Susan Beth Pfeffer Reviews

Added May 14, 2007

Life as We Knew It

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date:
Genre: Young Adult: Mainstream
Format: Hardcover
Price: $17.00
ISBN-10: 0-15-205826-5
ISBN-13: 9780152058265
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 8 Gargoyles

This chilling scenario of a worldwide catastrophe grips readers with a sense of realism. Written as the journal entries of a teenage girl, these pages chronicle a family's fight for survival in a nature-induced holocaust.

When an asteroid slams into the moon, the earth reverberated with the shock. Atmospheric changes produced drastic results, including tsunamis, colder temperatures and electronic disturbances. As the moon limped in its orbit, people started to rush to the stores to stockpile food and necessities. A macabre race to survive began, pitting families against the forces of nature.

Miranda's account of these disastrous days leads readers into a story that teeters on the edge of reality. This teenager records her thoughts as well as her family's reactions to this event, thereby creating an overall look at this situation. Her journal entries are written with a simple sincerity as her emotional attitude is faithfully reported. Fear and frustration are her constant companions, yet hope hovers nearby. The final pages are a tribute to this young girl and her transition into a woman of courage.

Teens will appreciate the flow and the force of this novel. Tears and triumph walk shoulder to shoulder inviting others to join them in this challenging experience The character of Miranda evokes sympathy as well as admiration. As readers become eyewitnesses to this catastrophe, the staggering task of staying alive causes a breathless sense of suspense.

Regrettably, the author chose to present religion and the President in a negative light, thereby clouding an otherwise exceptional story. Hopefully, young adult readers will spot this bias and form their own conclusions.

Life as We Knew It is a gritty glimpse into a frightening possibility.

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