In an instant, life changed dramatically for the residents of Perdido Beach, California --- or at least it did for everyone under the age of 15. No one knows what happened to those individuals over 15. They just disappeared. Now an impenetrable barrier encloses a 20-mile diameter area centered on the nuclear power plant, kind of like an inverted fish bowl or a bio-dome. And when a kid celebrates his 15th birthday, he, too, disappears. Or now, thanks to the ingenious videotaping and analysis of the event by one of the residents, a person can decide whether or not to stay when he reaches that age, but with no idea of what happens if he chooses to leave. Does he die, or merely escape?

Sam Temple elected to stay, and that’s why, at 15, he is now one of the oldest residents of the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone), which is what the kids call this freakish area in which they now live. Sam is a natural leader, so everyone voted him mayor. But the job is quickly shredding him to the bone as they all bombard him with their problems. The biggest issue in the FAYZ is the growing shortage of food, as the kids are slowly starving. There are crops standing in the fields, but only a few are willing to work. Those who are harvesting the crops encounter yet another challenge --- mutant worms with teeth that attack and eat anything or anybody that enters the fields. Mutant worms are just one of the strange developments occurring in the FAYZ; other animals are changing, too, like the aggressive coyote pack that can speak English.

It’s not just the animals that are experiencing mutations. Some of the kids are developing superpowers, such as speed, strength, healing, moving objects without touching them, etc. Those who aren’t developing superpowers are becoming suspicious and jealous towards those who are. The “normals,” as they call themselves, are organizing to raise a rebellion against the “freaks.”

Sam also has to worry about his fraternal twin brother, Caine. Caine and his gang of followers, including the disturbingly hateful Drake, are planning another attack, this time to take over the nuclear power plant to control electricity. Then there’s the Darkness. The evil creature hiding deep in the old mine shaft is growing stronger, and he has his claws hooked into a few of the kids, controlling them and dictating their actions. He is hungry and looking for food.

Sam struggles with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has help from his girlfriend, the genius Astrid, and his buddies Edilio and Quinn, but the problems are just too much. Astrid’s little brother, Pete, who has autism, has had a bigger hand in the entire FAYZ situation than most know about, and his powers seem to be growing. Mere survival has once again become the focus of this new frontier called the FAYZ.

Just as riveting and magnetic as GONE, HUNGER captures the reader tooth, hook and claw, never once letting go. Michael Grant’s immense talent with action and suspense will amaze eager readers with surprises on every page. The sequel also offers fistfuls of colorful characters, each as interesting and engaging as the next, with problems to which readers can relate and problems never dreamed up in the wildest nightmares. Grant challenges his readers with intense subject matter, like bigotry and war, and sometimes-violent confrontations, always giving them something to think about long after the book is finished. Hopefully he won’t keep his fans waiting too long for LIES, the next installment in this incredible series.