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princessbethany's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I really like the concept of this book and the plot kept me hooked all the way through, but I can't help but think that the diary format was just not the right choice for this one. It really pulls me out of the story when I am supposedly reading a diary where the girl is writing in perfect dialogue prose. I think it would have done better as a first person novel with diary elements.
I love speculative fiction, probably my favorite genre, so this was a fun read!
I love speculative fiction, probably my favorite genre, so this was a fun read!
hollybolly's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
eyekanreed's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty decent post-apocalyptic YA book. If you're big on realism then this isn't for you, but an okay read otherwise.
alexbirdreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is the kind of book that makes you forget you live in the real world, and that you think about all the time even when you're not reading it. It's gripping, emotional, beautiful, and interesting, It has a good balance of hope and despair. Really excited for the next one!
kngregory's review against another edition
2.0
In all fairness I adore journal entry books...usually.
This book however, is an exception.
First off, the concept is wonderful I actually really love the plot. How she came up with this is beyond me and I give her props because it is a horrifyingly real thing to think about isn't it?
The way she executed the idea however...not so much.
I realize the purpose of this story was to make the reader see what it would have been like for a teenage girl during this event and that part was dead on. However, I feel that if she wouldn't have taken the approach she did-writing it as a diary, writing the book in 1st person regularly would have suited the book much better. To my personal preference, it wouldn't have seemed so drawn out and too many details. And the details we wanted to know, weren't there!
Overall, I was not very impressed with the book, just the plot and I hope to read another story from the author to compare.
I would not recommend this book unless someone didn't mind a long, very detailed story in the form of a diary.
This book however, is an exception.
First off, the concept is wonderful I actually really love the plot. How she came up with this is beyond me and I give her props because it is a horrifyingly real thing to think about isn't it?
The way she executed the idea however...not so much.
I realize the purpose of this story was to make the reader see what it would have been like for a teenage girl during this event and that part was dead on. However, I feel that if she wouldn't have taken the approach she did-writing it as a diary, writing the book in 1st person regularly would have suited the book much better. To my personal preference, it wouldn't have seemed so drawn out and too many details. And the details we wanted to know, weren't there!
Overall, I was not very impressed with the book, just the plot and I hope to read another story from the author to compare.
I would not recommend this book unless someone didn't mind a long, very detailed story in the form of a diary.
rjskitt's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bluejaybooks's review against another edition
This book was my "blind date with a book" book for Valentine's Day.
Enjoyed it, but reading it after the COVID-19 pandemic's height a few years back definitely gave me a different perspective on it than I would have had if I read it in the year of its publication. For example, I wonder what sort of message this book sends about hording behavior? Hording behavior in real life generally makes life worse for everyone except those with an overabundance of some goods, and even those with an overabundance can face consequences in terms of their bank accounts and wasted goods. This, however, is something hard to get across in apocalyptic fiction.
That said, the hording behavior in this book definitely gave me a flashback to when someone sent me into the store before Hurricane Irma to insist I buy batteries while they searched the store for the last of its nonperishable food items. (We didn't need batteries. We already had them. Luckily for us, the store didn't have any batteries left.) So, I can't exactly say it's inaccurate.
Though it also made me wonder if they didn't impose limits on the number of items someone could buy during a supply shortage back in 2006? I'm used to seeing limits on number of items one person can buy due to COVID-19 induced shortages these days, but didn't pay attention to things like that back then.
Then there were the details of the apocalypse that the hording behavior came in response to. I've read some other reviews that state that the apocalypse depicted in this book was not scientifically accurate. While I don't have enough scientific knowledge to judge the accuracy of several of the criticisms, I would like to address the criticism of the moon's gravity causing tsunamis. It seems likely that this issue is more semantic then scientific. If a tidal wave is suddenly unexpectedly huge, I could see news broadcasters referring to those waves as tsunamis. It reminded me of how in Calculating the Stars by Marry Robinette Kowal, the main character notes the semantic differences between meteorites and meteors. It makes me think that one sentence of musing about this from our main character may have been enough to resolve this criticism.
All in all, I had a great time reading this book . . . weird as it is to say about a book where the characters spend most of their time quietly trying to find innovative ways to survive hard times
Enjoyed it, but reading it after the COVID-19 pandemic's height a few years back definitely gave me a different perspective on it than I would have had if I read it in the year of its publication. For example, I wonder what sort of message this book sends about hording behavior?
Spoiler
Hording behavior is likely the primary reason the main characters are alive at the end.That said, the hording behavior in this book definitely gave me a flashback to when someone sent me into the store before Hurricane Irma to insist I buy batteries while they searched the store for the last of its nonperishable food items. (We didn't need batteries. We already had them. Luckily for us, the store didn't have any batteries left.) So, I can't exactly say it's inaccurate.
Though it also made me wonder if they didn't impose limits on the number of items someone could buy during a supply shortage back in 2006? I'm used to seeing limits on number of items one person can buy due to COVID-19 induced shortages these days, but didn't pay attention to things like that back then.
Then there were the details of the apocalypse that the hording behavior came in response to. I've read some other reviews that state that the apocalypse depicted in this book was not scientifically accurate. While I don't have enough scientific knowledge to judge the accuracy of several of the criticisms, I would like to address the criticism of the moon's gravity causing tsunamis. It seems likely that this issue is more semantic then scientific. If a tidal wave is suddenly unexpectedly huge, I could see news broadcasters referring to those waves as tsunamis. It reminded me of how in Calculating the Stars by Marry Robinette Kowal, the main character notes the semantic differences between meteorites and meteors. It makes me think that one sentence of musing about this from our main character may have been enough to resolve this criticism.
All in all, I had a great time reading this book . . . weird as it is to say about a book where the characters spend most of their time quietly trying to find innovative ways to survive hard times
abbywebb's review against another edition
3.0
Completely forgot to write my review for this one! Oops!
While reading Life as We Knew It, I came to the realization that I like more politically-involved dystopian books rather than the apocalyptic kind. Not that I don't like apocalypse books anymore, I just don't find them as intriguing as politically based books such as 1984 and the like. And if I'm going to be completely truthful, I just don't think I have the skills, knowledge, or brains to survive a fallout such as described here. And that just terrifies me!
I have to give [a:Susan Beth Pfeffer|1318|Susan Beth Pfeffer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1228492581p2/1318.jpg] credit for her creative apocalypse storyline for this book (a giant meteor hits the moon which was just supposed to be some neat astronomical phenomena, but instead the moon is thrown off kilter, becomes closer to the Earth, affecting the ocean tides, eruption of volcanoes, harsh winter, etc). VERY interesting concept. One of those books that just makes you feel cold ALL THE TIME (ever read [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266449195s/6288.jpg|3355573]?).
Unfortunately for me, this book was clearly written for a (much) younger crowd. As a whole, that doesn't completely bother me; however, it was written as a 16 year old girl's diary. And may I add, a very unexposed 16 year old girl.
Either way, this book was passable and if strikes your fancy, there is a whole series out there which starts with this book. Not sure that I will make it to the next book in the series though as I don't think I can stomach reading a young girl's "diary" again. But I'm sure it intrigues many as this book is gaining in popularity (so it seems, anyway).
While reading Life as We Knew It, I came to the realization that I like more politically-involved dystopian books rather than the apocalyptic kind. Not that I don't like apocalypse books anymore, I just don't find them as intriguing as politically based books such as 1984 and the like. And if I'm going to be completely truthful, I just don't think I have the skills, knowledge, or brains to survive a fallout such as described here. And that just terrifies me!
I have to give [a:Susan Beth Pfeffer|1318|Susan Beth Pfeffer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1228492581p2/1318.jpg] credit for her creative apocalypse storyline for this book (a giant meteor hits the moon which was just supposed to be some neat astronomical phenomena, but instead the moon is thrown off kilter, becomes closer to the Earth, affecting the ocean tides, eruption of volcanoes, harsh winter, etc). VERY interesting concept. One of those books that just makes you feel cold ALL THE TIME (ever read [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266449195s/6288.jpg|3355573]?).
Unfortunately for me, this book was clearly written for a (much) younger crowd. As a whole, that doesn't completely bother me; however, it was written as a 16 year old girl's diary. And may I add, a very unexposed 16 year old girl.
Either way, this book was passable and if strikes your fancy, there is a whole series out there which starts with this book. Not sure that I will make it to the next book in the series though as I don't think I can stomach reading a young girl's "diary" again. But I'm sure it intrigues many as this book is gaining in popularity (so it seems, anyway).
harleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not entirely sure what I think of this book. For me this is one of those books that you seem to really enjoy but can't pinpoint why. The characters got on my nerves but I was almost okay with it, like I said I'm not really sure where i stand on this book, but I'm hoping to continue on with the series soon.