The Age of Miracles in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jan 09, 2013 Cristella rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

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Sep 23, 2012 Rae rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: other-fiction, 2012

What would happen if the earth's rotation slowed down enough to add minutes to our days?

It's hard to believe that there was a time in this country--not so long ago--when thick almanacs were printed every year and listed, among other facts, the precise clock time of every single sunrise and every single sunset a year in advance. I think we lost something else when we lost that crisp rhythm, some general shared belief that we could count on certain things. (96)

And what if you were just entering a What would happen if the earth's rotation slowed down enough to add minutes to our days?

It's hard to believe that there was a time in this country--not so long ago--when thick almanacs were printed every year and listed, among other facts, the precise clock time of every single sunrise and every single sunset a year in advance. I think we lost something else when we lost that crisp rhythm, some general shared belief that we could count on certain things. (96)

And what if you were just entering adolescence when it happened? What would your memories of that time be?

This was middle school, the age of miracles, the time when kids shot up three inches over the summer, when breasts bloomed from nothing, when voices dipped and dove. Our first flaws were emerging, but they were being corrected. Blurry vision could be fixed invisibly with the magic of the contact lens. Crooked teeth were pulled straight with braces. Spotty skin could be chemically cleared. Some girls were turning beautiful. A few boys were growing tall. I knew I still looked like a child. (43)

Walker's book was launched with quite a lot of hype and critical reviews that were positive enough to make me want to read it. I was initially enthralled but then this coming-of-age-story-during-turbulent-times lost its appeal. For all that was happening on earth (solar storms, earthquakes, tidal changes, periodic panic, lengthening days), there sure wasn't much sense of urgency for the reader. I felt like the author was trying to write both a science fiction novel and a coming-of-age story, but couldn't quite figure out how to do both justice.

I would have enjoyed a bit longer book (not unlike the days that were gradually adding minutes) with more scientific causation and information about what was happening in the actual world--not just Julia's. The author introduced an intriguing plot possibility with the friction between those who stayed on 24-hour clocks and those who lived by the earth's time. But then she didn't do much with it.

I do realize that Julia is the protagonist here, but she is also writing her memories of her childhood as an adult. Therefore, the author could have broadened her world a bit for the sake of this reader. I would have been more satisfied in the end.

This book reminded me a lot of Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer, a similar story series written for young adults.

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Jul 07, 2013 Cheryl rated it really liked it

This was a really powerful, unforgettable, haunting book. A coming of age story during an uncertain time when the Earth has slowed it's rotation and people/society are struggling to cope with the changes that feel and could be apocalyptic. The book sounds like sci-fi but it's not. I am not sure how I felt about the ending of the book. Highly recommend however. This book reminded me somewhat of the movie Melancholia which I also recommend. ...more

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Feb 16, 2016 Etchison rated it liked it

I listened to the audio of this book- I'm a sucker for end of the world scenarios, and this one was definitely different from most that I read. Much more about the everyday lives that continue as the world falls apart, than about a salvation story or a world that suddenly turns to anarchy. ...more

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Oct 30, 2012 gwen g rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

This story of time slowing down and the world having to adjust to it somehow chilled me to the core. Something about the dreamy voice and lack of specifics about the science behind it -- which I know drove critics crazy -- made it entirely realistic to me, and I thought about it every single morning when the sun rose reliably at the same time. So, obviously, I'd say this book is compelling and immensely readable, although I found the ending disappointing.

(Is this supposed to be a YA book? God. I ...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Kirsten rated it really liked it

I found the ending not super satisfying, but the concept overall was pretty cool.

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Sep 12, 2012 Stephanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014

2 stars for my interest level, an extra star for the premise, which is fascinating: the rotation of the Earth slows, changing everything. I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, though I was fascinated with the imagined outcome of the 'slowing'. ...more

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