Do I need to read Life as We Knew It before I read The Dead And The Gone?

I ask because I'm doing an alphabet challenge (in alphabetical order) and having scoured my book shelf I realise the only YA book beginning with a D that I own but haven't yet read is The Dead and The Gone.

I was under the impression they were companion books more than a book and it's sequel. As such, my plan is to to read The Dead and the Gone for my D book and Life as We Knew it a little later as my L book.

Thoughts? Opinions? If you all think reading them in the above order is a horrible idea please let me know and I'll save them for when I finish the challenge.

Thanks!

They are companion books. They are written about the same events, but from the point of view of different people in different parts of the country. It doesn't matter what order you read them in to understand the story. I liked the Dead and the Gone better than Life as We Knew it....

thanks!

I agree, definitely read both, especially as the third in the trilogy comes out in March, but it doesn't matter what order you read these two in - however, as the third book brings the characters from the other two together, you need to read both before you read The World We Live In.

I just bought The Dead and the Gone because I liked Life as We Knew It, even if it was a little scary (in the sense that something this catastrophic could actually happen). I'm glad to know there will be a third one. Thanks for the input!

I can't remember whether you already made a decision about this, but I'd recommend reading Life as We Knew It first, just because it's by far the better of the two.

I am new to LibraryThing. I was excited to read this thread. I did not know that a third book had been written in this series by Susan Pfeffer. I immediately looked it up online for the local libraries and found two copies entitled This World We Live In. I put my name on the list. Have any of you read any other books by Susan Pfeffer?

She's pretty prolific. Click (or search) on her name and see a list.

No, sorry! The Dead and The Gone was by first book by this author that I've read and I just started Life as we Knew it this morning. Other than that, I don't know much about what else she's written.

i would say read both for sure but not necesarily in order

You should definatley read both books. In my opinion it doesn't matter what order because they are written about the same event but two very different point of views. But you definatley need to read them both before you read the third book.

Read Life as we Knew it or The Dead and the Gone in any order, but read This World we Live in last because you need to know the character from the other books to really understand it.

There's actually a fourth book in the last survivor's series that supposed to come out called in the shade of the moon. It really doesn't matter whether you read life as we knew it or the dead and the gone first, although the dead and the gone is my favorite of the two ( the protagonist in life as we knew it tends to be a bit whiny at times).

There's supposed to be a fourth book?