Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer










When Miranda first hears the warnings that a meteor is headed on a collision path with the moon, they just sound like an excuse for extra homework assignments. But her disbelief turns to fear in a split second as the entire world witnesses a lunar impact that knocks the moon closer in orbit, catastrophically altering the earth's climate. Everything else in Miranda's life fades away as supermarkets run out of food, gas goes up to more than ten dollars a gallon, and school is closed indefinitely. But what Miranda and her family don't realize is that the worst is yet to come.


I haven't   read much science fiction so when I picked up Life as We Knew It, I held my breath. Maybe it was because I have never been the type of person who likes apocalyptic/alien movies or maybe it was because I just never really read sci-fi before? Oh, sure I've watched Star Wars, Star Trek (09), and even a TV series called Jericho (which the media took off the air), but I guess I decided to give sci-fi a second chance, this time in literature instead of on the big screen.


Life as We Knew It was amazing. Not only because it takes the reader along for a ride of disaster, adventure, and drama, but it also gives the reader a glimpse of what might happen if something similar took place. To me, this book was more than just "entertainment", it was an epic story of family and survival. As Miranda writes down her thoughts and the devastating events, you realize how much you take for granted: running water, heat, washer and dryer, electric/gas stove, shower, even food.
The book is told in diary entries , which gives it a more personal or "eyewitness" feel. If you grew up reading Dear America books like I did, then you will be really comfortable with this style. I would have liked the scene where the moon is pushed closer to earth to have been a little more dramatic because, gosh that would have been a great scene to write about, but I was quite happy with the rest of the novel.
I can't tell you much more about Miranda's first winter of the Last Survivors Triology, but I can tell you that Life as We Knew It is a classic science fiction novel you won't want to pass up. I am looking forward to reading its sequel The Dead and the Gone, and the final installation, This World We Live In which will be released this April. I highly recommend picking up a copy at your library/bookstore today!


|Pages: 337|Year Published: 2006|Publisher: Harcourt|
|Genre: Science Fiction|Age Group: YA, ages 12+|
|Content: A few kisses, mild language, & dramatic elements|
|Buy or Borrow?| Both (NEW!)|Series?| Yes, Book 1|
|Enjoyed It: 5/5|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover: 5/5|
|Overall|








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4 comments:

Unknown said...

I really do need to read this book. Great review.

Tuning Into YA Books said...

I loved this book too :) really good
Can't wait for the sequel to come out in April

Debbie's World of Books said...

I loved this book! I never thought of it as being science fiction though. I hope you enjoy the other two books. I liked them but didn't care for Alex, the main character in book 2, as much as Miranda. I finished books 2 and 3 in two days so obviously I still enjoyed them :)

Nina said...

It sounds like a great book. I don't read as much science fiction,but maybe i will give it a try.

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