Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Though there is some buzz in the news about a meteor striking the moon, Miranda is too busy worrying about her stepmother’s new baby and final exams to really pay attention. But when the moon is struck so hard that it moved off its orbit, changing its gravitational pull, Miranda has no choice but to sit up and take notice. Because suddenly, the ocean’s tides are turning into tsunamis, earthquakes are leveling entire cites, and volcanoes are spouting deadly ash that is robbing the earth of it’s precious sunlight. In Miranda’s small town in Pennsylvania, the effects aren’t as immediate, but they are just as deadly. Grocery stores are emptied and not re-stocked, gas prices soar, and friendly neighbors turn hostile as each family stockpiles supplies to get them through the winter. Things Miranda has always taken for granted, like clean laundry, chocolate, and prom, have suddenly become things of the past. This is no sensationalistic “Day After Tomorrow,” in fact, what Miranda’s deeply felt, doubt-ridden, and utterly realistic journal entries most reminded me of was The Diary of Anne Frank – a thoughtful compilation of everyday details about what it is like to have your life whittled away bit by bit until one day you look around and realize that life as you knew it had vanished forever. This is a beautifully written, timeless, timely tale that will stay with you long after the cover is closed. My heart still hurts. Magnificent.