The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

From Goodreads

Alex Morales & his two younger sisters find themselves in the same alternate realtiy as Miranda from Life as We Know It when an asteroid throws the moon out of proper synchronization with the Earth. Unfortunately for the Morales family, they were not nearly as lucky to be spared direct devastation to their family unit. Just kids in the Big Apple, they manage to scrape by with luck, determination & faith.

Alex is an unwilling hero in this story. Charged with being the "man of the house" with his father in Puerto Rico & his older brother serving in the Marines, he finds himself the person his younger sisters are looking to when it becomes obvious that their family is not coming back for them. While he may be ill-tempered & sharp-tongued he is also resourceful & protective. He does what he believes to be best for his sisters, even if it's not the easiest task.

What really made this book stand out from the first is the fact that we were in a completely different part of the United States & so we get to see a whole new facet to the living nightmare that everyone is facing. Trapped in a large metropolitan area might seem like the ideal place during an apocalyptic event, but the Morales family soon discovers that the opposite is actually true.

While you don't have to read the first book to understand the second, it is best to read it before you move on to the third installment as there is some crossover that won't make any sense without having read the first book. If you're looking for something spine-tingling, well-written & filled with dynamic characters, then you've found your calling. Enjoy!

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

From Goodreads

Susan Beth Pfeffer weaves a terrifying tale of mayhem in this first installment in the series. We meet Miranda & are just beginning to get a grip on her family situation (2 brother, one older & one younger, divorced parents, remarried father announcing pregnancy with new, younger wife) when an asteroid collides with the moon disrupting everything. Thanks to her mom's quick thinking, they manage to stock up on enough food & personal supplies during the initial phase, but the toll the moon takes upon the Earth's seasons is just the beginning of their fight to survive.

A strong, but still flawed teenager Miranda is the perfect person to narrate this tale as she is not quite so young that she doesn't understand & appreciate the situation, but she's still immature enough to feel selfish & overwrought. The book is written loosely in journal-entry format. I can't imagine being as verbose as Miranda has a tendency to be, but when you're trying to convey to someone else what's going on I guess you might get carried away.

I was really fascinated by the interconnectivity that Pfeffer spun in relation to the asteroid. We really take for granted the delicate balance that must be maintained in order for our world to continue operating as it does. Pfeffer explores that balance & blows your mind with what occurs & how the characters manage to survive. These resourceful folks are just the kind that I would want as neighbors if something like this were ever to occur.

An even more intriguing part of the book was the focus on the US (and the world) as a whole going through this trying time together. The book takes place in Pennsylvania, but Miranda's family is all over the place & the reports on the radio come in from Yellowstone, the South & more. Everyone is suffering, just at different rates, allowing us a window into the severity of the situation & the fortunate circumstances of our characters.

If you're looking for something spine-tingling & sense-shocking, read this book. The characters are real & engaging, allowing the reader to fully grasp the direness of the circumstance & the story never lets up. I was guessing what would happen until the very end.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater review

Jenni only thought her husband couldn't become any worse a human being. She thought wrong. After being bitten the night before, Jenni's husband is turned into one of the undead & decides to make a meal of his family. Barely escaping with her own life, Jenni is rescued by lesbian, lawyer Katie in a pick-up truck. Katie too has lost all that she has after her wife become one of the undead. As the women get to know one another they start to comprehend the reality of the situation they face. The infected are dying & then coming back to life and the government is the last group you want to listen to.

On their way out of an over-populated city (soon to be teeming with the undead) they stop for supplies in a rural town. They manage to hole-up with the sweet old married couple who just happen to own the guns & ammo shop while planning their reconnaissance mission to save Jenni's camping-in-the-woods stepson. With renewed strength & spirit the women vow to keep in touch with the couple & save as many as they can because the only way out of the whole mess is through it. If they just keep running, maybe they can outrun the pain of all that they've lost, but at what cost to those who remain?

The First Days is a remarkably stark look at what could be considered a realistic reaction to a zombie apocalypse. Two ordinary women manage to cobble together an existence that allows them to hope for a future while surviving the present. Even better was the fact that this book was set in Texas. Now that may not sound like much, but it's like saying a book takes place in the South, there are mannerisms & societal norms that lend themselves to having a zombia apocalypse book set there.

The book's chapters were broken down into mini-chapters like one would expect to see of a book that was originally released in serial format. The narrator didn't change with every mini-chapter or even every chapter which made it a nice surprise when we shifted perspective. The characters were each unique adding their own personal experience to the situation they wound up in. Even better was how the characters ended up where they were when they met & assisted other survivors. The interactions with local drug dealers, old girlfriends & the founding members of the community really lent a sense of realism to the story.

While there were several editing errors that could have easily been fixed with a little more attention, the story itself was rather engaging & terrifying. This was the first zombie book that I've read & I definitely believe it won't be the last! Give it a shot & let me know what you think!

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater review

Trapped by Michael Northrop

It's every kid's dream to get to do whatever they want in school because there are no teachers around to tell them otherwise right? Well Scotty Weems' dream has become a living nightmare because of a HUGE Nor'easter that settled over his little town in New England. Scotty finds himself & 7 other people trapped in their high school.

It started out like ever other snowfall, but within an hour, the accumulation began to concern the administration. With school canceled, the kids were free to go home. A few stuck around to work on projects, practice hoops, or just waiting for rides. As the hours pass it becomes clear that the rides everyone seems to be waiting on aren't coming & they have all been left. No biggie, what's one night in the high school?

Soon that one night becomes several, the power cuts out, the heat goes, & then the roof starts groaning. As the feet of snow pile up, the group has to decide what it will do to survive. Cut-off from everyone & everything, they must decide if they're going to let the storm claim them too.

This was an enthralling read! If you've ever sat glued to the television or radio listening to incredible tales of survival against the odds, then this book is just for you. Scotty is a likable enough character, just your typical rising-star basketball player. He's not snotty about it, but he does tend to mention it a lot. The other main characters vary greatly in personalities from an average teen, the quiet, library geek, the trouble-maker & the pretty girl. Everyone plays their roles very well giving voice to their strengths when the situation calls for it.

I think my absolute favorite part of this book is how it is written. The reflective writing format lends a believable quality to the story. Sure this has happened to people before sometime in someplace, but Scotty's reminiscences on his actions & certain events allow for you to get a taste of things to come. It's never enough to give too much away, but just enough to make your imagination run wild.

I must admit that I was quite disappointed in the ending of this book. While it wasn't all tied up in a bow, I felt that I was denied an opportunity to hear what really happened. An epilogue with details of what was happening outside of the school (which we kind of got through a few radio transmissions) would have eased my need for closure. I hope something was added on after final edits.

All in all it was quite hypnotizing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'll leave you with a little taste of Michael Northrop's tantalizing writing:

There was a little circle of people in the hallway outside the gym when we arrived: four kids and one teacher, all standing near the double doors. It looked like a field trip just beginning to assemble. The three of us joined the group, bringing the total to eight. That was the most there would ever be. From here on out, the number would only go down.

-pg. 34 of unedited ARC

ARC graciously provided by Around the World Tours

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Nostlagic Friday: A Door Near Here

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

I read the 2000 release book A Door Near Here not long after my parents split up, which may have some slight impact on why it means so much to me. A truly compelling story, that has unfortunately been viewed in real life by many children.

Fifteen-year-old Katherine is the oldest of four children. She is also "mother and father" to those three younger than her. With an absent father, who doesn't really care anyway, and a mother who is unable to drag herself out of her vodka bottle, let alone her bed, Katherine thinks it'll be a cinch to pick-up where her mother left off.

All too quickly the fun and games of getting to do whatever they want takes a toll on the food supply and budget. Hiding the truth from everyone so that the family will remain together, also begins to wear on the children's shoulders. So much so that the youngest of them, Alisa, runs away from school in search of a better life for the whole family in Narnia. When a kindly teacher reaches out a helping hand, Katherine lashes out due to strain and puts everything she and the kids worked so hard for in serious jeopardy.

Wow. Katherine was the strong, independent, stubborn girl that I looked up to when I was a child. I felt like she really knew what she wanted and what was best and would stop at nothing to ensure that everything was done to the best possible standard. She fascinated me. Her youngest sister, Alisa, embodied the childlike thought that one can simply slip into a fantasy world and make the real world disappear. Nothing too awful ever goes wrong in those worlds and if it does, the hero/heroine comes along to save the day. It only makes sense that that should also happen in real life.

The tone of voice and plotline were so realistic I felt like I was listening to a friend recount a nightmare. It was so raw and accessible that I truly believe that any child, from youth to teen, can appreciate some aspect of this book. Even adults could discuss how each child exuded certain personality traits that helped and hurt the family's chance for survival.

While obviously not the happiest read ever, the stark reality and frankness was refreshing. Everyone can learn something from this book and I think it ranks on my top list of books that everyone should at least glance at during some point in their lifetime. I reminds me of the 1991 movie "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" and the Cynthia Voigt book Homecoming. If this book sounds appealing to you, be sure to check out these other items as well.

Nostlagic Friday: A Door Near Here

Waiting on Wednesday: Feed (Newsflesh, #1)

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection is Feed (Newsflesh, #1) by Mira Grant and is set to be released May 1st 2010 by Orbit.

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

From Goodreads

I'm a pretty big fan of books and movies dealing with "utopia creation" and "diseases gone wrong" like 28 Days Later (movie) or I Am Legend (book, the movie wasn't the same). Nautrally, this one seems right up my alley. Nothing like a good "fight to survive" to get your blood pumping. I find that these scenarios work better for me in book format because the mind has limitless capacity for visualizing action, whereas in a movie, you are stuck with the writer/director/actor's vision. Hopefully Feed will give me the good thrill I'm looking for in and expose teens to the wide and varied world of horror.

So what are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Feed (Newsflesh, #1)