The Shade of the Moon, 4 (Last Survivors, #4)

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

• ISBN10: 0547813376
• ISBN13: 9780547813370
• Publish Date: 13 August 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 12 May 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[nitzan_schwarz]

YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG

PART ONE - PRICK JOHN
While this book is probably my second favorite in the series, it's also the one with which I had the most complicated relationship with.

For the majority of the first half of the novel, I hated it. Not the novel itself, per se, but the reality it was portraying. I felt angry while reading this novel, which I think was very intentional, because our protagonist, Jon, was appalling with his flawed and aggravating thought process, degrading his own family to, essentially, sub-humans. Feeling entitled when he should've been a "grub" himself. Doing all those awful things to be part of the elite, even while he knows they will never truly regard him as one of them. I wanted to literally smack some sense into him on more than one occasion.

First-Half Jon was a big, fat prick.

So, yeah, I wasn't too thrilled about that. And if that's not enough, we have yet another insta love in this installment, this time between Jon and a newbie named Sarah. A le sigh. At least this time I somehow shipped the two of them, even though they were fighting about 90% of the time.

And how could they not? Sarah was a lovable character who stood for what was right and wasn't afraid to say and do the hard things, and Jon was... still prick-Jon. And a prick-Jon who followed orders to keep his position (while still somehow thinking he's above everyone else), so I guess he needed to get a fix somewhere... I hope my bitter isn't showing too much.

The only upside to the first half of the novel was that I finally shipped Alex and Miranda. It took seeing their relationship through someone else's eyes and knowing in the back of my mind that they've been together for about three years at this point for me to finally buy it. Too bad the really interesting conflict between them happened off screen.

On the family front, two things happened. First, can we just talk for a second about how Hal deserved better than being a footnote in this story?? Second, Carlos is a major a-hole. In the last novels, I was kind of disappointed we didn't get to meet this character and judge him for ourselves, as he sounded kind of dick-ish, but I wasn't sure whether our image of him got distorted because we were reading Alex/Miranda's view of him. It wasn't it. He's just a dick.

PART TWO - THANK GOD
Can I get an amen? the second half of the novel was wonderful. It made me love Jon--finally!--as his character developed and evolved, taking the blinders off and finally seeing. It made me cry my eyes out, smile, and respect everyone involved for being able to hold on to their hope even in the face of the worst of situations.

Warning: shit happens. Bad, bad shit. It was nice to see that while this novel wasn't about the end of the world but rather on re-building humanity... and how badly that endeavor could be screwed... this stayed the same. Or I mean, really really not nice but there you go. People die, and humans are proven to be the cruelest of animals, but so long as there are people who would fight and rebel for what's right, we can win.

It was poignant, heartfelt, and somehow hopeful, making for a story I couldn't put down.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: IT'S COMPLICATED
The thing is, I'm really conflicted about this series as, well, a series. On the one hand, I kind of wish Pfeffer left it with just that first, perfect novel. Life as We Knew It worked, and arguably didn't need this saga it developed into.

But at the same time, another part of me wants a fifth novel, about this new community and how things evolve from there, perhaps from Opal's pov, who is a character I feel was largely underutilized.

And how could those two things exist in the same head at the same time is a complete mystery...


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unedited thoughts
This book and I had a really complicated relationship.

I practically HATED the first half of the novel. John's thought process was appalling, and I wanted to smack some sense into him on multiple occasions. Calling people grubs, when your family is on of them and you would have been if not for a grub? Feeling entitled just because you got lucky? Doing all those awful things?? URG. I did not like that first half Jon.

And to add that another insta love, this time between Jon and Sarah, and you have a very unhappy me. Especially since this insta love - while I did ship it because I loved Sarah and how she fights against everything that she finds wrong - was one of which the two fight more than not. But at least they knowledge their relationship is 87% fighting. I guess they like to argue with each other. Probably because Jon doesn't argue with anyone and instead follows orders in order to keep his position, while still thinking himself above everyone else. Oops, is my bitter showing?

The only upside to the first half was that I FINALLY shipped Alex and Miranda. It's much easier to believe their love after they had had three years to build it, and through someone else's eyes.

Also, can we all just admit that HAL DESERVED BETTER than to be a footnote in this story????

The second half of the novel was much, much better. WONDERFUL BETTER. Crying my eyes out better. Finally loving Jon better. Jon started opening his eyes to reality. To the unfairness of the situation, to how Clavers were not above other people, but had no problem acting this way. About how "Grubs" are people, and giving excuses to why it was okay to treat them as sub-humans is disgusting.

Bad things happened in the second half, which I had come to expect from this novels. Up until that point, I kind of felt I was reading a different story than the first three books. Three novels about the end of the world, and then one about the construction of human life again... and how bad it was made.

People died in this novel. Again. Prejudices were met head on, minds changed, and human nature still leans toward cruelty... but so long as there are people who will fight it and what's right, it can be conquered.

I'm really split about my opinion on this series. A part of me wishes it had been just the first, perfect novel. Without the whole of Alex's story, and the annoying insta loves, and the drastic change in tone to Enclaves and Grubs. Another part of me wishes for it to be another novel, perhaps from Opal's POV, about life in this new community and how things evolve from there.

So, yeah. Relationship Status: Its Complicated.

[Nessa Luna]

Read this review and more on my blog October Tune.

About a year and a half ago, I read a book called Life As We Knew It. I loved it so much, I finished it within twenty-four hours after starting it. I went to check Goodreads and found out there were two other books in the series, and I quickly purchased them and read them as well. Then I found out there was going to be a fourth book, but at that time it would only be released in hardcover. In September this year, The Shade of the Moon was finally released in paperback, and at the beginning of this month, I finally purchased it and read it. I have to say, it is not my favourite book in the series.

This fourth book is told from Jon's point of view. Jon is the little brother of Miranda who was the main character of the first and third book. It has been nearly four years since the moon came closer to the earth, three years since they've left their home in Pennsylvania to travel to a safer place to live. Jon, his stepmother Lisa, and baby Gabriel are now living in an enclave - where they have enough food, domestics cleaning and cooking for them, and plenty of breathable air. The rest of Jon's family - his mother, his sister Miranda (who is eight months pregnant), her husband Alex (who we met in The Dead and the Gone), his brother Matt and his wife Syl - live outside of the enclave, having to work six days a week, twelve hours a day to earn enough money for food.

Jon is not my favourite character of this series, so I wasn't really looking forward to be reading from his POV. Actually, this was the only book in which I was actually hoping for a multiple POV story, but alas, we only got Jon. I actually just wanted to know more about Miranda and Alex, especially now that they are married and expecting a child. As I was reading this book, I started to dislike Jon more and more. I even actually started hating him at one point. After he basically admitted he'd tried to rape Julie, and that that was the actual reason she got paralised at the end of the third book, and then he tried to justify it. No. If a girl says 'no', she means 'no', she doesn't mean 'oh Jon please do continue doing whatever you are doing'. Even though she'd been saying 'yes' the time before, NO MEANS NO. But Jon didn't listen and he still tried to do stuff to her in that empty house. No wonder Julie got frightened and chose the storm rather than staying in a house with him. Asshole. (Pardon my words). He also kept on being a bitch about the 'Grubs', the people who don't live in the enclave, who need to work six days a week to earn their food. His family were grubs, how the hell can he talk about them like that? I really wanted the little Jonny back from the first book, I liked him a lot more than this privileged 'Claver' Jon.

He also got so mad at his sister who'd 'murdered' Julie at the end of the previous book (She'd given Julie sleeping pills and then pressed down a pillow on her face to make her stop breathing). Because sure, Jon, Julie would have miraculously healed from her injuries and then you could have forced her to marry you and then you could have sex with her whenever you wanted because that's what you wanted right? Jfc. I personally think Miranda did the right thing because Julie was paralised, she couldn't move anymore from the neck down. They were about to leave Pennsylvania to travel to the enclave by BIKE or perhaps even by foot and Julie would have to be carried. YOUR DAD DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT, he died along the way and do you really think a girl like JULIE would have survived? Honestly Jon, think about it.

The storyline didn't really interest me that much, apart from the parts where we saw Miranda, Alex and Laura (Jon's and Miranda's mum). I was not at all interested at the things that Jon did, which was basically playing football, defeating all the 'grubs' and getting wasted on potka (potato vodka, lol). And then doing whatever he wanted to grub girls, yeah that made me hate him even more. The only part where I actually started 'liking' Jon a bit more was near the end, when he did something for Miranda and Alex that just made me extremely happy.

In the end, I liked The Shade of the Moon, but I wasn't satisfied at all. The ending was a bit abrupt and I yeah I still don't have the feeling the series ended. Though I am not really interested in a fifth book, perhaps just a short story to find out what happened to the other characters (I would love to know what happened to Opal, to Miranda and Alex and their baby, to Matt and Syl and Gabe/Gabriel, yeah a short story would be nice).

If you loved the Last Survivors series, you should just read this book, because it's still a book in this series, and it's still about that same world, but I wouldn't expect something awesome to come out of this if I were you.

[rakesandrogues]

THE SHADE OF THE MOON by Sarah Beth Pfeffer is the fourth book in The Last Survivors series. Each of the books are told in a different perspective. The fourth book follows Jon Evans, the youngest in the Evans family. Jon and his family have left their home in Pennsylvania to join an enclave - a community slowly rebuilding itself after the apocalypse. But only three family members have passes to enter, and the rest must live in the outskirts of town in horrible conditions. Jon continues to be haunted by his past. As the social order in the enclave starts to be questioned, Jon must reconsider what is important.

Unfortunately, I found that the protagonist was not as likeable as the others in the series. Jon is privileged and selfish. The whole story revolves around how he doesn't realize how lucky he is. His family has given up a lot in order for him to get an education and live a healthier life, and he seems to take this for granted. Jon does grow as a character, but it basically takes the whole book for this to happen. By the time he realizes his faults, the book is basically over. He didn't win me over.

Out of all the books in the series, THE SHADE OF THE MOON is the most dystopian. The first three books were more post-apocalyptic because of the general absence of the government. But now that some of the characters live in the enclave, there is a clear inequality amongst the Clavers and the Grubs. This to me is kind of disappointing. One of the reasons why I enjoyed this series so much was because it wasn't like other dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA novels out in the market. I liked hearing about how the families have survived on their own by sheer will. THE SHADE OF THE MOON resembled so many other books out there, so I really was disinterested in the plot.

Despite my qualms with the book, I was still happy to read about the many shocking twists and turns throughout the novel. I realize that there is always an unexpected death in each of the book. Susan Beth Pfeffer still manages to keep me guessing until the end.

I was really disappointed with THE SHADE OF THE MOON, since I had been enjoying this series up until this point. The combination of the generic plot and unlikeable protagonist brought down my opinion of what had been a pretty solid series up to this point.

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2013/12/the-shade-of-moon-by-susan-beth-pfeffer.html
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.