Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer and Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix

For the scifi BAM, I decided to read a couple of titles from the teen collection; I selected them from a bibliography compiled by Sarah. They are Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The time frame for both books is the future. In addition, they both chronicle the lives of teen girls whose worlds have changed dramatically and who must adjust in order to survive in their new environments.

The plot of Life As We Knew It centers on the aftermath of a worldwide catastrophe. An asteroid hits the moon, pushing it out of orbit and closer to earth (I’m not really sure this is possible). Tsunamis, earthquakes, and floods prevail and mass destruction and death ravage the earth. Miranda is a 16 year old girl living in Pennsylvania who chronicles in her diary the effects this event on her life. She used to be a typical teen concerned with friends, swimming, dating, and proms. Now she (along with her family) struggles to survive in a world fraught with isolation and experiencing dwindling supplies of food and energy. In the end, which perhaps comes a bit too abruptly, Miranda is prepared to die while making a last effort to save her family when she is shown the way to food and hope. This book can be viewed as a transformation story whereby a teen goes from being an immature and self-centered youth to a mature and self-sacrificing adult. It also could be seen as a post-apocalyptic novel. And this novel could be viewed as a prediction novel of perhaps the future effects of global warming on the human race. I think that Life As We Knew It is a great read for middle and high school teens!

The plot of Turnabout centers on the lives of Melly and Anny Beth who grew up during the 20th century. As they were about to die at the ages of over 100 years old, they became a part of Project Turnabout and are given injections of an experimental drug (pt-1) which stops them from dying and reverses the aging process so that they became younger again. Now it is 2085 and the two have gotten younger to the point that they are teenagers living on their own. They are desperately seeking someone to care for them when they shortly will become children again. And, what will happen to them when they again reach the time of their births? Turnabout is a thought-provoking novel that puts forth plenty of issues for discussion. We live at a time when people are living longer and are seeking to hold onto their health and youthful appearance and abilities. Will the human race become more and more dependent on drugs in order to stay alive longer (indefinitely??)? What will humans resort to in order to survive longer? What are the ramifications of medical research involving human subjects? What will life be like in the coming century? This title also is a great choice for middle and high school teens who like sci-fi.