Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Miranda. She is counting down the time until her sophomore year ends and summer starts. Her home life is not so great and she gets in fights with her mom a lot she does not like her boyfriend. When news spread about an asteroid, people are not worried because the scientist predicted that it would not be fatal. When the asteroid hits the moon the gravitation shifts, causing panics and Tsunamis.
The next day Miranda tries to contact her family but since cell towers are done she can't make any contact with them. When she meets up with the family, they rush to the store to get nonperishable items. With a full pantry, they all feel safe but Miranda thinks its overkill - but she will soon be proven wrong.
The food soon runs out at stores and most electricity is lost. With temperatures plummeting, Miranda cannot swim or see Dan her boyfriend the one person she likes. With volcanos, tsunamis, and huge tides millions have died. With their food supplies, now they must ration to survive.
The only source of heat they have is one fireplace. One day, Jonny, Laura, and Matt get a fever Miranda go to the hospital. There, they find only two nurses there say hat everyone is dead. This is a shock to Miranda, with the others slowly recovering Miranda knows they can't survive. With electricity coming back they are having some good fortune.
When Miranda goes into town she sees a yellow flyer she runs to get it and it says they are delivering food to people at town has she rushes there and gets all the food she can. The story ends on Miranda's birthday and she then knows her family will survive no matter what happens to them.
