The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Peffer

Every single day, we use hundreds of things that we don't even think about, things that are there to help with our everyday lives. But what if all those things disappear suddenly, if the world turned upside down? What if you weren't guaranteed food every day? What would you do in the middle of winter with no heat? What would you be willing to do to keep your family alive?
When a giant asteroid hit the moon, the moon was propelled towards the Earth. Most people figured that it was no big deal. Many didn't care. They only started to care when their TVs stopped working,  planes fell out of the sky and the subways flooded. Alex Morales is coming home from a perfectly normal day to his two sisters waiting at home. He notes the sirens of the ambulances and fire trucks as just part of the New York sound track. He doesn't notice his world is falling apart till the next day when his mother fails to return, his brother is sent out with the Marines, and his father is trapped across the continent. In this state of crisis, Alex does all that he can to save his family, making some of the hardest choices in his life.
The Dead the Gone is the sequel to Life as We Knew It, and both are stunning novels of survival. As I read this book, I could feel myself making choices right along with Alex. Throughout the book, you can feel yourself growing right along with him, and are sympathetic to his challenges that you hope that you never have to face. I loved the character development, not only of Alex, but of his sisters as well. This different perspective on the same disaster is far from boring, but refreshing. Although, if it's not your cup of tea, it could easily become depressing.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5