Book review by Corey
Monster
Monster is the seventh book in the expanded Gone series and picks up after the original FAYZ storyline, with the world outside Perdido Beach now dealing with its own strange powers and new threats. The story introduces a different group of characters and makes the universe feel much bigger than it did in the first six books.
I liked that it didn’t just try to recreate the FAYZ with new names. The powers are still a big part of the story, but there’s more focus on what happens when the wider world has to deal with people changing in dangerous ways. It took me a little while to settle into the new cast, but once I did, I was invested.
The Goods
- Expands the Gone universe well
- New powers keep things interesting
- Good sense of danger
- The larger world feels more important
- Doesn’t just repeat the original series
The Bads
- The new cast takes time to get used to
- Some characters are less memorable
- The pacing is uneven in places
- A few storylines feel scattered
- It’s hard not to compare it to the original six books
My Recommendation
This is a solid continuation if you liked the original Gone books and want to see what happens when the strange powers and fallout spread beyond the FAYZ. I wasn’t completely sold at the beginning because the new cast feels so different, but I’m glad I kept reading because the story starts opening up in interesting ways. If you enjoy YA dystopian fiction with powers, new characters, and a bigger world than the original series, Monster is a good start to the follow-up trilogy.
