Life as We Knew It
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4.6 • 30 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestseller! A heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller that's "absorbing from first to last page."*
When a meteor knocks the moon closer to earth, Miranda, a high school sophomore, takes shelter with her family.
Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, Life as We Knew It chronicles the human struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.
As August turns dark and wintery 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.
I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open. Like one marble hitting another, when the moon slams closer to earth, the result is catastrophic. Worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun.
Life as We Know It is an extraordinary series debut. The companion novels are: The Dead and the Gone, This World We Live In, and The Shade of the Moon.
(*Publishers Weekly, starred review)
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this now-classic work of apocalyptic YA, a teenager details the destruction of modern society in her diary. High school sophomore Miranda’s daily concerns about her grades, the two best friends slipping away from her, and the local skating star she’s crushing on become trivial when an asteroid knocks the moon out of its usual orbit. At first, she’s sure things will soon return to normal, but the catastrophic tidal changes, devastating thunderstorms, and erupting volcanoes cause power outages and permanent supply shortages. As their situation becomes more dire and tempers grow shorter, will Miranda and her family manage to survive? Will there even be a future to survive for? Author Susan Beth Pfeffer perfectly captures Miranda’s world, and it’s easy to find strength and hope in Miranda’s love for her family and the resilience she discovers within herself when she’s pushed to the breaking point.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When an asteroid collides with the moon, causing natural disasters tidal waves, volcanoes, earthquakes and climate changes on Earth, life as 16-year-old Miranda knows it will never be the same. Suddenly, things she has taken for granted electricity, news from the outside world and three square meals a day are a thing of the past. Thanks to her mother's foresight and preparedness, Miranda and her two brothers are better off than many families in their Pennsylvania community. They have a pantry filled with canned goods and plenty of logs to fuel their wood-burning stove. Yet their situation becomes more critical as other unexpected disasters arise. The book may be lengthy, but most readers will find it absorbing from first page to last. This survival tale by the author of The Year Without Michael celebrates the fortitude and resourcefulness of human beings during critical times. The story unfolds through Miranda's journal entries, from May, when the asteroid strikes, to the following March. Though the entries paint a grim picture of a rapidly shrinking civilization ("I write stuff down in here and I don't read it. Things are bad enough without having to remind myself of just how bad things are," she explains), her words also evoke a strain of hope which proves to be her most essential survival tool. Miranda's changing priorities, undying love for her family and heightened appreciation of simple pleasures will likely provoke discussion and inspire gratitude for life as we know it now. Ages 12-up.
