pg. 1-63

i'm really enjoying this book. it actually is pretty suspenseful like i said it would be. Basically what has happened is exactly what the back of the book said. everyone over the age of fourteen has disappeared which is kind of an odd cut off in my opinion. this book focuses so far on a few main characters: Sam, Astrid, and Quinn who are all fourteen. There is also Orc and his gang who is supposed to be this big scary, tough guy but he pretty much just comes off stupid and dumb.

After everyone disappears people start like going on a search to find their parents and relatives and such, it is a while until they realize that they are gone... if they would only read the front of the book.

What is really awful about this whole situation is that adults just disappeared while they were cooking and driving and doing other important tasks, causing fires and car crashes. a certain chapter focuses on a girl names Lana whose Grandfather was driving and disappeared. the truck she was in ran off the road and rolled over into a ditch several times, but the worse part is she is just laying there in the middle of nowhere, arm severely broken, everything else in critical condition, without any help.

Going off of that, as the three main characters reach the plaza in the middle of town, they come across a fire. Sam automatically steps in to help, or i guess he was kind of expected to, but he does, since everyone thinks there is a person in there. When he goes in the burning building, he finds a little girl.. but this isn't any normal little girl, "the terrified, panicky little girl, raised both of her hands, palms out, and from those chubby little hands came a blast, an explosion, jets of pure flame." Sam doesn't know what he sees, but he can somehow relate to this little girl...

Sam explains earlier in the story that two nights prior to the disappearance there has been a storm and the lights had gone out leaving him in total darkness. he had managed to fall asleep but lightening had woken him up leaving him scared in the night. he cried out for his mother and "reached out his hand, pushing at the darkness." when a light appeared inside the closet. the light was just hovering there and had simply appeared when he had needed it the most.

The little girl had reminded Sam of this, but without thinking just reacting at the little girls flaming hands, Sam extended his arms at her causing the same fiery explosion to happen that she did.

i'm probably going all over the place, there is just so much detail in this book that is probably important to the rest of the story.