Review Detail

Teenager Miranda tells the story via diary entries of what happens when an asteroid hits the moon, shoving it closer to Earth. It is a disaster with drastic consequences: changes in the ocean tides result in tsunamis that kill multitudes of people and eliminate cities. Previously inactive volcanoes erupt; the ash blocks the sun and destroys air quality. Earthquakes are unleashed, worldwide. The weather changes, with freezing temperatures in August.

Miranda changes from a girl who worries about school, grades, and swim team performance to one who must struggle to survive as options narrow. The lack of sunshine means crops can't be grown. Can they survive on the food they've squirreled away? Can Miranda live on one meal a day . . .or less?

Electricity is a pleasure of the past, and heating oil is no longer available. Will the family freeze before they starve? Will the violence in town reach them, now that there is no law enforcement? And what has become of Miranda's dad and his pregnant second wife? Little do Miranda and her family know that their troubles are just beginning.

LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is a gripping tale. It is a terrifying story made even scarier not only because natural disasters are so often in the news but because the reader feels she knows Miranda and her family. The author does not strike one false note in this book as Miranda evolves and matures through life's challenges. And, although some of the details are grim, Miranda and the reader are uplifted by a realistically small yet true hopefulness.

LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is a true page-turner that's nearly impossible to put down. I give it my highest recommendation.