Lisa R. (alterlisa) -
Helpful Score: 5
As soon as I picked up this book and saw it was in journal style, I was like "crap". I don't do books that are journal style or poetry style. My problem, I already had all three of the books in this series. So I decide, I'll give it a try, I can always find something else to read, although it was highly recommended by a blogger that I had found very reliable in the past. Within a few chapters, I was totally captivated and totally unaware that it was written journal style. Even though, I quickly got tired of Amanda's bratty, poor me attitude (she was a teen after all) I continued on with this wonderful novel. The twists and turns come at you very quickly and while earth as we knew it, was changing very,very quickly, Amanda matured at a much slower rate. You will cry with her and get angry at her but still rejoice in the small day to day victories. This book stayed with me much longer than I would have thought which is why I've resisted writing the review to this awesome series. I was afraid that with time it would not be both horrifying and hopeful all at the same time. I was wrong. Though it has been months, this book has resonated with me like no other. Every time, I check my pantry before going grocery shopping, this little mental bell goes off that makes me extra vigilant that I am well stocked.
Helpful Score: 4
I could not put this book down and ended up staying up most of the night to find out the fates of Miranda and her family, who you will come to admire and root for, even as things get worse for them. Memorable characters navigate devastating world events in a totally believable, and at times heart-breaking, way. A riveting book that will have you pondering your own survival strategies. My only quibble is the lack of an epilogue.
This was definitely a can't-put-it-down kind of book. And it was so "real" that it kind of freaked me out. I read all kinds of horror books, and none of them scare me, but while I was reading this book, every news report of a freak storm made me nervous! Excellent read!
Jeannie H. (ilovebooksanddogs) -
Helpful Score: 2
This book just truly scared the shit out of me! The characters were clearly drawn and easy to relate to. I just kept thinking of what I would do if something as catastrophic as this really did happen. Hard to put down, in fact, I read it in one evening because I have the sequels already in hand and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Helpful Score: 2
LIFE AS WE KNEW IT hooks you and doesn't let you go. Every time I had to take a break from reading, I stumbled out into the real world, where I was amazed to find that there was still plenty of food, water, electricity, and heat. Miranda's simple, diary-like language thus makes her story all that more believable. This novel is an incredible achievement.
Helpful Score: 1
In this disaster book, a large asteroid hits the moon and throws it out of orbit around the earth. The author actually sticks with some science and talks about tides changing and weather being affected. Of course there is the immediate panic of people. Utilities go out, fossil fuels run out, food runs out. The people in the book end up having to relearn how to live because of their circumstances. There are hardships both emotional and physical. To some people the characters may come across as "whiny", but I'd like to challenge the reader to imagine how they may feel in those circumstances. There have been a lot of comments about how certain situations were unrealistic, but I found it to be mostly spot-on, even if slightly exaggerated.
The book is written mostly as a journal with more detailed entries scattered within that are more of a narrative. I actually liked the format that the author decided to use.
The book is written mostly as a journal with more detailed entries scattered within that are more of a narrative. I actually liked the format that the author decided to use.
Helpful Score: 1
Realistic and well written story from a young lady's point of view of what would happen if the moon moved closer to the Earth.
I've read a number of "end of the world" books and this is by far the best. Months after I read it I still think about the family in this story. It is suitable for any age. I'd have loved it when I was a young girl and I loved it now in my old age.
I've read a number of "end of the world" books and this is by far the best. Months after I read it I still think about the family in this story. It is suitable for any age. I'd have loved it when I was a young girl and I loved it now in my old age.
Helpful Score: 1
Life as we Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer is the first in a trilogy aimed at young adults. The story begins in an average high school in an average spring. Exam preparation, summer plans, prom, crushes, and changing friendships all go on as usual. Then a big event captures everyone's attention, and I do mean everyone. An asteroid is headed toward the moon, and it's expected to be visible with the naked eye. Families gather outside on a spring night to observe the phenomenon - and then all hell breaks lose.
As the title suggests, life changes dramatically when the asteroid hits its target. Without too many spoiling details, I can tell you that prom and final exams take a backseat to survival. The struggle for food, heat, light, and water pits family against family, individual against individual, and threatens to destroy an entire way of life.
The panic to stock the pantries reminded me of times in the past when pantry-stocking was a hot topic, even a trend. In Life as We Knew It, pantry-stocking may initially look like a panic reaction, but it turns out to be necessary. Typical sources of food are just not available. Starvation is a very real possibility.
Life as We Knew It sets up an apocalyptic world in which every individual and family group must cope together - or risk the worst. This story caught my attention; I looked up the rest of the trilogy and put the titles on my wish list on PaperbackSwap. If you're looking for an easy and entrancing read, or if your young adult reader needs something dramatic to hold his or her attention, consider Life as We Knew It. Stocking the pantry may never feel the same again.
As the title suggests, life changes dramatically when the asteroid hits its target. Without too many spoiling details, I can tell you that prom and final exams take a backseat to survival. The struggle for food, heat, light, and water pits family against family, individual against individual, and threatens to destroy an entire way of life.
The panic to stock the pantries reminded me of times in the past when pantry-stocking was a hot topic, even a trend. In Life as We Knew It, pantry-stocking may initially look like a panic reaction, but it turns out to be necessary. Typical sources of food are just not available. Starvation is a very real possibility.
Life as We Knew It sets up an apocalyptic world in which every individual and family group must cope together - or risk the worst. This story caught my attention; I looked up the rest of the trilogy and put the titles on my wish list on PaperbackSwap. If you're looking for an easy and entrancing read, or if your young adult reader needs something dramatic to hold his or her attention, consider Life as We Knew It. Stocking the pantry may never feel the same again.
Helpful Score: 1
Hands down, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I love reading young adult books because they're usually edgier and are usually page-turners. This one is both. I was a bit bored during the first 25 pages or so, reading about Miranda's normal life, but that was necessary for character development. But once the main event of the book (I won't give it away) happens, then things really pick up and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the other two books in this series. I recommend this for both adults and young adults.
Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, Bk 1) on + 5322 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
If you're looking for one of the best books of 2006, then look no further than Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT. A wonderful tale of family love, loss, and survival, this is one story that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
There have been lots of changes in sixteen-year-old Miranda's life recently. Her older brother, Matt, is away at college. Her mom is still adjusting to being a divorced parent. Her younger brother, Jonny, is obsessed with baseball. And her dad and his new wife, Lisa, are expecting a baby. Dealing with all of that has been quite stressful, but Miranda's been thinking about getting back into ice-skating, and she's spending plenty of time mooning over her current hero/crush, Olympic-hopeful Brandon Erlich, a hometown hero.
Miranda's also excited about the meteor that's headed towards the Moon. Some scientists predict a minor collision; teachers predict plenty of extra homework dealing with the subjects of both Moon and meteors. For Miranda and her family, and for millions of others around the world, it simply sounds like a cool event you'll get to watch from your front yard through a pair of binoculars.
What happens on that fateful night is something no one expected. The meteor does, in fact, collide with the Moon. However, the impact was stronger than anyone had previously thought possible, and immediately, all throughout planet Earth, the effects of that collision begin to be felt. Tides, which are controlled by the Moon, become erratic, causing deadly tidal waves. Fissures in the Earth's crust crack, causing earthquakes worldwide, even in places where no earthquakes had ever occurred before. Within twenty-four hours, it becomes apparent that thousands upon thousands of people have died, and that, with the Moon out of its normal orbit, many more deaths are sure to follow.
This may sound like a depressing story, but in fact it's a story about hope and survival. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT follows Miranda and her family through nearly a year after the meteor's collision with the Moon, and all of the events that come after it--the power outages, the food shortages, the weather changes, and the loss of human contact. As Miranda and her family come to grips with this new way of living, their bodies and spirits will be tested more than they've ever been before. But this is ultimately a story about learning to survive with what you've got, and never taking what you have for granted. A wonderful, inspiring story, LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is one you'll want to read more than once.
If you're looking for one of the best books of 2006, then look no further than Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT. A wonderful tale of family love, loss, and survival, this is one story that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
There have been lots of changes in sixteen-year-old Miranda's life recently. Her older brother, Matt, is away at college. Her mom is still adjusting to being a divorced parent. Her younger brother, Jonny, is obsessed with baseball. And her dad and his new wife, Lisa, are expecting a baby. Dealing with all of that has been quite stressful, but Miranda's been thinking about getting back into ice-skating, and she's spending plenty of time mooning over her current hero/crush, Olympic-hopeful Brandon Erlich, a hometown hero.
Miranda's also excited about the meteor that's headed towards the Moon. Some scientists predict a minor collision; teachers predict plenty of extra homework dealing with the subjects of both Moon and meteors. For Miranda and her family, and for millions of others around the world, it simply sounds like a cool event you'll get to watch from your front yard through a pair of binoculars.
What happens on that fateful night is something no one expected. The meteor does, in fact, collide with the Moon. However, the impact was stronger than anyone had previously thought possible, and immediately, all throughout planet Earth, the effects of that collision begin to be felt. Tides, which are controlled by the Moon, become erratic, causing deadly tidal waves. Fissures in the Earth's crust crack, causing earthquakes worldwide, even in places where no earthquakes had ever occurred before. Within twenty-four hours, it becomes apparent that thousands upon thousands of people have died, and that, with the Moon out of its normal orbit, many more deaths are sure to follow.
This may sound like a depressing story, but in fact it's a story about hope and survival. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT follows Miranda and her family through nearly a year after the meteor's collision with the Moon, and all of the events that come after it--the power outages, the food shortages, the weather changes, and the loss of human contact. As Miranda and her family come to grips with this new way of living, their bodies and spirits will be tested more than they've ever been before. But this is ultimately a story about learning to survive with what you've got, and never taking what you have for granted. A wonderful, inspiring story, LIFE AS WE KNEW IT is one you'll want to read more than once.
Eva Marie L. (babyjulie) -
Helpful Score: 1
This is definitely more a 4.5 kind of book for me. I hadn't heard of this author or this book before a friend sent it to me and I'm so thankful because there are at least two others that I know I'll enjoy that I get to read by Pfeffer.
I'm pretty much past thinking that YA is just fluff because I've read enough to know that's just now the case. But I am still hesitant at times. I do however happen to like books in diary/journal/letter format a lot - none of that mattered though because as soon as I started reading I fell right in.
It's rare for me to wish a book was longer but that was the case here. I could have done with it being a lot longer. Miranda is a totally believable main character and the secondaries are just as good. I alternated between being frightened, to being happy, to almost crying. There are a few parts that really tug at your heart. And it's so realistic, in a sense, that I really started wondering 'what if'. Luckily I decided fairly quickly. I'm packing up the people and animals I love and moving, as fast as possible, to my friends house. (Luckily she's not all that far away.) I'm not saying any names because I don't want anyone else to remember this review and get any bright ideas - we probably won't have the room. :)
I'm going to read the next two in the series and I can't wait and this will, again, be thanks to my unnamed friend. :D
I'm pretty much past thinking that YA is just fluff because I've read enough to know that's just now the case. But I am still hesitant at times. I do however happen to like books in diary/journal/letter format a lot - none of that mattered though because as soon as I started reading I fell right in.
It's rare for me to wish a book was longer but that was the case here. I could have done with it being a lot longer. Miranda is a totally believable main character and the secondaries are just as good. I alternated between being frightened, to being happy, to almost crying. There are a few parts that really tug at your heart. And it's so realistic, in a sense, that I really started wondering 'what if'. Luckily I decided fairly quickly. I'm packing up the people and animals I love and moving, as fast as possible, to my friends house. (Luckily she's not all that far away.) I'm not saying any names because I don't want anyone else to remember this review and get any bright ideas - we probably won't have the room. :)
I'm going to read the next two in the series and I can't wait and this will, again, be thanks to my unnamed friend. :D
Tabatha L. (tabathalantz) reviewed Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, Bk 1) on + 114 more book reviews
The plot of this is slightly unsettling. It's scary to think of something like this really happening and having to survive. It wasn't a fantastic read, but it make you want to read the next two books just to see what happens to Miranda, her family, and the rest of the world.
can't wait to read the next in the series!
Casey L. (casey-sue) -
First let me say that this series is written in a journal type format. I didnt know this beforehand, and had to get myself used to it. Personally im not a fan of books formatted this way, but it worked out splendid for this series. I'm not sure the book would have such an impact if it were written differently. Because of this, you find yourself wondering what you would write in such a case. Would you be dramatic? Superficial? Aloof? You want to judge the reaction of the characters responses but n second thought, who would know the proper reaction? Although i find fault in the science behind this catastrophic event, it does come together well.
After reading this book I would go to the grocery and have the urge to grab everything off the shelves! It was a real eye opener, showing how much our lives would change on a daily basis. Kudos to the author,I've never read a book that made me feel claustrophobic.
Journal style dystopia. Easy to relate to characters, scary events and yet it wasn't on the edge of your seat drama. More the quiet (mostly) unfolding of the end of life as we know it through the eyes of a 15 year old.
Looking forward to seeing where Pfeffer takes things.
Looking forward to seeing where Pfeffer takes things.
Sherry G. (Shervivor) -
This is an extremely bleak story. Not that 'an end of the world' novel could be cheerful. It is the story of a teenaged girl who journals about the catastrophic effects of an asteroid colliding with the moon. I imagine this story to be the precurser to a novel like The Road. I enjoyed the book but if you choose to read it go in knowing that it isn't a cheerful, pick you up kind of book.
Even though it was written for teens, I found this book to be very interesting (coming from a 30 something). I had never even thought about an asteroid hitting the moon and how much of our natural world would be affected. This book left me thinking and wanting to read the next book in the series.
Holy Poo... I dont know what to say about this series except beware all who enter. I read the entire series in about a week and it was definitely a fast read. Good description and Pfeffer does a lot of lists which i like. In the end it left me in a weird funk for WEEKS after i finished it. A very good(and very severe) teen distopia book.
i usually dont read these kinds of books... but i was hooked from the first few pages..gave it 5 stars ..great 1st in the series book ... ran out and bought the 2nd & 3rds books in the series ..cant wait to start them ... Overall AWESOME series
When a meteor hits the moon knocking it closer to earth, life as we know it is forever changed. The gravitational pull is altered and the Earth is covered with tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. People must take extreme measures to survive.
Life As We Knew It is the story of one family's survival told through the journal of 16 year old Miranda. Miranda is a typical teenager used to modern conveniences. She fights with her mother, feels jealous of her brothers and wants a chance to go to the prom. But, through all this, she loves her family and finds a strength she didn't know she had. Pfeffer does an amazing job creating real characters that you care about. It's an amazing story of family, sacrifice and the will to survive,
Life As We Knew It is the story of one family's survival told through the journal of 16 year old Miranda. Miranda is a typical teenager used to modern conveniences. She fights with her mother, feels jealous of her brothers and wants a chance to go to the prom. But, through all this, she loves her family and finds a strength she didn't know she had. Pfeffer does an amazing job creating real characters that you care about. It's an amazing story of family, sacrifice and the will to survive,
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
I have been wanting to read this for a while. All I really knew about it was that it was supposed to be about the end of the world kind of and supposed to be really good. It was a very good book and really makes you think about how you would survive in a similar situation. I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was well done.
Miranda and her family are excited to go out and watch an asteroid hit the moon; there is supposed to be a big flash you can see from earth. Unfortunately it is then that disaster strikes. The asteroid is denser than expected and the moon is thrown out of orbit. The shift in the moon's gravitational pull is having catastrophic effects; there are tsunamis on the coasts, earthquakes everywhere, massive volcanic eruptions, and basically everything that could go wrong with the world is. Miranda and her family aren't in the thick of things where they live in Pennsylvania but they are living with a gradual decline; power is scarce, food is almost non-existent, and they are isolated from the rest of the country. Fears about food sources and heat as winter approaches make things more complicated.
This whole book is done as day by day journal entries by Miranda. The author does an excellent job of showing Miranda's ups and downs as she struggles through the events her and her family are put through. The author also does an excellent job of showing how Miranda's family's life declines in increments. There are no huge disasters here, well there are some, but mainly this book shows how the world could go into a slow decline and how people would do their best to survive. I found it to be a much more realistic take on "the end of the world" than many other books I have read. There is also a lot of focus on how close Miranda and her family become as they struggle to survive.
This book will really suck you in; it will make you laugh at times and make you cry at others. You really start to feel like you are part of Miranda's family and are holding your breath to see what they will have to fight through next. It is definitely not the most uplifting of books and at times is downright depressing. The author offsets this with occasional positive events and glimpses of hope. This book will definitely get you thinking about all that you take for granted in day to day life and about how fragile the structure of our information based society is.
There were a couple things that I didn't like about this book. Midway through it kind of drags. There is only so much that a reader can read about rationing food and trying to find ways to pass the time before they start to get a bit bored. So there were a couple parts where I impatiently wanted the story to get on with things. Also when Miranda is dictating conversations she ends every sentence with "he said", "I said", "she said" and that gets a bit repetitive but is probably representative of how a teenager would write in a journal.
Overall this is a wonderful book that really makes you think about the fragility of human society. A great take on the collapse of human society caused completely by natural disaster. It is not a happy book and is pretty depressing, but there are some glimpses of laughter and hope throughout. It will make you wonder how you would survive a similar situation. I have not decided if I want to read the next two books in this series or not. I would like to find out more about what happens to Miranda and her family, but it was a pretty depressing read and I am not sure I need that...especially in the winter.
Miranda and her family are excited to go out and watch an asteroid hit the moon; there is supposed to be a big flash you can see from earth. Unfortunately it is then that disaster strikes. The asteroid is denser than expected and the moon is thrown out of orbit. The shift in the moon's gravitational pull is having catastrophic effects; there are tsunamis on the coasts, earthquakes everywhere, massive volcanic eruptions, and basically everything that could go wrong with the world is. Miranda and her family aren't in the thick of things where they live in Pennsylvania but they are living with a gradual decline; power is scarce, food is almost non-existent, and they are isolated from the rest of the country. Fears about food sources and heat as winter approaches make things more complicated.
This whole book is done as day by day journal entries by Miranda. The author does an excellent job of showing Miranda's ups and downs as she struggles through the events her and her family are put through. The author also does an excellent job of showing how Miranda's family's life declines in increments. There are no huge disasters here, well there are some, but mainly this book shows how the world could go into a slow decline and how people would do their best to survive. I found it to be a much more realistic take on "the end of the world" than many other books I have read. There is also a lot of focus on how close Miranda and her family become as they struggle to survive.
This book will really suck you in; it will make you laugh at times and make you cry at others. You really start to feel like you are part of Miranda's family and are holding your breath to see what they will have to fight through next. It is definitely not the most uplifting of books and at times is downright depressing. The author offsets this with occasional positive events and glimpses of hope. This book will definitely get you thinking about all that you take for granted in day to day life and about how fragile the structure of our information based society is.
There were a couple things that I didn't like about this book. Midway through it kind of drags. There is only so much that a reader can read about rationing food and trying to find ways to pass the time before they start to get a bit bored. So there were a couple parts where I impatiently wanted the story to get on with things. Also when Miranda is dictating conversations she ends every sentence with "he said", "I said", "she said" and that gets a bit repetitive but is probably representative of how a teenager would write in a journal.
Overall this is a wonderful book that really makes you think about the fragility of human society. A great take on the collapse of human society caused completely by natural disaster. It is not a happy book and is pretty depressing, but there are some glimpses of laughter and hope throughout. It will make you wonder how you would survive a similar situation. I have not decided if I want to read the next two books in this series or not. I would like to find out more about what happens to Miranda and her family, but it was a pretty depressing read and I am not sure I need that...especially in the winter.
Cheryl C. (moondance120) reviewed Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, Bk 1) on + 422 more book reviews
Wow! I don't often read YA books but this one called out to me and I am so glad it did. The story is told in journal form by Miranda after a catastrophic event that throws the Earth out of balance. I read this in one sitting because I souldn't put it down. I could relate to the characters and wondered how I would react in the same situation. A must read!
I wasn't sure at the beginning what would come of this book but I absolutely lived it. The writing style was engaging and the attention to detail had me envisioning everything. My favorite descriptive piece in a long time was Miranda's imagination, to avoid a spoiler, her entry from
February 18.
February 18.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had been looking at this book at the store for sometime and I just wasn't too sure about it. I finally went on amazon and watch a mini video about the book! I purchase the book off eBay and when it came in I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. The moon is hit by an astroid a little TOO HARD, and the moon comes too close to the earth. All likes of weather and earth problems happen. Earthquakes, flooding, volcanoes out of no where and so much more. People have to survive.
This story is a 16 year old in PA point of view in a normal format on all the details of daily life of survival with her family. It's intriguing and a brilliant story for young age kids age 9 and above. I'm 39. This book and story makes you appreciate all the "things" we have from food to electronics to the dishwasher for granted. This book will Hook you and re think your life and what is true NEEDED and IMPORTANT for you and your family.
I love the story about a very special Christmas!!
I already bought book 2 & 3 and I plan to read then right away and save them for both of my kids to read and love.
View all my reviews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had been looking at this book at the store for sometime and I just wasn't too sure about it. I finally went on amazon and watch a mini video about the book! I purchase the book off eBay and when it came in I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. The moon is hit by an astroid a little TOO HARD, and the moon comes too close to the earth. All likes of weather and earth problems happen. Earthquakes, flooding, volcanoes out of no where and so much more. People have to survive.
This story is a 16 year old in PA point of view in a normal format on all the details of daily life of survival with her family. It's intriguing and a brilliant story for young age kids age 9 and above. I'm 39. This book and story makes you appreciate all the "things" we have from food to electronics to the dishwasher for granted. This book will Hook you and re think your life and what is true NEEDED and IMPORTANT for you and your family.
I love the story about a very special Christmas!!
I already bought book 2 & 3 and I plan to read then right away and save them for both of my kids to read and love.
View all my reviews
I am a fan of the post-apocolyptic genre, but there's not a lot I would recommend to my teenage daughter yet. This is a nice starter book. Survival, stockpiling, epidemics, lonliness, desperation, hopelessness, hopefulness... But without a lot of mob violence, nuclear fallout...and NO zombies. Written as the diary of a 16 yr old in a typical middle class town. I really liked this book for the YA demographic.
I agree that this is a terrific book, readable for anybody of any age; not a kids' book at all. It has one flaw, however -- scientific errors. For instance, the phase of the moon after the asteroid impact wouldn't have changed. Other things as well which I spotted, and I am no astronomer. However, compared to all the things the author gets right with this book, its factual errors are minor. But then again, they are present, so I give it only 4 stars; otherwise it would be 5.
LOVED IT!!!
