Customer Reviews

Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book straight through because I wanted to know what would happen next to all of the people. To be more accurate, I wanted to know what had happened to them because, of course, these people were real, which to me made their stories even more exciting. Jim Murphy creates a very visual story of what happened during the storm. Why did one person decide to go to work, and another person did not? How did one person's kindness, common sense or heroism affect the survival of others? The story is so vivid, I can still remember the beginning when Jim Murphy recounts the unexpected summer-like weather Manhattanites were enjoying right before the blizzard.

Jim Murphy takes us for a ride that's as wild as the storm, up and down the east coast, telling tales of destruction and survival. I found myself cheering for those who survived, and wishing I could warn those who set out to try to make it home in a storm that was like no other. Jim Murphy sets the scene and writes about the blizzard's heroes and victims in such a compelling way that it is easy to imagine the dire circumstances, the fortitude exercised by those who overcame the storm, and their exhaustion, too. And he also explains how infrastructure and systems, such as the subway and weather reports, developed as a result of this blizzard. If you've ever been cold and wondered how much longer you would have to wait to be warm again, you'll appreciate the vivid telling of this story. It is one of my favorite Jim Murphy books!

I bought this book for my daughter and found it very enjoyable and interesting for myself. I enjoy reading about and studying meteorology especially when it comes to winter storms. The book even though it was written for 5th to 8 graders was a very good and informative read for adults also.

My 11 year old read this as one of a collection of books for a school book club. Coincidentally she read it while we were home for 2 weeks during the 2010 east coast blizzard. She was scared!

I bought this book for my daughter but since I also enjoy reading about and studying weather I thought I would read through it. I found it very interesting from a waether and historical point of view.