HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0553376055

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Fifteen-year-old New Yorker, Daisy, escapes her pregnant stepmother by staying with her aunt and four cousins in rural England. She bonds with all of them, but especially with her cousin, Edmond, with whom she develops a strong physical and spiritual relationship. When a nebulous world war erupts while her aunt is out of the country on business, she and her youngest cousin, Piper, are separated from the three boys. Daisy survives a number of atrocities in order to protect Piper and in the hopes of being reunited with Edmond. Before she knows if Edmond is alive or dead, her influential father pulls strings and forcibly returns her to the U.S. When she is finally able to return years later, she has to confront the aftermath of war and of her desertion.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Told in the first person, Daisy’s voice is authentic and powerful. Because the story is recounted from the perspective of a teenager, the missing pieces of the story (like the vague nature of the war and the ambiguous political position of her father) are forgivable. As she endures the hardships of war, she achieves much personal growth and insight into human nature, from which she derives her own values. Sometimes the depictions of other characters border on mystical and are not quite as believable as a result.

This story covers a variety of mature themes including the devastation of war/terrorism, eating disorders and incest. It is often violent and graphic for effect. At one point, Daisy examines massacred corpses for the familiar faces of her cousins. She remarks, “As for how long ago they died, I couldn’t tell. Long ago enough, I guess, for their insides to start rotting and the crows and foxes to call all their friends and family around for a party” (142).

This novel asks a lot of worrisome “what if” questions: What if the enemy is difficult to identify? What if society as we know it falls apart? While the ending seems somewhat hasty and the loose ends are not all neatly pulled together, it is at least hopeful.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Publisher’s Weekly: "This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century."

From School Library Journal: “Though the novel has disturbing elements, Rosoff handles the harshness of war and the taboo of incest with honest introspection.”

From Voice of Youth Advocates: “The depth and starkness of Rosoff's writing is beautiful yet painful to read. This book about the emotional devastation of war raises the hair on a reader's arms and brings tears to one's eyes.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Also by Meg Rosoff:
Just in Case ISBN 0385746784
*Discuss this book in light of recent terrorist activities
*Compare the world war as described in the book to real historical wars
*Write an alternate ending
*Draw Edmond’s garden (p. 180-181)