Synopsis: 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

Review: First off, let me say… this is in no way your average apocalyptic novel. There are no grand adventures or bard-worthy tales of heroism, not even pulse pounding life or death situations at every corner (things still aren’t a walk in the park). Usually, I love that kind of stuff, but I loved this book so much more for not having any of that. It was very real and very human. I actually started reading it tonight as I was going to bed and just kept reading right through til the end at 3am! Then, I actually got out of bed to come right this review because this book needs to be given it’s full due before I forget a single detail. Alas, it will still have to wait a few weeks to be posted but at least you know the ideas are fresh.

The book started out especially slow, with Miranda just going about her day to day life while hearing about the impending asteroid which will hit the moon. At the time it’s all very exciting and a bit of a spectacle. But of course, everything just has to go horribly wrong. That’s when this book started to really blow me away. Things didn’t get dire all at once but instead deteriorated in a way that you never even really caught it. What seemed unliveable one month is looked on as the good ol’ days in months to come. Everything progresses really seamlessly, it’s very well written.

I especially liked the emphasis on family. Romance is barely a blip on Miranda’s radar and she comes to realize just how much the people in her life mean to her. The old lady across the way, to the cat that prefers her brother and of course her mother who will do anything to keep her children alive. I don’t know how she Pfeffer did it but she had me worrying about characters that were away on extended trips and practically holding my breath just hoping they would walk in the front door.

I’ll admit, this book won’t be for everyone and if every apocalyptic YA book was like this one it would be a very different genre. But if like me, you keep finding yourself picking up end of the world books then Life as We Knew It will offer both a change of pace and a heart-wrenching new perspective. Highly recommended.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

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Second Opinions:
@The Turned Brain
@BookChilla
@Open Book Society