What did you think of this book?

[Patricia]

I really like the way the book was written. However, the whole coming of age thing (especially 6th grade) with a apocolyptic theme was kind of strange. The beginning of the book was a little slow and the ending went to fast. Does that make sense?

[Helen]

I have no idea why, but I loved this book. I am drawn to apocalyptic scenarios to begin with, and I loved that the writer allowed the main character to grow up and love, even though her world was ending. I couldn't put the book down lol

[Patricia]

I like apocalyptic books also and have read many. Just seemed like the beginning was sooooo drawn out. Then the last few chapters were short, to the point and then it was all over. It almost seemed like the author was trying to hurry up and finish writing the story towards the end. I guess what I really wanted was to know more about what was going on in the world rather than just the life of a 6th grader.

[Helen]

I agree that the beginning seemed much longer than the end, but I assumed it was intentional. To show that in the beginning, they had no idea the world was changing as it was, and then to show the slow descent into the end of humankind. I read the end and was a little disappointed at how fast it went, but I thought as their end came closer and closer their time would seem to go by faster and faster. I don't know if this makes sense lol but that's how I felt reading it.

[Helen]

The only real issue I took with the book was that there was no real descent into chaos. I mean, we are humans! If the real end of the world was coming, there would be looting, rioting, death, hysteria, mania, aggression, fear, etc...But in her book, especially through the eyes of the child main character, most people just move away. Others stay and continue to work and go to school. I don't know how realistic that is but it is fiction haha

[Patricia]

I agree. It was definately lacking. It's a shame because so very much more could have been brought to the story as it was seen through the eyes of a young child rather than a teen or adult. Oh well. On to the next end of the world book. LOL!!

[Patty]

i didn't care for this book that much. the story was lacking and the there was next to nothing on character development. the ending was anticlimactic. if we are having radiation issues and people were getting the "syndrome", I think it would be a more chaotic world.

[Rachael C.]

I liked that the book was written the way it was. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it lacked the coming of age angle, which gave it an intimate feel and allowed the reader to identify with the character.

I think Ms. Walker's minimal focus on the world at large was one of the vehicles she used to facilitate identification with the main character and to highlight that we're viewing this through a child's eyes. One of the themes I got out of the book was that "coming of age" is "coming of age," no matter what your environment is. In a teen's life, matters of friendship, love, and family can seem just as monumental as planet-scale and world-changing current events.

To Helen's point about how the descent into chaos was minimal - I agree that it in a way felt strange to read about people going about their daily lives largely ignoring the fact that their world was slowly dying. Almost like a weird anti-mass-hysteria sort of denial. But I think this, like Helen's observation about the Ms. Walker's intentional variation in speed, was probably intentional and is one of the things that made this book unique. There are plenty of books focusing on social discord as a consequence of apocalyptic scenarios.

[Michael]

In my review I think I said something about how gentle and intimate the Apocalypse in this book was, which made it more chilling. The girl comes of age even as the Earth finds the first circle round the drain. I suppose though that no matter how Universal the machine of the Apocalypse is, you won't have exactly the same one as everybody else. It was a remarkably easy read for something so ultimately downbeat too.

[Rachel]

i liked this book, but not so much at teh same time. it wsa good, but i thought i little screwy at times and the ending, though good, happened way to quickly in my opinion

[Karen]

I loved it. I liked how all those coming of age things we all go through didn't stop just because the world was "circling the drain" as another reader put it. It was one of my favorites of last year.

[Jeff]

There are some excellent comments on this discussion. I think Rachael C got it right about the coming of age angle. Everyday might contain earth shattering events in the eyes of an adolescent, so the earth actually ending is just another part of the daily grind. Also, Michael comments about the slow steady demise of life as we know does make for a more chilling and unique take on the end of the world theme. Most scenarios of this type have a cataclysmic event that sets things in motion. By making it a slow gradual demise, Walker changes the thinking on how things would happen. Since the end of the world hasn't happened, who is to say people might take a less hysterical approach than what we expect?

[Nancy]

Helen wrote: "The only real issue I took with the book was that there was no real descent into chaos. I mean, we are humans! If the real end of the world was coming, there would be looting, rioting, death, hyste..."

I think it's because the decline was very gradual, much like we're seeing with climate changes. The changes become the new normal and we all find ways to work with it.

[Kathy]

Sorry gang! Do you want to be depressed? This is the book that will do it. I found nothing redeeming about this book. No hope or anything positive. Sign me 'DEPRESSED'..........no spiritual benefits, no uplifting moments...just nothing but "downer" moments. How many of these can you take? No, I don't read romance novels or anything like that, but I had to "forge" ahead for the book club. I can't believe a loving God would ever have a hand in this. Or do you believe in God & the wonderful Creation He made?

[Katrina]

I loved this poignant, coming of age novel set to the end of the world. I liked how the slow, winding down of earth was just one element. The idea that human emotions such as young love continue to endure despite catalysmic events is comforting.
I also found the human's various adaptation to the change in the earth interesting and thought-provoking.

[Kim]

SOME of the comments here are very intelligent & well thought out.
I found this book to be an extremely enjoyable read. I agree that the slow demise of the planet did bring about changes to the 'norm' and therefore a lack of chaos. Also, the fact that the ending felt somewhat rushed, I agree was intentional - the point to the story had been made as well, so it has to end at some point.
Overall, one of my favorites in this genre - something unique and nicely written. (Especially for a first-time author)

[Nancy]

The author will be at the Gaithersburg (Maryland) Book Festival on May 18th, if anyone is in that area. Lots of other interesting authors too!

[Kyannbarton]

I will say it again, I think this book was slow, maybe it was meant to be that way because of the slowing, but slow pretty much sums it up. I just wish there was more chaos, and craziness to keep me into it.

[Susan]

I am fascinated about how people would conduct themselves in a catastrophe,especially one that involved the end of the world. I do agree that what is happening in your personal life is the most important thing to a person. But, I didn't think that for a major catastrophe there seemed to be little real impact on their life. Despite the Earth's rotation slowing down, everyone just seems to go on with their every day lives.

[Jettcatt]

I suppose it is the unknown or the part of human nature that compells us to think the best instead of the worst. Like smokers that think perhaps they will be the one to escape the cancer. Also I think we humans have a ingrained disposition to hope, without hope we have nothing, without hope we all may as well end our lives now cause we all know that life is hard an perhaps will not go the way we want it but still we hope??

[Alan]

Can you imagine anything worse than being a thirteen year old girl (or boy for that matter), in middle school, who feels behind her peers in physical and emotional development, who hates her life at a time when time is slowing such that these awful middle school days are getting progressively longer? Is this not a picture of preadolescent HELL? What a wonderful conceit this was for a coming of age novel. I am not a "young adult"--far from it in fact at age 66-- but I really enjoyed the novel and its depiction of agonizingly prolonged preeteen angst.

[Bette]

This book was not boring enough to give up on, but not interesting enough for me to retain retain any video; there was no depth or texture, it seemed. To be fair, I shouldn't compare this work with Dog Stars, Peter Heller - which came out about the same time. Dog Stars was a wonderful story. @Jettcatt: I agree about "hope". It is what keeps us and also binds us. It doesn't have to be defined, and hardly can be, but it is the author's responsibility to allow the character to engage us and invite us.
It seemed to me that the first part of the book had been on a shelf for a long time, and then dusted off and hastily finished to meet a deadline.

[Leslie]

Not one of my favorites. I thought it dragged. The story didn't have much meat to it. The whole book actually was kinda of depressing, there didn't seem to be anything positive to come in their future.

[Kathi]

As a fan of apocalyptic novels, I really enjoyed it, although I've read a couple of articles that said Walker took some license with the science (I wouldn't know). I found the idea of the slow descent to the end very intriguing, that you just have to wait it out and go on with whatever life you're going to have, knowing that it will end. I also thought the POV of the middle-school age girl brought an intriguing element to it, because as poster Alan above said, what could be more apocalyptic to a kid that age than days that go on and on? And let's face it, today's kids are so wrapped up in their own lives and worlds that the events going on around them would barely register -- it's only when it has a direct impact that it becomes more real. I thought it was clever and was glad I read it.

[Michael]

Leslie wrote: "Not one of my favorites. I thought it dragged. The story didn't have much meat to it. The whole book actually was kinda of depressing, there didn't seem to be anything positive to come in their fut..."

I completely agree. Given the rave reviews, I was sorely disappointed and found the book depressing and not particularly well written.

[Jolina]

I really enjoyed the coming-of-age angle in Age of Miracles. It was proof that life continues, even when humanity's faced with extinction. We only have to look at our own lives--and devastations--to know it's true. I found this to be a beautifully rendered novel.

[Izzy]

This may be a very elementary way of assessing this book, but I felt this was a simple story with an interesting premise. It did not all end with a bang but a slow deceleration of earth as we know it. It allowed me to imagine what would really happen and what my reaction as well as my neighbors reaction may be to such a phenomenon. I think it would be a good easy summer read.

[Kathy]

I read a lot of books (about 2 a week) and this book was my favorite book last year. I enjoyed it because I felt a real sense of dread for the main character and I enjoyed the premise.

[Pooch]

I completely enjoyed this book, loved the writing style. I could not imagine the ending, so I was mesmerized and mystified. Best of all, I was thoroughly satisfied at the end of the story.

[Kathy]

I consider The Age of Miracles one of my top favorite books of all time, which is saying a lot. I've read the classics, most modern well-reviewed fiction, non-fiction, and this was one of the most well-written books I've read. I felt a sense of dread for the characters and I liked the slower pace of the story. I actually messaged the author and let her know how much I enjoyed her book.

[[deleted user]]

a small masterpiece. fantastic

[Mark]

I'm curious to know what others think about the way sexual interest/attraction/curiosity/exploration between the main character and her love interest was dealt with—or rather, not dealt with—by this author.