{Review} The World as We Know It by Joseph Monninger

ISBN #: 978-1451606348

Page Count: 320

Copyright: October 11, 2011

Publisher: Gallery Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

A lifetime of friendship begins the day brothers Ed and Allard save Sarah from drowning in an icy river near their rural New Hampshire home. Though their paths diverge through the years, the connection between the three endures until a heartbreaking tragedy in the remote mountains of Wyoming forces Sarah and Allard to confront the unthinkable. In their grief, they find themselves on separate journeys that test the enduring bonds of their relationship and time's unremitting power to heal.

Poignant and transformative, The World as We Know It is subtle and heartrending - a love story of friendship, nature, and the surprising twists that can alter our destinies forever.

Mandy's Review:

Do you recall sitting in your high school English class and your teacher telling you that you would be reading a classic. Perhaps it was A Tale of Two Cities. Maybe it was The Giver or The Scarlet Letter. Do you recall how you felt while reading a story that was written so long ago, the pages yellowed with age? I have no doubt that The World as We Know It will be a classic that is read by English students years from now. The flow of the story and the way it read was reminiscent of those classics I read during high school.

Sarah and Allard's love story is a great piece of literary fiction. There are life lessons and situations throughout this novel that are open for deeper interpretation. The Wyoming tragedy lends a more serious, but necessary note, to this work. What would an unforgettable piece of literature be without a tragedy to tear the lovers apart?

I really don't know what to say. I'm just stunned and still in awe of how substantial this story is. This is one book that isn't going anywhere. When the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list is revamped, I could pretty much guarantee you that this book will be on that list.


*A paperback copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.