Saturday, February 19, 2011

Life as We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer


Life as We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Hardcover, 337 pages
Published October 1st 2006 by Harcourt Children's Books
(I listened to this: Read by: Emily Bauer)
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.
Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. - Goodreads
My Opinion: This was an amazing story about survival. Miranda was annoying for about the first half of the book because she kept whining about how she was hungry and cold all the time but then she got it together and got a hold of herself. My favorite character had to be Matt because he knew what was actually happening and was asked for his opinion by their mom. Another favorite was Mrs. Nesbit, she was realistic about their circumstances and knew that she wouldn't survive for long and in the process did whatever she could to help Miranda and her family.

So the story is pretty much about the effects of what would happen if the moon was hit by an asteroid and was brought closer to the Earth and what its effects would be. Its very interesting because some of the things that Miranda and her family go through as very difficult. I'm surprised that she didn't give up faster.

I loved how the book ended. It brought back hope. I think that the electricity turning off and coming back on was symbolic for the good and bad things coming.  I really enjoyed this.

Emily Bauer was also not a bad reader. She helped me create a better picture in my head of what Miranda was talking about by providing her with a voice. I would definitely listen to a book read by her again.

Overall: 4.75 out 5

1 comment:

  1. I've heard good things about this story, glad to see you enjoyed it as well! The premise is really interesting and I'm always a fan of survival stories so I'll have to add this to my list. Thanks for the review Katie!

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