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Gail G. (Northbrook, Illinois)
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
This is a plausible story with frightening premises. I could not put down the book. All of the horrible possibilities described in the story could come true and in fact we already experience some frightening environmental occurrences now. Global warming and atmospheric destruction due to what we put in the air is a reality for us today. The horrors of what was happening to the earth kept me glued to the books' fatal attractions. The major characters are believable for the time in their life. Their reactions were honest and right for their age. Julia, the 12 year old major character looked at life through 12 year old eyes :she was not sophisticated but acted her age in responding to her life's experiences, both with her friends and adults.
There was an interesting response given to those who lived in the story. I call it a displacement behavior towards time. I found the story line to be believable and extremely functional.
Elizabeth L. (Salem, Oregon)
Special
This wonderful novel is a great addition to similarly themed books ("Children of Men"), movies ("Last Night" of 1998), and TV (Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Inner Light"). Told (freshly) from the perspective of a child, it tells of a difficult coming of age during a time when it isn't clear if there will be much of a tomorrow. But the story is touching not maudlin, aided in large part by excellent writing.
The best of my First Impression books so far!
Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
I would characterize this book as a Twilight Zone episode meeting a contemporary coming of age story. Life as we know it unravels just as a house of cards collapses, as real timers clash with clock timers as the earth slows on its axis. There is an optimism that breaks through the hours of darkness which I found reassuring. I could not put this book down.
Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)
the miracle is life goes on...
The slowing of the earth's rotation does nothing to slow the growing pains of 11 yr old narrator Julia. A coming of age story in an eerily altered world, Age of Miracles is a well written, easily read novel about how life goes on. In spite of the cataclysmic slowing of the earth, Julia worries about getting her first bra, kissing a boy, not fitting in. I would recommend this book to Young adult and up readers. It would be good for book clubs as a starting point for lots of discussions.
Catherine H. (Nashua, NH)
Slowing down, still going on....
I finished this book only few hours ago but I am still under its spell. I can only but strongly recommend it. This is the story of 11 year old Julia and her family discovering that one day, earth rotation has started slowing down with unimaginable consequences. The story is told by a grown up Julia. This is not a flashy, Hollywood type of book, but a story of how profondly such an event could affect people and their everyday lives and futures. Yet, life goes on....
I will certainly be looking forward to Mrs. Karen Th ompson Walker's next book.
Louise J
The Age of Miracles
The story is narrated by eleven-year-old, Julia so really more of the story is about coming-of-age but also part sci-fi and part young adult fiction. However, as a full grown adult I did thoroughly enjoy the book. It is beautifully written and I will be recommending it to my friends.
Angela J. (Highlands Ranch, CO)
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
A great read! It's a haunting story of a girl's coming of age during a time when the earth's rotation is literally slowing down. She has to cope with a lot changes - her adolescence, and a rapidly changing world.
Beverly J. (Huntersville, NC)
Coming-of-age in Extraordinary Times
This promising debut novel explores the textures of daily life in a time of a time of unanticipated disaster of the earth’s rotation slowing. While there were many things I liked about this book – the premise of the rotation of the earth suddenly slowing on a daily basis and the related consequences, lyrical writing, great pacing, and brilliant voice/tone, this was just an okay read for me. I attribute this to being a lover of speculative fiction, and wanted more on the speculative fiction side and less on the coming-of-age side. I would recommend this book to adult and young adult readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories as the unique voice will captivate this audience.