5 out of 5
There are numerous stories about the end of the world, numerous novels about what the human race does as the world comes to an explosive and horrific end. But The Age of Miracles does something very different; in telling the tale of the day humanity realized that the rotation of the Earth was beginning to slow, Karen Thompson Walker creates a very different kind of apocalyptic novel: one about an apocalypse that comes over time, not all at once. That's an intriguing enough idea, and The Age of Miracles does the idea well, creating a world where days begin to stretch to double their normal length and beyond, leaving people divided as to how to live their lives - do you cling to the old clock, or do you try to stretch your life to fit the new hours of the planet? There's more, to be sure, but while all of that is compelling, it's not what Walker is truly interested in. Rather, Walker uses all of that as a backdrop to a coming of age story about a young girl named Julia, whose adolescence and maturity comes just as the world starts to end. It's a tragic pairing, but Walker is smart enough to immerse herself so deeply in Julia's perspective that there's no dramatic irony to the idea; rather, this is all Julia has ever known, meaning that she has no idea as to what her life might have otherwise been. Julia's story is rich and moving; the planet's story compelling and horrifying; but at its best, The Age of Miracles weaves the stories together wonderfully, using both to comment on the other and to bring out the themes and ideas that Walker is interested in. There's a lot to savor about The Age of Miracles - the richness of the world Walker has made, the writing that tells a story beautifully while never becoming excessive, the ideas about time and humanity's inability to truly control it - but more than anything, it's a book about a young girl thrust into a new chapter of her life just as the world is turning its final pages, and the dichotomy there is so rich, and the emotion so complex, that it makes the book just a joy to read in every way.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
