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.