How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
‘It’s a shame, starting out your first day on the planet as a murderer but there you go, I didn’t have much choice at the time. Still, I could live quite happily without the labels I picked up because of it. Murderer or Poor Motherless Lamb.’- from How I Live Now.
Daisy’s tumultuous life gets even more complicated when she visits her aunt and cousins in rural England. In a strange place, with family she has never met before, she finds herself getting smothered by emotions she didn’t think herself capable of. When war breaks out and the cousins are left to fend for themselves, Daisy finds new bonds forming. With her father and stepmother an ocean away, she finds normalcy in an abnormal situation. While Piper brings out the nurturing instinct in Daisy, her relationship with her cousin Edmond confuses her. Edmond can read her thoughts and their feelings towards each other are very unconventional. In world rocking with uncertainty, conflict and struggle, the cousins learn the art of survival.
Meg Rosoff’s debut novel is a poignant saga of five children. Scarred by the repercussions of war, these children find solace in familial love. Each character reaches out and connects deeply with the reader. Written in Daisy’s teenage voice, the novel presents astonishing insights into the mind of a troubled teenager. The monotonic tone used, gives a realistic touch to the narrative. Daisy with her sarcasm and disenchantment, Edmond and Isaac with their worldliness and Piper with her gentle warmth, showcase the different facets in a young adult’s life. Meg’s writing is impeccable and her descriptive prose gives life to the story, taking the reader from the concrete jungle of New York to the undulating English countryside. The complex teenage emotions are handled deftly, making the reader understand and sympathise with protagonists.
Through tears and heartache, unconditional love and optimism, this novel is bound to have a lasting impact on young adults and adults alike.
A must read!!!
‘…….staying alive in a country deformed and misshapen by war. I know all about those conditions, only this time they’re outside of me. And anyways, fighting back is what I’ve discovered I do best…….And that’s how I live now.’- from How I Live Now.
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