“The only thing you have to do in this life is die," said Mrs. Pinsky..."everything else is a choice.”
SYNOPSIS: On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, 11-year-old Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life--the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.
REVIEW: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker is a must read. It is a book that will teach readers lessons applicable to enhance the beauty of their souls.
The plot is not unique. If you've ever heard of Life As We Knew It, you will probably agree to me that this one and that book have things in common. Speaking of, btw as I've read In The After a month ago, I remember this book. I don't know. Yet without that perfect originality, the author still delivered a solid heart whelming, gripping unforgettable story I have ever read in my entire life.
Moving on, the book is more of a Young Adult appeal but this is absolutely not just for the teens. This is a must read for ages 20 and up too. This book is all about appreciation of the only life we have, taking care of the relationships we are bond too and most of all making use of time, for it is not just gold according to this book, but time is everything.
I feel this book. I feel sorry for the main character as she grew up watching birds falling down from the sky. Smelling the stench of rotting whales at the seashore. Most of all, witnessing and facing the breaking up of her own family.
This book talks about the coming of age of a girl, the dilemmas and the things that destroys a family once one of the parents cheated the other. One of the things I love about this book is that it is not shallow. The lines were straight to the soul. You will not surely miss some of them, and you'll surely even take some notes about them like what I did while reading it.
Like this, “I've become a collector of stories about unlikely returns: the sudden reappearance of the long-lost son, the father found, the lovers reunited after forty years. Once in awhile, a letter does fall behind a post office desk and lie there for years before it's finally discovered and delivered to the rightful address. The seemingly brain-dead sometimes wake up and start talking. I'm always on the lookout for proof that what is done can sometimes be undone.” and this, “How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded nothing, when everything was possible.”.
The book is honest. It is not cheesy. The characters are likable. There were drama but it happened in the right time for the the right feels. The last line, the message they left on the concrete while they were young blew me away.
The ending left me almost crying. I was left thinking a lot of things about life after reading the book. I can't get rid of the ideas and stuffs this book gave to me until now, even though I've read this book two years ago already. I can still remember now the things/lessons this book taught me.
This is what I learned most from the book, that life is not ours to take but it is ours to take care and spend wisely. We were given a life, a once in a universe's lifetime opportunity, we were lucky and taking care of it properly is one of the greatest way to give thanks to the One that gave it to us.
A lot of people live a life worse from what we think is our worst. Some people is unluckier than us.
Life is love. Love of the family, friends, lover, etc. including yourself make up who you are. Define who you are. Life is happiness, and happiness is contentment. Contentment is wisdom maturing from knowledge and compassion married together.
This book is a must read.
OVERALL RATING: 9 /10
STORY: 9/10
CHARACTERS: 8/10
THE FEELS: 9/ 10
ENTERTAINMENT: 6/ 10
PLOT: 8/ 10
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