Susan Beth Pfeffer (1948–2025)

I find it hard to put my disappointment with this book into words. Not only was following Jon a bad decision (as he was always the least interesting character), but this book made him a distinctly hate-able person. Although the ending aims for the idea of redemption, the amount of terrible things that Jon has done, attempted, thought, and said aloud is so overwhelming that I don't see how he could ever claim redemption.

The other characters suffer not only from having lost their original show more voices (both literally and figuratively) but also from direct association with Jon. Sarah, Luke, and Opal all could have been successful independent characters, but from their association with Jon they become shadows of what they might have been. This especially goes for Sarah, who has the potential to be a strong, moralistic, humanitarian but by making her "fall in love" with Jon, she loses all potential.

In the afterward, Pfeffer states she wrote a different 4th book that her publishers hated, and then wrote this one instead. I'd be willing to place a hefty wager that the original 4th was far superior to this awkwardly-written, ill-placed tome. show less

True confession time: I have a real jones for post-apocalyptic, survival, dystopian fiction. I eat it up! Part of the appeal for me is thinking through how I would react in a similar situation. I'm convinced I would be the last survivor, regardless of the situation. I think I would be very similar to Miranda's mom. Cool in a crisis, I would cash out everything and stockpile food and supplies to help my family survive. In Life As We Knew It, we view everything through Miranda's journal show more entries. She's immature, and scared, and doesn't always grasp the severity of the situation (naturally--she's 16). Suspend your disbelief as an asteroid hits the moon, moving it closer to the Earth. Chaos ensues. Nature is out of balance. And society as we know it collapses.

Now please excuse me as I go to the store to stockpile gallons of water and food for my pantry. 3 stars. show less

The Last Survivors series continues with Book 2 -- The Dead and The Gone. An asteroid strikes the moon, knocking it closer to Earth. Devastating climate changes and natural disasters immediately strike, ending modern society and starting humanity's downward spiral towards possible extinction. Alex Morales lives in New York City with his family. One day they are a happy, large Puerto Rican family....and the next Alex finds himself trying to survive with his two younger sisters. Alone. In a show more city filled with death and chaos. Can they survive, or will they join millions of others in death?

While the actual disaster scenario is pretty much scientifically impossible, this series does realistically portray the impact of a large scale extinction level disaster. Alex and his sisters have to grow up quickly when they find themselves without parents in a city almost completely shut down in an instant. Alex has to learn to scavenge from dead bodies and vacant apartments in order to have food, medicine and basic necessities. Thousands of people are searching for missing loved ones, even searching through unidentified corpses laid out in Yankee Stadium. Dead bodies pile up, leading to illness. Starvation causes acts of violence. The city rapidly disintegrates into a very dangerous place. Alex and his sisters lean on their Catholic faith and the last remnants of hope, as the world falls apart around them.

The Last Survivors series is written for YA readers, so there is no graphic violence, sex or bad language. The subject matter, however, is very dark and I wouldn't recommend the series for kids under 13. It might be a bit too much for younger children. As an adult, the series is very thought provoking, making me wonder how my town and my own family would react to a similar large scale disaster. In modern society, we rely heavily on technology for communication, basic necessities and safety....what if all that was removed in an instant? What if life as as we know it was suddenly, and permanently, very different? Where would I turn for hope when things seem hopeless?

Just like book 1, this book is in diary form. The story is very well-written and interesting, yet disturbing. Excellent series so far!

Susan Beth Pfeffer is the author of several YA books. Check out her blog: http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/ show less

Miranda is a typical teenage girl. When news reports state that a meteor is going to hit the moon, she just grumbles that it's another excuse for homework. The reality is something much more nefarious - the moon is knocked closer into earth's orbit, triggering global tsunamis, starvation, and tectonic shifts. Miranda's diary relates the day to day struggles as her entire family changes in order to survive in this new Earth.

This was really, really good, and exactly what I hoped it would be. show more Miranda begins as a selfish, average teenager, but not unlikeable. In the course of the book, she grows even as she starves, and it really speaks a great deal about human endurance in a time of trial. I can't speak as to the accuracy of the science, but it was quite thought-provoking. The ending is good, too - not a cop-out, but good. Highly recommended. show less