Review: This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

Rating: 3/5

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

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. (Goodreads)

So, the first Pfeffer book was about how Miranda and her family were adjusting to the world tragedy that the movement of the moon caused, the second book was about how Alex and his family was adjusting. This third book takes place from Miranda’s POV, but Alex is there as well. Miranda and her family are continuing to do what they can to survive in their home. Her brothers leave to go catch fish to salt for the family and her older brother randomly comes back with a girl he’d met the previous day and claims in now his wife (this was my first problem). I just couldn’t get behind it… I honestly don’t know what else to say on that particular subject. Next Miranda’s father, step mother, and new baby brother show up with three more people, two of which being Alex and his sister Julie. That’s fine and dandy, but we don’t learn enough about that happened between the end of Alex’s book and the beginning of this one. They somehow made it to Carlos who told Alex to send Julie to a convent, and somehow met up with Miranda’s dad. That’s about all they give us. I guess I didn’t feel very satisfied. At first Miranda doesn’t care for Alex, then she kind of has a little crush on him (sort of…), then she’s in love with him and he’s in love with her. I promise you, that’s exactly how it happened. I obviously wasn’t a big fan. I gave the book three stars because I still like the idea of what the world would be like if a meteor truly did knock the moon closer to Earth, but in addition to liking a book that’s plot driven, I have to be able to connect to the characters, and sadly, I just don’t care that much about Alex and Miranda.