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Isa's Reviews > Life As We Knew It
Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors, #1)
by
Ìý
Okay, I was really looking forward to this book - I've been reading a lot of dystopias lately and they've surprised me in a positive way. Not this one.
Why? SCIENCE.
Ìý
Listen, if you're writing fantasy or sci-fi that's not based on Earth you can go all out, like, "That asteroid knocked Zhogenaqn, our moon, out of orbit, which caused all the feueldndao plants to release zignhnwp, a deadly virus." It's cool. You can do that, and I won't even bat an eyelash at it.
BUT when you say "oh all the astronomers were really psyched about that asteroid that would hit the moon, but it ended up knocking the moon out of orbit like a goddamn marble and make its way towards Earth", then we have a problem.
Ìý
First of all, it would take an object equal to the moon in density and size, hitting it at the same velocity as its trajectory, but on an opposite direction to knock it out of said orbit. ARE YOU TELLING ME ALL THE WORLD'S ASTRONOMERS COULD NOT CALCULATE THAT SHIT?! Not that there would be anything to calculate since the book tells us the asteroid was "a lot smaller than the moon"!
Ìý
Then a bunch of unrealistic, unscientific stuff happens, which is just basically a whole case of: author did not do the research - even if I were able to ignore that moon stuff , (WHICH, AS A SCIENTIST, I CAN'T) I wouldn't be able to ignore this! How the fuck do tides cause tsunamis?! Are tides somehow causing submarine earthquakes?! And the Yellowstone volcano erupted because of the moon (WTF?!?!?!) and all it did was send out a little ash?! And suddenly malaria?! I JUST CAN'T WITH THIS SHIT.
Ìý
I'm not religious, my family isn't religious. I don't care about religion. That being said, the author's attack on religious characters is absurd. Why are they being portrayed as whack jobs who incite children to starve because God will provide for them while churches are keeping all the food for themselves? Give me a break, the great majority of the world's population is religious, they're not all crazy people! And churches (or the equivalent depending on denomination) have a history of helping people when disaster strikes. Bitch all you want, but even now with this fucking crisis, there are a lot of people who would be starving if it weren't for food provided by organizations connected to religious movements.
Don't use YA books as your platform to spout this kind of shit. It makes you look like an asshole. Especially if you already proved to the world you are unable to grasp the basics of science.
Ìý
And the story? If you advertise your book as a dystopia, don't make us read a teenage girl's diary unless shit actually happens in it! I know I sound mad, and I am mad because there is so much awesome stuff you could do with science on your side!! The author even quoted Star Trek TOS, which was pretty okay on the science bits (even though it had a lot of leeway what with it being in OUTER SPACE WITH ALIENS).
Ìý
But this book?
by
Isa's review
bookshelves: bad-science, awful, boring, disappointment, dystopia, young-adult, just-no, fiction
Jul 01, 2013
bookshelves: bad-science, awful, boring, disappointment, dystopia, young-adult, just-no, fiction
Ìý
Okay, I was really looking forward to this book - I've been reading a lot of dystopias lately and they've surprised me in a positive way. Not this one.
Why? SCIENCE.
Ìý
Listen, if you're writing fantasy or sci-fi that's not based on Earth you can go all out, like, "That asteroid knocked Zhogenaqn, our moon, out of orbit, which caused all the feueldndao plants to release zignhnwp, a deadly virus." It's cool. You can do that, and I won't even bat an eyelash at it.
BUT when you say "oh all the astronomers were really psyched about that asteroid that would hit the moon, but it ended up knocking the moon out of orbit like a goddamn marble and make its way towards Earth", then we have a problem.
Ìý
First of all, it would take an object equal to the moon in density and size, hitting it at the same velocity as its trajectory, but on an opposite direction to knock it out of said orbit. ARE YOU TELLING ME ALL THE WORLD'S ASTRONOMERS COULD NOT CALCULATE THAT SHIT?! Not that there would be anything to calculate since the book tells us the asteroid was "a lot smaller than the moon"!
Ìý
Then a bunch of unrealistic, unscientific stuff happens, which is just basically a whole case of: author did not do the research - even if I were able to ignore that moon stuff , (WHICH, AS A SCIENTIST, I CAN'T) I wouldn't be able to ignore this! How the fuck do tides cause tsunamis?! Are tides somehow causing submarine earthquakes?! And the Yellowstone volcano erupted because of the moon (WTF?!?!?!) and all it did was send out a little ash?! And suddenly malaria?! I JUST CAN'T WITH THIS SHIT.
Ìý
I'm not religious, my family isn't religious. I don't care about religion. That being said, the author's attack on religious characters is absurd. Why are they being portrayed as whack jobs who incite children to starve because God will provide for them while churches are keeping all the food for themselves? Give me a break, the great majority of the world's population is religious, they're not all crazy people! And churches (or the equivalent depending on denomination) have a history of helping people when disaster strikes. Bitch all you want, but even now with this fucking crisis, there are a lot of people who would be starving if it weren't for food provided by organizations connected to religious movements.
Don't use YA books as your platform to spout this kind of shit. It makes you look like an asshole. Especially if you already proved to the world you are unable to grasp the basics of science.
Ìý
And the story? If you advertise your book as a dystopia, don't make us read a teenage girl's diary unless shit actually happens in it! I know I sound mad, and I am mad because there is so much awesome stuff you could do with science on your side!! The author even quoted Star Trek TOS, which was pretty okay on the science bits (even though it had a lot of leeway what with it being in OUTER SPACE WITH ALIENS).
Ìý
But this book?
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Life As We Knew It.
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Reading Progress
July 1, 2013
–
Started Reading
July 1, 2013
– Shelved
July 1, 2013
–
4.45%
""Men were walking on the moon for the very first time in history and people preferred watching Dr. McCoy say, "He's dead, Jim," for the thousandth time."
"
page
15
"
July 2, 2013
–
7.42%
"I thought only an asteroid of the same density and size as the moon hitting it at the same velocity of its orbit but with an opposite trajectory could knock it out of said orbit. Are you telling me astronomers would not have been able to calculate that shit?! STFU!"
page
25
July 2, 2013
–
100.0%
"""Countries?" I said. Somehow I'd forgotten there were other countries, that we shared the moon with other countries."
"
page
337
"
July 2, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 91 (91 new)
Wait so rewind. An object that has less mass than the moon hit it and sent the moon out of orbit?I never really did do very well in science, but isn't that a bit... absurd?
That being said, thanks for the review.
It's extremely absurd. Anyone with eyes can look at pictures of the moon and see it has craters from countless such impacts, and yet on it goes orbiting the Earth.
Thank you for the review! I won't waste my time. The only way I can digest bad science is on mystery science theatre 3000
I'M STILL SO MAD AT THIS BOOK. Especially because it's the 1st of 4, or 5 or a billion or whatever!
love this review!!! I did a report on this book for earth science and let me tell you this, it was a lot like this review. Ugh I hated all the incorrect "research"
I sincerely doubt there was any research at all, but hey, at least you probably amused the class and the teacher with this book!
Thank you! Just thank you! This book was straight garbage & so irritating. I genuinely feel like the author's only reason for writing this boring, whiny diary was to express her hatred of organized religion & George Dub-ya. Waste of $10, three weeks, & shelf-space in my bathroom.
This review sums up my opinuon, too. I actually wonder if the author actually hired a proof reader for this novel because the typos... This could have been so much better. Shame really.
And forget the second actually, lol. I'm doing a pfeffer. Damn phones...
lol it's okay.I don't even think this book would improve with a proof-reader - the very premise is flawed from the beginning...
I just started reading this book and I am four chapters in. The minute they said tsunamis were being caused by the tides I knew I would have to put the book down. I hate putting books down but the science teacher part of my brain is going crazy.
Right?! I don't know how this book managed to be published, let alone be successful enough to become a tetralogy.
The weekend is the only time I have to read so I'm just glad I had plenty of other books to pick up.
I loved this book. The whole mass of the astroid thing is a bit off, but the tides could cause tsunamis. Also, this is purely hypothetical science - who knows what would happen if the moon got knocked out of its orbit...just saying.
"A bit off"? The whole premise of the book is completely scientifically inaccurate!I think you may be confusing tsunamis with tidal waves...
There wasn't any serious scientific research going into this book, and that is inexcusable.
I'm glad you liked it, I really am, but that doesn't excuse the bad science and the lazy research that went into the world building of this book.
"who knows what would happen if the moon got knocked out of its orbit"
Astrophysicists?!
All I'm saying is that this is hypothetical science - we can make predictions about what may happen, but no one knows for certain.
There is a large body of work concerning the moon - it's been hit by asteroids, meteorites, etc., throughout history, we know how it was formed and we know what would happen if an event such as the one described in the book took place - if an asteroid smaller than the moon would hit it (as this one was: "It was a lot smaller than the moon"), it would leave a crater. The same as the countless ones which already litter the moon's surface.
You can watch one such hit !
As I mentioned in my review it would take an object of equal size, equal density, and equal speed (that's 0.635 miles per second!) to hit it on an opposite trajectory to knock the moon off its orbit.
That's the first scientific inaccuracy of the book, but it's not even the one and only.
As I said, I'm really glad you managed to look past the lack of research to enjoy the protagonist's tale. I'm always glad when people enjoy reading, even if I personally did not enjoy the book they read.
I simply could not get past the bad science, and that's that.
Okay, that's your prerogative. I liked the story, and yes, you are correct that an asteroid that was a lot smaller than the moon could not do damage - that does not make sense.
Again, I'm really glad you liked the story - I have several people I respect and admire in my friends' list who gave it 5 stars. I just didn't because I couldn't get past the lack of research. It's just one of those things.
I respect your opinion, but in my perspective I just had to look deeper.Not all books have to use common sense you just have to put your imagination to the test. I greatly enjoyed this book because it showed how lucky we are. It kept me interested throughout the whole book and I couldn't put it down. Everyone has opinions and they may be different. I am not against that:).
I don't like that the author is imparting erroneous information to young readers, without even a preface saying something like, "Hey, the laws of physics don't allow for this." YA doesn't need to be educational, but it certainly should not present wrong scientific information.
It's not a question of lack of imagination - as I said in my review, had this been set in a make-belief planet, I'd accept it at once.
Again, I'm glad you, like many others, liked it.
I'm 10% in (reading on a Kindle), and while the science fiction used yup explain the event doesn't bother me much, it's the rather poor writing that's bugging me. Better writing would at least make this book more enjoyable. Giving it a little longer before I give up.
Yeah, I don't fight with 12 year old children on the internet. But I hope you find an interest in science and are lucky enough to learn it properly.By the way, according to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' Terms of Use GR "is intended solely for Users who are thirteen (13) years of age or older, and any registration, use or access to the Service by anyone under 13 is unauthorized, unlicensed, and in violation of this Agreement."
So...
The Last Policeman? I need to check it out :)I'm so thankful it was you commenting, I always feel dread filling me up whenever someone comments on this review.
Thanks for your review. You spared me from having to read this one...and then having the EXACT same reaction you did. Oh, and I totally needed the Neil deGrasse Tyson meme!
If it has science (especially bad science) Neil deGrasse Tyson needs to be there!You're welcome :)
I feel the same way you do...it all seems hard to imagine the catastrophies happing...and with so many movies similar....deep impact...armeggedon....2012, etc. but those were exciting and felt more believable, but this keeps feeling more and more hard to believe...but for the sake of wanting to finish it I am going to try and use my imagination at what would happen if "natural disaters just started popping up " and see how i feel then. lol. so disappointed though....research is a VERY important thing when writing in a "real world" that is supposed to be believable
I agree that the science is indeed questionable at best. The orbital mechanics and the systems science are plausable only in a vague sense ignoring her reference to the size of the impactor. That aside, the book is written as a diary from the point of view of a teenager who is interested in sports and art. Hardly a budding scientist here. It is plausable from this perspective to see the science misunderstood and the facts being misrepresented based on rumors and media presentation which I have seen to be grossly inaccurate at times of crisis. With all of that said, I too stumbled on the science because of my background. The first thing I wanted to do was work out the orbital details of the lunar shift which is difficult based on the few details she gives. The plot however bogged down at times,and the religious element was irritating. I finished it, but I was not happy with it.
I hadn't thought of it like that!I mean, I doubt that was the author's intent, I'm pretty sure it was a case of "did not do the research" but your explanation is perfectly plausible!
That's the way I was able to enjoy the book - I just assumed that the narrator didn't know any better and I read it like any other apocalypse book where we don't really know what the hell is happening. But I imagine the author wrote it that way so that she wouldn't have to do her research. Which makes me angry.
I actually read the second and third books in this series and they get progressively worse. They're bad even if you can completely ignore all science.
I really hadn't thought of it like that, and it makes perfect sense. But even ignoring all the inaccurate science by thinking of it in that way, the story still wasn't good...
And since you say the series gets progressively worse... well, I'm not missing anything!
Isa wrote: "Yeah, I don't fight with 12 year old children on the internet. But I hope you find an interest in science and are lucky enough to learn it properly.By the way, according to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' Terms of Us..."
Who are you saying is 12 years old?
Some 12 year old girl whom I brought to GR's attention because her profile had WAY too much info about her thus making it easy for the wrong kind of people to find her.I guess they took her account down :/
I don't know, I think 12 year olds should be allowed here if they're under parental supervision. Especially if they don't know how to be safe on the internet...
Oh, okay, I thought you meant me, and I was like "uh...I'm 16" :P
So, I haven't read this book, just came across your review and criticism. Any impact with the moon would change its orbit very slightly. Even the moon landings very slightly changed the course of the moon. And, the degree to which the orbit is impacted depends on both the mass and the velocity of the object that strikes the moon - a much less massive object travelling at a very high velocity could still have a significant impact. Finally, it is also justified to imagine that a dramatically changed orbit could lead to a change in tectonic activity, including volcanos and earthquakes. The moon Io is kept geologically active due to the immense gravity of Jupiter continually deforming it - that produces forces and friction and heat that cause all sorts of nasty activity. It is certainly plausible that a substantially different orbit of the moon could cause these kinds of effects.
You should totally write that in your own review after you have actually read the book :)
Great review - Shit Book! Thanks for the heads up.
That whole suspension of disbelief thing...
Oh wow. I mean, I'm an atheist. When I write I often include the theme of religion vs science. I do not, ever, describe the conflict, which has exists and is a legitimate topic to discuss, as a one sided moralizing diatribe against religion. That's just bullshit. MOST religious people are good people. MOST RELIGIONS are good. Just because I have to deal with moron creationist arguments on a daily basis does not make me upset with everyone who believes in a higher power. This is not just a bad description of religion. It's a horrible description of the issues overall.
I understand what you mean but can u at least have an imagination come on now. Also it depends on the speed of the object of the meteor was really fast it could have knocked the moon out of orbit.
I agree with you. When it comes down to it, a lot of it doesn't make sense. I got through it just assuming this family didn't exactly KNOW what was happening. They didn't have a lot of opportunity to figure it out before they didn't have access to the Internet or the media. So I let it go, and read the story. As for the elements with religion, I didn't mind her attitude towards it. There are people out there who can and will take religion too far in times of crisis. And there are people out there who would call them crazy. I went ahead and read the second book, and its main characters are devout Catholics. It showed a different perspective on religion when it pertains to survivors of catastrophe, and it's certainly more positive. All in all though, I mostly agree with you. The author didn't put a lot of research into it. I didn't hate the book over it, but I think it could have been better and I would have liked a little more detail about how it could have been possible. But, I just thought about what I was like at 16, and what I knew about the world around me. It made it easier to read and a little bit more enjoyable.
Though I think it is possible for a smaller object but of greater velocity to hot the moon and cause it to go out of orbit, but yeah the science bothers me but is it quite entertaining
Trying to make myself read this, and I'm not even to the 'bad science' parts yet, I just think this writing is incredibly awful.
Oh how I wish I'd seen your review before I started this book. Now because of some sort of OCD I should probably be taking pills for, I am going to be as angry as you are for the next 3 days.
Wished I had read this review before reading to save myself the brain melting fuzz... I reached 3/4
Honestly, the fact that the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted and there was just a small amount of ash infuriated me. A good fiction book based around the supervolcano eruption is "Ashfall" by Mike Mullins. It's still got it's flaws, as every book does, but it's a more accurate summation of the effects of the Yellowstone volcano erupting. *Spoilers* It mentions earthquakes going on beforehand, as either the cause or precursor to the eruption. The heavy ash that would follow, going on for days and days afterwards, the explosions and tremors that follow for up to a day afterwards. It talks about the almost immediate lack of food, electricity, and running water. He captures the fact that there's almost constant thunderstorms in the following days, as the ash clogs up the atmosphere. There's looters, cannibals, crazy people, and people who are reasonably hospitable. I think it's a trilogy, I am currently awaiting the second book to arrive.
Yeah, I've heard good things about that book!
But yeah,