Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

[goodreads]

Title: Life As We Knew It
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Genre: Dystopia
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 337
Date read: August, 2011

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.

One of the few post-apocalyptic books that actually include a description of the apocalypse. Also unusual in that it offers no resolution - the main characters aren't really any closer to a solution by the end of the book than at any point during it. It's basically just an account of the first 8 months after an apocalypse.

That's not necessarily a bad thing though. I usually prefer my books to have a resolution, but it actually fitted quite well into the style of the book. The writing style reminded me a lot of "The Way We Fall" by Megan Crewe, and just like that book, it had the power to pull me completely into their situation, so I actually found myself almost discombobulated when I dragged myself back, and discovered that I was neither cold nor hungry, and that the moon was right where it ought to be. That's the sign of an excellent writer, and basically worth an extra star just by itself.

I'm still debating whether or not I want to read the next book in the series though, as it seems to be not as much a sequel as a companion novel.