Michael Grant

Fear by Michael Grant

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Michael Grant is one of my favourite authors because you never quite know what to expect when you start his latest book.    I know for sure that it’s going to be violent, probably disturbing and like no other young adult book around, but I never know what he’s going to throw at me.  Fear is the fifth book in his brilliant Gone series and there were times while reading it that I thought ‘where did that come from?’ or ‘what the hell is going on?’  Some authors may be running out of steam by the fifth book in a series (especially one as full-on as this one) but Michael Grant is still surprising me and making the situation even worse for the kids of the FAYZ.

Night is falling in the FAYZ. Permanently.  The barrier that surrounds the town of Perdido Beach is turning black, blotting out the sun and plunging its inhabitants into perpetual gloom.

And as the shadows deepen, the Darkness stirs.  From its lair beneath the earth, the gaiaphage reaches out for what it needs most – a human body into which it can be reborn…

Michael Grant drops you right back into the FAYZ in Fear and if you’d forgotten how bad things were he quickly reminds you.  Each of the camps are coping in their own ways and things have been relatively trouble-free for a while.  That is until certain characters make a reappearance and a darkness starts creeping up the side of the dome.  As in other books in the series, characters who seemed minor come into their own, especially Penny who totally loses it (her sanity that is).  The storylines of the gaiaphage and Little Pete get even weirder and in some parts I had no idea what was going on.  Michael Grant has an incredibly dark and twisted mind and he keeps coming up with new ways to creep his readers out and inflict torture on the kids of the FAYZ.  Because this book is called Fear Michael makes his characters face their fears, often using Penny as the tool for this.  One of my favourite things about this book was seeing what was going on outside the dome.  I’ve always wondered how the people outside were dealing with the dome and how the families were coping.  We do get a few questions answered about the FAYZ but hopefully the final book, Light, will tie up the loose ends.  It’s hard to believe that, in a year, we’ll be saying goodbye to Sam, Astrid, Edilio, Quinn and all the other kids of the FAYZ.

5 out of 5 stars

The Show No Fear and Go BZRK Michael Grant Blog Tour – Guest Post from Michael Grant

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Today I’m excited to host Michael Grant on the 4th stop of his Show No Fear and Go BZRK Blog Tour.  I’m a huge fan of Michael’s Gone series and his new series, BZRK.  He’s one of the most unique and original writers for young adults and never fails to please his army of fans.  I asked Michael if he could write about a couple of topics I was interested in; writing for the teenage guy inside him and authors and their use of social networking.  Thanks for joining me Michael.

  • Writing for the teenage guy inside you

Sometimes I’m not sure I ever was a teenager.  I never fit in.  I didn’t participate in events and activities at school, aside from debate club for one year.  I was a determined loner, actively avoiding other kids, inventing endless excuses to put off people who invited me to parties or dances.  I would sit at pep rallies and hear the “The we’re number one!” cheers and think, “Nah, we’re really not.”  I was cynical, arrogant, uninterested.  I’m sorry to say that if I was like any of my GONE characters in those days it might have been Caine.  (I’ve matured — a bit.)

I dropped out of school at age 16 and went to work full time.  I took immediately to work.  Work made far more sense to me than did my home life or school.  I liked the simplicity:  show up, work hard, get paid, go home.  All my life since then I’ve been a work-a-holic.

So when I think about the teenage Michael I just see a person who was waiting impatiently for the whole thing to be over so I could get on with the rest of my life.  In particular I wanted to be living my life, as defined by me, without adults . . . Oh.  Well then.  Hmmm.  I guess we’ve discovered the link between teenaged Michael and GONE, the book series where every single person over the age of 14 simply disappears, leaving things to be managed by teenagers.

I think adults try to keep teenagers trapped in childhood sometimes.  I think kids are often capable of more.  I was.

  • Going beyond the book: authors and social networking

I am somewhat conflicted on social media.  I’m on Twitter and on Facebook, and moderately active on both.  Am I convinced that it’s useful in terms of selling books?  No.  I think it’s useful primarily in maintaining contact with existing fans.  But I’m also conflicted about the usefulness of that.  I enjoy hearing from fans, as any author does.  But I think it can also demystify an author, showing them for what they of course are:  just regular people living not terribly grand or interesting lives.  I like hard data and I don’t think any exists on the practical effects of social media.  The jury is still out.  Of course in the meantime I’ll still be on Twitter and Facebook.

    

The fifth book in Michael Grant’s Gone series, Fear is out now, as well as the first book in his new BZRK series.  I’ve got a copy of each to give away here on My Best Friends Are Books.  Just enter your details to get in the draw.

A special thank you to the wonderful Jennifer Kean at Hardie Grant Egmont for organising the blog tour and for energy and enthusiasm!

Win Michael Grant’s Fear and BZRK

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Michael Grant is lucky enough to have two books released within a couple of months, the first book in his BZRK series and the fifth book in this Gone series, Fear.  They’re both amazing books and perfect for teenage guys.

Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont I have a copy of both BZRK and Fear to give away.  All you have to do to get in the draw is enter your details below.  Competition closes Friday 20 April.  Open to New Zealand and Australia only.

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The Show No FEAR and Go BZRK Michael Grant Blog Tour

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Michael Grant’s Down Under Blog Tour starts today and I’m very excited to be hosting Michael on Friday 13th April.  I’m a huge Michael Grant fan (I love the Gone series and BZRK is amazing) and can’t wait to read the latest book in the series, Fear.  Make sure you visit My Best Friends Are Books on Friday 13th to hear what Michael Grant has to say about writing for the teenage guy inside him and authors and social networking, as well as a giveaway of both BZRK and Fear.

Visit each of these great blogs on Michael Grant’s Down Under Blog Tour:

Check out this great book trailer for Fear too:

My Most Anticipated April New Releases

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Department 19: The Rising by Will Hill

After the terrifying attack on Lindisfarne at the end of the first book, Jamie, Larissa and Kate are recovering at Department 19 headquarters, waiting for news of Dracula’s stolen ashes.

They won’t be waiting for long.

Vampire forces are gathering. Old enemies are getting too close. And Dracula… is rising.

 

Fear by Michael Grant (Gone series, book #5)

It’s been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they’ve built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

 

Revived by Cat Patrick

Daisy has died five times. She’s a test subject for a government super drug called Revive, which brings people back from the dead. Each time she is revived, Daisy has to move cities and change her identity to avoid suspicion. Daisy has always gotten a thrill out of cheating death, but her latest move has come with unexpected complications: a new best friend, and a very cute new crush. As Daisy’s attachment to her new home grows, she discovers secrets that could tear her world apart. And the more she learns, the more she feels like a lowly pawn in a sinister game.

Rainbow Orchid: Volume 3 by Garen Ewing

At the beginning of Volume Three, Julius and Lily are recovering from the electrifying end of Volume Two. What does the future hold for Evelyn Crow and her gang of desperate villains? Do Julius and Lily have the strength to prevent Urkaz Grope from enacting his evil plans? Don’t miss the stunning conclusion to the biggest adventure in comics!

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Everyone said sending teenagers into space would be their opportunity of a lifetime… It’s been decades since anyone last set foot on the moon. But three ordinary teens are about to change that–and their lives–forever. Mia knows this will be her punk band’s ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it’s her way out of her restrictive lifestyle in Japan. And Antoine just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible. But little do they know that something sinister is waiting for them on the dark side of the moon.

BZRK by Michael Grant

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I often find myself reading books that are quite similar to one another.  I go through stages where I might read a lot of dystopian fiction or horror and they can end up blurring into each other.  But every now and again I read something that is completely different from everything I’ve read before.  It’s those books that stick in my mind and I remember years later.  I still remember being completely unsettled by The Speed of the Dark by Alex Shearer, which I read probably 10 years ago.  When Michael Grant made the claim on Twitter that BZRK is ‘unlike anything you’ve read before’ I believed him because he never fails to deliver an original story.

First of all, I’m not going to tell you much about the story as I think part of the experience of BZRK is figuring out what the hell is going on.  The story follows Sadie and Noah as they are recruited by a global organization called BZRK.  They are at war with another organization called the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation or AFGC.  Each side believes that they are right and that they are saving humanity.  The war is being fought where no-one can see – inside the human body.

BZRK is disturbing, creepy, action-packed and totally addictive.  Like the biots in the story, BZRK will get inside your head and you’ll constantly want to get back to reading it (that is if you don’t read it all in one go).  No-one writes quite like Michael Grant.  He’s given us a glance inside his dark and disturbing mind with the Gone series (which is one of my favourite series) but BZRK takes it to another level.  Trust me, you will never look at the human body quite the same again after reading this book.  BZRK has the right mix of action, violence, creepiness, and fast-paced writing that makes it a great guys read.  You should hand this book to any teenage male who is a reluctant reader and I guarantee it will hook them in and make them want to pick up anything by Michael Grant.  I will eagerly await the second book in this new series, but in the mean time, I’ll be reading the 5th book in the Gone series, Fear which is due out in April.

5 out of 5 stars

My Most Anticipated March New Releases

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BZRK by Michael Grant

One megalomaniacal villain is bad enough. Two might succeed in turning mankind into a hive where individual identity is a thing of the past. With nanobots as their weapon of choice, conjoined twins Charles and Benjamin Armstrong will stop at nothing to evolve the human race in their own image.

Only BZRK can stop them.

Led by the anonymous Lear, the punk organization called BZRK battles the twins and their sinister Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation with genetically engineered creatures… biots.

Created by maverick scientist Grey McLure, biots are fused with human DNA and controlled through the mind. When biots are injured or killed, their host’s sanity disappears forever.

How far are you willing to go to save mankind?

Roll the dice. Take the risk. Go BZRK.

 

Queen of the Night by Leanne Hall

The dark is dangerous. So is the past. So are your dreams.

For six months Nia—Wildgirl—has tried to forget Wolfboy, the mysterious boy she spent one night with in Shyness—the boy who said he’d call but didn’t.

Then Wolfboy calls. The things he tells her pull her back to the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn’t rise and dreams and reality are difficult to separate. There, Doctor Gregory has seemingly disappeared, the Darkness is changing and Wolfboy’s friend is in trouble. And Nia decides to become Wildgirl once more.

The sequel to the 2009 Text Prize-winning This Is Shyness is about the difficulty of recreating the past—about how the Darkness no longer sets Wolfboy and Wildgirl free.

 

Crypt: Traitor’s Revenge by Andrew Hammond 

‘We’re coming. The martyrs are awakening. Spirits are gathering. This will be our time…’ In York and London, strange shapes are taking form, emerging from the shadows. And who is the man who lies in a pitch-black room, listening to a voice that seems to speak from the darkness itself? Jud Lester knows that something evil is afoot. He also knows that it can’t be investigated by any normal brand of counter-intelligence…This is a case for CRYPT: a team of elite teenage agents who use their extra sensory perception and arsenal of high-tech gadgets to investigate crimes that the police can’t solve.

 

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He’s finally free to enact his vision – no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

 

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Michael Grant’s BZRK book trailer

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Michael Grant is one of those authors that isn’t afraid to take chances.  His Gone series is gritty, violent and absolutely fantastic!  BZRK is the first book in his new series and Michael says ‘you’ve never read anything like it.’

Plague by Michael Grant

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The Gone Series by Michael Grant is one of the coolest series ever written. It’s just a normal day in Perdido Beach when all the adults (anyone over the age of 14) suddenly disappears and the town is surrounded by an impenetrable wall. You would think that life would be great without adults; you can do whatever you want, when you want to, and eat whatever you like. But when you’ve cut off from the rest of civilization, with a small supply of food and water, life starts to get worse. If that isn’t bad enough, some of the kids in Perdido Beach start developing super powers, including levitation, invisibility, healing, and super-speed. Two groups of kids form; Sam leading the kids from Perdido Beach and Caine leading the kids of Coates Academy. Their new home comes to be called The FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) and as time passes they have to deal with kids who suddenly disappear on their 15th birthday (Gone), a shrinking food supply (Hunger), the manipulation of The Darkness (Lies), and in the latest book, a terrible Plague.

In Plague the darkness has been foiled once again and the resurrected Drake has been contained. But the streets of Perdido Beach are far from safe, with a growing army of mutants fighting against the humans for power in the town. In a small room of a house near the edge of town, Little Pete lies ill on a bed. In his fevered dreams, he continues his battle with the hidden evil that seeks to use his power to bring about anarchy and destruction. The situation in the FAYZ is the worst it’s been but can Sam actually save them all this time?

Plague is a really intense book with some parts that will leave you cringing. I still can’t believe that the characters survived through their challenges. One thing that stands out about this book in the series is that there is some sense of hope, which made me want to read the next book right away (I can’t say any more otherwise I’ll ruin the surprise). I’m amazed at how Michael Grant keeps track of all his characters and how he comes up with new ways to test them in each book. I’ll eagerly await the next in the series, Fear, to see what he has in store for Sam and the kids of the FAYZ. The series is in the Young Adult section so they’re recommended for good readers aged 12 and up.    9 out of 10