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Tatiana's Reviews > Life As We Knew It
Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1)
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"Life as We Knew It" is a teen book version of disaster movies such as "Armageddon," "2012," and "The Day After Tomorrow" told from a 16-year old girl's POV. Basically, you have a natural cataclysm that affects the entire planet and you follow a girl and her family through their day-to-day struggles to survive the aftermath.
The book is compelling in many ways. You find yourself imagining what you would do in Miranda� situation. Like many have said in the reviews before me, you feel an urge to get ready for such a disaster and stock up on canned food and fuel.
What is disappointing about this book however, is the flatness of the narration. Call me naive, but I expect a high point, some kind of conflict, climax if you wish, in every book I read. This book is rather underwhelming in that respect. There is rarely any excitement or drama. There is no intensity or build-up, and thus the long-awaited resolution fails to touch you.
Another bothersome thing is the author's too obvious political views and opinions of religion. While I share Pfeffer's views, I think she should have been a little more subtle about them, after all it's a book for kids.
Overall, an engrossing but monotonous book. I enjoyed listening to it but I am not sure if I want to read the sequel.
Reading challenge: #1 - L.
The book is compelling in many ways. You find yourself imagining what you would do in Miranda� situation. Like many have said in the reviews before me, you feel an urge to get ready for such a disaster and stock up on canned food and fuel.
What is disappointing about this book however, is the flatness of the narration. Call me naive, but I expect a high point, some kind of conflict, climax if you wish, in every book I read. This book is rather underwhelming in that respect. There is rarely any excitement or drama. There is no intensity or build-up, and thus the long-awaited resolution fails to touch you.
Another bothersome thing is the author's too obvious political views and opinions of religion. While I share Pfeffer's views, I think she should have been a little more subtle about them, after all it's a book for kids.
Overall, an engrossing but monotonous book. I enjoyed listening to it but I am not sure if I want to read the sequel.
Reading challenge: #1 - L.
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by
Heather
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rated it 3 stars
Dec 12, 2009 02:08PM
I liked this one, too funny that you are listening to this cause I just started listening to the audio of book 2 today :)
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What a coincidence:) I like it so far
I know, lol. I really liked that one too.
Like your review. I also thought Miranda was flat. There wasn't really a plot or climax either, but somehow it worked for, not sure why. But I was able to cast it aside easily for that very reason.Also, if you think her agenda pushing was obvious in this one, just you wait, it gets worse in book 2. Alex and his family are Catholic and the church and Catholic school plays a major role.
It still was interesting, but it could have been so much better with some more drama IMO.Oh, does she really have to be so blatant about it? It added very little to the story. In fact it turned me off somewhat.
I don't know how much more drama there could have been, I suppose one of Miranda's family members could have died....It really got on my nerves in book 2, but, I still thought it was better.
More violence or looting maybe, IDK.If we, liberals, think it was over the top, imagine what conservatives think about the propaganda!:)
There is more looting in book 2.Wait, Pfeffer is anti-gov and pro-Jesus sounds about right for conservatives. :)
She is pro-Jesus? I didn't know that. She was blasting religious people and the pastor in the 1st. And she hates Bush
I forgot about that, well then, she switches sides in book 2 so I guess she is just a little fence rider then.In book 2 she is anti-gov, as noone in the gov. helps anyone , and the church is the only one who provides support or sanctuary.
Aw, CRAP! I hated Armageddon and The Day After Tomorrow! (I didn't even bother to see 2012.) Is it really that bad???Oh well, I'm still going to read it since you gave it three stars.
It was OK, engaging.
When I read her first "the president is an idiot" comment, I was a little startled. Usually, YA & children's aren't so disrespectful towards political leaders... but I have to admit, when I looked at the original publication date & saw Bush was the current Pres.... it made me giggle. But of course, how many kids are going to think Pfeffer endorses any President being called an idiot... as oposed to the number of kids who take the time to discover that the current President really was an idiot? I mean, without mentioning his name, it's just very disrespectful in general. Which I don't really approve of.
Rant over =)
The author took it way overboard in this book IMO. It even made me slightly uncomfortable.
I think her comments on the news network and the president definitely date the book and make the book potentially irrelevant and inaccessible for readers even a few years past now. For example, while I laughed at the Fox network comment, it took me a few seconds to figure out which president she was talking about before she made it explicit. A criticism of the government and leadership could have been done in such a better, less juvenile manner. And that would be great for young adults to read.But the comments made me laugh. Questioning of authority is okay in my book and a good thing for kids to learn (even though here it was obviously targeted at a specific individual). But I am only about 45% in to this book so far.
The stuff on religion was spot on for me. And the criticism of it did not bother me at all, but what did bother me was sort of the flat portrayal of it. Megan is one dimensional. I know we are seeing her through a journal and that is filtered by a teenager, but the portrayal could have been more dynamic. Megan can't be all crazy and judgmental. Authors who write such narrow characters really limit their books.
Did you find this one so realistic that several of the major plot twists didn't feel that surprising? That was an issue I had with this one.
It's been awhile, so I don't remember it clearly, but I don't remember it having any twists whatsoever.
I'd say that's a pretty good way of putting it.
