Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0-385-90908-X.
Plot Summary
Daisy arrives in modern England for a visit with her cousins shortly before terrorists take control of the country. When her Aunt Penn cannot return home from a peace conference, Daisy and her four cousins must find a way to survive on their own strengths. Through deprivation, division, and the horrors of war Daisy experiences dramatic personal growth.
Critical Analysis
Rosoff explores several contemporary issues in this intriguing novel. How I Live Now effectively deals with the troubled main character's anorexia and her strained relationship with her father. Warfare involving terrorists and the violence described in the novel allow teens to face these very real threats. The sexual relationship between Daisy and her cousin, Edmond, adds a controversial element.
The richly developed plot captures the imagination with its sometimes graphic scenes. One particularly vivid image is the death of Major McEvoy in front of Daisy and Piper, but Daisy's understanding of this event gives insight to her character. Her description of Mrs. McEvoy's reactions are those of a sensitive and perceptive young woman. She is smart, and she is "real". For example, she considers herself a "murderer" because her mother died giving birth. She has a plausible reaction to her stepmother and new sibling. As her relationships with her cousins expand, readers watch her relax her defenses and learn to care for others.
Though I personally found this book too dark for leisure reading, I can think of students that would be attracted to this novel. Daisy's experiences and reactions will appeal to young adults and the raw and powerful emotions they feel. As an adult, I wanted to shelter the characters-- have them find some help, or relief. However, the characters' sufficiency engages the adolescent reader. Daisy and her young cousin Piper's struggle for survival while searching for the boys may lend a sense of power to teens struggling for their own independence.
Book Review Excerpts
Publisher's Weekly: "...Teens may feel that they have experienced a war themselves as they vicariously witness Daisy's worst nightmares. Like the heroine, readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity."
School Library Journal: "...Though the novel has disturbing elements, Rosoff handles the harshness of war and the taboo of incest with honest introspection. This Printz award winner is a good choice for book discussions as it considers the disruption of war both physically and emotionally and should be on every high school and public library shelf."
Connections
Other coming of age novels by this author:
Rosoff, Meg. What I Was. ISBN-13: 978-0670018444
Rosoff, Meg. Just In Case. ISBN-13: 978-0452289376
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