Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My daughter was diagnosed with diabetes five years ago and depends on insulin to live. With that diagnosis, I lost all ability to read any 'end of world' stories as the possibility was simply too overwhelming to consider. This book came up on the GoodReads Recommendations and I debated for awhile and then decided to read it, hoping that as a teen book it would be less intense and perhaps help me get over my fear of the genre.
It was less intense, definitely. The cruel gangs that rape, kill and loot were barely included. Schools continued to exist. People were able to get cash and find food in the beginning. Hospitals stayed open. Less fearsome, however, it was not.
Choosing a teen heroine was an interesting choice. At an age when I would expect a teen to grow up and help deal with the situation, she was selfish and prone to make bad decisions. There were moments, though, when her fears and confusion were clearly age-related and explained her behavior. I gradually realized that this is probably a very realistic response of a teen to such a serious situation. I give the author a lot of credit for finding that balance and doing such a good job of weaving a story around it.
I've already requested the second book in the story and I'm interested in seeing what happens in book 3 when this family comes back to the story again.
Oh, and I've rededicated myself to emergency food storage. I imagine that's a common response to any mom that reads this story and feels for the mother fighting for her children's lives!
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