Book Review: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles 

Karen Thompson Walker

304 Pages

Published January 15th 2013 by Random House Trade Paperbacks

On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the pain and vulnerability of first love, a growing sense of isolation, and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world.

The Age of Miracles was a story that had me riveted from the very first page. The concept of the rotation of the earth slowing is a frightening one - and for all we know a real possibility. Told from the perspective of a young girl, Julia, we get to see a firsthand account of how the world begins to turn to chaos and ruin after our routines are torn apart by an ever changing world. 

Characters

There aren't many main characters in this story, it is mostly about Julia since it is told from her perspective. There was w hole cast of supportive characters though, like her parents, Seth Moreno, and her neighbor Sylvia. 

I found Julia to be like any other 11 year old girl in the beginning of the story. Childish, boy obsessed and worried about the most mundane things in life. As her world started unraveling faster and faster she was forced to grow up rather quickly, but she dealt with it better than most other kids would have. I liked getting to know this new earth from her perspective. 

Plot

As for the plot of the story - that is what the book consists of. There was so much happening to an earth that was going so slow. I kept wondering what happened to set off the slowing, but I never did find out. It was both interesting and terrifying to read about a world so different yet so similar to our own. 

Electricity grew scarce as people grappled for their ever increasing power needs. Days and nights grew to over 36 hours each and never stopped gaining time. Gravity was affected, as was behavior. Everything was different. 

Not only did we get insight on this new world as it was changing, we also got to see how people were dealing with it. Some people went with it, trying to stay up through all the daylight hours, but most stuck to a 24 hour schedule, with difficulty. Relationships were tested and people changed, often for the worse. 

Writing Style

 I loved how the author wrote. Her words were captivating, almost poetic. It amazed me how her words could have such a lyrical quality while still perfectly portraying an young girl. 

This book hooked me from start to finish and I'm sure it'll have my mind racing for a very long time. If you haven't read this, you need to!