This is not your typical apocalyptic novel, though it is dire. Mostly, it' s the story of a year in the life of Julia, an eleven year old girl, in middle school, her burgeoning friendship with a neighborhood boy, Seth, and her family, especially the relationship between her parents. It begins in a unnoticeable fashion, as the days seem to be getting longer, at first no worry. But gradually, first scientists, then the media, then the world becomes aware of the 'slowing' as they call it...the earth's rotation seems a bit slower each day, increasing both day and night. As the world begins to turn brown, tides rise, houses fall into the oceans, fields dry up, plants die out, green houses appear, the poor starve, and everyone alternates between panic and hoarding, Julia continues, as do many of her peers, to act normally, attend school, have petty jealousies, and most importantly, begin a friendship with Seth, a loner she has always secretly cared for. As they slowly become friends, her parents relationship, the strain of the 'slowing' begins to disintegrate. Thus, we see how living with uncertainty, both for Julia and her family, is no easy task. Either life goes on, or you become a 'real timer,' those who live by the twenty four clock despite the fact that daylight may last up to forty hours, thus dividing many neighborhoods into two opposing camps, each distrustful of the other. Julia and Seth, in contrast to her parents, who struggle with the reality, with the possible outcome, slowly establish ties, of compassion, for the whales left stranded on the beaches, which they try absurdly to save, to the fact that Seth's mother dies of cancer, and that Seth himself comes down with the mysterious 'slowing,' enfeebling him, forcing his father to move to another town. For much of the novel, however, they act like typical kids, sneaking out at night, watching the stars, doing what they want, unbeknowst to their parents. Things happen slowly, life does go on, some people die, some live on, but things never get better, just worst. The novel ends with Julia, now in her twenties, having survived thus far, but nothing is certain about the future. In fact, uncertainty, about living, about romance, about the parents marriage, about the slowing is at the center of this book. The title interestingly refers to that magical age of ten and eleven year old, when everything changes, their looks, feelings, relationships, world view, and beliefs...only this time, the world also changes. This is a very good book, well written, marvelously narrated by Julia, which gives the book its originality, seeing the Apocalypse through the eyes of an eleven year old.
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