Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer

Sorry for such a small picture, it was kinda hard to find if you'd believe that!  This book was eerily good.  It was eery because it was something that could actually happen.  It makes you think "what if".  The book starts with the news that an asteroid is expected to hit the moon and it will be big enough to see.  So EVERYONE is out watching that night since it's a once in a lifetime event.  But what the scientists anticipated doesn't actually happen.  It's much, much worse than they predicted.  The impact from the asteroid is so big that it actually moves the moon closer to the earth on impact.  That sends people into panic mode immediately.  Of course you have your "it's fine, nothings wrong" people and you have your "it's the end of the world" people.  Overnight there were massive tsunamis and tidal waves all over the world.  Some areas along coasts are completely wiped out in an instant.  "Death lists" have already been started on the internet.  The next day the bus to school was only half filled, along with the classroom.  While at school a complete severe freak storm happens.  The wind sounds like there's tornados and there's severe lightning like no one has ever seen.  The students at school have been moved into the hallways and stay there throughout the day because of the storm.  The story then goes on to tell about how the economy starts to fall apart, electricity is no more, gas runs out along with fuel.  The grocery stores have massive riots and people are fighting.  They are so overwhelmed that they just start charging $100 by the cartfull.  The family is sent in two at a time with cash to fill as many baskets with canned goods, medicine and anything else they can grab.  The journal entries day by day start to get worse and worse and more scary.  Volcanoes that never existed have started to erupt all over the world and is covering the world with ash so there's no sunlight.  Crops and animals are dieing off if they weren't already eaten.  It turns into a story of survival.  The family grows stronger from what they've been through.  Neighbors don't talk anymore because no one wants anyone to know what they have inside their house.   A massive flu epidemic breaks out and kills half of the remaining people.  It is scary and sad, but I really really liked this book because I just kept having to read to find out what happened next.  There is another book like this but the journal is from someone in new york.  I definitely plan on reading it.  Would recommend it to anyone who can take it!  VERY good.  I really liked the journal format also, it made reading even easier, because once you start you'll want to finish it!