Life As We Knew It

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2006.

Living on the outskirts of a small town is not 16 year-old Miranda Evans’ idea of excitement, but she does the best she can to keep herself entertained. Her typically quiet town is abuzz with the news of the upcoming meteor that is supposed to strike the moon; her teachers even give her extra assignments all in honor of the moon. Everyone gathers outside to watch the asteroid hit and when it does, Miranda instantly understands that something has gone wrong. Scientists got the measurements wrong and the moon is knocked out of orbit, causing the weather patterns to change. Natural disasters, like tsunamis that completely decimate every coast, begin to pop up around the world. Soon, electricity begins to become sporadic and the price of gas skyrockets. The Evans’ family begins to eat less and less, trying to conserve the now-dwindling stockpile of food they gathered. Winter comes early and hard, causing Miranda and her family to live in a single room of her house. As supplies continue to deplete, friends and strangers begin to die and her family faces what could be a fatal illness, Miranda struggles to hold herself and her loved ones afloat. Near desperation, entirely exhausted and emaciated, Miranda continues to care for her family and chronicle their journey, which ends with just a little hope.

Adhering to the general rules for Science Fiction novels, Life As We Knew It does a fantastic job of creating a plot that is both plausible and scientific. Natural disasters are something that exists in the current world and even if scientists can predict or throw conjecture at one of these events, it is still possible for something tragic to happen. John Peter agrees with this in School Library Journal, saying that Pfeffer “crafts a plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe.” Not only does the plot hold fast to Science Fiction rules, it also does not forget the general YA plot rule; what Miranda and the other characters in the story face is one of self versus nature. Nature, in this case, also assumes a clear identity within the text. In fact, nature is defined so distinctly, it becomes a character in the story. It is almost as if the hero of the novel battles against the weather and the things that nature throws again her. This characterization of nature and its elements rounds out main conflict in the story, making the Evans’ struggle even more dire, since they have absolutely no control over their situation. This characterization and subtle personification of nature lends well to build the theme of the novel; science and nature can have significant, irrevocable and devastating effects on one’s life.

The day to day life of Miranda and her family are retold through her diary entries. As the author does so, the reader begins to understand that Miranda is just a regular teenager that was faced with a large obstacle. She meets the grim prospects laid before her with nerve and candor. Miranda is quick to talk about how she is falling into despair or how small things help her to regain faith. Pfeffer does a solid job of equally exposing the two sides of what Miranda is feeling; Miranda finds hope and joy in small things, but is sometimes just tired of having to work so hard for so little. Another theme that the book consistently returns to is one of finding possibility in the most dismal of situations. On New Year’s Miranda makes a resolution to “take a moment every day for the rest of my life to appreciate what I have.” Even though Miranda has next to nothing, she realizes that she has more than most and even though things look bleak she can find hope. By giving Miranda a duality of emotions, Pfeffer creates a full-bodied protagonist in which readers can invest.

Book jacket found on: http://library.fayschool.org/Pages/books_scifi.htm