How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

2005 Michael L. Printz YA Award
1. Bibliography
Rosoff, Meg. 2006. HOW I LIVE NOW. New York: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 0553376055.

2. Summary
Escaping her widowed father and his new bride, fifteen year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, whom she has never met. She falls in love with their farm outside London and with her cousins, too--especially Edmond, with whom she develops a special bond. Not long after she arrives, though, terrorists bomb London. Unfortunately, Aunt Penn is away on business at the time and can't get back to the children, leaving them alone on the farm to fend for themselves. At first, the children are far removed from the war, enjoying their adult-free time with little difficulty. But soon, the war finds them as soldiers arrive at the farm and split the cousins up, sending the girls to a holding camp and the boys somewhere else. Daisy vows to find Edmond. She and her cousin Piper manage to break away and set off on a perilous cross-country trek to search for him. In the end, they are reunited, but the reunion is shockingly bittersweet.

3. Critical Analysis
Told in first person, conversational narration, HOW I LIVE NOW gives us an intensely personal look at events through Daisy's candid eyes. Contrary to realistic children's and young adult literature published prior to the 1960s, which usually does not portray negative aspects of society, more recent publications have addressed issues such as divorce, sexuality, homelessness, mental and physical illness, and violence. Rosoff adheres to the trend and addresses the less-than-perfect aspects of Daisy's life. Like so many of today's teenagers, Daisy is confronted with tough issues: her mother's death, her father's remarrying, a "wicked" stepmother--one who is pregnant, no less--and anorexia. She's vulnerable to romance, and like a typical teenager, is drawn to the forbidden; in this case, a questionable relationship with her cousin Edmond, which she calls "the world's most inappropriate case of sexual obsession."

Rosoff reveals Daisy's character through a strong, consistent voice, and while some readers may find the long sentences and unorthodox punctuation frustrating, they reflect Daisy's personality and state-of-mind. Over the course of the novel, Daisy transforms from a selfish adolescent into a young woman who faces conflict rather than running from it. She learns compassion, responsibility (to herself and others), and perseverance in the face of fear and adversity. The lessons she learns are embedded neatly in the story for readers to discover rather than overtly thrown in their faces.

HOW I LIVE NOW addresses the young adult theme of time suspended before entering the adult world. The period when the children are left alone on the farm unsupervised is their last hurrah of childhood before being thrust harshly into adulthood by the cruel hand of war.

4. Review Excerpts
Publisher's Weekly (starred)--"This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century . . . Readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser, and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity."

The Horn Book (starred)--“A winning combination of acerbic commentary, innocence, and sober vision. . . . Hilarious, lyrical, and compassionate."

5. Connections

Older students (high school and up) might want to use this book as a stepping stone to discussing terrorism in today's world.

Younger students may focus on conflict and difficult decisions. They might make text-to-self connections about times they've felt isolated from their parents or were in a position when they had to be in charge during a difficult time.