Title: the dead and the gone
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Summary: Alex Morales lives in Manhattan with his parents and two sisters, the angelic Brianna and devilish Julie. His life is ordinary: He works hard in school and at his job at a pizza place. But everything changes in an instant when the unthinkable happens: An asteroid hits the moon, knocking it out of orbit. As a result, tidal waves erase entire coastlines, newly formed volcanos erupt, covering the sun and stars with a cloud of gray ash, and millions die. When Mami and Papi don’t come home, Alex must rely on his friends, teachers and church to protect his sisters and help the family survive the apocalypse.
As the weeks and months go on, Alex questions his faith and his love for his sisters as he has to resort to desperate measures to keep them healthy and safe. Help comes from unexpected places. Tragedy strikes when he least expects it. This is a gritty, frighteningly realistic portrait of a future out of our control.
Who will like this book?: People who like reading intense books. Realistic horror fans who love stories that keep them up all night, thinking.
If you like this, try this: This book has a companion novel, Life as We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, about the same event, but told from the point of view of a girl living in the country. For mature readers, The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian