The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

4 stars -- I like it

I did not know that this book, the second in a series, existed. I read Life as We Knew It, the first book, ages ago, and I loved it. The idea just stuck in my head, and it was so well-written--straight from a girl's diary, but with enough detail to have the story make sense--that when I saw that the third book, This World We Live In, was out, I had to get this one immediately and continue following the series.

The idea, carried out in The Dead and the Gone as well, is that an asteroid hits the moon. In Life as We Knew it, it's clear that everyone is aware of what's going to happen, and they treat it like a fun meteor shower-watching event. In The Dead and the Gone, it seems like the general public of New York is mostly unaware of the asteroid collision. What no one in either book expects is that the asteroid drastically shifts the moon's orbit, which causes changes in the tides, which in turn leads flooding and tsunamis, and in the tetonic plates, which causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The clouds of ash block the sun, killing crosp, and winter arrives early, with colder-than-normal temperatures. Supply lines, satellites, communications, and even electricity is avilable only sporadically. Plagues emerge and starvation is prevelant.

I was amazed at the scope and magnitude of disaster such a seemingly innocuous event could cause. It comes together in a perfectly logical manner (at least to my unscientific mind), and I applaud Susan Pfeffer for pulling it all together in such a believable way.

The only real difference between Life as We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone is that the first story takes place in the country and follows Miranda's story, while The Dead and the Gone takes place in New York City and follows Alex Morales. The same events occur, and the same tragedies take place, but the setting and characters are so different that each story is equally captivating.

I am particularly pleased with how Pfeffer glosses over the horror without diminishing it. She casually throws in that the 17-year-old boy is down to 78 pounds (or some other absurdly low number), which makes the reader realize the situation is much worse than the storytelling seems to imply. It's a brilliant juxtaposition that works beautifully.

This is another one of those terrifyingly beautiful stories of survival and hope that I highly recommend. I have to admit that I think the first story is stronger, but this is a commendable companion book.