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Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Fiction, dystopian)

What would happen if a meteorite were to crash into the moon at this very second? This book answers this question in a way that you feel would be very believable. On a normal Wednesday, the biggest meteorite to ever hit the moon is scheduled to hit. Meteorologists are excited but assure the public it will have trivial effect. However, as many citizens watch the moon, either looking up to the sky or on their television, they see that it is pushed significantly more towards the Earth. The moon is now bigger than ever and what will that mean? Well, in the immediate minutes, tsunamis are caused by the rapidly increasing tides, wiping out many islands and destroying most of Rhode Island. The entire country is in turmoil, as there is no longer enough fuel or food for the winter. Miranda and her family, living in a small town in Pennsylvania, are not the victims of any tsunamis or volcanoes, as volcanoes have started to erupt from the increased gravity. However, life is still hard, as they have no heat or electricity going into winter. They are forced to survive on what they have and do things they never thought they would. Miranda, a 16-year-old girl, has had her entire life upheaved due to the moon, and this is her story of day to day events as she lives them. 

Life As We Knew It is excellent because it shows how much a seemingly insignificant event can change the course of history forever. I also love how all the things that happen in the book could happen in real life. How would we react if this same exact thing happened right now? This book is also a perfect first-person view and it really sounds as if a 16-year-old girl is going through this stuff and writing about it in her journal. This book also seems to be recreating the Coronavirus epidemic, as there is an epidemic in this book as well. The author also sets the scene well, and it makes sure each of its characters have a compelling backstory. Throughout the book, you can see the main character, Miranda, growing as a person. This book shows her change from an innocent 16-year old to a 17-year-old that has gone through saving her family, going without food, and losing her best friends and boyfriend. Her view of her mother, her brothers, and the rest of the community change, along with developing new things that she never thought to care about. This book is excellent, and I strongly recommend it for readers of all ages.

Reviewed by Will U., 9th

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