Armchair BEA: It's the End of the World as We Know It

It's no secret that I love dystopian fiction.  There is something truly wonderful about a story where all seems lost, and then the reluctant hero emerges. So, here is my dream "dystopian" panel.

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games Trilogy
Cory Doctorow: Little Brother
Susan Beth Pfeffer: Life as We Knew It
Lois Lowry: The Giver
Scott Westerfeld: The Uglies Trilogy

What kinds of things would we discuss?

How do you define dystopian fiction?
Why do you think dystopian fiction has become so popular lately?
What are the essential elements of dystopian fiction?

So, what would be your dream panel? Want to take a crack at some of the questions I posed to my panel?

The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer: Review

The Dead and Gone

By: Susan Beth Pfeffer

This book is a companion/sequel to Life as We Knew It. Check out my review.

 

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

 

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities. 

My Review: Hats off to Susan Beth Pfeffer. I thought no book could freak me out as much as Life as We Knew It. I was totally wrong.  When I started reading this book I braced myself for what I knew was coming. Lots of death, destruction and despair. But, even though I was prepared for it, I still felt incredibly emotionally involved in this novel. 
 
Alex was a great main character. I was just commenting on a post the other day about cliche's and things missing from YA novels. One of the things I mentioned that I'd like to see more of is a main character with a religion. But, not in a religious book. Alex definitely had that. His religion was a huge part of the book, but it wasn't in a way that was overbearing or annoying. Very well done. His religion was important to the story as he had to challenge some of the beliefs that he had his whole life. (Looting bodies, cremation, etc.)

This book was much sadder than Life as We Knew It. People very close to the main character died. The descriptions of death were much more gruesome. Everything in this book was so horrible that I could not put it down.  I had to keep reading to make sure that everything ended up okay.

I think that Pfeffer has nailed the survival instincts of humans. Everything in the novel is totally plausible to me, and that's what made the book so real.

Anyway, despite what it sounds like in this review, I loved this book. This is about as good as it gets in post-apocalyptic fiction.

My Rating:
I gave this book 5 stars

Book-a-likes:
If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, you'll like this one.

Profanity: None
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild. Brief mentioning of vodka a few times.
Sexuality: Mild. Mentioned once
Violence:Mild. Not so much violence as just a lot of death.

Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer: Review

Life as We Knew It

By: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Miranda is a junior in high school. Her diary includes many of the typical worries of teenagers, friends, school, and getting a driver's license. The upcoming meteor hitting the moon seems hardly worth mentioning. However, when the event happens, causing the moon to be pushed off its axis, it becomes the forefront of her life. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters make everyone immediately go into survival mode.

This was the first audiobook I've ever listened to completely through. It was really harrowing. I'm not really into the diary style of writing, but for some reason this really worked for me. The characters were really great, and memorable. This book made me want to build the biggest 72-hour emergency kit ever. Even though I read this in the middle of July, I seriously felt like I needed a blanket. And, as I was making dinner, I kept thinking about rationing my food. The book definitely got me emotionally involved.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.