From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1)

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Start date: November 15, 2011

Finish date: December 1, 2011

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Why we're reading this: Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. Ho…more
[close] 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.

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AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* What is a good book for AW discussion? (Nominations pool)
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* AW Book Club: what we've read
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What Members Thought

May 04, 2009 Gertie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: apocalypse, favorites

This is categorized as a young adult book, but I didn't feel like I was reading kiddie fiction. I really enjoyed this book- it's always interesting to see what particular issues (typically the practical ones) authors think of when writing apocalyptic fiction, like stocking up on kitty litter. :-)

A very quick and engrossing read, recommended.

Memorability factor: 7/10 ...more

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Jun 17, 2009 Rebecca Short, LMFT rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-library, apocalyptic

This book was surprisingly good. I haven't read a book listed as "YA" in a LONG time but this book's premise intrigued me along with the fact it is written in the first person in diary form and all of that appealed to me.

The author does an admirable job of getting inside the 16 year old girl's protagonist's mind and heart. I found myself remembering what it was like to be that age and found it easy to align myself with her emotionally throughout the story.

This survival story of what becomes of ...more

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Jun 16, 2009 Erin rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, post-apocalypse-dystopia

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2009 Kaye rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, audiobooks, youngadult, apocalypse_dystopia

I think I would have rated this apocalyptic story of a girl and her family going through extraordinary times as a 5, had I not started about by listening to the first third of it on audiobook. The reader was HORRIBLE. She somehow managed to combine some sort of Hannah Montana valley girl sort of mix into this realistic disaster fiction, so it kind of sounded like "ohmigod! I totally am afraid we're running out of food! Totally!" even though it isn't written that way at all. The reader also manag ...more

1 like · Like · see review