Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
New York Times bestseller! A heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller that's "absorbing from first to last page."*
When a meteor knocks the moon closer to earth, Miranda, a high school sophomore, takes shelter with her family.
Told in a year's worth of journal entries, Life as We Knew It chronicles the human struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.
As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, 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.
I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald's still would be open. Like one marble hitting another, when the moon slams closer to earth, the result is catastrophic. Worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun.
Life as We Know It is an extraordinary series debut. The companion novels are: The Dead and the Gone, This World We Live In, and The Shade of the Moon.
(*Publishers Weekly, starred review)
Author Notes
Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City in 1948, and grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs. At the age of six, when her father wrote and published a book, Pfeffer decided she, too, wanted to be a writer; that year, she wrote her first story. She didn't write her first published book, until much later. Just Morgan, a young adult novel, was written during her final semester at New York University, and published the following year.
Since then, Pfeffer has been a full-time writer for young people. She has won numerous awards and citations for her work, which ranges from picture books to middle-grade and young-adult novels and includes both contemporary and historical fiction. Her young adult novel About David was awarded the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award. Her young adult novel The Year Without Michael, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winner of the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award, was named by the American Library Association as one of the hundred best books for teenagers written between 1968-1993.
Pfeffer has also written a book for adults on writing for children. She has written over 60 books for children and young adults.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-8-Pfeffer tones down the terror, but otherwise crafts a frighteningly plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe. The prospect of an asteroid hitting the Moon is just a mildly interesting news item to Pennsylvania teenager Miranda, for whom a date for the prom and the personality changes in her born-again friend, Megan, are more immediate concerns. Her priorities undergo a radical change, however, when that collision shifts the Moon into a closer orbit, causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths, and an upsurge in volcanism. Thanks to frantic preparations by her quick-thinking mother, Miranda's family is in better shape than many as utilities and public services break down in stages, wild storms bring extremes of temperature, and outbreaks of disease turn the hospital into a dead zone. In Miranda's day-by-day journal entries, however, Pfeffer keeps nearly all of the death and explicit violence offstage, focusing instead on the stresses of spending months huddled in increasingly confined quarters, watching supplies dwindle, and wondering whether there will be any future to make the effort worthwhile. The author provides a glimmer of hope at the end, but readers will still be left stunned and thoughtful.-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
When an asteroid collides with the moon, causing natural disasters tidal waves, volcanoes, earthquakes and climate changes on Earth, life as 16-year-old Miranda knows it will never be the same. Suddenly, things she has taken for granted electricity, news from the outside world and three square meals a day are a thing of the past. Thanks to her mother's foresight and preparedness, Miranda and her two brothers are better off than many families in their Pennsylvania community. They have a pantry filled with canned goods and plenty of logs to fuel their wood-burning stove. Yet their situation becomes more critical as other unexpected disasters arise. The book may be lengthy, but most readers will find it absorbing from first page to last. This survival tale by the author of The Year Without Michael celebrates the fortitude and resourcefulness of human beings during critical times. The story unfolds through Miranda's journal entries, from May, when the asteroid strikes, to the following March. Though the entries paint a grim picture of a rapidly shrinking civilization ("I write stuff down in here and I don't read it. Things are bad enough without having to remind myself of just how bad things are," she explains), her words also evoke a strain of hope which proves to be her most essential survival tool. Miranda's changing priorities, undying love for her family and heightened appreciation of simple pleasures will likely provoke discussion and inspire gratitude for life as we know it now. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Excerpts
Excerpts
oneMay 7Lisa is pregnant.Dad called around 11 oclock to let us know. Only Mom had already taken Jonny to his baseball practice and of course Matt isnt home from college yet, so I was alone to get the big news.The baby is due in December, Dad crowed, like he was the first guy in the history of the world with a younger second wife about to have a baby. Isnt that great! Youre going to have a little brother or sister. Of course its too soon to tell what its going to be, but as soon as we know, well tell you. I wouldnt mind another daughter myself. The first one I had turned out so wonderfully. Howd you like a baby sister?I had no idea. When did you find out? I asked.Yesterday afternoon, Dad said. I would have called you right away but, well, we celebrated. You can understand that, cant you, honey? A little private time for Lisa and me before letting the world know.Of course, Daddy, I said. Has Lisa told her family?First thing this morning, he replied. Her parents are thrilled. Their first grandchild. Theyre coming for a couple of weeks in July, before you and Jonny visit.Are you going to call Matt and tell him? I asked. Or do you want me to?Oh no, Ill call, Dad said. Hes busy studying for his finals. Hell be glad for the interruption.Its great news, Dad, I said, because I knew I was supposed to. Be sure to tell Lisa how happy I am for her. And you, too. For both of you.You tell her yourself, Dad said. Here she is.Dad muffled the phone for a second so he could whisper something to Lisa and then she took the phone. Miranda, she said. Isnt it exciting!Very, I said. Its wonderful news. Im really happy for you and Dad.I was thinking, she said. Well, I know its way too soon and I havent even discussed this with your father yet, but would you like to be the babys godmother? You dont have to answer right away, but do think about it, all right?Thats the problem I have with Lisa. Whenever I want to get mad at her, or just irritated because she really can be immensely irritating, she goes and does something nice. And then I can understand why Daddy married her.Of course Ill think about it, I said. You and Daddy think about it also.We dont have to give it any more thought, she said. You should see the glow on your fathers face. I dont think he could be any happier.I couldnt, Dad said, and I could tell from his laughter that hed grabbed the phone away from Lisa. Miranda, please say yes. It would mean so much to us for you to be the babys godmother.So I said yes. I couldnt exactly say no.After that we chatted for a while. I told Dad about my last swim meet and how I was doing in school. Mom still hadnt come back by the time I finally got off the phone, so I went online to see whats new with figure skating. The hot topic at Brandon Erlichs fan site is how good his chances are to win Olympic gold. Most people think not very, but a lot of us think he has a real shot at medaling and ice is slippery and you never know.I think Excerpted from Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.