Life As We Knew It Reviews

• Hope against hope in a world of lunacy.......

  
  By A1AP4CHBN0D2FB on 2006-09-11
  In this new novel "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer, the author of the highly regarded "The Year Without Michael" and many other books, a cataclysmic astronomical event threatens the very existence of the world and all of humankind. An event like this is too immense to imagine in any detail, but the story is told from the point of view of one 16 year old girl living in Pennsylvania, and the apocalyptic event is viewed from the perspective of one person in this seemingly isolated corner of the world.
  
  Miranda begins her diary entries with the usual teen business of school, friends and family with a little digression into figure skating fandom. The forecast collision between asteroid and moon seems like a fun event, as well as an excuse for homework assignments from her teachers, in other words, of interest but not particularly interesting. But the unexpected happens and the collision knocks the moon out of its normal orbit around earth and terrible things begin to happen. Life as Miranda knew it changes quickly and relentlessly from one of normality to a frightening spectre of violent death and terrible deprivation. As suddenly as this happens in parts of world where tsunamis, earthquakes and floods wipe out huge areas of land and people, the changes in Miranda's world occur more gradually but relentlessly. Miranda's world becomes more and more focused on the tragedy and the effects of the global climactic change, and her frame of reference as a teen in a world of school, friends, sports and the future, shrinks down to the day to day survival of herself and her family of four. Miranda struggles to maintain her identity, her physical existence and her hope in the face of frightening odds against her.
  
  The novel is a dark microcosmic view of a small town family facing the worst that life can throw at them, but it never loses hope even in the face of hopelessness. Miranda muses at one point in the book that she might as well enjoy today no matter how bad it is, because tomorrow was going to be worse. And yet there are little joys, rays of hope, tantalizing moments of what passes for normal in the midst of an ever darkening prognosis for survival. Miranda remains true to who she is and her family shows the strength of their commitment to each other throughout this ordeal.
  
  There are no fairy tale endings to this book, but it does end on a hopeful note and the reader is left with the conviction that better days may yet be ahead. There are moments of humor as well as despair, moments of anger as well as love and a compelling story line that makes it hard to put the book down. Miranda's fate becomes a personal issue, we want to know what happens to her and her family and we care.
  
  This is the author's best book to date, sure to be a classroom classic and popular with teens as well as an engrossing read for adults. Don't miss this one!
  
  

• Great Reading!

  
  By A32J48LYJ2BNNY on 2006-10-02
  This book caught my eye and when I read the dust jacket, I thought my teenage granddaughter would really enjoy it, and it helped that this is a Junior Library Guild Selection. I wanted to read a few pages for myself and when I did, I quickly became consumed by this wonderfully written story. I have not read Susan Beth Pfeffer before, but if LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is any indication of her other works, then I would highly recommend them all!
  
  This fictional story is told in the first person of a 16 year old girl just finishing her Sophomore year and is written in the form of her journal. As the school year is coming to a close, all the buzz is around a meteor that is on a collision course with the moon. It was hailed as a big event in that it could be seen quite easily from earth with a simple pair of binoculars. The event turned out to be far more than a unique viewing experience, but rather a cataclysmic event that would alter human history. The collision would alter the moons orbit of the earth, moving it much closer than its' current orbit, causing catastrophic tidal waves, volcanic activity like never before, earthquakes, and sending humanity in a struggle for survival.
  
  This book is particularly appropriate for young adults, but older readers will enjoy it as well. The young subject, Miranda, is followed as she faces life from an entirely new perspective. I believe readers both young and old will come away being much more appreciative of the tremendous luxury and freedoms we enjoy. Along the way, the book also stresses the importance of family, preparation, cooperation, sacrifice and many other virtues that we could all use a reminder of now and then.
  
  I do have two very minor complaints about the book. It doesn't particularly cast a stellar light on Christianity as its' primary references to faith revolve around one of Miranda's friends who becomes a religious fanatic and her Pastor who is, as Miranda describes him, despicable. There is also a slight inflection of politics when Miranda's mother states that they are not yet desperate enough to get their news from Fox News and that the president is a moron. But those brief left leaning references soon pass and the rest of the book is so well written, even the staunchest of conservatives will easily overlook them.
  
  I don't want to give away any more detail, so let me just summarize by saying, I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed it and believe my granddaughter will too.
  
  
  

• The wrong message

  
  By AS8X46XLHIB8F on 2007-09-27
  What should you do if a sudden natural disaster - an asteroid hitting the moon - causes tsunamis to drown both coasts, destroying our electrical and communications grid, and provoking new volcanic eruptions that obscure the sun? Should you band together with others to distribute available food and fuel to the needy and find alternative ways to grow food? Not in this book, at least. Here the heroine mom thinks to clean out the food stores before anyone else realizes the extent of the disaster. She retreats to her home with her wood stove and denies food from her well-stocked pantry to anyone other than her immediate family. While she thinks the country's president, who has been evacuated from the flooded Washington D.C. to his "Texas ranch" (wink, wink), is an "evil jerk," she hunkers down in her home waiting to be bailed out by the government that he heads; failing that, she will starve, or die of disease. If this happens to you, make sure to be entirely selfish while you're waiting for government handouts (while simultaneously despising the hand that feeds you). What sort of message is this for teens, or anyone else?
  
  

• The Anti-Heinlein

  
  By AEXSD8QUEEEGQ on 2007-10-21
  This is the diary of a teen-aged girl, kept when a meteor hits the moon, moves it closer to earth, and life turns really, really gross. Miranda has moods and writes in her diary, her divorced Mom buys up all the food in town, her brothers chop down trees, and everybody else dies.
  
  A typical teen-diary novel, this has been accused of being Anti-Christian, anti-conservative, and anti-science. I'll examine these one by one...
  
  ANTI-CHRISTIAN: Miranda's friend Megan and her pastor are portrayed as religious fanatics and hypocrits. No other characters in the book show any knowledge, interest, or awareness of religion. Pretty one-sided. Had a Jewish girl and her rabbi been portrayed in this way, the book would have been unpublishable. GUILTY.
  
  ANTI-CONSERVATIVE: The government should have know and done something. The President and his friends have all the food in Texas. Everybody with a gun is bad. Pretty liberal stuff. Although I kept thinking that Mom was supposed to be representing the hypocricy of liberalism -- a big talker who when push comes to shove, hordes food and gas, refuses to help her neighbors, and who's survival strategy ends up being to hole up until the government she despises rescues her and starts delivering welfare Not sure what auther Pfeffer's irony level is, though. Assume GUILTY. ((Update: Checked her web-page. Definately GUILTY))
  
  ANTI-SCIENCE: I know this is a teenage girl's diary, and everyone knows, "girls aren't good at science and math stuff," but this is science fiction, and that kind of would demand some attempt at explanation. Some character to try and explain the events -- make college brother a science major instead of a philosphy student (snicker), make Mom's doctor boyfriend take guesses, have there be a radio station that only comes in every once in a while, or have Miranda find a fraky old book from the 1960s in the attic.
  
  The climate science is just "one damn thing after another" with no real explanation of what might be happening when and why. It takes electricty to pump water out of a well, because we haven't built houses with hand pumps in nearly a century. If gasoline is $12 a gallon, and limited to two gallons per customer, is your natural gas provider going to keep your natural gas coming free for another three months? If all the stores and the police department are closed, is the library going to be open? If people are so desperate they'd steal wood stacked outside a house, might not some people be desperate enough to break into a house of a food- horder where there are two women and no guns? The logic train has left the station on this one: GUILTY.
  
  Frankly, I blame the editors on this one. A good idea, executed fairly well, but decent editing and a rewrite would have made it superior. Blame the editors because they either shared the same world view (those darn Christians and Republicans), didn't care (just a kids book), or just didn't know enough ("Science and Math are Hard!".
  
  

• Do the concerns of a teenage girl disappear in a post-apocalyptic world?

  
  By A2EBLL2OYEQJN9 on 2007-07-06
  Do the concerns of a teenage girl disappear in a post-apocalyptic world? Not for Miranda, the protagonist in Susan Beth Pfeffer's novel about life after a climate-changing astrological event. The moon has been struck by an asteroid, knocked into an orbit nearer Earth, causing tsunamis, flooding, and volcanic activity. High school junior Miranda watches her world turn upside down. Her mother chastises her children for thoughts of generosity and declares that they must think only about their own family's survival. They learn to shop for every possible food item when the shelves are stocked, how to maneuver the gas rationing lines, and how to make the most of their few daily hours of electricity. The family must protect their cat to prevent him from being snatched from the road as a food source.
  
  Miranda thinks most of her mother's disaster-readiness is a bit silly, but she's willing to play along until the world rights itself. Unfortunately, New York, Boston, and Rhode Island are completely under ocean water, and the president has abandoned Washington, D.C. for his Texas ranch. Miranda is still coping with the death of one of her circle of friends, and feeling alienated from her two remaining friends. She has a crush on Dan, and they've been flirting at the town pond every day. Miranda's mom is rationing the canned goods, but Miranda is not above feeling resentful about the family's focus on nutrition for their precious younger son.
  
  Life as We Knew It is an excellent book for discussion in a classroom or book club. Issues of looting, bribery, and rationing are raised. Miranda watches as one friend gets lost to a religious cult, while the parents of her other friend end up sending her off with an older man for a better life (they hope) down south. Services we take for granted, like the post office and police station, run sporadically and only when ordinary citizens put their lives on the line to be there.
  
  The strength of Pfeffer's book is in Miranda's voice, and her conflicted feelings about self-sacrifice, jealousy, and a desire to be a normal teenager. Life does go on even after the apocalypse, and Miranda shows us how a modern teen might react. The female friendships in the book are a bit weak and serve more as background "hot button issues" than as an integral part of the story. Overall, this is a must-read, and definitely a book to try on reluctant readers.
  
  
  
• A Thriller for All Ages
  By on 2007-01-26
  "When it got closer to 9:30, things got really quiet. You could sense we were all craning our necks, looking towards the sky. Jonny was at the telescope, and he was the first one who shouted that the asteroid was coming. And then it hit. Even though we knew it was going to, we were still shocked when the asteroid actually made contact with the moon...but the moon wasn't a half moon anymore. It was tilted and wrong. It got larger and was smack in the middle of the sky, way too big, way to visible..."
  
  Miranda and her family's life get flipped upside down when an asteroid hammers the moon out of orbit, leaving the Earth in the collision course of the moon. Life as we Knew It, which is written in the form of Miranda's diary entries, is a suspenseful novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Miranda, the main character in the story, brings thrills into the book and makes you think about what you would do if you were in her position. The story's events are unpredictable and catch you by surprise. One day, stormy clouds could be pummeling down snow in Miranda's quiet neighborhood, and the next day, volcanoes could be erupting countless amounts of ash into the atmosphere. You will long to read about what happens next in this extraordinary story of love, fear, and mystery.
  
  Life as we Knew It is a well written novel, filled with twists and turns that left me hanging onto the book. The thrilling storyline pulls you in teaches the reader about the terrible situation the characters have to face. Susan Beth Pfeffer clearly shows the fear and anxiety in each of the characters hearts. The detail of her descriptions makes you travel into the story and feel the emotions of the realistic characters.
  
  All in all, if you long for a suspenseful novel that leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat, this novel is sure to impress. Life as we Knew It is a book with a thrilling storyline and realistic characters. This book made me laugh and weep onto the pages. I will surely read this story again and again.
  
  
  
• A compelling post-apocalyptic tale
  By A3K7JFQD5V0KJ8 on 2007-04-02
  Life As We Knew It is a post-apocalypse story, told from the viewpoint of a teenage girl named Miranda. The story begins with everyone in Miranda's small Northeastern Pennsylvania town fascinated by an imminent galactic event. An asteroid is slated to strike the moon. There are block parties, as people gather outside to watch. However, the asteroid is heavier than anticipated, and jolts the moon right out of its orbit. This leads to a host of environmental problems, beginning with huge tsunamis that strike both coasts of the US. Things get gradually worse from there, as society deteriorates, and resources become scarcer and scarcer.
  
  The book chronicles, via Miranda's journal entries, the struggle of her family, and her town, to survive. Despite being a relatively sweeping topic (the devastation of the world), the canvas for the story is actually quite small. Most of the action takes place within the family's home. While the larger aspects of the story (What climactic event will happen next? How will the town deal with looters?) are fascinating and disturbing, what really makes the book compelling is the intimate portrayal of Miranda's internal growth.
  
  Miranda starts out a typical teenager, railing against her mother's unfairness over not being able to take skating lessons. When privations start, she complains about her mother's more generous treatment of her younger brother, and fantasizes about going to stay with her father, in a happier and more abundant environment. She is initially sheltered from the worst news by her mother and older brother, and goes through a realistic (though not whiny) "what about me" phase. But as circumstances worsen, Miranda gradually and believably rises to the challenges expected of her.
  
  This book is quite bleak. People all over the world are dying. People in Miranda's life are leaving. First modern conveniences, and then basis essentials, are stripped away. But there are moments of brightness, to contrast with the bleakness. The family learns to appreciate small things, and to rely on one another. Their joy, at times, over things that would have once seemed trivial, brought tears to my eyes. The end does include a hint of hope, which is something to hold onto as you read.
  
  Life As We Knew It is a book that will make you appreciate what you have, without ever feeling like the idea has been forced upon you. I was literally rendered hungry just from listening, at times. I found myself looking at the blue sky, and the green trees, and my glass of red wine, with a new appreciation. This is also a book that will make you think, pondering those what-if sorts of questions. What would I be willing to do to survive? Who would I give up my own life for? How would you keep basic social rules from crumbling in circumstances like this? Ultimately, it's a book that will make you care about Miranda and her family, and empathize with their struggles.
  
  I highly, highly recommend this book to fans of science fiction, and especially the to fans of the dystopian/post-apocalypse genre. Life As We Knew It is a well-written and gripping addition to the cannon of such titles. I also think that any thinking person could benefit from reading it, for the perspective that it sheds on our dependence on the environment, and on what we would be willing to do to survive. I can't wait for the promised companion title, still being worked on by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
  
  This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 2, 2007.
  
  
• A Great What If tale
  By A1CL6GK31K0FFI on 2007-05-16
  When I was growing up during the 1970's I remember this article in the Sacramento Bee warning us of the massive earthquake that would cause California to slid into the Pacific ocean. Jean Dixon, a psychic and favorite of the tabloids, gave similar gloom and doom predications. My mother would tell me that it wouldn't happen. That this was just a way to sell newspapers.
  
  But I oftened wondered what if they were right?
  
  Susan Beth Pfeffer in her latest book LIFE AS WE KNEW IT explores this theme. Miranda is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She lives with her younger brother and mother. Her father's new wife is pregnant and asks her to be the godmother.
  
  She struggles for good grades, has an crush on a local ice skater named Brandon, and struggles with one of her good friends overly religious views.
  
  
  Then comes word of meteor headed on a collision path with the moon. The media plays this up and whole neighborhoods have block parties to celebrate the event. But then something goes terribly wrong.
  
  Miranda watches as her life changes. Gas goes up to $12 a gallon, supermarkets run out of food, and school is closed indefinitely.
  
  Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, it does.
  
  This story is told in diary form and asks an important question. What's most important in this life? Thoughout the novel, Miranda watches as her family pulls together. And hope is not a four letter word.
  
  I couldn't put this book down. The author did a great job of showing the horror and terror of a world disaster through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old. Miranda tries to stay normal though the world falls apart. She even wonders if Dan, her boyfriend, would know she was even around if things were normal.
  
  This is a great what-if story and will make you think long after you finish the last page. And isn't that what good fiction is all about?
  
  
• Senseless Book
  By A2CT8ATPOQQF2V on 2007-05-25
  This book has a strong anti-Christian bias. I wouldn't call it minor like a previous reviewer. Also, the book made no sense. They had no electricity, and yet they had hot coffee in the mornings. Somehow they baked their own bread with no electricity. One time the electricity came on and they started washing clothes. The electricity went off before the clothes were finished so they had to rinse them off in the bathtub. Without electricity, where did they get water for the bathtub??? Supposedly they lived in the country with their own well. Wells don't pump water without electricity. It just wasn't a very intelligent, well thought out book. Save your money.
  
  
• Perhaps a posting on The Daily KOS?
  By A2F0483E4EO4DR on 2008-08-04
  A big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, I ordered this book. Now granted I am not a big fan of George II, but was it necessary for the author to inject the snarky little digs throughout the work? A book aimed at adolescents and you feel the necessity to pepper it with "...the President escaped to Texas with his closest friends with plenty of food..."
  
  The thesis that all the world's astronomers and astro-physicists would not foresee the risk of a large space object striking the Moon? What nonsense!
  
  How about a nuclear strike from Iran soon after President Obama was sworn into office? Much more plausible, wouldn't you think?
  
  I dropped this into the nearest trash bin. Stick with Cormac McCarthy.
  
  
  
• Courtesy of Teens Read Too
  By A2TX179XAT5GRP on 2006-10-20
  If you're looking for one of the best books of 2006, then look no further than Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT. A wonderful tale of family love, loss, and survival, this is one story that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
  
  There have been lots of changes in sixteen-year-old Miranda's life recently. Her older brother, Matt, is away at college. Her mom is still adjusting to being a divorced parent. Her younger brother, Jonny, is obsessed with baseball. And her dad and his new wife, Lisa, are expecting a baby. Dealing with all of that has been quite stressful, but Miranda's been thinking about getting back into ice-skating, and she's spending plenty of time mooning over her current hero/crush, Olympic-hopeful Brandon Erlich, a hometown hero.
  
  Miranda's also excited about the meteor that's headed towards the Moon. Some scientists predict a minor collision; teachers predict plenty of extra homework dealing with the subjects of both Moon and meteors. For Miranda and her family, and for millions of others around the world, it simply sounds like a cool event you'll get to watch from your front yard through a pair of binoculars.
  
  What happens on that fateful night is something no one expected. The meteor does, in fact, collide with the Moon. However, the impact was stronger than anyone had previously thought possible, and immediately, all throughout planet Earth, the effects of that collision begin to be felt. Tides, which are controlled by the Moon, become erratic, causing deadly tidal waves. Fissures in the Earth's crust crack, causing earthquakes worldwide, even in places where no earthquakes had ever occurred before. Within twenty-four hours, it becomes apparent that thousands upon thousands of people have died, and that, with the Moon out of its normal orbit, many more deaths are sure to follow.
  
  This may sound like a depressing story, but in fact it's a story about hope and survival. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT follows Miranda and her family through nearly a year after the meteor's collision with the Moon, and all of the events that come after it--the power outages, the food shortages, the weather changes, and the loss of human contact. As Miranda and her family come to grips with this new way of living, their bodies and spirits will be tested more than they've ever been before. But this is ultimately a story about learning to survive with what you've got, and never taking what you have for granted. A wonderful, inspiring story, LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is one you'll want to read more than once.
  
  Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
  
  
• A haunting, powerful YA disaster novel.
  By A4U15C9GBG50X on 2007-01-16
  Miranda is a typical teenager, and her diary reflects that: changing friendships, fights with her mom, and homework. When she begins to hear reports that an astroid is on course to crash into the moon, she barely pays attention. But when the collision shifts the moon off its axis, Miranda's world is changed forever in an instant. Massive tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanos wipe out millions, and all of the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to dissapear: food, water, gasoline, and contact with the outside world. Miranda records her family's struggle to survive in her diary, and we follow as things go from bad to worse.
  
  This is an utterly compelling, impossible-to-put-down disaster book. It feels like something that could happen to us, right now. It feels real. This is a quiet book. We don't see New York submerged, and we're not witness to the volcanos - all we see is Miranda's family, stockpiling food, rationing batteries, and clinging to each other. We see them grow and mature and adjust. This is a haunting book. It's been three days since I finished it, and I still can't get it out of my head. I literally could not put it down. Buy this book. Buy it now, and then set aside some time and start to read it. It is just that good.
  
  
• "Remember Life As We Knew It"
  By on 2007-05-18
  At that second, I think we all realized that it was Our Moon and if it was attacked, then we were attacked. As the hype built, everyone around the world got excited about a meteor colliding with the moon, but this wasn't any meteor. When the meteor smashed into the side of the moon it knocked it off its orbit, sending it closer to Earth. The moon's now greater gravitational strength caused tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcano eruptions which killed millions and sent the world into a state of panic. All electricity was lost, gas delivery came to a screeching halt, and food became scarce. Miranda, a 16 year-old in Pennsylvania, found her self in the middle of all of this, not to mention her everyday problems. With sickness spreading and the sun's light blocked out by volcanic ash, she was in for a rough summer and an every rougher winter. Many families head south where things were supposed to be better, but Miranda's family stayed. As Miranda watched friends, family, health, education, and countless other things wither away before her eyes she held onto the most important thing, hope. Life As We Knew It is the well written journal of Miranda, giving the reader a first hand look into her life. I recommend this book to everyone.
  
  What really drew me into this book was the fact that it was written in journal entries. This allowed me to know what Miranda thought, and let me know things that she wouldn't tell anyone else. For example, she didn't really show how excited she was that Dan asked her to the prom until she started writing. She also went into a lot more detail about things, such as her trip to the hospital, in her diary than her the dialogue. The journal entries allowed me to see the full story and not just what she wanted everyone else to know.
  
  Another thing that I loved was how the story had different elements from so many different genres. I understand why it is considered science fiction (because the meteor crashed into the moon which changed the tides, blah blah) but that's not the only genre it can be put in. It could also be considered realistic fiction because all of this is makes sense and could really happen. Another genre it could be put in is thriller because of the number of frightful scenes, such as Miranda's trip to the pot office in the last entry to see if they have any letters from her dad. This book had enough science fiction themes to be counted as science fiction, but enough elements of other genres to keep it from being a nerdy book about the moon's effect on Earth.
  
  The thing that kept me attached to this book was how it got in my head. It's hard to understand, but for example, after reading the entry about "Crazy Shopping Day" I expected to go downstairs and see food piled all over the place. Once you get into the book it all seems so real and you think you're living it. It's one of those books you need to read with some bright lights on to make you realize you have electricity. It's the only book I've ever read that did that to me, and it's a crazy paranoid feeling. It's the only book I think I've ever started freaking out and breathing heavy in the middle of.
  
  Life As We Knew It is a great book. From the moment everyone gets excited about the meteor to when Miranda finds out about the city's food delivery plan, you are drawn into the book and it doesn't seem to let you go. Young children probably wouldn't like it, but other than that everyone will probably fall in love with this book. It's a must read.
  
  - R. Martin
  
  
• Great look at that thoughts of a young person in criss
  By A1OIV8I57EXR6Q on 2007-08-08
  Life As We Knew It I believe was intended to be a book for young readers. However, the point of view of a girl keeping a diary to record her thoughts, hopes and fears has great meaning for all of us. This book I think should be required reading for students and adults alike. The way the author keeps you hooked by keeping the reader guessing on what will happen next is very rewarding. Instead of keeping the reader updated with what is going on in the rest of the world like in most disaster (end of the world) books the author keeps you focused emotional on one family and their stuggle to stay alive.
  The ending is open but gives us hope that everything might just turn out ok.
  
  
• It's not science fiction
  By A3JT7PM3ERDZEY on 2008-08-09
  The science is awe-inspiringly bad. I mean, no one expects science fiction to be exactly realistic, but this brings bad science to new heights. Worst of all, most of it could have been done more accurately without changing the plot and characters very much. That's actually the aspect that bothers me most: the lack of craftmanship or lack of professionalism, or maybe just that the author didn't care enough to even do a bit of web browsing research.
  
  And, it's basic stuff that's wrong. Like, the moon getting rapidly closer to Earth. In reality, if the moon isn't hit so hard as to knock it out of orbit entirely, it would take at least a week to get close to Earth.
  
  And, other basic stuff: the sheer amount of energy needed to change the Moon's orbit is remarkably large. The asteroid impact would spatter massive quantities of rock into space, and a lot of it would land on Earth. We'd have a disaster on our hands all right, but for completely different reasons from what was described in the book. Pittsburgh might be a smoking crater because a loose lunar mountain landed on it.
  
  And, the economics is weird, too. Civilization has sort of collapsed, but someone still seems to be running some oil refineries and pipelines, because you can still buy gasoline. And, someone is still running the telephone network. Why don't we see those heroic, self-sacrificing people?
  
  So, anyhow, maybe if I could have ignored all this, I might have thought it was a good book. But, it was just too unreal.
  
  
  
• A nail-biting, tear-jerking read
  By AFVZXHIUSXINA on 2007-01-05
  Everything was normal until the moon was knocked out of orbit.
  
  Asteroids hit the moon all the time, but the one scheduled to hit at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 is one of the largest ones yet. To Miranda, the impending asteroid can only mean one thing: more homework. More homework on top of her best friends fighting, her dad's newly pregnant wife, and the fight with her mother over whether or not she can return to ice skating after a serious injury. With all of this on her mind, Miranda goes outside with her family to watch the asteroid hit the moon.
  
  This asteroid however creates worldwide disasters. The moon is responsible for many of Earth's environmental controls, and when the orbit of the moon changes, so does the environment. Tidal waves destroy coastal cities, killing millions of people. Thunderstorms knock out the electricity in Miranda's school. None of it seems quite real to Miranda, even when her mother sends her and her brothers on a grocery run to buy all the canned soup, aspirin, vitamin pills and toilet paper they possibly can. Gas climbs to $5 a gallon, then $7, and pretty soon it's $35 for three gallons, and you can only get three gallons at a time.
  
  Throughout the nuclear winter caused by volcanic eruptions, Miranda tries to live life as normally as possible. She goes to the pond to ice skate for as long as she can breathe. She visits her friends, who are not the same people they were before the disaster. The question is, how long can Miranda and her family survive with minimal water, a dwindling food supply, no heat or electricity, and subzero temperatures?
  
  When so many people are giving up hope, starving, and dying of diseases we rarely get, Miranda is still clinging to normality. She still wants to date Dan, her swimming teammate, and she fights with her mother about her father and brothers. During this time of disaster, though, Miranda's best qualities come to light. Her determination helps her family survive a bout of deadly flu. Even though she fights with her mother, Miranda never gives up on loving her. Miranda might not know how long they will survive, but she does know that by working together they stand a chance.
  
  LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is one of the year's best books. You will read it in one sitting, fighting back tears as you bite your nails.
  
  --- Reviewed by Carlie Webber
  
  
• Give this one to your kids...
  By A2WHKJ4N9ZPMC0 on 2007-01-13
  If for nothing else, I think this book should be given to young readers to open their eyes to the things they have and the easy way of life we all have. Its a sobering view of how quickly things can change, and what a delicate balance of life we have on this earth--one that can be drastically altered by any number of things including by our own hand. Well written, with a big impact, this book will stay with you long after you read it.
  
  
• Read this book
  By A2MFYTF0PJZ388 on 2007-08-25
  I am an adult who sometimes reads good young adult fiction. But only when it is outstanding do I reread the same book. I have read this book twice even though I only have had it since June.
  
  Parts of this reminded me of Anne Frank's diary. The last section reminded me of what Anne would have written had she been able to keep writing in her diary until later on. But the ending of "Life as We Knew It" is a more hopeful one.
  
  It is the story of an ordinary family and how they showed extraordinary courage.
  
  It is a story about growing from self centeredness to maturity, from girl to young woman, and a story of becoming strong and how being compassionate is a way of being strong: perhaps the best way.
  
  The story had a reality to it: I could almost believe that it was truly happening.
  
  Then I thought about how there may be families in various parts of the world who are struggling for survival: due to war, or drought, or disasters, and realized: that it IS happening. And that we need to show kindness and reach out to each other.
  
  And like other readers, yes I went to the supermarket and stocked up on canned food. (:
  
  I look forward to the sequel, "The Dead & the Gone", and hope that it continues the story beyond the time frame of "Life as We Knew It" because there are some questions:
  Was the flow of food temporary, and are people still going to starve?
  Will normal life really return in May, as the President promised?
  If the volcanoes were continuing, how can there be any hope for life on earth: won't people still not be able to grow food, or are they using the Texas oil reserves to grow food in greenhouses? Are there areas, such as near the equator,but inland, where the normal climate is hot enough that agriculture can continue? I hope though that this sequel will have different things to say than "Life as we Knew It", or else there will be no point in HAVING a sequel: there are so many series, such as "The Shadow Children" series by Haddix, where the first book was great, yet then she stretched it out to more and more books that did not have the same power or freshness.
  
  In "Life as We Knew It", the author has built a world that I CARED about and wanted to hear more about.
  
  If you are interested in what if books about the future, or even just in books about courage and survival, read this.
  
  
  
  
  
• Life As We Knew It
  By A2NV5OUIFAZUD5 on 2008-06-28
  The storyline/concept for the book was great. I anticipated that it would be exciting to read. Bought it originally for my son, however when I got into the story, it was about characters that were not all that interesting or impressive. The author has a definite ax to grind with Christianity and obviously with the president. Her comments and characterizations did not add to the book. The mom in the story came across as greedy and immature. There were times in the reading that I thought were leading into the stories improvement, only to discover that it was another dead end. I thought the author's bias and drab characters took away from what could have been a fascinating story. I decided not to have my son read it.
  
  
• Fantastic and SCARY!
  By A2SL7JJD9M1V4G on 2006-12-27
  What I really liked about this book was the fact that I couldn't put it down. I picked it up because of the dust jacket and the author, whom I used to enjoy when I was a teenager. Reading this novel scared me becauses of how quickly things in the world can change. The voice of the main character is strong and honest. She brings you into her world, a world that is quickly changing. As an English teacher, I find this to be a book that my students would have a hard time putting down as well. It is fast paced and you are desperate to find out what the future (if there is one) will bring to the main character and her family.
  
  
• YA Book for EVERYONE-- Could not put down!
  By A3ESLRNHWPC8UL on 2007-01-04
  Passed around our library as "The Book to Read," Life as We Knew It is the best YA book I have read in a long time. Pfeiffer is able to capture the everyday life of a 15-year-old girl in a "true teen's voice" and still create a complex and sophisticated read of an apocalyptic event. Written in diary form, Pfeiffer's use of teen vernacular convinces the reader that they are not only reading Miranda's diary, but are also with her in those terrifying moments.
  
  
• Whoa!
  By A1ER7NIXSLDE3Q on 2007-06-01
  I am a high school English teacher. I just finished the last page of this novel. I wiped the tears from my eyes and am beginning the long wait until this gem comes out in paperback. I want my classes to read the book from cover to cover, with subsequent discussions about gratitude, family, friendship, loss of innocence, survival, and hope. I had a very hard time putting this one down; in fact, I failed in that endeavor.
  
  
• Intriguing!
  By A1R2L62VRQO3QV on 2007-06-14
  As a middle school teacher, I'm always looking for books to recommend to my students or even incorporate into the curriculum. This fits in so many ways! The premise is unique -- an asteroid hits the moon and throws it off its axis, bringing the moon closer to the earth and causing many environmental catastrophes. The story works wonderfully, although if I had to knock off a half-star, it would be because some parts are rather predictable. Still, thoughts of tie-ins to my classroom are already reeling in my mind -- survival, family relationships, global warming, nuclear war, etc., etc. Thank you, Susan Beth Pfeffer, for such a good book that will appeal to both girls and boys with much depth.
  
  
• Really makes you think...
  By AYYX1RE2KK1U on 2007-06-17
  Susan Beth Pfeffer has created a novel that will send your head spinning! Life As We Knew it is the diary of your everyday American teenager,Miranda. However, as a meteor hits the moon- pushing it out of its orbit and closer to the earth- her life, along with the lives of everyone else on the planet, is dramatically changed. Tsunamis and earthquakes are taking the lives of people everywhere. No one knows if their relatives are alive or dead. Suddenly, there is not enough electricity, not enough gas, not enough food. People fight over clothing and water, flee the coasts from tsunamis and the mountain sides from volcanic eruptions. Miranda is no longer the average teen; she's just a survivor- for today at least. Average means nothing to the world anymore... It's every man for himself.
  Life As We Knew It is Miranda's way of remembering the way it used to be before life became a race for survival.
  A Must Read for all ages
  
  
• good read for both teenagers AND adults
  By A1LJED6UV2C6MY on 2007-06-28
  This is a young adult selection which reaches a further audience with its explorations of individual sacrifices, loss, creativity, hope and love in a science-fiction scenario from the point of view of a 16 year old girl who writes diary entries (format of the book) as the story unfolds. It's an effective format which still allows the reader to be gripped and taken in by the action. There is plenty of dialogue in the passages and it reads easily.
  
  This book holds its own in a post-apocalyptic genre with its unique disaster of the asteroid hitting the moon and what happens to the earth as a result.
  
  The majority of the themes come through shining brightly and keep the story close to our hearts so that our heads don't have to be too critical of the plausibility. The sweetest gift, I found, is "watching" a contemporary family stumble their way through and how they are changed. It sounds cliche but transcends to something better.
  
  I bought this book for my daughter (age 14) and she really enjoyed it.
  She recommends it as do I.
  
  note: some families might have some objection to some commentary in the book about conservative politics and Christianity portrayed in a fanatical way.
  
  
  
  
• Well....
  By A1BJWFK932ORD5 on 2007-08-14
  What do you say about reading possibly one of the most depressing books of all time? I was very intrigued to read this, but at so many points it was very hard to turn the pages. Of course, I was amazed at what Miranda and her family proved themselves to be capable of, following what could have possibly been "the end" -- of everything. There is a point in the story where Miranda (bear in mind she is like 16) is completely on her own, forced to do everything in her power -- including forgoing sleep and food -- to keep her family alive through the night (and for several days afterward). As you read, you begin to rejoice in the small miracles that occur, such as their very heartwarming Christmas celebration, a long awaited phone call or letter, the treat of eating a "real" dinner, or the return of their beloved cat, Horton. I think that it is very true that people surprise themselves with how they find ways to adapt and triumph over adversity -- and in this case, worldwide catastrophe.
  
  
• An excellent read, for all ages
  By A3RH6FIN5CQF4P on 2007-10-22
  I am not an avid reader of books, especially fiction - but this book had me riveted and read the whole thing in one day. Maybe it touched a nerve that I've been fearing this whole world could completely disappear through an event that we have no control over to stop, or predict its outcome.
  
  Susan Beth Pfeffer's novel of a teenage diary, chronicling the events after the moon is knocked out of its orbit and causes chaos on earth, is well-written, engaging, and completely believable.
  
  The way the town reacts, how government and organized religion fail and take advantage, and how everyone is left to their own devices is most likely how things would go down. I, for one, do not believe or trust the Governments to be able to handle a crisis of the kind described here. Hurricane Katrina, anyone?
  
  It's an incredibly human story...almost anti-science fiction, because SF stories usually tell of the wonderous things that technology can do for us in the future. Here, our society is too reliant on technology, even down to the most basic things, but we've made it that way in our age of convenience and there's no alternative.
  
  This is a book that deals with family, spirituality, survival and keeping the most precious people close.
  
  Life As We Knew It is very touching, inspiring and cliche-free and recommended for lovers of any books, not just teens. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel, The Dead & The Gone.
  
  
• A great read--for any age!
  By A2JY0ZQS79OF9P on 2007-11-10
  This book surprised me. It isn't just a "kid's-eye view" of a global disaster, but a well-written, and developed 16-year-old's look at the apocalypse. It was also a shock. After NOT finishing The Road, by Cormac McCarthy (can we say boooring?!), this novel runs rings around it on many levels, and it a much better story.
  
  I'm a bit older than most readers (60+), and I read "extreme horror" and proof it for a number of writers, but "Life" really appealed to me. I already marked the new one as a "must buy" as soon as it's out next June.
  
  
• Good Concept and Ideas
  By A23H0RM8Y87X6R on 2008-06-08
  This book will certainly provoke some good discussions. I liked the premise, also like the messages about sacrifice, learning what is truly important, the importance of family, survival, and never giving up. I would have liked it better had there been a little more discussion of the science behind these events, i.e., how an asteroid could possibly knock the moon closer to earth; if religion had been presented in a little more balanced fashion (instead of one fanatic and one corrupt minister). Nevertheless, there were some very touching moments, and Miranda will prove to be a good example of a young girl finding tremendous inner strength in the face of incredible odds. It is a great book to recommend to reluctant readers, and for classroom discussion.
  
  
• Great book-now my favorite
  By on 2006-10-05
  It was a really good book of friendship and love for family. It was interesting and it kept you on the edge. Once you start it, you won't want to put it down!!!!
  
  

• the dead and the gone
• Rules (Apple Signature)
• The Rules of Survival
• The Book Thief
• Sold