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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is the second book in the Last Survivors series, but it follows a new character. In this installment we follow Alex Morales, a young high schooler who is trying his best to take care of his younger sisters with no help from his parents. After the asteroid hit the moon, Alex could not track down his parents, and his older brother was away in the military. With no one else around and able to help out, Alex became the "man of the house", and he devoted all his time and energy ensuring his sisters will survive this new world.
I was a little taken aback when I started this book because Alex is a completely new, unrelated character in a completely different state from Miranda. Once I got over the initial shock, I was excited to read about how the moon affected a different geographic area. Alex lives in New York City, so it was interesting to read about the politics regarding what happened in a city, versus Miranda's small town in Pennsylvania. Politics and classism play a much bigger role in this book, and it is infuriating but great commentary about how the rich are inherently privileged, even in dire circumstances. Alex and his family are also deeply religious, so it was again interesting to read how Catholics reacted to such a detrimental event.
Alex overall is a kind of difficult character to love. He has good intentions, and he is doing "what he thinks is right", but a lot of his choices come across as questionable. For example, he sent one of his sisters to a convent because she would have a better chance there than trying to survive with them. He is also so tough on the youngest sister. He took a much darker path to survival in comparison to Miranda, and, at times, it was difficult to read.
Overall, I enjoyed this book less than the first, but I am still excited to read on and finish the series.
I was a little taken aback when I started this book because Alex is a completely new, unrelated character in a completely different state from Miranda. Once I got over the initial shock, I was excited to read about how the moon affected a different geographic area. Alex lives in New York City, so it was interesting to read about the politics regarding what happened in a city, versus Miranda's small town in Pennsylvania. Politics and classism play a much bigger role in this book, and it is infuriating but great commentary about how the rich are inherently privileged, even in dire circumstances. Alex and his family are also deeply religious, so it was again interesting to read how Catholics reacted to such a detrimental event.
Alex overall is a kind of difficult character to love. He has good intentions, and he is doing "what he thinks is right", but a lot of his choices come across as questionable. For example, he sent one of his sisters to a convent because she would have a better chance there than trying to survive with them. He is also so tough on the youngest sister. He took a much darker path to survival in comparison to Miranda, and, at times, it was difficult to read.
Overall, I enjoyed this book less than the first, but I am still excited to read on and finish the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual harassment
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