The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker

'It is never what you worry over that comes to pass in the end. The real catastrophes are always different - unimagined, unprepared for, unknown…'

What if our 24-hour day grew longer, first in minutes, then in hours, until day becomes night and night becomes day? What effect would this slowing have on the world? On the birds in the sky, the whales in the sea, the astronauts in space, and on an eleven-year-old girl, grappling with emotional changes in her own life..?

One morning, Julia and her parents wake up in their suburban home in California to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth is noticeably slowing. The enormity of this is almost beyond comprehension. And yet, even if the world is, in fact, coming to an end, as some assert, day-to-day life must go on. Julia, facing the loneliness and despair of an awkward adolescence, witnesses the impact of this phenomenon on the world, on the community, on her family and on herself.

Reviewed by Kelly on

5 of 5 stars

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The Age of Miracles was a glorious coming of age novel, and what happens when the world is on the verge of collapse. Daylight spans minutes longer each day, each night lasting into the morning until one full Earth rotation is verging on forty hours. The phenomena has left scientists at a loss with the cause so far unknown, the nation is divided and on the verge of civil war between those who live by the clock and those who live by real time. But amidst the panic, it follows the storyline of eleven year old Julia. She's beginning to see the repercussions the crisis is having on her parents marriage, while her best friend leaves for a Mormon community where she's expected to wait out the end of days. With a sense of normalcy, life still goes on. Her father still works at the hospital, she still attends school and she still has a crush on Seth.

Julia is not only likable, but wise beyond her years. I felt for her, growing up in an uncertain world and seemingly the common factor that is holding her parents together. Even with the promise of the world ending, Julia soldiers on. An incredibly strong young woman that completely endeared me.

It's beautifully written and unique. Reminiscent of the classic Australian novel Puberty Blues, but with an apocalyptic twist. I read long into the early hours of the morning and simply couldn't put it down. It was a cross between being incredibly invested in Julia's story, and the morbid fascination to see whether or not the world would actually end. It's a coming of age novel of epic proportions and I absolutely loved every moment.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 March, 2015: Finished reading
  • 9 March, 2015: Reviewed