REVIEW--Life As We Knew It

Happy Wednesday, readers and fashionistas!  Halfway through the week!!

Today's post is a book review on Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.  I originally picked it up as a backup plan in case a book I wanted to use in class was too edgy for parents' permission.  But I was surprised at how quickly I finished the book and how much I enjoyed reading it.  So let's jump on in!

• Dystopian
• First book in the Last Survivors series

The Gist:
Miranda is just a normal teenager living a normal life.  She lives with her mother and younger brother; her father is remarried and living in another city and her older brother is away at college.  When everyone hears that scientists have predicted that an asteroid will hit the moon (and not cause any damage), they are pretty excited about it and even stay up late to watch it happen live from their front yards.  But the scientists were wrong--when the asteroid hits, it IS a big deal and knocks the moon off its orbital course.  Which means tsunamis, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. And life as Miranda and her family have known it is all about to change in a fight for their lives.

What I Loved:

• This book is really clean.  Yes, I know I'm an educator so that means something more to me than the average Joe, but I was just impressed by how appropriate it was for students of all ages to read.
• The book is very thought-provoking.  And I really believe that if the moon was knocked out of its orbit, what is described in this book would actually happen.  Which is pretty terrifying to think about.
• This book considers all aspects of being in a survival situation--physical needs, emotional stress, fears and uncertainty, confusion on how to live, etc.
• Additionally, I liked that as a reader I got to see more than just inside Miranda's home.  I got to see around the town and hear about what else was happening in the world.  

What I Didn't Love:

• There was practically no resolution with Miranda's father and step-mother, which bugged me a bit.  Did she have the baby?!

My favorite quote:
"I guess all the animals have left town." 
"I hope Kansas lets them in."

A very solid read for me, so I will probably continue with the series.

 I'll be back soon with an outfit perfect for Miranda's situation--an outfit that can be worn over and over in new ways (since Miranda won't be shopping any time soon).