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Kristin's Reviews > Life As We Knew It
Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1)
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This one has been so popular with the sixth graders I actually snagged it from the "return" box so I could finally read it! What a strange, depressing-yet-hopeful story about a family's struggle to survive after the moon is knocked out of its orbit and closer to Earth. It is definitely a page-turner, but I would also find myself kind of down after reading it.
The one thing that bothers me about this book is that Christianity is portrayed in a horrible way. The main character (Miranda) has a best friend (Megan) who has "changed" since she became a Christian. As the story unfolds, you see Megan behaving like a Christian, but spouting a pharisitical, self-depricating version of Christianity. She eventually starves herself to death, deciding it would be better to be in heaven. Miranda says many times to Megan, "I hate your god." At first I was really offended, but I think that the "God" that these characters looked to is nothing like the God I know. So while I was sad that Christianity was shown in this light, I don't recognize the God we serve in that story. Kind of wary about putting this one back on the shelf for sixth graders, due to that issue as well as profanity and a few indirect sexual references. But the librarian recommended it to them and they love it. What to do?
The one thing that bothers me about this book is that Christianity is portrayed in a horrible way. The main character (Miranda) has a best friend (Megan) who has "changed" since she became a Christian. As the story unfolds, you see Megan behaving like a Christian, but spouting a pharisitical, self-depricating version of Christianity. She eventually starves herself to death, deciding it would be better to be in heaven. Miranda says many times to Megan, "I hate your god." At first I was really offended, but I think that the "God" that these characters looked to is nothing like the God I know. So while I was sad that Christianity was shown in this light, I don't recognize the God we serve in that story. Kind of wary about putting this one back on the shelf for sixth graders, due to that issue as well as profanity and a few indirect sexual references. But the librarian recommended it to them and they love it. What to do?
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Reading Progress
January 26, 2008
– Shelved
Started Reading
February 2, 2008
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Finished Reading
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I agree completely. I also hated the way Christians and the church were portrayed. I began this book listening to the audiobook, and the narrator read Megan's character as an over-the-top Kool-Aid drinker, which really bothered me. I wondered if I would have been as annoyed had I been reading the book myself, but when I reached the end, it was clear that's the way Pfeffer meant the character to be perceived. In reality, when a natural disaster hits, it is the churches who consistently reach out to help the victims, even before the government, but none of that appeared in this title.
I also disliked the mother's negative attitude toward the President in the story (who just "happened" to be from Texas). Now that I think about it, just about every "conservative" entity in the book was mocked at some point: churches and Christians, George Bush (let's face it, that's who she was slamming), FOX News, the police (hospital scene, when they wouldn't let Miranda in). Seems Pfeffer has issues with conservative America.
The storyline was very good, and I enjoyed the book a lot, but Pfeffer's bias bothered me a great deal. Glad I'm not the only one.
I think the only thing you can do is pray for the kids who do read the book so that they understand God's love."i sympathize with miranda and understand her frustration as she is faced with a best friend who can only say "i pray for you" when her beliefs are questioned or when the horror of a dying world is expressed in a real way. so i guess you better pray for me too.
I agree that the author seems to be biassed against conservative values. It was somewhat annoying really. I loved the book besides that.
I noticed this view of religion/conservatism in the book too, and wondered why it was portrayed that way (I recalled one description where Miranda compares getting two channels - between watching a religious marathon and Seinfeld/Friends, and she says "guess which one we watched" - it made it clear to me that the author had a clear bias, and while I'm moderate in my political views and consider myself religious (just not overly so), I thought this was rather irritating. I wish that the author handled this from a better perspective than they did, because it didn't come across as realistic. I think it would have been okay if the author painted Miranda's friend as being a part of a frustrating scheme of thinking on one angle, but to paint religion/religious values in multiple ways in such a negative tone is narrow-minded and unrealistic.
That being said, I did enjoy the book on other aspects, but I'm glad that other people saw this flaw as well.
I'm reading the next book in the series, Dead and Gone, and the main charater is a practicing catholic along with his family. It was refreshing to see a positive spin on religion and church in this book. Although I'm not catholic I could appreiciate how the characters are at least devoted to God but not to a crazy obssesive level. It was a nice balance compared to the first book and so fat there have been no jabs at the conservative president.
Shyla - that's good to know. I'll probably wait for a bit to read the next book in the series, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with it.
Thank you so much for saying this. I was deeply offended by the way Christianity was portrayed in the book and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with 6th graders reading it. It's too... Depressing. I can't even bring myself to let my 10 year old cousin read it!
But notice that religion is portrayed only as positive when a minority is practicing it. Typical liberal bias.
I don't know about the conservative part, I'm not American so I don't really know for that aspect of the book. But I'm reading the book and it kind of shocked me how the Christianity was represents, I mean I know that some people are quite extreme, but the way it was written it was more like it was a general view of Christians. I don't know why, but it's bothering me how God is depicted in the book, like he would want people to just die like that, not eating and just starve yourself or just waiting death like it would be gift. It's just unbelievable. I like the main character but she just judge so easily, that sometime I just wanted to enter in the book and just scream at her! I just hope people who are reading the book understand that Megan is just an exception and her behaviour is just completely off limit.
I dont know what the protocol is, but maybe make kids get a signed permission slip before they are allowed to check it out. Tell the parents about the profanity and sexual references, and they can make the decision whether to let the kids read it or not.
Are you guys serious with the censorship here? I hated this book, actually, for MANY reasons (one of them is the ridiculous science aspect, not to mention it's incredibly boooooring), but not putting a book back on the shelf because there's a crazy christian fundamentalist character? That's what fiction is...fiction! There are characters of all kinds, just like there are people of all kinds in the world! How about having a discussion with your kids about it if you're so worried, instead of witholding it from them? And why would anyone take it personally? It's a book! It's not about you!
Not to mention, this is a young adult book...for teens...which means there will be sex (none of which happens in this book. In fact, the main character is the most sheltered character in a YA book I've come across in a long time). And what profanity? Sheesh.
It's fascinating that, in the time we live in, so many would be offended by a realistic portrayal of a selfish, egotistical religious authority. So much that the original poster considered censoring the book. If a single black or Latino man in a book is a bad guy, there surely isn't the outrage at how "blackness is portrayed in the book."There are good and bad people everywhere, and that most certainly includes Christian ministers. To want all portrayals to be golden and perfect is not only wrong, but unfair to authors and readers alike.
Finally, any belief should stand up to questioning. The point here is that the kids unquestioningly followed a leader--even to the point of starvation. I sure would want young adults to read and think about that message for themselves.
Stephanie wrote: "It's fascinating that, in the time we live in, so many would be offended by a realistic portrayal of a selfish, egotistical religious authority. So much that the original poster considered censorin..."The problem is that not all black people believe the same thing, not all Latino people follow the same theology. The reason I and so many others have a problem with how Christianity is portrayed in this book is that that is the ONLY take we see on Christians and it is very negative and not at all how I or any of the Christians I know think or behave. Christians should all believe the same basic things - that is what makes us Christians. People of certain races are only the same color - that does not mean they act or think or believe the same things. Huge difference.
I started reading this book and I find it very interesting.
And this is why science divorced religion. The moment a book seems to disagree with your beliefs, your immediate thoughts are not "I wish I could change this misconception", no your immediate thoughts are "Burn it. No one must read it."
Oh and yes, even though I'm not religious, I too don't like it when religious people are caricatured as merely being fanatics. But I am more horrified by the contemplation of censorship with the pretext of sexual undertones and bad language being the main cause. How are you any different from how the Christians in the book were portrayed?
I think the only thing you can do is pray for the kids who do read the book so that they understand God's love.