We’ve made it to book 17 in my 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge: Lies by Michael Grant.

‘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—or so they thought.

Perdido Beach burns and battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ, but are the kids of Perdido Beach desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?’ (Thanks Amazon!)

So I have once again returned to Michael Grants Gone series, for his third instalment, Lies.  This series follows a group of children after the disappearance of any over the age of 15 from their town.  As the realisation sets in that the adults will not be returning, these children have to fight to live as they battle hunger and then, each other.  Lies join these children seven months after the disappearance of the adults.  Hunger is rife as all the food is gone and they are forced to forage, hunt and grow their own in order to survive.  Children are dying, and ‘lies’ start to circulate this young community as the number of children with mutations grows, which scares many.  A rumour starts to spread that death will set these children free, returning them to their parents and the inaccessible outside world.  Death also creates fear however, as no one knows for sure what happens as those left behind are forced to bury the dead.

I am really enjoying this dystopian series, which is based around the really interesting concept of children being forced to care for themselves when they find themselves trapped inside the FAYZ.  It brings out both the best and the worst in the older children, as they fight for power, food, order and an understanding of what is happening to them as mutant powers emerge.  It also very clearly highlights how vulnerable younger children really are when they are left with no one to care for them, which to me just shows how vulnerable we are as a human race.  Children are forced to make grown up decisions without any life experience or knowledge of what the consequences of those decisions may be.  I would advise that this is read as part of the series rather than as a stand alone book, but do give the series a go.  The characterisation is great and the plot is gripping.  The stage has been set for Plague, book four in the series and I look forward to reading it!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📗