Gone and Fade: Double Review

These books were purchased as final published editions. In no way was I paid or subsidized for this review by the author or publisher. (See Disclosure in Accordance with FTC Guidelines)


Fade by Lisa McMann
ISBN 9781416953586
Associate Links: Amazon/IndieBound
 
Gone by Lisa McMann
ISBN 9781416979180
Associate Links: Amazon/IndieBound

I was a latecomer to fandom for this trilogy, but wow.  In this case, better late than never!  I am not going to both summarizing the plot of Wake, the first book in the series, so if you haven't read my review of that book already you can read it here.  So after reading Wake and dying for the second installment, not being able to get into my favorite local bookstore, I actually broke down and bought both novels at Target.  *Hangs head in indie shame.*  I also, on a whim, purchased the third one (just released last week!) at the same time that I bought the second one, which I almost NEVER do, but I made an exception because I loved the first book so much!

And...I finished both books the same day I bought them.  *Gulp.*  That is also something that NEVER HAPPENS.  I'm a fast reader - I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows twelve hours after the midnight release, and six of those I was actually sleeping - but I usually have a slush pile of reading to get through before I reach my new purchases.  But I just.  Couldn't.  Wait.  For these two!  And, thank goodness, I wasn't disappointed.

Janie and Cabel are two of my favorite characters in YA fiction.  Granted, they may not be the deepest, best-written, etc., etc., but they are the characters I can relate to the most - low-income, hard-working, serious characters that aren't depressed or obsessed with that "someday" they'll have the money for clothes or fancy vacations.  Not disparaging people who wish they had more money to spend on clothes - or books, as the case may be (in my case, definitely) - but I'm kind of sick of reading about filthy rich characters or characters who want to be filthy rich when I am certainly not filthy rich, and don't really spend that much time wishing I was.  Janie and Cabel want to earn the money to get to college, and they eventually earn their scholarships through their own hard work.  And on another level of good role model-ship, their relationship has its ups and downs, but they never lose sight of their priorities.  And that's what makes this book so AMAZING, in my opinion!  It was so nice to see supernatural YA being used as an exciting, readable bridge into actual issues like poverty, drugs, alcohol, etc.

And on a slightly less intellectual level, Cabel would be my dream YA valentine.  Cute but not stunningly, enviably, jealousy-inducingly attractive, sweet, funny, understanding, smart, thoughtful, and low-maintenance.  My type.  Just saying.

So if you haven't read this series yet, read it.  If you haven't picked up on that yet, that's actually what I'm telling you to do here.  Seriously.  Yes, the writing has some flaws - sometimes the half-prose, half-normal-dialogue style wore a little thin, and the sections on alcoholism especially felt quite preachy - but the story is wonderful enough and the conclusion bittersweet enough (and the books short enough) to make it really, truly worth your time!

The Final Verdict: I believe I've said it all.  Four and a half out of five stars.