16 year old twins surviving in a post-apocalytic world where aliens have abducted every "healthy" person between the ages of 16 and 65. These are the left behinds, and they are fierce, resilient, and finding ways to inspire the others surviving on a denuded planet. Good adventure, solid portrayal of autism's challenges and special abilities, great cliffhanger.
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A wonderful adventure à la Falling Skies, with a strong family bond at the core and dangerous, complex (and alien-looking!) aliens.

Wish there had been a little more time spent developing Sam's feelings re: her place in comparison to Wyatt. We see that she starts off resenting him, then clearly loves and cores for him, and then... feels inadequate compared to him? It almost makes sense.

For something called Last Pick, I'd expect there to be a little more physical diversity, but that's noticeably better in the sequel, so. ( )

Oh.
Wow.

Writing a novel that can make me cry is easy. Doing that with a graphic novel isn't.

This book was gripping and sad and wonderful and...heartbreaking.

There's been a lot of discussion about the writing of disabled characters in some groups I belong to. There are arguments that disabled characters are boring. Essentially every character that does anything in this series is elderly or disabled in some way and they kick absolute ass. They start off believing that they can't do things, but do it anyway.

Here's to you, Bird One. ( )

Author visit in the LMC! This is pretty deep and pretty bleak for middle school, but no doubt appealing for the Hunger Games/Divergent generation. Here is original dystopian post-apocalyptic literature in graphic novel form. Twins Sam (girl) and Wyatt are left on a devastated earth after their parents have been "scooped" by aliens in some bizarre selection process (healthy creatures aged 16-45) have been taken to some unknown planet. Sam is a bad-ass and commits small acts of resistance and social justice; Wyatt is an on-the-spectrum genius, esp. with technology and they are determined to find their folks. The way they stick together is touching and the family scenes from "before" (in black and white) also show better days, though there are hints of the coming disaster. In this book, the twins are seeking the technology to track their parents, encounter a somewhat friendly, if nerdy alien who helps them, team up with some underground misfits who are willing to risk everything to help them, and try to elude a pack of kids commissioned by the Sheriff - the ruling ruthless alien - to turn them in. Drawings are so detailed in "toxic waste" colors adding to the stark setting, and action moves briskly with all the energy of traditional comics. But what a heart! Only drawback is a total cliffhanger which means I need to get book 2 ASAP. ( )

Two teens lead the resistance against the aliens who, 3 years prior to the start of the story, invaded earth and took everyone between the ages of 16 and 35. At least, everyone in that age range who they thought were strong and abled. The "disabled", elderly, and young were left behind.

This, of course, may have been the wrong choice on the part of the aliens, who are subverted at every turn by the people left on earth.

Excellently illustrated and written by Jason Walz, this story centers specifically on twin teens Wyatt and Sam as they resist in their own ways. Wyatt, the nerdy, quiet one, needs a piece of tech that can only be bartered from an alien, and uses his knowledge of comics and TV shows to broker a deal, while Sam acts out against the aliens by breaking into their food storage and grabbing enough to distribute to others.

I highly recommend you read this graphic novel. It highlights how those who are disabled in one way still contribute to society and where we as a community would be if they couldn't or were disallowed to. Sometimes it isn't the mainstream that is the right path to take.

I can't wait for the next installment in the series. ( )