The Shade of the Moon

Life as We Knew It Series, Book 4

By: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Narrated by: Matthew Josdal

The eagerly awaited addition to the series begun with the New York Times bestseller Life as We Knew It, in which a meteor knocks the moon off its orbit and the world changes forever.

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?

©2013 Susan Beth Pfeffer (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

You could call it a happy ending

I appreciate the story being wrapped up in a good place. A lot of shows and books don’t feel finished but this series does. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love a spin off set in the future or something or a collection of short stories about the characters that we didn’t see the point of view of throughout the series. What I’m trying to say is this series and final book in particular is worth the read and we’ll leave you feeling fulfilled.

closure

it really ties the whole series together and makes for a heartbreaking and heart warming book.

Loved it!

I would have liked to hear more detail at the end. However, it's still an on ending and leaves room for short stories that can be added in later. 😉

Pleasantly surprised after the negative reviews

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, I wanted to hear what had become of the Evans family and it was time to hear John's take on things.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I don't think these post-disaster, dystopian type novels are meant to be enjoyable, they are a commentary on politics and human nature. The last two novels have little love stories within them and I would have liked these to be fleshed out a bit more - not just have characters instantly in-love.

Did Matthew Josdal do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Sure. I didn't find the narration childish at all - maybe a bit clipped but also in keeping with how most teenager boys talk.

Could you see The Shade of the Moon being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

There are so many of these types of movies and TV series out now - this one isn't quite gritty or detailed enough to make it on screen.

Any additional comments?

Sometimes these types of novels move too quickly and sweep over things - I appreciated the slow pace within each of the novels and the gut wrenching decisions that the main characters had to make. I read that some people didn't like the main character in this novel, I found him realistic for a seventeen year old boy living in those conditions. I liked how his conscience slowly gets the better of him. I actually found his step-mother Lisa hard to understand and/or like. Miranda (the narrator in the first and third novels) is my favorite character and I would have preferred to keep listening to her story and I liked getting the updates on what she was going through.

Did you like Book 2?

If you didn't like Book 2, you probably won't like this one. Book 1 & 3 were great, 2 & 4, not so great.

Excellent

Loved these serious. Realistic and thought provoking. What would you do? How far would you go? Your starving, cold and young. Parents are dead and your now in charge of sibling younger than you. Love is painful but even more painful when your watching them die slowly. Great read!!

Poorly narrated

I am not attached to this series. And the narration was dull and jerky. Listen to it if you need to hear the ending.

Average compared to series

The reader was sort of monotone and gave no feel to the book. The book itself was different from the series. The story was OK at times it was very good and interesting and other times it was boring and slightly unreasonable. I think the reader just didn't help much. He wasn't nearly as good an actor as he should've been.

If you want to know how it all ends...

I read other comments that this wasn't a good ending to this series, and for a long time I resisted listening to the last installment, because I really liked the previous 3 books. I finally gave in, and although I agree with most of the reviews that this is not as good as the other 3 books, I'm glad I gave it a chance to at least give closure to the characters of this story. I think my main criticism is that the main character, Jon, isn't likable for the most part. There is a sense of waste of all the sacrifices other characters make to give him the best opportunities, while he acts like a spoiled, cynical and even amoral teen for most of the novel. I also think it's hard to believe the degree to which society has come to settle into castes of clavers, slips and grubs, without uprisings and rebellions being a constant and real threat. There is a subdued discontent and passive acceptance of the new rules that seem illogical when we think these people lived in a very different society less than a decade ago. On the other side, I think the world description of how some people would hoard resources while others are left to starve and struggle for the most basic of necessities would be a logical aftermath of such an apocalyptic event. In this regard, I guess one would expect a greater degree of drama and tension than this novel is able to muster in its characters.

what a great finish to series

Absolutely love book one of a way to finish the series out kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time