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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Group Discussions About This Book

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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
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last updated Dec 10, 2019 09:01AM

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What Members Thought

Jan 09, 2012 Rhiannon Frater rated it really liked it

This is going to be a short review because I don't have a ton to say that hasn't already been said by Felicia's review. Felicia is my editor for my indie novels, so I trusted her review and picked up the book.

What I liked about the story was how relentlessly dreary it was, which would be the real case scenario. It hurt to see how much things were going wrong. So whenever something went right, it was a sweet moment.

Miranda isn't the best narrator, simply because she's incredibly immature. She nev ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Bob rated it did not like it

Shelves: apocalyptic-distopic

Not sure this is actually as bad as some horrible apocalyptic/distopic novels such as that stinker One Second After. However, the several things that are wrong/not right with this novel make it hard for me to give it the second star. A few examples: First, the science is just wrong. An asteroid hitting the moon would not unexpectedly cause it to go out of orbit except in some specific, and very predictable, circumstances. And then tsunamis, volcanoes, and malaria from a shifted moon orbit? No.

S ...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Felicia A Sullivan rated it really liked it

Shelves: teotwawki, apocalypse-of-some-sort

Well done, and I should have read this a long time ago but I didn't because it's classified as "YA" and I didn't think I'd be interested. My daughter read it, however, and said "Mom, you would LOVE this book." It still took me awhile to get to it, but I'm glad I did.

I'd give it a 4.5 actually, but that's not an option here. I liked it a lot. Another book in diary form, which is getting old, but it was well done. As we only hear Miranda's voice, there is a little bit of a disconnect with other ch ...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Christine Verstraete rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021-paranormal-sci-fi

I last read this in 2011 and felt like reading something apocalyptic again. Fiction beats reality. ha! Still gripping and a fast two-day read, addictive. Now off to book 2 and I didn't realize there was a book 4 which I think I missed... Like watching a car crash, terrible events, but couldn't stop reading. Riveting, thought-provoking.... ...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Fiona rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, adored-and-re-read, ya-books

I really enjoyed this.

Very claustraphobic reading.

I love this sort of story.

Now reading the next one. The Dead and the Gone...

Enjoy if you decide to pick this one up.

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Jun 18, 2013 Kelly Hunt rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian-favorites, should-make-into-a-movie

I rarely ever post reviews, but this book I found myself reading in less than two days. It grabbed me from the very first page and truly made me feel like this story could actually happen, especially with all the catastrophes our world has faced over the past few years. I really only have one negative thing to say about it and that is regarding the grammar used - this could simply be because the story is told from the perspective of a 16 year old girl and her diary, but either way it was difficu ...more

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