So my 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge was pretty unsuccessful – I binge read and then loose my mojo.  Sometimes that’s because of a book, other times real life gets in the way.  However I am not one to give up, and so I am attempting it again in 2017.  50 books…let’s go!

Book number 1 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge is Hunger, the second book in the Gone series by Michael Grant.

‘Food supplies are dwindling and Sam Temple is facing mutiny from the kids in Perdido Beach. Driven into town by hunger, Caine and his psychotic sidekick are spreading fear and violence.

And deep in the ground, the biggest danger of all is getting hungry.’ (Thanks go to Amazon)

So firstly I would say that Hungry is darker than book one in the series, Gone (if it can get any darker than the disappearance of anyone aged 15 and over).  Children dealing with starvation, hunger and many other issues that children would not and should not be expected to deal with.  All issues that are faced by the children in the Fayz are further compounded by the fact that more and more children are discovering they have powers, splitting this young community in two as those without these powers grow ever more fearful of their peers.

There are some powerful messages and lessons within this book – it deals with life and death, power and fear, uncertainty and outright violence.  Despite being a YA book, I have to say I was gripped.  I do love a dystopian novel, and this one doesn’t disappoint.  You will need to read the first book Gone as it gives the background and context to this continuing story, but please do that.  I will certainly be reading my way through this series.  The characterisation is strong as you follow the characters on both side of the conflict, and Drake’s increasingly psychotic behaviour is, quite frankly, a little scary.  I’m hopeful that the next book in the series, Lies, continues to live up to it’s predecessors.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📗