There aren't many things that will induce me to read a YA novel nowadays. In her journal, Miranda records the events of each desperate day, while she and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource-hope. 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. Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth.

(Oct.Inverarity One-line summary: OMG! Like, the world is totally ending and it like, totally sucks! 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. 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. Though the entries paint a grim picture of a rapidly shrinking civilization ('I write stuff down in here and I don't read it. The story unfolds through Miranda's journal entries, from May, when the asteroid strikes, to the following March. This survival tale by the author of The Year Without MichaelĬelebrates the fortitude and resourcefulness of human beings during critical times. The book may be lengthy, but most readers will find it absorbing from first page to last. Yet their situation becomes more critical as other unexpected disasters arise. They have a pantry filled with canned goods and plenty of logs to fuel their wood-burning stove. Thanks to her mother's foresight and preparedness, Miranda and her two brothers are better off than many families in their Pennsylvania community.

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. 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.

Life as we know it susan beth pfeffer