Parents' Guide to Any Sign of Life

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Common Sense Media Review

Michael Berry By Michael Berry , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Clever teen survives doomsday in exciting sci-fi adventure.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

age 10+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

As ANY SIGN OF LIFE opens, high school basketball phenom Paige Miller wakes up to find herself alone and hooked up to a half-dozen IV tubes. Everyone else -- including her mom, step-dad, and brother -- are dead, victims of some toxic agent that killed 99 percent of the population in a matter of days. Accompanied by her dead neighbor's sheltie dog, Paige sets off to find other survivors. not knowing whether she's the last teenager on Earth.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

The end of the world is on the minds of many, and this sensitive sci-fi adventure finds a new slant on a familiar scenario. In Any Sign of Life, author Rae Carson invests the main character with a steely determination to learn the truth about the disaster, and readers will be impressed by Paige's common sense and uncommon bravery. There are plenty of surprises and well-managed twists, and readers will want a second helping of Paige and her allies as soon as possible.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Any Sign of Life imagines a sudden toxic calamity that kills 99 percent of the population. How might fiction deal with the Covid-19 pandemic going forward?

  • Why are movies and books about catastrophes popular? How can they help readers deal with their everyday struggles?

  • What can families do to prepare for emergencies? What resources can they use for further information?

Book Details

  • Author : Rae Carson
  • Genre : Science Fiction
  • Topics : Adventures
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Greenwillow Books
  • Publication date : October 12, 2021
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 17
  • Number of pages : 384
  • Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
  • Last updated : September 29, 2025

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