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Overview

I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open.

High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, the way “one marble hits another.” The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking out the sun? As August turns dark and wintry in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.
Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, this heart-pounding story chronicles Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. An extraordinary series debut!

Awards: ALA Best Book for Young Adults, CCBC Choice, Junior Library Guild Premier selection, Listening Library selection, Amazon.com Best Book of the Year, 2011 ALA Popular Paperback, winner of six state awards

Find more information at www.lifeasweknewit.com, and don’t miss the exciting sequels The Dead & The Gone and This World We Live In.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Bauer proves the perfect choice as narrator for this excellent coming-of-age novel. Miranda is a normal 16-year-old girl whose main concerns in life are schoolwork, swim meets and whether or not she will be asked to the prom. But Miranda's world is literally ripped apart when an asteroid hits the moon, shifts it from its orbit and throws the earth into chaos. Millions die due to tsunamis and earthquakes. Millions more perish because of an early, devastatingly cold winter, brought about by ash thrown into the atmosphere by hundreds of volcanic eruptions. The story, told through a series of entries in Miranda's journal, chronicles the heroine's and her family's efforts to survive in a world where staying warm and having enough to eat and drink becomes the day-to-day priority. Bauer skillfully captures Miranda's adolescent angst with all its emotional highs and lows. By keeping the narration completely in Miranda's voice, using only slight differences in inflection to denote other characters, Bauer manages to convey the sense of Miranda herself reading her most intimate thoughts to listeners. It is a fine performance that only enhances Pfeffer's thoughtful, heart-wrenching novel. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Colleen teenreads.com

You will read it in one sitting, fighting back tears as you bite your nails.

More Reviews (7) Fewer Reviews

KLIATT

When Miranda and her family sit out in their backyard in northeastern Pennsylvania and watch an asteroid hit the moon, they figure they're witnessing something pretty rare, but they have no idea it will be life changing. The asteroid pushes the moon out of its alignment, closer to Earth, bringing on immediate changes. Suddenly, tidal waves, earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, and more plague the world. The initial reports on the news indicate millions dead and entire cities, even entire continents, washed away. Miranda's mother quickly helps her family prepare for the end of the world. They stockpile food, water, and other supplies, not knowing what their future may be. Miranda's diary chronicles their day-to-day life. They ration their food and firewood, worry over what may come, and wait for power to come back on. Before long, epidemics sweep through the world, killing many already-weakened people. Miranda is sure they are facing almost certain death, but, together with her family, tries to do what can be done to struggle through to another day. Pfeffer's vision of a world in danger is a horrifying one. There is nowhere safe to go, no hope, and no way to know what may come next. At times, though, the end of the world manages to feel almost boring. Each day is the same for Miranda—worry over food, encounter new troubles, and hear of more death and destruction. It is clear that death and anarchy are rampant, so while this story is focused on one family's experience, the bigger picture is still there. The subject matter is immediately compelling, and Miranda's first-person narration will engage readers who may be looking for more action on a bigger scale. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregor

Children's Literature

When Miranda is told to write an essay on the upcoming meteor that is going to hit the moon, she has no idea just what is in store for her. As she and her family watch openmouthed, the meteor does indeed hit the moon. It hits it so hard that the moon is actually knocked closer to the Earth. This is closely followed by a slew of natural disasters, including tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Though the town struggles to maintain an air of normalcy the first couple of weeks, the death list keeps growing and the weather in Pennsylvania continues to decline. Miranda's mother races against time to prepare the family to survive. Amidst the inevitable food and oil shortages, Miranda, her mother, and her two brothers have to make tough decisions regarding their uncertain future. This science fiction novel hits very close to home in light of recent disasters, and it leads many teens and adults to question "What if?" Told in the form of Miranda's journal, this novel smoothly transitions from the generic coming-of-age novel into an all out survival story. Readers will engage quickly and read eagerly in order to discover whether the family, if any, will be there at the end of the novel. This novel goes far beyond the expectations of a sci-fi novel, and the reader will not be disappointed in the ending.

VOYA

Mirroring recent history, this novel reminds readers of the wild power of nature that far outstrips human ability to either predict or control it. Pfeffer's science fiction holocaust story is not the predictable aftermath of a nuclear disaster across the globe, but the intimate portrayal of a slowly disintegrating family struggling to believe in a future following an asteroid's collision with the moon and the devastating after-effects on earth. With just enough science to frame the fiction, the plot is plausible and appealing to readers who may not usually explore the genre, especially middle grade females. The narrator is sixteen-year-old Miranda, who documents her life for readers through journal entries, an effective way for the author to address external as well as internal conflict. In a voice reminiscent of Anne Frank's, Miranda represents every teenage girl who will relate to her struggling to make sense of early romance, transforming friendships, and the family unrest characteristic of coming-of-age. Pfeffer's strength lies in portraying the complex relationships in a blended and extended family focused on survival, and the challenges that both draw them together and tear them apart. She also creates unlikely heroes in her secondary characters, who teach Miranda that if she reaches down deep enough, she is stronger than she ever thought she could be.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Pfeffer tones down the terror, but otherwise crafts a frighteningly plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe. The prospect of an asteroid hitting the Moon is just a mildly interesting news item to Pennsylvania teenager Miranda, for whom a date for the prom and the personality changes in her born-again friend, Megan, are more immediate concerns. Her priorities undergo a radical change, however, when that collision shifts the Moon into a closer orbit, causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths, and an upsurge in volcanism. Thanks to frantic preparations by her quick-thinking mother, Miranda's family is in better shape than many as utilities and public services break down in stages, wild storms bring extremes of temperature, and outbreaks of disease turn the hospital into a dead zone. In Miranda's day-by-day journal entries, however, Pfeffer keeps nearly all of the death and explicit violence offstage, focusing instead on the stresses of spending months huddled in increasingly confined quarters, watching supplies dwindle, and wondering whether there will be any future to make the effort worthwhile. The author provides a glimmer of hope at the end, but readers will still be left stunned and thoughtful.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Sixteen-year-old Miranda begins a daily ten-month diary documenting the survival ordeal her rural Pennsylvania family endures when a large meteor's collision with the moon brings on destruction of the modern world and all its technological conveniences. The change in the moon's gravitational pull begins to cause natural havoc around the globe in the form of catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and other weather-related disasters. Miranda's American teen view gradually alters as personal security, physical strength and health become priorities. Pfeffer paints a gruesome and often depressing drama as conditions become increasingly difficult and dangerous with the dwindling of public and private services. Miranda's daily litany of cutting firewood, rationing canned meals, short tempers flaring in a one-room confinement is offset by lots of heart-to-heart talks about life and its true significance with her mother, older brother and religiously devout best friend. Death is a constant threat, and Pfeffer instills despair right to the end but is cognizant to provide a ray of hope with a promising conclusion. Plausible science fiction with a frighteningly realistic reminder of recent tragedies here and abroad. (Fiction. YA)

Booklist

"...Readers will respond to the authenticity and immediacy; each page is filled with events both wearying and terrifying and infused with honest emotions. Pfeffer brings cataclysmic tragedy very close." --Booklist (September 1, 2006)

Booklist

SUSAN BETH PFEFFER is the author of many books for teens "...Readers will respond to the authenticity and immediacy; each page is filled with events both wearying and terrifying and infused with honest emotions. Pfeffer brings cataclysmic tragedy very close." --Booklist (September 1, 2006)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780152061548
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 5/1/2008
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 347
Sales rank: 583
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: 0770L (what's this?)
Series: Life As We Knew It Series , #1
Product dimensions: 5.00 (w) x 6.90 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

SUSAN BETH PFEFFER is the author of many books for teens, including Life As We Knew It, The Dead and The Gone, and the bestselling novel The Year Without Michael. She lives in Middletown, New York.

www.susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com

Read an Excerpt

Life As We Knew It

By Pfeffer, Susan Beth

Harcourt Children's Books

Copyright © 2006 Pfeffer, Susan Beth
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0152058265

one
May 7
Lisa is pregnant.
Dad called around 11 o'clock to let us know. Only Mom had already taken Jonny to his baseball practice and of course Matt isn't home from college yet, so I was alone to get the big news.
"The baby is due in December," Dad crowed, like he was the first guy in the history of the world with a younger second wife about to have a baby. "Isn't that great! You're going to have a little brother or sister. Of course it's too soon to tell what it's going to be, but as soon as we know, we'll tell you. I wouldn't mind another daughter myself. The first one I had turned out so wonderfully. How'd you like a baby sister?"
I had no idea. "When did you find out?" I asked.
"Yesterday afternoon," Dad said. "I would have called you right away but, well, we celebrated. You can understand that, can't you, honey? A little private time for Lisa and me before letting the world know."
"Of course, Daddy," I said. "Has Lisa told her family?"
"First thing this morning," he replied. "Her parents are thrilled. Their first grandchild. They're coming for a couple of weeks in July, before you and Jonny visit."
"Are you going to call Matt and tell him?" I asked. "Or do you want me to?"
"Oh no, I'll call," Dad said. "He's busy studying for his finals. He'll beglad for the interruption."
"It's great news, Dad," I said, because I knew I was supposed to. "Be sure to tell Lisa how happy I am for her. And you, too. For both of you."
"You tell her yourself," Dad said. "Here she is."
Dad muffled the phone for a second so he could whisper something to Lisa and then she took the phone. "Miranda," she said. "Isn't it exciting!"
"Very," I said. "It's wonderful news. I'm really happy for you and Dad."
"I was thinking," she said. "Well, I know it's way too soon and I haven't even discussed this with your father yet, but would you like to be the baby's godmother? You don't have to answer right away, but do think about it, all right?"
That's the problem I have with Lisa. Whenever I want to get mad at her, or just irritated because she really can be immensely irritating, she goes and does something nice. And then I can understand why Daddy married her.
"Of course I'll think about it," I said. "You and Daddy think about it also."
"We don't have to give it any more thought," she said. "You should see the glow on your father's face. I don't think he could be any happier."
"I couldn't," Dad said, and I could tell from his laughter that he'd grabbed the phone away from Lisa. "Miranda, please say yes. It would mean so much to us for you to be the baby's godmother."
So I said yes. I couldn't exactly say no.
After that we chatted for a while. I told Dad about my last swim meet and how I was doing in school. Mom still hadn't come back by the time I finally got off the phone, so I went online to see what's new with figure skating. The hot topic at Brandon Erlich's fan site is how good his chances are to win Olympic gold. Most people think not very, but a lot of us think he has a real shot at medaling and ice is slippery and you never know.
I think I'd like to take skating lessons again. I've missed it the past couple of years and besides, it'll give me a chance to pick up news about Brandon. He isn't being coached by Mrs. Daley anymore, but I bet she still hears stuff. And maybe Brandon's mother would show up at the rink.
When Mom got in, I had to tell her about Lisa. She just said that was nice and that she knew the two of them wanted children. She and Dad have worked really hard on making it a "good divorce." Matt says if they'd worked half as hard on their marriage, they'd still be married. I didn't tell her about how I'm going to be the godmother (assuming Lisa doesn't change her mind, which she's more than capable of doing). I feel kind of bad that I'm going to be the godmother but no one said anything about Matt or Jonny being godfathers. Of course Lisa and Matt don't get along very well, and maybe 13 is too young to be a godfather.
I hope Lisa changes her mind and I won't have to deal with it.

May 8
Not the greatest Mother's Day ever.
I'd told Mom a while ago that I'd make dinner and she decided to invite Mrs. Nesbitt. I can't say I was surprised, but I figured if Mom was having Mrs. Nesbitt over I could ask Megan and her mom, too. Only when Jonny found out it was going to be me and Mom and Mrs. Nesbitt and Megan and Mrs. Wayne, he said that was too many females in one room for him and he was going to have dinner at Tim's instead.
Mom always thinks it's a good idea for Jonny to spend time with Tim and his family because there are three boys and Tim's father is around a lot. She said if it was okay with Tim's folks it was okay with her.
I called Megan and told her to bring her history notes with her and we'd study for the test together, and she agreed.
Which is why I'm so mad at her. If she hadn't said yes, it would be one thing. But she did and I made enough meatloaf for five and salad and then right before I started setting the table, Megan called and said she had decided to stay on at her church and do something with the youth group. She'd gotten the dates mixed up. And her mother didn't feel like coming without her, so it was going to be two less for Sunday dinner and she hoped I didn't mind.
Well, I do mind. I mind because I'd been looking forward to all of us having dinner together and to studying with Megan. I also figured Mrs. Nesbitt and Mrs. Wayne would be good people for Mom to talk to about Lisa's baby. Mom may not be best friends with Mrs. Wayne, but she's funny and she would have gotten Mom laughing.
Megan is spending so much time at her church. She goes to services every Sunday and she never used to and she does stuff with the youth group at least twice a week and sometimes more and for all her talking about how she's found God, I think all she's found is Reverend Marshall. She talks about him like he's a movie star. I even told her that once and she said that's how I talk about Brandon, like it was the same thing, which it isn't at all. Lots of people think Brandon is the best skater in the U.S. right now and besides it isn't like I talk about him all the time and act like he's my salvation.
Dinner was okay except I overcooked the meatloaf so it was a little dry. But Mrs. Nesbitt's never been shy with the ketchup bottle. After a while I left her and Mom alone and I guess they talked about Lisa and the baby. I wish it was summer already. I can't wait to get my driver's license.
I also wish I was through studying for my history exam. BORING!
But I'd better get back to it. Bad grades, no license. The Rules According to Mom.
Copyright 2006 by Susan Beth Pfeffer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted online at harcourt.com/ contact or mailed to the following address: Permissions Department, Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.

Continues...

Excerpted from Life As We Knew It by Pfeffer, Susan Beth Copyright © 2006 by Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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A_IS_AMAZING

Posted January 22, 2009

I Also Recommend:

AAD thinks man oh man, this book was great!

Oh my gosh; Life As We Knew It is one of my favorite books ever! This book is about a 16-year-old girl named Miranda who lives a normal life for a teenager. Everything is going well in her life, and it¿s all good. But all of this changes one night when a meteor hits the moon and knocks it closer in orbit to the Earth. After the meteor crashes, the ¿normal¿ way of life completely changes for everyone. There are catastrophes all around the world, like sickness, food shortages, and many natural disasters. Miranda has to let go of almost everything that she is used to, and she and her family have to struggle every day just to survive. I really love this book because it is written in Miranda¿s diary entries and it felt so real. Sometimes, I even felt like I was struggling along with the characters in the story. The only thing that disappointed me a little was the ending. But oh well, the rest of the book was great!

14 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted June 17, 2010

Really scared me.

I first read this book when I was nine, and it still scares me to even think about it. When I first read it, I was so young that it didn't really register to me about the things that were happening in the book, so I was fine. But I read it again when I was ten - big mistake.

The events in the book really scared me and it still scares me to think about it. Also, from what I've heard, the books only get more terrifying as the series continues. I would not recommend this book to any kids who are under fifteen. That may sound ridiculous, and maybe if your child is very strong emotionally and doesn't get scared, you could let them read it at a younger age. But if your child is even the least bit easy to scare, for lack of a better word, I would not recommend this book. Take it from somebody who read it at a young age and has been scarred by it every since.

10 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted October 5, 2008

Wrong....

First of all the fact that she blamed everything on God bugged me ALOT eh it was pretty sad at the end it kinda left u hanging the only thing i didnt like was the part was she was alwas complaining like there was nothing to be thankful for and i found alot in her case the rest was very good just dont believe what she thinks about God.

8 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Annibebe

Posted March 27, 2011

more from this reviewer

Good Solid Read

What would happen if a meteorite/asteroid hit the moon and knocked it closer to the earth? All hell would break lose, that's what! This book tells the story of just that and a small family's struggle to survive the aftermath of an epic natural disaster. I really liked this book and can't wait to read the next in the series. Highly recommended if you love books that have post-apocalyptic themes. I'm a sucker for them!

7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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acsimps

Posted June 8, 2010

more from this reviewer

Good but just not for me

The story is centered around sixteen-year-old Miranda's life after a meteor crashes into the Moon. Life as they knew it would never be the same. The collision pushes the Moon closer to Earth and causes tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.Thousands are dead within the first 24 hours and the numbers just keep rising as the book continues. Power outages as well as food, water, and fuel shortages all create a platform for the chaos that ensues.

The story is told through journal entries where Miranda describes her life and the fate of her town over the course of a year. Miranda is living with her mother and two brothers (one older and one younger). Her father and his new pregnant wife live in another state (which is a cause for concern for Miranda throughout the story).

To be honest the book is sort of scary in a way. It portrays a fairly realistic glimpse of how people would react if food and resources were suddenly scarce. For most people who read this book, this realistic portrayal will be what makes them love it. The constant death and destruction soon left me feeling depressed whenever I picked the book up.

This book was pretty good. It has a good message behind it: "Appreciate what you have, because tomorrow it could be gone." But it was also kind of depressing. I recommend you flip through this one before you buy it. I will probably read the second and third books when I get around to it so I guess I liked it enough to do that. I hope this review is helpful! :)

http://bringmeanotherbook.blogspot.com/

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Regretfulbuyer

Posted December 28, 2008

Offensive

This book is very sad and depressing. I wouldn¿t recommend it. It also includes offensive political statements. I do not think politics belong in fiction books intend to be read by children. This book really offensive in many ways.

6 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted June 25, 2009

unforgettable book; a must read

The book 'Life As We Knew It' is an amazing, unforgettable book. I recommend it for someone who loves a book that has them on the edge of their seats; a thrilling, compelling story.

4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted March 5, 2012

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

I absolutly LOVED this series. It's my second favorite series next to harry potter. It was the best and i would recomend it to EVERYONE!!!!!!

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 27, 2011

Great

This book us great for anyone. It keeps you reading.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 26, 2011

A great read for ages 11-15!!

I really enjoyed this book. It really makes you thankful for all that you have and reminds you not to take it for granted! If you are looking for a generally quick read with lots of emotion, than this book is for you!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted January 1, 2012

Oh My... JELLY

Good read, really gets you hooked.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 2, 2011

A Thriller That Keeps You Thinking...

This book really caught my attention. Miranda and her family were living a perfectly normal life until an asteroid hit the moon causing chaos and natural disasters all around the world. Millions or people are dying everyday. Imagine if one of your family member's name was on the Dead List? Imagine living with a handful or food to eat once a day. Brutal? This book is all about surging one day at a time. I liked how the events in the book were rrealistically written in diary entry forms from Miranda's point of view to get a good idea on what Miranda was thinking and feeling. However, I didn't like that there were so much tragedy and death. I recommend reading the rest of the series to know if they will survive in the end. If you like reading books that give you thrills and chills, this is the book for you.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted April 16, 2012

Can't stop reading!

¿In Mirandas world, something important happens. An asteriod hits the moon and knocks it out of its orbit, moving it closer to the Earth, causing natural disasters of all kinds. No one is prepared for this, as calculations had made bad estimates of the density of the asteriods. Miranda and her family have to find a way to survive.
¿ I enjoyed this book. I couldnt put it down, for I felt there was always a possibility the characters would die. I even foundmyself wondering what I would need if this happened to my family. Great read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 27, 2011

3 and a half actually

Good book but not ro exciting

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 1, 2011

Makes You Wonder - Could This Life Happen to You

The novel Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, appeals to a wide-ranged audience. In my opinion, anyone from a preteen girl to a young adult man would enjoy this story, but not distinvtly everyone in this category. It could also appeal to some people outside of it. This novel is definitely a must-read.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if your whole world was flipped for the worse? That¿s exactly what happens to Miranda. When the moon suddenly becomes hundreds of miles closer to the Earth, things only go downhill. Stores close down, oil runs out, gas is limited, and winter comes much sooner than expected. For the first time, Miranda, her mother, and her two brothers, Matt and Jonny, are forced to do everything the old-fashioned way, regardless of their terrible condition.
In my opinion, this book was written very well and gives you the feelings as if you were in Miranda¿s world. It truly makes you think, ¿Could this really happen?¿ or ¿What would I do if I was in her situation?¿ I think that Pfeffer did a wonderful job at giving you several questions to ask yourself as to what might happen next and builds suspense very well.
In all, this novel was very interesting. I believe it is one of those books where every chapter you say to yourself, ¿Maybe I¿ll just read one more.¿ You won¿t want to put it down! It ends with a twist that you¿ll never be able to predict or ever see coming.
There is absolutely a reason why I gave Life as We Knew It five stars out of a possible five, and when you read it, I bet that you¿ll agree, too. Susan Beth Pfeffer tries and succeeds at making the plot extremely organized and suspenseful. My final opinion is that the book can¿t be judges by its cover because I liked the cover, but I loved what was on the inside so much more!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted September 6, 2011

Ick.

If I could rate this book zero stars I would. This book was boring. It was fairly offensive to me, as a Christian, to see Miranda blaming everything on God. To make this book better, the author shouldn't have made it so grim. Three fourths of the characters either die or leave, so you don't get to see Miranda develop a relationship with anyone. I also read the second book, both books were required for summer reading, and disliked that one too. It may be that I took the book the wrong way, but that is just my opinion. I would not recommend this book to sensitive people, and definitely not to people with a weak stomach (mainly due to the second one). I wish I could've enjoyed this book better than I did.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted April 30, 2011

Cookie Cutter Characters, Slow Plot, Disappointing Ending

Don't get me wrong. I love books, and enjoy all sorts of genres - science fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, you name it. If it's a good book, I'll read it. I'd heard a lot about this book and looked forward to it, but was greatly disappointed. First of all, the main character seems dry. I never at any point in the book felt like I was attatched to the character, in fact, sometimes was just plain annoying. And not annoying in a good way. Not annoying in a let's analyze the character and see she's so annoying, just plain, annoying. Her self-centeredness doesn't move the plot along.

The plot, was rather dry as well. While there were some page turning parts, the reader is left for long stretches of time when the character is doing nothing, saying the same thing, and, well, being annoying. I was also greatly disappointed by the ending. I actually turned to the next page, because I thought there must be more to the book. The book is told through a series of journal entries, and the last journal entry is no different, no more exciting or dynamic, than the rest of the journal entries. Nothing about the ending screams "end of the book, end of the book!" or, that the story will be continued in a later book.

Its good points lie in its unique setting. One finds themselves thinking about what would happen if the events in the story were real, or how a similar disaster would affect us.

Overall, the book was disappointing. I felt the characters were poorly done cookie cutter imiations of cliche characters, the main character was dislikable and boring, and the plot wasn't too extravagent. Read the first two or three chapters, and if you're not hooked, then don't waste your time. It doesn't get better.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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gac2011

Posted March 7, 2011

After reading this your life may not be the same!!

The book starts off as any normal day for everyone. The town where Miranda lives in, and all over the world, are very excited about the lunar eclipse that is scheduled to happen. Little do they know that after this, their lives will be changed forever. While everyone was sitting outside waiting on the eclipse, the worst possible thing happens, something went wrong with the eclipse and somehow it brought the moon closer to the earth. At first no one all over the world expected this to be such a bad thing. Only a couple days after this event everyone became devistated. Natural disaster's happened all over the world, killing many people. Gas prices were raised as high as thirty five dollars per three gallons, and the food supply was very limited. Miranda, her two brothers, mom, mom's boyfriend, and her neighbor all stuck together and tried to surive this astronomical event. There was only about a hand full of people left in Miranda's town due to everyone getting sick and not being able to surive. Towards the end of the book through many hardship's and struggles Miranda and her family are one of the few families that survive by the government's assistance. The book never tells you the long term effects of what or what does not happen to Miranda and her family.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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LadyHester

Posted November 27, 2010

more from this reviewer

Worth reading!

I wasn't sure at first if I liked this story. I didn't understand what message the author was trying to send. Eventually the characters grew on me and I enjoyed the book. I didn't really agree that people would act the way they did in disaster circumstances. I will read the sequel.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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HannahD

Posted April 15, 2010

Life as We Knew it

Life as we Knew it is a very intriguing book. I could not put it down. In the novel, Life as We Knew it Miranda, the main charcter, and her family are struggling to survive after a meteor hits the moon and affects the weather and the tides. Miranda's family is running out of food and water. And earthquakes and tsunamis are happening all over the world. What will they do to survive? I could not put the book down because I wanted to find out what happened to Miranda and her family and weather or not they would make it through those hard times.This is a great page turner for young adults!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Life as We Knew it