| The Dead and the Gone | |
|---|---|
First edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Susan Beth Pfeffer |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Last Survivors |
| Subject(s) | The Moon |
| Genre(s) | Young adult novel, Science fiction |
| Publisher | Harcourt Children's Books |
| Publication date | May 4, 2008 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 321 pp |
| ISBN | 9780152063115 (first edition, hardcover) |
| OCLC Number | 167492096 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.P44855 Dc 2008 |
| Preceded by | Life As We Knew It |
| Followed by | This World We Live In |
The Dead and the Gone is a young adult science fiction novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Released in hardcover in May 2008, it is the second book in The Last Survivors, following Life As We Knew It and preceding This World We Live In.
Contents |
Pfeffer's novel Life As We Knew It was created after watching the original film Meteor (1979), nothing that "it got [her] thinking about how the people who have the most to lose if the world comes to an end are kids," and wanted to see how her characters would cope with a situation that was out of their control. The Dead and the Gone occurs at the same time as the first novel, but in New York City. She playfully mentioned that "I figure with 300 million people alive in the United States, even if I write about 10 people a book, I can still get another 2,999,998 novels out of that meteor, and that should keep me busy and entertained well past the foreseeable future." [1]
The Dead and the Gone uses a third-person omniscient narrative, while the previous book, Life As We Knew It, used a first-person narrative in a journal format. Ask about the change in narrative, Pfeffer replied quite simply that in her planning processes, she "just could not envision a teenage boy keeping a diary. It's as simple as that," accounting for the change.[2]
The Dead and the Gone follows 17-year-old Alex Morales and his sisters, Briana and Julie, in their struggle to survive after an asteroid hits the Moon and knocks it out of orbit, closer to Earth. Taking place in New York City, they are plagued with volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and tidal waves, and earthquakes, along with famine caused by food shortages and disease that kill millions of people in the process. Alex is forced to take care of his sisters in the absence of his mother and father and to raid dead bodies for valuables to trade for food. He struggles with his religious faith while trying desperately to survive.
Alex Morales- 17-year-old boy who has to take care of his two younger sisters after a meteor hits the moon and his parents disappear. He blames himself for all of the things happening to his sisters. Even though Julie changes her attitude, he blames himself for making her change that way. Alex becomes sick when the flu is in the city, but he pulls through it.
Julie Morales- 12-year-old girl who has to take care of her seemingly useless brother, because he does not know how to cook or clean. She doesn't cease her grumbling until she sees no reason to anymore. Also, when her sister (Bri) develops asthma, she is forced to become almost like the maid of the house. She has to cook and clean with electricity and to top that her brother gets sick.
Briana Morales (Bri)-]14-year-old girl who also has to take care of her seemingly useless brother, for the same reasons as Julie. But when she goes away to a religious camp in the country, she develops asthma. When she comes back, her brother won't let her do anything around the house so it is left up to Julie. Throughout the entire book, she holds within her a strong, overwhelming belief that her parents are still alive, and will come back to save them. Bri dies when she begins to go up the service elevator in their apartment building and the elevator gets stuck, causing her asthma to grow worse and kill her.
Father Mulrooney- The strict and uptight elderly head of Alex's private school. He serves as somewhat of a mentor to Alex.
Isabella Morales (Mami)- Alex, Bri, and Julie's mother. A kind, nurturing, and caring woman, Isabella is an effectual mother. She was in the subways when the floods hit and is presumed dead.
Luis Morales (Papi)- Alex's tough-as-nails father, who while strict and overly-uptight, is still loving and nurturing. He is in Puerto Rico when the floods hit and is presumed dead.
Kevin Daley- A 17-year-old boy who helps his friend Alex to get food and teaches him how to "body shop" (taking the valuable items off of the people who drop dead in the streets), and how to use those items to barter with the last guy in the city to give out food. Kevin dies when a tree branch falls on him and is not able to breathe
Publishers Weekly described The Dead and the Gone as "riveting", and said that "once again Pfeffer creates tension not only through her protagonist's day-to-day struggles but also through chilling moral dilemmas: whether to rob the dead, who to save during a food riot, how long to preserve the hope that his parents might return," adding that "[t]he powerful images and wrenching tragedies will haunt readers." [3] John Green of the New York Times said that it "transcend[s] [its] premises with terrifyingly well-imagined futures and superb characterization," and that "the story’s climax and resolution feel achingly right." [4]