Review: Life as we knew it by Susan Pfeffer

 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 sun room, 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.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213753.Life_As_We_Knew_It

I love "end of the world" type movies, the one's were natural disasters are destroying earth such as Volcano, Twister, Dante's Peak and even 2012 to name a few. So when I came across Life as we knew it and read what it was about I knew I would love it.

Life as we knew it is about an asteroid that hits the moon and the impact knocks the moon closer to earth causing natural disasters around the world. Earthquakes, volcanoes that have been dormant for thousand of years suddenly erupting, tsunami's causing flooding, wiping out towns and cities.

The story is narrated though a sixteen year old's journal, Miranda, and the struggles her and her family go though to survive after the devastation's. I really liked Susan's style of writing and how she got into the mindset of a sixteen year old. The start of the book sounds like any typical sixteen year old's journal, complaining about school, exams, arguing with her mum, worrying about dates and her friends. When suddenly life changes in that one moment. Now suddenly it's everyone for themselves, stocking up on food supplies, having no electricity, no hot water, being back to basics.

I liked that Susan let some of the characters pass away as realistically in the situation it's a natural occurrence but it was still sad when some of the characters died. I really couldn't put the book down and I wanted to know what happened next. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens to Miranda and her family.

4/5 Butterflies

*On a side note I started reading Life as we knew it after the tragic earthquakes and tsunami's in Japan. Even though I can't imagine the horrors happening in Japan seeing the disaster and reading Life as we knew it made me think that one minute life can be fine and the next the powerful nature of earth can cause such sadness and death. My thoughts go to the many families that are hurting and suffering in Japan and around the world*

Megan :)