While This World We Live In can be categorized as a work of near-future dystopian fiction, it is also a coming-of-age novel, as most works of young adult fiction are. The primary protagonist, Miranda Evans, is 17 years old, and her experiences—like those of the other young people in the book—have forced her to assume the responsibilities of adulthood while she is still an adolescent. At the same time, she remains a teenager raised in the pre-apocalyptic world, with the typical dreams and desires (and self-centeredness) that point to her relative youth. She yearns for solitude and the space to figure out who she ultimately wants to be (hence, the importance of her diaries). She also fears being separated from her family, while at the same time, she fears equally that she will remain trapped in Howell. Her empathy for others, including Mom, expands as her romance with Alex builds. For the first time, Miranda must make difficult and life-altering decisions.

The search for solitude occupies much of Miranda’s time, and the simple pleasure of being alone with her thoughts draws her away from her family. As she writes early in the book, “When you share a room with three people and a cat, anything you can keep secret feels good” (4).