This book has been circulating in my school's library for many years. After learning that it won a Bluebonnet award in 2018, and was released as an original Netflix series I had to see what all the fuss was about. This action packed zombies and monsters apocalyptic tale had me on the edge of my seat either anxiously biting my nails wondering how the charismatic characters were going to escape from the the attacks of zombie hordes and the evil Blarg, or laughing out loud at the humor and sarcasm of 13 year old Jack Sullivan's take on life post apocalypse. Although this book appealed to my personal taste in literature an evaluation of its literary elements had to be conducted before determining if this is a book of quality.
A component that really stood out is that the story is told from the point of view of 13 year old Jack Sullivan, a boy who has bounced around from foster home to foster home all his life. In his first person narrative readers are privy to his prepubescent ways of thinking and sense of humor. Who else would classify a soda spilling on an Xbox to be in the same catastrophic level as an attack by a human-eating monster? Jack teams up with a small band of likable characters. There is Quint, the scientific mind and best friend; Dirk, the tough guy bully turned ally; and June the NOT damsel in distress. Jack's view of himself and his friends makes this unlikely team of middle-schoolers relatable and readers will surely be able to see a little bit of themselves mirrored in these entertaining characters. Jack's love for video games also allows him to view life as a series of quests to pursue and challenges to overcome which gives many of today's students something very familiar and relatable.
The theme of teamwork plays a major role in this story. Jack Sullivan bouncing around from foster homes his whole life has left him feeling lonely, without much to really call his own. Building friendships and establishing roots is something he hasn't had the opportunity to experience. Simple acts of kindness that have been shown to him don't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Although readers will agree that Jack is a comical hero his challenging upbringing has developed him into someone who is empathetic, kind, and a strong leader. He has no problem attacking monsters, but when it comes to zombies he thinks twice because they used to be human at one point. They didn't choose to be zombies, they were just unfortunate people who became victims. While Quint is reluctant to include Dirk in their group based on past bullying, Jack doesn't hesitate to extend an olive branch to Dirk. Jack values the qualities of strength and courage that Dirk possesses and sees these traits as something their group needs to survive and thrive in the world of monsters. Having friends with personality traits that compliment each others' strengths and weaknesses Jack is able to build an effective team that can conquer anything...even a giant rolling ball of tangled up zombies.
The design and layout of the book are aesthetically pleasing. The illustrations sprinkled throughout the pages make for smooth transitions from reading many lines of text to a visual representation of the storyline. Jack's interest in photo journalism serves as a nifty way to sprinkle polaroid moments throughout the story helping to bring to life the imaginative descriptions of Brallier's monster apocalypse and aiding reader's in developing mental imagery. The inclusion of speech bubbles in the illustrations gives the chapter book an almost comic book or graphic novel quality, breaking up the monotony of paragraph filled pages and making the pacing of this 227 page book quite enjoyable as readers get to slow down and enjoy time in the treehouse with Jack and Quint as well as speed through the streets in the souped-up truck, Big Mama, dodging the dangers that lurk throughout the neighborhood. The illustrations being in black and white also helps to avoid any extra gore that might ensue while vanquishing monsters with a splintered baseball bat.
So...is this book a good book? My answer is yes! While some may not appreciate the occasional use of toilet humor and the violence that goes along with defending oneself from flesh-eating monsters Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate have done an excellent job of using style and language, character, plot, illustration, point of view, and theme to create an adventurous fiction story that will be sure to appeal to a wide range of avid and reluctant readers alike. Although this book is marketed for 3rd-6th graders, this 35 year old graduate student had just as much fun reading this epic tale and gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Brallier, M., & Holgate, D. (2015). The last kids on Earth. Penguin Young Readers Group.
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