A review by orionmerlin
Fear by Michael Grant

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Characters – 7/10
The characters in Fear were like that one band you keep listening to even though all their albums sound the same. I enjoyed them, sure, but at this point, they’re just playing the hits. Sam is still weighed down by leadership angst, Astrid is still brooding, and Caine is still acting like he’s auditioning for Game of Thrones. Diana’s pregnancy arc had potential, but instead of exploring the weirdness of carrying a superpowered baby, it mostly consisted of her worrying about turning into her deadbeat boyfriend. Penny had all the depth of a horror movie villain whose entire personality is torture is fun. Quinn’s glow-up into an actual competent human was refreshing, but most of the secondary characters were just there to take up space and occasionally die in horrifying ways.
Atmosphere/Setting – 9/10
If there’s one thing Michael Grant nails, it’s making the FAYZ an absolute nightmare to live in. The creeping darkness turning everything into a hellscape? Fantastic. The suffocating tension of an entire world literally dimming out of existence? Brilliant. The scenes underground with Drake and the gaiaphage? Okay, those could have been cut in half, because they felt like reading the same two pages on repeat. The horror vibes were cranked to eleven, and the way the setting influenced the characters' dwindling sanity was one of the strongest aspects of the book. That being said, it did get a bit too comfortable in the realm of gore-for-gore’s-sake. At some point, I stopped feeling disturbed and started rolling my eyes like, “Oh, another horrific death? Sure, why not.”
Writing Style – 6/10
Grant’s prose is like a caffeine-fueled teenager telling you a really intense story at a party—fast-paced, engaging, but not exactly poetic. It gets the job done, but the dialogue had its fair share of cringe moments, especially when characters started quipping like they were in a Marvel movie despite the whole world-ending darkness situation. And then there’s the violence. Listen, I appreciate a good, gruesome moment, but Fear is so overloaded with body horror that it stops being shocking and just starts feeling like an edgy kid doodling skulls in the margins of his notebook. Sometimes less is more, and this book never got the memo.
Plot – 7/10
The overarching premise was solid—the barrier is changing, the darkness is spreading, and everything is falling apart. But was it paced well? Not exactly. A lot of this book felt like setup for Light, which means we spent way too much time circling the same problems without making much progress. Drake and the gaiaphage were stuck in an eternal loop of “I want power” and “Find me Nemesis,” and if I never have to read another scene of Drake writhing in pain for no reason, it’ll be too soon. Astrid’s survival storyline had potential, but it mostly boiled down to her feeling guilty and smoking weed in the woods. Penny’s sadistic games with Cigar? Completely unnecessary. There were a few great, high-stakes moments, but too much of the book felt like treading water.
Intrigue – 8/10
Despite all my complaints, I did want to keep reading. There’s something about this series that makes it impossible to put down, even when it’s frustrating. The slow burn of the darkness consuming the FAYZ was chilling, and there were just enough shocking moments to keep me hooked. That said, I wasn’t devouring this book the way I did with Gone or Hunger. Some chapters were gripping, but others dragged—especially when we spent too much time underground with the world’s most boring evil entity. I wanted more progression, more twists, and a little less “look how creepy this is” filler.
Logic/Relationships – 6/10
For a book that loves to get into the gritty details of starvation, mutations, and murder, Fear sure took some liberties with logic. How does a fetus gain superpowers in utero? No idea. How do some characters survive absolutely insane injuries while others drop dead instantly? Don’t ask. Why does Caine keep getting away with everything despite being the worst? Plot armor. The relationships also felt a bit stagnant—Sam and Astrid were still in a weird will-they-won’t-they limbo despite everything they’ve been through. Diana and Caine’s toxic mess of a relationship continued to be a waste of time. Penny was just sadistic for the sake of it, without any deeper layers. The only relationship that really evolved was Quinn’s with the fishing crew, which was surprisingly wholesome in a book filled with nightmare fuel.
Enjoyment – 7/10
Did I enjoy Fear? Yes. Did I love it? No. It was a solid read, but it relied too much on recycled conflicts, unnecessary violence, and cheap shock value instead of pushing the story forward in meaningful ways. The atmosphere was top-tier, the concept was intriguing, but it felt like a bridge book—one that exists mostly to set up the finale rather than stand on its own. I had fun, but I also found myself rolling my eyes more than once.
Final Score: 7/10
Fear was good, but it wasn’t great. The setting and tension carried it, but the excessive violence, uneven pacing, and lack of real character growth held it back. It was entertaining, but it felt more like a holding pattern for Light than a fully satisfying installment. I’ll finish the series, but I’m hoping the finale gives me more substance and less look at how messed up this world is. 
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