Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, 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. – Goodreads.com
Miranda, the Main Character of Life As We Knew It
The book is written as a journal; Miranda’s journal. Journals can be particularly grating and difficult to write and read, since they not only cover the important things but also the mundane. Miranda begins as a silly girl who thinks only of herself. But when she is thrust into real life early on, she grows up quickly. She goes from being extremely selfish, to being able to care for her entire family through a crisis and hold herself responsible for things.
The Reality of Life As We Knew It
Most end of the world stories come from the point of view of scientists and world leaders. This story is told from the point of view of a teenage girl and never really says what scientifically happens. The world watches as the moon is knocked closer to the Earth by a meteor. After just a few weeks all contact to the outside world is lost with the electricity going out. The seasons are drastically changed. Luckily, Miranda’s mother thinks ahead and packs the house full of food before everyone else takes it. Still, they have trouble making it through until the electricity is turned back on and news starts traveling around the world again.
Susan Beth Pfeffer writes so well that I felt hungry every time Miranda was hungry. I felt the anxiety Miranda was feeling when her family was all sick with the flu. She had no help and finally understood what it was to be an adult. She was forced past her childhood too soon, but she took it on well.
The story is personal, strong, and emotional. It is a roller coaster that one has to ride until the end in one sitting. The reader feels the trauma of the moment. Be ready for an adventure.
Original post on Suite101: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer – A Book Review | Suite101 https://suite101.com/article/life-as-we-knew-it-by-susan-beth-pfeffer–a-book-review-a330106#ixzz2Kn5ujrSd