This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publication Date: 4/1/2010

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Pages: 256

Format: Hardcover

Source: Purchased

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Goodreads Summary:

The heart-wrenching companion to the bestselling novels Life as We Knew It and The Dead & The Gone.

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. Miranda and her two brothers spend their days scavenging for food and household items, while their mother stays at home and desperately tries to hold on to the ordinary activities of their previous life. But they all know that nothing is truly normal in this surreal new world they live in.
           
The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

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After reading the first two novels I couldn't imagine what the third one would be like.  I mean, Life as We Knew It was from Miranda's point of view as to what happened after that fateful day the moon came closer to earth.  The second book, The Dead and The Gone was the same period of time, but told in another point of view, that of Alex Morales.  


I knew these stories were going to merge together, but how?  How could Pfeffer put these two together when they lived so far apart?  I was pleasantly surprised.  Pfeffer does a great job of once again telling the story from Miranda's point of view.  We learn more about what happened in the time following the moon coming closer to earth.  The anniversary of this day is coming closer and so many people have died, but Alex and Miranda are still alive.  They have each survived in different ways, but somehow found a way to get to each other and experience a bit of happiness in this time of despair.  


Although these two and their families have been through more than anyone should experience, they are able to enjoy their time together and find common ground.  Miranda and Alex find love in this time of despair and loss, but also experience too much of their own loss as well.  The end of this book tells a story of hard decisions made after experiencing so much.  This family has been through unimaginable times, but found a way to survive together and make the most out of this disaster.  This book shows that love can survive so much and help you make the toughest decisions of your life.  Love is what kept this family alive and surviving rather than perishing as many others did.


I loved this series.  It is scary when you wonder if something like this could really happen, but the hope this family holds was enough to keep me reading.  I kept hoping for the best, which didn't always happen.  There were times of laughter and times where all I wanted to do was cry for the hurt they were experiencing.  Pfeffer did a great job of wrapping up this series into a nice little bow, rather than leaving a lot of loose ends to wonder about.