Life As We Knew It -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

As irrational as it may be, Life As We Knew It scared the crap out of me.  It made me want to stockpile food and hook up the wood stove.  It also made me want to move further inland, just in case.

Miranda's journal begins as a story about a pretty average Pennsylvanian small-town teen life (family, friends, sports and school, fantasies about the prom) but it quickly takes a big turn:

This moon thing is supposed to happen around 9:30 Wednesday night, and Mom was interested enough that we watched the news tonight.  Some big asteroid is going to hit the moon.  They said asteroids hit the moon pretty often, which is how the moon gets craters, but this one is going to be the biggest asteroid ever to hit it and on a clear night you should be able to see the impact when it happens, maybe even with the naked eye but certainly with binoculars.  They made it sound pretty dramatic, but I still don't think it's worth three homework assignments.

As projected, the asteroid hits the moon.  But somehow, the scientists got their calculations wrong:

I know all those astronomers I'd watched an hour earlier on CNN can explain just what happened and how and why and they'll be explaining on CNN tonight and tomorrow and I guess until the next big story happens.  I know I can't explain, because I don't really know what happened and I sure don't know why.

But the moon wasn't a half moon anymore.  It was tilted and wrong and a three-quarter moon and it got larger, way larger, large like a moon rising on the horizon, only it wasn't rising.  It was smack in the middle of the sky, way too big, way too visible.

Very quickly -- within hours -- the change in the moon's orbit causes world-wide destruction.  Earthquakes.  Tsunamis.  Before they completely lose power, they learn that Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard have been completely submerged, as well as most of Rhode Island.  And that's just the beginning.

Miranda's journal becomes a chronicle of her family's attempt at survival. 

It took me a little while to get really engrossed, but once I hit the second third, I couldn't put it down.  This is rare for me -- usually I have more self-control -- but occasionally I skipped ahead a few pages, just to be sure that the characters were still alive, and then I'd skip back.  Survival of the main character is always such an uncertain thing in diary novels. 

The basic premise -- modern teen trying to survive in extreme conditions -- reminded me of How I Live Now, but that was about it.  Rosoff's story was more romantic and epic and her writing was stronger, but Life As We Knew It felt more real, and teens might find it easier to relate to the characters.

Oh -- there are a couple of zingers about the current administration, though no names are named and the comments make sense, character-wise.  Also, the only religious official in the book is a bad-un.  Neither case was a huge story element, but some readers might not approve.   

And I have another quibble, but I'm going to address it in the comments as it's of a spoileriffic nature.  Avoid if you don't want to know how it ends.

Comments

[Cathy]

I adore this book. It made me feel the same way. While I read it I kept walking around looking at the sky to make sure things were where they were supposed to be. I don't know how she did that. Brilliant.

[Leila]

Yeah, I haven't shut up about it since finishing it.

But here's my quibble: The ending was a little too deus ex machina-y for me. The wind just happening to blow the bulletin about the Town Hall to Miranda, who just happened to be in town when someone was actually at Town Hall, which was only open two hours a week... It was just too much for me. AND her mother had been listening to the radio regularly for a good time before that -- if the government was finally able to start getting food to people, wouldn't there have been extremely frequent bulletins on every radio station out there?

I read an ARC, though, so that any and all of that may have been changed.

Other than that, though, I really liked it a whole lot.

[Heather]

This is one of my favorites for 2006. I begged my rep for an ARC as soon as I saw the cover in the catalog. You actually feel panicky reading some of the chapters (especially the "grocery store" scene).

[hayden]

I loved this book too, although it scared the crap out of me. I live in Seattle and I really want to move to a hilltop and buy a campstove, at least. I'm not so worried about an asteroid, but I think global warming will probably amount to about the same result eventually.

[Jennifer Smith]

I agree about the ending. It was a bit of a cop-out. However, the book scared the bejeezus out of me. It was cloudy the morning after I finished the book and I was extremely freaked out. It is definitely a book that haunts me.

[Fuse #8]

I too just finished this book (over Thanksgiving Break, no less) and it just blew me away. I don't know when I last was sucked this deeply into a story. I would literally look up from the pages and start wondering if I'd have enough food for the upcoming winter. This is a book that just burrows into your brain and takes up residence there.

Sure, the ending was a bit pat. But at that point the reader is so desperate for any sign of good news that you'll take what you can get. Even if it's a magical yellow flyer falling from the sky.

[Connie]

Like you all , I thought about where I keep my blankets, going out and looking at the sky [it's pouring down rain here], and wondering if i can get to the store fast enough to buy as much food as Miranda's mom did. I do agree with your quibbles. There were some things that I couldn't quite believe but for the most part, the excellent writing made me think that this was just one family's view of the event and I could suspend my disbelief in favor of understanding that it's one person's point of view.

A cool thing would be for the author to now write Dan's story - or one of her friends who left. It would be fun to see how the author imagined what was going on elsewhere while our heroine was dealing with her life. [Loved the political jibes also! right on!]

The writing is first rate, the action is excellent and the characters well drawn. A great book to recommend to anyone!
If you want to read more like this, check out the old classic [1949] by George Stewart called "Earth Abides". It's very readable and provides another scenario of the survival tale.

[Miranda Modys]

This book really changed to way I look at life. I just finished it yesterday(nov.3.2007) and I was in total awe. I don't think anyone would ever not appriciate AC/heater, communication and fresh food and chocolate (Oh, my god! I had such horrible craveings for chocolate) after reading this book! It was so horrible.

And I really do agree with the first thing that was said above. This book scared me shitless. I mean, we've all heard about global warming and that stuff but this story makes it so REAL. I live in Florida. I was researching the fastest way to exit the state after the first few chapters. Hell, I was ready to hi-tail it to the Rockys! Then I was all parinoid on how much food I'd be able to get and if I'd be ready to kill a person if I had to.

On a praiseing note, this book changes the world around you. You get so sucked in that you seem to feel it in the reality around you. When it's really cold in book, you can feel yourself shiver sometimes and you get the same longings. Not only that, but if you read for a little while and get sucked into the chapters, then you pull away from the story thinking it's life. You suddenly feel like you're trapped in a tiny room trying to stay warm while worrying about food. You suddenly feel isolated in the worst way and that if you pick up your cell phone, it won't work. And it acually takes more than a minute to come back to reality. It's scary yet takes a really good writer to pull that off.

The ending was really good too. I'm not sure I'd have a readiness to die like that. I really don't think I do or will. But then I really relate to the main characters. It's really weird sinse our names our the same, our thought patterns are very similar and my journal is written in nearly the same exact format. I can just relate so much.

I'm babbleing now. In conclusion, an absolutly wonderful read. It's 100% positive that you'll never look at the world the same.

[rebecca]

holy crap. im about half way through the book and its scaring me a lot. its amazing how one second everything could be great, and the next, the whole world is falling apart. but living here on long island, if anything like this ever really did happen, us long islanders would be among the first to go. so far i love this book and i cant wait to finish it.

[rebecca]

holy crap. im about half way through the book and its scaring me a lot. its amazing how one second everything could be great, and the next, the whole world is falling apart. but living here on long island, if anything like this ever really did happen, us long islanders would be among the first to go. so far i love this book and i cant wait to finish it.

[rebecca]

holy crap. im about half way through the book and its scaring me a lot. its amazing how one second everything could be great, and the next, the whole world is falling apart. but living here on long island, if anything like this ever really did happen, us long islanders would be among the first to go. so far i love this book and i cant wait to finish it.

[Eleina]

I loved the book. It does make you think about what would happen it that was happening. If the moon ever was knocked out of orbit I would take a ccredit card or something and buy out the store before anyone knew what happened. But for me it's weird to look up at the sky now. When I do it makes me think about what could happen.

[Molly]

I loved this book. This book did scare me, though. Miranda is just an average girl and I believe that she is very strong and courageous in this book. AMAZING BOOK!(:

[Kate]

I LOVED this book. I do agree about how the ending wasn't so great but on the way to school one day I was thinking about only getting sandwiches until I realized that I wasn't in the book! This book really pulled me into the story! I highly recommend it!!! :)

[Katerin]

This book was written so well, i forgotten about everything and kept worrying about time for some reason. I constantly kept looking at the clock, for reasons i honestly can't explain. It made so anxious and now i can honestly say i will never look at the moon as just a rock floating in space anymore. Besides all of that its really a great book, and the characters and the plot is so believable. Read "Life as we knew it".

[dylan]

this book was so scary yet so well written i felt that i was drawn right into it! I also kept looking @ the clock! for reasons i can't explain i want to read it again and again! i suggest you read it. it's a very realistic story of what could happen! the ending was not great but i liked the whole book, mostly!

[zaiba]

Omg this book was so good. and i gotta agree with most of the people who said that they thought they were part of the book because i did the same, i would always catch myslef saying tht i shouldnt eat too much cuz then we wont have enough food lol..weird i noe!

[Elise]

Apart from feeling like this book was starving me to death with every page (and eating WAY too much while I read it, just to remember what food tasted like) I really liked it. At the moment I've chosen this novel to adapt into a movie for my Film class, so if anyone has scenes they thought were awesome (like the shopping scene - THAT will be fun to film) let me know!

[nick]

fuck this book. this book fucking sucked big donky balls

[luke skywalker]

when i was done reading this book i looked up and killed my family with a knife and blew my brains out with my shotgun!

[an]

Well, I'm not done the book but its already very exciting and I'm only on page 51. The book is just...awesome. Lol. Sorry not the best explanation but people that want to read and haven't yet..read it! It's very good and my heart started beating faster for like a entire chapter.

I just started it, but so far, i luv it!

[Kallie]

Oh...my...gosh. I like JUST finished it, and I LOVED it! I started yesterday around 4:30 and was 3/4 of the way done by 11. I really didnt want to go to bed last night, i wanted to finish it! i just read the rest for the past 2 hours, it was so exciting! I wish that the author had a more complete and finished ending. I dont like how it doesnt actually TELL you that they lived, or if the world went back to normal, and if Lisa and the baby and her dad are okay, but i assume that probably did happen. the scene when her family had the flu and Peter died was soooooo sad and stressful. By the first 20-30 pages, i was sucked into the story and kept looking out the window to make sure the moon was still normal! i was worrying if we had enough food and what my family would do to survive! it took a minute or so to snap back to reality. the story was so realistic, and it could conceivably happen, which was scary. ok, well im getting long here, so all i have left to say is READ THIS BOOK!!!

[Anna Castle]

It is a book that makes you aware of your surrounds. When I was reading "Life As We Knew It".. and heard bad news relating to the weather, economic, looting or just feel a breeze and think something is blowing in, I felt apprehensive.
I need to find another book written for young minds by Susan Pfeffer. I want to know if she is always cynical about a political party who elected a president who just happens to be from Texas. More important, is she cynical about God.

[Jess]

I just finished your book and "Life As We Knew It" it is AWESOME it felt like I was going though the same thing.

[xXxemopunkallyxXx]

I really liked this book but it made me think more about the enviroment.I already care about the enviroment but it made me care more!but i didnt have time to see how the book ended and i was reading it for my school project BTW its due tomorrw 10-15-08 so if anyone gets on this ting 10-14-08 and posts a comment after mine please tell me how the strory ends xD thankies =]

[alexis]

That book was awesome! Best book i ever read!!! i read it in less than 2 days i pretty much skipped science while i read this book i mean i was in the room but my mind was far away.... tell every body u know about this book like if u read a different book and u thought it was good i bet its nothing compared to this one i never even put it down! not even to eat at least i did not get pizza sauce over this awesome book! i hope megan finds dan and they finally get to have a special time together maybe they will get married... i hope Lissa and her baby an Megans dad and Matt r Okay!!!!! but seriously read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[luna]

I have to say, the author tricked us into thinking they were going to die in the end. With Matt not getting home on time from the post office and them getting sick. The ending was somewhat boring, but the story in all was pretty good. This made me think of the global warning, and if I would survive it. I don't think I'll ever be as strong as Miranda.

[sarah]

i LOVED this book. like other people, i kept wondering if i had enough food and blankets. i just moved from a place with a wood stove. now i regret ever moving. i also now want to move to a place farther away from the coast.

[Alaysa]

This book was amazing. I get up and think that the world is coming to an end and that everything in the book has happened to me. It scared me to death, I am always ready to scream,"Help! The world is coming to an end. I'm too young to die. I really think Horton their cat is cute. Buyt what will happen if this really happens to the world? Evacuate the coasts! Buy more food! Chop firewood!

[etretty]

You should not tell the ending because, just like me, the ending was totally spoiled for me! FYI! Just telling this to you to inform other people that want to read this book!

P.S. what grade are you people in, i am in 7th grade.

[brittany]

I mailed a letter to the president about what we should do about this type of enviroment because "Life as we Knew it" inspired me of if we continue populating this world, we too are coming to the end like MIranda!

[brittany]

P.S. The president mailed me again and he is taking my advice very strictly.

[Christina]

Very scary. It's an extremely sad novel, as well. Those who don't deal with thinking of deal well, definitely do not read this trilogy. The third and final book made my heart ache for Miranda and her family. Especially for Julie. I wanted to cry.

[Fred]

I LOVED this book but what bothered me was that the story never went back to any of the other small plots, its almost like the writer just wanted to end the book. What happened to Lisa, and her dad? What happened to her boyfriend? What happened to sammy? I think that the author should have addressed at least the whole dad lisa baby buisness. Other than that I loved the book!

[Bucky]

Yeah, that's the tiekct, sir or ma'am

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