The Dead and the Gone

Young Adult Review

The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I read The Dead and The Gone as part of a science-fiction class I took last year. I absolutely loved it and was thrilled to learn that this was part of a “series”.

The Dead and The Gone, fits into both the Apocalyptic/ Post- Apocalyptic sub-genres of science fiction. This book begins an “impact event” and follows a young boy as he fights for survival for himself and his family. The whole world changes when the moon is hit by asteroid. Earth slowly changes and environment becomes worse due to natural disasters such as tidal waves and volcanic eruptions. The main protagonist, Alex, is left in New York with his two sisters, Briana and Julie. His parents have not returned home and it slowly dawns on Alex that holding the family together is his responsibility. As the environment changes, becoming worse quickly, so do Alex’s circumstances. Alex is forced to re-evaluate his ideas of right and wrong as the need for survival grows. He has to deal with loss of not only technology, but the loss of everyday comforts such as electricity, telephone services, and consistent meals. His faith is challenged as he has to lie and steal to survive. With the death of his older sister, he finally realizes he has to leave the city and do what it takes to keep himself and Julie (his younger sister) alive.

As the final project for the class I did a sketch-note style drawing. I would love to have students complete a project using sketchnotes.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I was finally able to read Life as We Knew It, which is a parallel story to Alex’s. This book takes place in a more suburban setting and shows a young girl, Miranda, her two brothers and mom surviving the asteroid attack. Having an adult in the house helped with their survival. Through Miranda’s diaries, the reader is able to watch her struggle and mature in the new reality she is facing. They also struggle with what is morally right and wrong. Survival is the new focus, not whether steal is right or wrong. Miranda watches her family struggle to survive and maintain hope for the future. There are two more books in this series and I am hope that I will finish the third one soon!