Young Adult Annotation

Synopsis of Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer: 

Miranda is a high school sophomore whose home life has gone through a lot of changes recently; her parents got divorced, her dad is expecting a baby with his new wife, her mom seems listless, her brother, Jon, is focused on being a sports star, and her brother, Matt, is away at college. This book is told from the POV of Miranda writing in her diary.

Although many changes have occurred in Miranda's life, the world has been going along as normal- until a meteor hits the moon, moving it closer to Earth. This is a catastrophic event that causes weather changes and disasters all over the world. 

Miranda is forced to grow up quickly; food becomes sparse, and one by one, important buildings such as schools, hospitals, and the post office begin closing. Once the weather makes it hard to venture out of the house, Miranda and her family are shut off from the outside world, leaving them mostly alone to face hunger, illness, and death. The friends she once held so close begin to fall away when their families desperately search for a safe place to live or when they succumb to the devastation. This is a story about survival of an unimaginable event.

Elements of Young Adult Fiction (science fiction):

Story Line: According to Saricks, science fiction authors, including YA, take an idea and an explore it in a setting outside of our own world or out of everyday contexts. A meteor hitting the moon and devastating our planet is something we do not think about outside of a random, fleeting thought, so it is definitely out of an everyday context. This story is appealing to young people because of the family and friendships dynamic. 

Frame/Setting: This book is visual for the reader in the sense that it paints a picture of the devastation that Miranda and her family endure; vicious snow storms, volcanic eruptions, and what the moon looks like having been pushed closer to Earth. As I read the book, I wasn't sure if the science behind these claims were correct, but I feel if the book had been overly technical it would not be as appealing to young readers (or some older reader, too!). 

Style/Language: This story is written as excerpts from Miranda's diary. The language is easy to follow and it is fraught with worry. There is devastation going on around her, but she still writes about how her personal relationships with friends and family are affecting her life. 

Characterization: The writing of this book sets relatable people in an extraordinary circumstance. Miranda and her family could easily be your next door neighbors. As the book goes on and the reader finds out more about how the moon is wreaking havoc on the Earth, more is learned about Miranda's family dynamic. I am sure more of this is explored in the other books in this series (there are 4).

Pacing: This was a fast-paced story; the meteor hits and it's almost like the reader is down the rabbit hole of tragedies unfolding. As the book goes on, it is amazing that the family is still alive, and you wonder how much more they can endure.

Read-Alikes: 

Each of the following books are about young people surviving a cataclysmic event, with no supernatural elements:

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian

The Living by Matt de la Pena

(Life as We Knew It is the first of 4 books in the series. Book Two is The Dead and the Gone, Book Three is This World We Live In, and Book 4 is The Shade of the Moon)