The Survivors

Gr 7–10—In this sequel foreshadowed a decade ago in the popular Memory Boy (HarperCollins, 2001), the author deftly interweaves the Newell family dynamics with changes wrought by the post-volcanic apocalypse. Travel restrictions, rationing, black markets, and a vague but pervasive feeling of unease dominate the emerging culture. Guns pretty much equal power. Conflicts between the capable but sometimes bossy Miles and his resentful younger sister, Sarah, as well as with their fairly oblivious parents, are resolved as circumstances require the siblings to learn new skills to wrest a living from the environs of their cabin hideaway in the Minnesota North Woods. Sarah proves to be a quick study, and it is she who develops a tender first-love interest, and later, with her formerly laid-back father, propels the family forward into a world that, while still uncertain, finds them more empowered. Told from a third-person point of view in alternating chapters titled "Miles" and "Sarah," a technique that effectively highlights their differing perspectives, this quick-reading and satisfying tale is not as persistently dark as Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It (Harcourt, 2006), but is thoroughly plausible. It should appeal to readers of futuristic fiction as well as those with an interest in hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. The chapters related to deer hunting are detailed with particular veracity.—Joel Shoemaker, formerly at South East Junior High School, Iowa City, IA