The Dead and the Gone

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. 2008. THE DEAD AND THE GONE. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-547-25855-3

The moon has been thrusted closer to Earth after an asteroid collided with it; tsunamis hit, volcanoes erupt, and other natural disasters bombard the Earth. “The world was coming to an end.”Seventeen-year-old Alex Morales becomes the “man of the family” making difficult life decisions for his two sisters since his father is in Puerto Rico for his grandmother’s funeral and his mother has not come home from work.  Will they survive?

Susan Beth Pfeffer uses a journal style to deliver this riveting, heart-wrenching story of survival in New York after the moon has shifted closer to the Earth. This style and its accurate descriptions makes the novel fast-paced and a good book for reluctant readers. Each catoclysmic event seems researched especially in light of our current climate changes making this a believable novel, hinting toward the possible and scary.Intertwined with Spanish terms like bodega and dramatica and devote Catholic traditions, readers will empathize with the characters and their emotions as they deal with the daily events of these catastropic events. Using picturesque words like “quiet as a grave” or “the sun has died” helps readers visualize the world in which they live in. The mood of the story fluidly changes from event to event and from grave to hopeful as Alex deals with tragedy (the death of his newest and best friend) and survival (bartering for cans of food). Themes of faith, family, loyalty, courage and morality make this a powerful novel for young adults. Readers with siblings will relate to the conversations between Alex and his sisters, Julie and Brianna, as they argue, share secrets, protect one another and celebrate. “Moments of humor and affection remind readers of the strength of human connections (French, 2008).” The novel is well-founded on the beliefs and traditions of the Morales’ Catholic faith, yet does not become preachy. “This haunting book will appeal to anyone who likes dystopian novels (Grob, 2008).”

Those that enjoyed this novel may want to read other companion novels in this The Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer - Life as We Knew It and This World We Live In. Each centered around the asteroid event yet different plots would make these good books to compare and contrast.

The Dead and the Gone was a finalist in Yound Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction for the 2008 Cybil Award and received Review Stars from Booklist in their May 15, 2008 edition and Publishers Weekly in their May 19, 2008 reviews. It was also included in Booklist’s Core Collection: Science Themed Youth Novels in 2008.

References

French, Cheryl. 2008. “The Dead and the Gone Review.” Voice of Youth Advocates. 31, no. 1 Library Lit & Inf Full Text, WilsonWeb (accessed November 1, 2011).

Grob, Jonah Stewart. 2008. “The Dead and the Gone Review.” Voice of Youth Advocates. 31, no. 1 Library Lit & Inf Full Text, WilsonWeb (accessed November 1, 2011).