“Lisa is pregnant.”

From Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life As We Knew It.

For Miranda, her family is commonly normal and her life in Pennsylvania is pretty boring.  When not worrying about keeping her grades up in school, sixteen-year-old Miranda tries to figure out how to feel about her dad and stepmom asking her to be the godmother to their soon-to-be-born baby.  When scientists announce that an asteroid is going to hit the moon, people are excited to witness the projected impact as not much else is going on in the country at the time, but when the bigger-than-expected asteroid pushes the moon closer to earth, everything quickly spirals into madness.  While the world faces many physical dangers because of the moon’s closer proximity to earth messes with water levels, inactive volcanos, temperatures, and a variety of other deadly aspects.  While Miranda’s family rushes to gather supplies, the family quickly realizes that the food will run out long before a global solution can be reached.  After several months, Miranda finds herself starving, weak, and often at odds with her mother, but a dangerous trip into town may be Miranda’s last chance for survival.

Pfeffer’s young adult post-apocalyptic story is riveting, to say the least.  The main character is honest and full of emotion, and even if those emotions are sometimes rough, the character is easy to connect with for readers.  The story is gritty, dark, and often depressing, but Life As We Knew It is an unforgettable story that highlights the strength of human perseverance.