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.

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 346 topics — 20,939 comments total

AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* What is a good book for AW discussion? (Nominations pool)
By Gertie · 65 posts · 218 views

last updated Oct 18, 2025 05:31PM

* AW Book Club: what we've read
By Gertie · 16 posts · 1826 views

last updated Dec 10, 2019 09:01AM

showing 10 of 43 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Aug 25, 2008 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, science-fiction, cold-places, young-adult, post-apocalyptic

Once I had started, I could not stop reading this book. It wasn't necessarily blow me away amazing, but I really, really loved it. It could be at least partly because I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic scenarios in general, especially anything that involves extremely cold weather. There were some really great bits of this that I want to quote but I don't have the book in front of me, so I'm probably going to edit this later. Suffice to say that this book made me think - not for the first time but Once I had started, I could not stop reading this book. It wasn't necessarily blow me away amazing, but I really, really loved it. It could be at least partly because I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic scenarios in general, especially anything that involves extremely cold weather. There were some really great bits of this that I want to quote but I don't have the book in front of me, so I'm probably going to edit this later. Suffice to say that this book made me think - not for the first time but once again and with a surprisingly new intensity - about who I want with me should the world fall into fimbulvinter someday.

I hope you know who you are.

This book has also given me, in a typically synchronous fashion, food for thought on something that's been on my mind a lot lately, which is how to get along with less, and appreciate what I do have more. The author accomplished this in a real and non-cheesy way, which is saying something for post-apocalyptic books as a genre, I think. This is one of about 100 reasons I enjoyed Life As We Knew It much better than the more recent and more adult post-apocalyptic book The Road.

I liked the main character, Miranda, although she sometimes made me groan with her here and there Judy Bloom like statements about wanting to go to the prom, wanting to be kissed, wanting chocolate and general complaining about her period. There was an awful lot about her fighting with her mom, in a sort of typical girl-grows-up story fashion. But, that being said, it was not out of place. All of those elements were quite excellently fit into the setting of a post-apocalyptic world and a family trying to survive it, which is I think more real. I love that the format of the book was a sort of Anne Frank post-apocalyptic diary; it's probably been done before (anybody have book recs? I would be interested) but I don't care. It was new and interesting to me. Also, I thought it really drove home the title, and the last few bits at the end of the book that brought about the titular line were some of my favorites, most of all:

"Sometimes I think I'm writing this for the day that butterflies can read."

It has some earlier story significance, but is also inherently kind of beautiful. ...more

Like · see review

Dec 07, 2009 Aimee rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, end-of-the-world

This book is a study (written in diary form) of one girl's family after a meteor strike forces the moon into a lower orbit causing tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mass chaos. I loved the way the characters changed over time and how they both learned to rely on each other and be worthy of that reliance.

As far as problems go, I really only had two minor issues. First, some of the entries seemed more chapter-like than a teenager's diary entry would be. Just too long. And I kept think ...more

Like · see review

Feb 13, 2014 ☼Bookish in Virginia☼ rated it really liked it

Shelves: where-is-the-next-book, young-adult

A strong four.

The first time I tried this book I just rolled my eyes and took it back to the library. I just wasn't in the mood it seems. I say that because I tackled it again and ended up reading (too) late into the night.

The story is told as journal entries, and that works. The characters also work and I found the day to day surviving almost riveting.

There were a few strange things that bothered me --like if they have a well but don't have electricity, how do they have running water -- but the ...more

Like · see review

Jul 08, 2008 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: library, young-adult, dystopia-apocalyptic

I like that this is more about one family's survival than about the disaster. It's interesting, but the pace is odd and at times the story really drags. The main character gets it together at the end, but during some parts of the story she's annoying. And there are some odd derails that don't add much, like the dreams and references about her friend who died the year before. I'd recommend Earth Abides or Alas, Babylon to adult readers who enjoyed this. ...more

Like · see review