How I Live Now Review (teen novel)

Title: How I Live Now

Genre: None/All of Them

Rating: 1/5 Stars

Awards: Printz

First of all I only read this book because it was recommended by John Green during his hangout on YouTube.I now have now discovered it was made into a movie last year. Here is the movie trailer:

I’m sad to say that I didn't enjoy the novel at all. This is strange kind of book that I think could appeal to a select few but it didn't appeal to me at all.

First of all the novel is sort of genre-[less. Its about an anorexic girl who comes from a broken family. But then it turns into a sort of war-drama almost dystopia. Then its also a coming of age story of sexual angst. I think that Meg Rosoff intended her novel to be about how people react to war and other hardship as well as how people unite in the strange ways in order to live through war.

But if that is what Rosoff wanted to have her novel be about, it was all overshadowed by the shocking sexual relationship between two underage first cousins--the protagonist (Daisy) and Edmond. I have to ask myself Why is this there? And why is it glorified? I am pretty sure the same points about (anti) war and family could have been made without this aspect. In fact I know the other themes would have been more pronounced without the incestuous relationship.

Style-wise, Meg Rosoff writes in a unique way. Daisy's narrative gives very few details.  Very few adjectives are used and sentences and chapters are very short. Chapters, for example are not often longer than 5 pages. The lack of detail enough extends to the characters, none of whom have surnames. The only character with any background story is Daisy. Personally, I didn’t enjoy this type of narrative. The only pro was that Daisy was recalling the story rather than recording everything in real time (which in my view added a aspect of reality.) The lack of details given about the characters make them seem distant and shallow to me. Also I had trouble deciding what the time period the story was taking place in. For example, once ‘the war’ started there were references to World War 2 but not the war in Iraq. However, the characters have cell phones and emails so I knew the story was not meant to be taking place in the past. Even more frustrating to me is the mystery surrounding the war. The enemy is never named nor is the conflict. And the kids didn't seem to care about the bombing and lack of food or any changes occurring around her.

Although some aspects of Meg Rosoff’s style would work for reluctant readers, there is something frustrating about her style--she doesn’t separate her dialogue with “  ” marks or paragraphs, which can make for difficult reading at times.

All in all I was very disappointed in this novel. I didn’t like the style or the relationships.