Review of Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Page Count: 337
Official Website: Here
Rating:
Quote: "I feel so much better about things. After a day like today, I feel like we will make it through, that if we love each other and work hard enough, we'll survive whatever might happen next."
Description: 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 10 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.

Review: Life As We Knew It tells the story of how Miranda and her family, which includes her mother, older brother Matt and younger brother Jonny, try to survive through major weather changes in the course of a year. The story is told in first-person through Miranda's diary entries - and it works. Her diary starts in May and ends in March, with some entries being as long as five pages, and some as short and three sentences. The story is broken up into four parts : Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

The story starts a few days before the meteor strikes, when Miranda finds out her father's second wife is pregnant. Matt is away at college and is expected to return in about a week or too. When the scientists first learn about the incoming meteor, they all thing something extraordinary is about to happen. People are celebrating and throwing "watching parties" in their neighborhoods and with family. But when the meteor does hit, it actually makes the moon comes closer to earth, as shown on the cover.

Nobody really understands what the movement of the moon means until a static-y report appears on their TV saying all the tides are messed up, and massive flooding and tsunamis are occuring. Thankfully, Miranda and her family is located in Pennslyvania, a fact they say later in the book. Note: I really had no idea where she lived for about 100 pages. The news reporter says how New York and Boston have been completely submerged. Basically, anywhere near the ocean on the east coast is underwater.

For the rest of the season, Miranda and her family safe. Although, on May 19, Miranda's mother picks her up from school along with Jonny and their neighbor, Mrs. Nesbitt. Miranda's mom tells her that they're going to the supermarket, and that everyone gets a wagon for $100 and they can put anything they want in the wagon. Naturally, the place is a mess. But they manage to get about 4-5 full wagons of food, and split is evenly with Mrs. Nesbitt.

Life As We Knew It was more like Independence Day ( the movie ). The entire book they stay in their home with volcanoes, blizzards, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. go on around them. They try to survive on the food they have, and eventually, when winter comes around, have enough heat and water. But really, there's no action in the book. The theme of Life As We Knew It is about survival. That's why I gave LAWKI only 3 stars. BECAUSE THEY STAY IN THE HOUSE THE WHOLE BOOK. But, when I went on Susan's blogger, I realized there was a sorta sequel about people in New York City during the meteor attack. It's called The Dead and The Gone. Look at that COVER !

It's Beautiful :D