Firstly, I have not read any of the other books in the “I Survived” series so my critique is aimed at just this particular title.

Second, I do realize that I am reading a middle grade chapter book from the perspective of an adult, so I may be unjustly critical in my assessment. In other words, you may want to take my review with a grain of salt.

I picked this book up with the expectation that this would be a story that really delved into the horrors of the San Francisco earthquake. However, the natural disaster seemed to be merely a backdrop to the actual story of an orphan boy overcoming poverty, bullies and an annoying kid who turns out to be the best kind of friend. Collapsing buildings, burning neighborhoods and occasional aftershocks seemed to be mere inconveniences as Leo, the main character, seeks to recover an heirloom stolen from him by a local thug.

That’s just my personal view. However, as a library employee who works in the children’s department, I cannot deny the popularity of the “I Survived” series with the kids. So…despite my initial reaction, I might be willing to give this series another try or two.