are the kids from Coates College who want to control the FAYZ who have been fighting with the other kids who are wanting to have a democratic system for running everything, including taking care of the babies. And then there is the creature in the dark that controls wants to run everything and everyone.

In Hunger, there has been a battle between the two main groups – good vs evil – and good has prevailed. Now, there is the problem of food. Most of the goodies have been eaten; all of the ice-cream and sweets. Despite the best efforts of entrepreneur Albert, much of the perishable food has gone. Plus, there are increasing discoveries of mutated animals – talking hyenas, swimming bats and flesh eating worms.  The council is left to deal with figuring out how to feed everyone whilst still battling the Coates kids and the evil in the dark.

Grant has continued to maintain and developing the relationships of the various characters whilst bringing in new and more sadistic issues for the kids to deal with. I particularly like that he is including things which would be challenging for teens in the real world; of course, eating disorders, same-sex attraction and all of the issues relating to teenage relationships would continue regardless of the fact that their world has changed so greatly. The problems that the teenagers seem insurmountable, and in trying to deal with them friendships are challenged and destroyed.