The Shade Of The Moon (The Last Survivors: Book Four)
Written By Susan Beth Pfeffer
Published 13 / 08 / 2013
304 Pages
Thank you to HMH Books and Edelweiss
It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?
When the moon's orbit was pushed closer to earth, billions had died as a result of the apocalyptic conditions. Survivors lived without sunlight, the sky clogged with ash, looting and living on what little canned goods you could find, and Sam's family were no different. Jon now lives with his step mother and half brother Gabe within the safety of the enclave, leaving White Birch and his family behind. Alex and Miranda are now married, and expecting their first child and live in a tiny apartment with the siblings mother Laura. If not for Alex, Jon wouldn't live the privileged life he does, while the rest of his family live as Grubs, low class areas that live in poverty, poor air quality and are forced into domestic positions, miners, teachers and service jobs. The Clavers live with purified air, free food in abundance and a higher ranked society that is policed by guards. It's been four years since the phenomenon that changed the world, Jon is now sixteen and now believes that he's entitled to the life that was handed to him, barely spearing a thought for his family.
Jon isn't the same boy that lived in White Birch, which is made evident by the new girl Sarah, who moves to the enclave with her father. Sarah is treated like a Grub by her classmates, including Jon, who is torn between falling for the girl who reminds him of home and his privileged friends. But Jon hides a secret about his first love Julie that haunts him everyday. So Jon begins to see Sarah in secret, always holding onto an excuse to not make their affections for one another public, or risk Sarah being hurt by his so called friends. Jon won't lose his place in society, and rather than confront the boys, Jon will even go as far as tagging along while the boys debate whether or not to light a homeless man alight, or burn down the Grubs school, in which his mother teachers.
But between the two classes and with the anniversary of when the world ended approaching, something has to give. But which side will Jon find himself on?
I was thrilled to hear that there was a fourth book in The Last Survivors series being released, but sadly this left me incredibly disappointed. Not because it takes places years after the initial devastation, or told from Jon's point of view, but it seemed to be a book about nothing but Jon's arrogance, his lack of empathy and sense of entitlement. The sweet twelve year old boy is gone, and in his place is now a profane and pathetic young man. I loathed him and no doubt many readers will share my distaste. I understand that the storyline is set in a post apocalyptic world, but the little bastard lost his humanity during book three, readers just weren't aware of it.
Without going into details so potential readers can come to their own conclusions, this book contains gruesome killings, attempted rape, arson and mature situations. The Shade of the Moon isn't a reflection on the first three books in the series, but for preservation purposes it pains me to say, probably best to avoid this one.
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