LIFE AS WE KNEW IT

Emily Bauer's cheery tones define teenaged Miranda and her high school passions, problems, and protests. Everything changes, however, when a meteor collides with the moon, and she and her family discover that both U.S. coasts have fallen away and earthquakes are erupting everywhere. Bauer ratchets up Miranda's anxiety as grocery store shelves empty, electricity fails, skies gray, and cold sets in. As Miranda's life shrinks and her dedication to family expands, Bauer superbly portrays her gamut of emotions--the frustration and fear of the situation, the tenderness that grows from working together to survive, and momentary reappearances of her old optimism as she finds reasons to hope for the future. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]