Life As We Knew It

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

First in the Last Survivors Quartet, Life as We Knew It chronicles the lives of a family in rural Pennsylvania which are turned upside down when an asteroid knocks the moon out of orbit. Told through journal entries by fifteen year old, Miranda, the story tells of the family struggling to survive a harsh winter made worse by power outages, rising gas prices, and the inability to contact anyone outside their local area. The family feels the effects of massive tidal waves and volcanic eruptions despite the fact that these events never directly affect the family. As opposed to zombies or other teens as is typical in most post-apocalyptic YA novels, the real enemy here is starvation and loss of resources as Miranda and her family try to survive with the limited resources that her mother was able to secure. Although Miranda starts off as a typical teen, with typical teen concerns, such as wanting to go ice-skating and spend time with her boyfriend, she grows and matures in her need to help protect her family. It is Miranda's metamorphosis that makes this book a must-read. She struggles to hold on to her childhood and normal life in the face of incredible adversity, and when she realizes that she must grow up and help her family, she tries to create as normal a life as she can for her younger brother. Anyone who wants an emotional post-apocalyptic tale is sure to love Life As We Knew It.

Books in Last Survivors Series (3)

The Dead And The Gone

This World We Live In

The Shade Of The Moon