The Aussie Zombie

Full review on my blog: http://theaussiezombie.blogspot.com/

Life As We Knew It isn’t exact in its science, and I don’t feel that it was meant to be. The science isn’t necessary, it’s the fall-out and consequences for the family in the book that makes the story. So if you want a book with a good, grounded scientific explanation, stop reading now – this is not the book for you.

However if you want a book that is focused on a family’s fight for survival in a world racked by tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes caused by the moon being knocked out of its orbit, told from the perspective of the teenage daughter, this may be right up your street. It is told in journal style which I know some people (including myself), aren’t the biggest fans of, but if it was written in the third person it may not have worked.

What I did like about this book is the focus on survival, and family. The people of the town don’t make much of an appearance, and there are only fleeting glimpses of not-so-baddies. I did find that to be a little of a fantastical view of the world, but again, this is a YA book so by nature violence should be minimal. None of the characters were particularly abrasive or irritating, nor too sugary-sweet nicey-nicey, and were quite well developed.

And what didn’t I like? For me, I don’t think it was a realistic portrayal of how life would be like in an event of this magnitude. At 19 I probably would have hated this book for being unrealistic and narrow-minded, but at twenty-*cough* I can see why the author wrote Life As We Knew It as she did.

If I had a twelve year old daughter, I’d happily give her this book to read. If I had a friend who loved YA, I’d probably lend it to her. Will I read the next book in the series? Perhaps, because I’m curious as to what happens next.