Book Blog #139: The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Title: The Shade of the Moon
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
# of Pages: 288 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: 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?
Review: I thought this was the conclusion to the series where the moon is moved closer to the Earth...

Oh, wait...it is?! I hardly noticed considering the fact that the moon was BARELY MENTIONED.

It's been a while since I read the first three books, but I know for sure that it wasn't anything like this. Clavers and grubs? Where did this terminology come from?! And why do so many people accept this system when it obviously echos the past of the black enslavement? I know that history can be boring, but SOME of the characters had to have made this connection. We study the past so we don't make the same mistakes, yet that is exactly what is happening in this society. And the fact that the concept isn't even consistent with the other books in the series just makes it that much worse.

Another unpleasant change in this book was the protagonist. I was expecting Miranda or Alex again, but instead I found that it is Jon. And Jon is not a suitable protagonist. At all.

He's a sexual abuser, a coward, and flat out rude. I was hoping I would see growth in his character as the book progressed, but I was disappointed. He claims he sees grubs differently than before, but not by much. Jon still sees his domestics as something to boss around, even if he is (supposably) politer to them.

Sarah and Jon's relationship escalated way too quickly. I didn't even think they saw each other like that, and they just met!

The characters are over dramatic.

• Sarah starts crying over such a small argument with Jon in the garage. (page 23)
• The mom gets pissed at Jon on the phone. There isn't enough to description of how the characters are talking; it's always "Jon said" and "Mom said". It makes the mother's anger seem spontaneous. (page 42-44) 

And when the author tries to use more descriptive words other than "said", she uses words such as "screams" and "cries" when the dialogue isn't that extreme.

And when I (finally) finished the book, I noticed there was an author's note...

"...my vet asked if there was going to be a fourth book. So...I wrote an entire fourth book and sent it off to Karen. She read it. Everyone at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt read it. And although they never actually said so, they hated it."

I wonder if that version was better than this book. I can't imagine a version of this story worse than this.

"My vet has since retired, so he probably won't be asking me if there's going to be a fifth book. And since I'm writing this before The Shade of the Moon is published, I don't know if anyone is going to ask me that."

Her vet won't be asking her if there's going to be a fifth book, and that's not just because he retired. I know I won't be asking for another book in this series. Also, the vet never said that he actually wanted her to write another...

Pfeffer should have quit after the third book. I do not recommend this book.