BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- There’s a young adult fiction formula Animorphs’ creator Michael Grant has stirred up in his latest novel, “Gone,” that’s built on subtle shades of Harry Potter.

And it’s not bad at all.

Try the reluctant boy hero, Sam. His name is as common as Harry. He barely understands the magic he didn’t know he possessed until his world fell into chaos. There’s an evil-minded spirit force wanting power and control of him. Mix in the idea of a war-battered school after everyone 14 and older disappear, then sprinkle in just a few Harry Potter references throughout and you have a sure-fire 558-page young adult fiction book ready for hordes of hungry readers wanting to touch any book with a Potter reference.

"I think my debt to Rowling is that she made the world safe for big books," Grant said. "Until "Harry" you'd have had a hard time publishing something as long as GONE. "Everworld," a series I did with my wife (K.A. Applegate) some years back clocked in at about 250 manuscript pages and that was about all you could write then. Of course "Harry" is an intimidating presence, putting me and I assume other writers, under pressure to step up our game. "Harry" is the 800 pound gorilla in terms of plotting, character, marketing ... you name it.

Grant said his book actually takes more from Stephen King books. "I've written or co-authored 150 plus books since 1989, so Mr. King, because of his speed and endurance (as well as his incredible talent) has always been my model. Of course he's the King, and I'm at best Prince Michael, the ne'er-do-well fourth-in-line heir to the throne."

Of course Michael Grant’s “Gone” is different from the J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It’s more reminiscent to “Lord of the Flies” meets “Lost” than any Potter book could ever be. In the Potter stories there is always a sense of London looming over the scene, or that Hogwart’s was close to it—at least a train or a broom-ride away. There’s never a sense that the children are lost.

There’s no crash landing in “Gone,” just a mysterious dome as if an early prequel to “The Truman Show” for a moment were suddenly written. Children are all locked in an experimental city, a bubble, and most members of their families have “poofed” away. There’s an idea of the California coast, but it isn’t as easy to place as a London, though the idea seems to be birthed from Grant’s travels to the Central California coast.

It’s the kind of place that’s like a fictitious Pismo, Calif. -- a quaint seaside town where some boys would rather surf than study.

Grant admitted in an interview that "Gone" is the distant offspring of "Lord of the Flies" and the TV show, "Lost." "If you search through the book, and the map I include, you'll see nods to Stephen King and William Golding and "Lost," as well as to various chefs." He said he just likes chefs.

Grant also said he did do some modeling of the book after Pismo, Calif. "Hah! Exactly, Pismo Beach. But you know what? Despite having been born in LA, and raised part of my life in So Cal, I'd never actually been to Pismo Beach. I used Google Earth to decide the location. I knew I wanted a California town. I knew I wanted a nearby nuclear reactor, and when I scanned the coast there was the Shell Beach area of Pismo. Perfect. Although obviously I took an awful lot of liberties with the location. I did visit Pismo after "Gone" was accepted. Oddly enough, there were still adults there."

There’s a dose of realism in “Gone” captured by Grant, who wants to show just how much chaos and violence could surround a city of children alone and having to survive. There’s a few disturbing moments too that capture the reality of what kids would do if people started disappearing. Readers will squirm but feel compelled to read on.

“Gone” has a troupe of characters, all exciting to read about. And the story counts down like the series “24,” only this could be called “300.” There’s only so much time the hero Sam has in which he can learn his identity, grasp his fate, spin magic, fall in love and defeat death’s door, or he will be gone like all the others who disappeared at the beginning of the book.

Fans of Harry Potter, fantasy literature and comic books will like the style and pace of the novel and be addicted to finding out what happens in the rest of the series.

Grant said he's currently working on the "Gone" series from his new home in Italy. "I'm done with the first draft of "Gone 2" -- subtitled "Hunger," at least for now. I'm working on the rewrite and should have been done a month ago, but my family and I moved to Italy for a year abroad. And of course that's been more disruptive than I had optimistically hoped. But I'm back at it now, sitting on my little terrace batting away flies while I type on my laptop. As soon as I'm done with "Gone 2" I'll start on 3. I'm looking forward to that -- I hate editing and really kind of enjoy first drafts. I like writing the story, not rewriting it. I'll write a "Gone" each year -- plus probably some other things as well. It takes me about six months to finish one "Gone", unless of course I decide to move to Italy in the middle of everything and end up spending my days shopping for and then assembling IKEA furniture. Then it takes a bit longer."

“Gone” goes on sale June 24.