Mini Review: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Publication: June 26, 2012
Format: Hardcover [Bought]
Publisher: Random House
Rating: 5/5

　
Synopsis
Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty.
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.

With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.

My Thoughts

The moment I heard about this book I knew I HAD to read it. Something about it made me very curious to see what the hype was all about. I'm not usually one to follow the hype when it comes to things. I don't think of myself as a follower but the when I heard good reviews from number of sources I had to see it for myself.
I loved this book! It's a wonderfully written coming of age story. The notion that no matter how slow or fast the world changes, basic human emotions always remain the same. Not only is Julia a girl coming into her own but has to deal with herself changing, her family and not to mention the world itself as she's only know it.
Karen Thompson Walker's novel not only lives up to everything that's been said but in my mind exceeds it. A must read!