Review of “The Dead and The Gone,” by Susan Beth Pfeffer

“The Dead & The Gone,” by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a stunning science fiction fantasy about the effects of a disastrous asteroid strike that jars the moon into a new orbit closer to earth.

When seventeen-year-old Alex Morales heard that an asteroid was predicted to strike the moon he didn’t realize that it was the end of the world as he knew it. He thought that this was just another overplayed media event, or maybe just something interesting for the astronomers to study. Alex was more concerned about getting elected as senior class president at his exclusive New York City school.

But all Alex’s plans are put on hold when the asteroid strike knocks the moon into a much closer orbit around Earth. This has disastrous effects on Earth’s climate, causing massive tide surges that wipe out many small islands and coastal areas, including the Puerto Rican village where Alex’s Dad is visiting with family members. At the same time Alex’s Mom disappears. All Alex knows is that she took a subway train that flooded during a tidal surge. Suddenly Alex is alone, left to care for his two younger sisters as best he can.

Where Alex and his sisters live they are not endangered by the increased tides, but they have plenty of other things to worry about. The moon’s gravity has also caused increased seismic activity. Erupting volcanoes blot out the sky and cause a dangerously cold winter. Food supplies in the city begin to run low. At the same time the police are stretched to their limits as looting and food riots run rampant through the city. New York City is slowly dying, but Alex is determined that he and his sisters will survive.

“The Dead & The Gone” is a companion to Susan Beth Pfeffer’s “Life as We Knew It” which showed the same lunar disaster from a small town perspective. “The Dead & The Gone,” though, shows the effects on people living in New York City. The mayhem and difficulties that Alex and his family experience feel very realistic. The main character Alex is resourceful and sensible, even in the face of adversity. One of the most memorable passages describes him making three lists: “What I Know,” “What I think,” “What I Don’t Know.” With most of the world’s communications damaged or destroyed, Alex can’t really understand the full scope of the disaster, but he is determined to cope with it using what he does know, and then fill in the gaps later. Susan Beth Pfeffer’s “The Dead & The Gone” is an excellent examination of human strength and fortitude.

If you have already read and enjoyed “The Dead & The Gone” or you just want to read more about this fantastic book then please read an interview with author Susan Beth Pfeffer, in which she talks more about her book and the inspiration behind it.

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