How I Live Now

by Meg Rosoff | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0141318015 Global Overview for this book
Registered by squirk of Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on 9/8/2005
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9 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by squirk from Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, September 8, 2005
Amazon.co.uk Review
Possibly one of the most talked about books of the year, Meg Rosoff’s novel for young adults is the winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2004. Heralded by some as the next best adult crossover novel since Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, who himself has given the book a thunderously good quote, this author’s debut is undoubtedly stylish, readable and fascinating.

Rosoff’s story begins in modern day London, slightly in the future, and as its heroine has a 15-year-old Manhattanite called Daisy. She’s picked up at the airport by Edmond, her English cousin, a boy in whose life she is destined to become intricately entwined. Daisy is staying for the summer in her Aunt Penn’s country farmhouse with Edmond and her other cousins. They spend some idyllic weeks together--often alone with Aunt Penn away travelling in Norway. Daisy’s cousins seem to have an almost telepathic bond, and Daisy is mesmerised by Edmond and soon falls in love with him.

But their world changes forever when an unnamed aggressor invades England and begins a years-long occupation. Daisy is parted from Edmond when soldiers take over their home, and Daisy and Piper, her younger cousin, must travel to another place to work. Their experiences of occupation are never kind and always hard. Daisy’s pain, living without Edmond, is tangible.

Rosoff’s writing style is both brilliant and frustrating. Her descriptions and ability to portray the emotions of her characters are wonderful. Her long sentences and total lack of speech marks for dialogue is, however, exhausting. Her narrative is deeply engaging and yet a bit unbelievable. The end of the book is dramatic, but too sudden. The book has a raw, unfinished feel about it, yet that somehow adds to the experience of reading it. It’s flawed but unmissable.

Journal Entry 2 by squirk from Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, September 18, 2005
An amazing book, written from a teenager's point of view. Meg Rosoff has really captured the teenager's train of thought, from the words Daisy writes to what's important to her and how she views her situation. Parts of the book are very chilling, especially because it's set in modern-day UK and what happens isn't so far-fetched, and I dreaded to read what might come next in the story. Needless to say, I zoomed through this book in a couple of days - mainly because of an impatience to find out what happens.

A beautiful cover too, which always helps!

Journal Entry 3 by squirk from Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, September 18, 2005
This book is going to travel on a ring.

Players
* Megan-star (UK)
* dododumpling (UK)
* mellowdaisy (UK)
* blaisezabini12 (Romania)
* droogie (UK)
* purplerosebud (UK)
* kazeh (UK)
* vauxhallcrosser (UK)

and back to me

Journal Entry 4 by Megan-star from Millom, Cumbria United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 4, 2005
i'm half way through the book, i just wanted to say i caught it yesterday, it's brilliant so far and i will post the rating when I've read it all. Love Megan-star xxx

Journal Entry 5 by Megan-star from Millom, Cumbria United Kingdom on Saturday, October 8, 2005
i really liked the book, and i hope the rest of the book ring does too. i sent the book this morning, it should get to dododumpling sometime next week. xx

Journal Entry 6 by dododumpling from St. Neots, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The book arrived yesterday. Thanks to Megan-star for sending it on to me and to Squirk for starting the bookring. The bookmark and label are so cute!

I probably won't be able to start on this for a week or two, unfortunately, but will get to it as soon as possible.

Journal Entry 7 by dododumpling from St. Neots, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Sunday, October 23, 2005
Like squirk and megan-star I raced through this! It's a quick read, but very thought-provoking. I love the writing style - Rosoff captures dialogue and Daisy's thoughts well; but I found the ending left me wanting more. It just didn't really feel right somehow and for me, there were several unanswered questions.

I have mellowdaisy's address and will try to get this in the post tomorrow.

Journal Entry 8 by mellowdaisy on Friday, October 28, 2005
The book arrived this morning and I've just caught up with my other ring books so I shall get onto it straight away. I too think the little bookmark is cute!

I'm intrigued by the previous journal entries so will get on with reading the book :-)

Journal Entry 9 by mellowdaisy on Monday, October 31, 2005
I too read this book in a couple of days, it wasn't difficult to read but the long sentences were a bit tiring, when you had to go back and check what you were actually reading about! The lack of speech marks I also found a little annoying, but I don't think they really hindered my reading in any way.

I was gripped by the story but then, as others have said, I found the ending fairly sudden. One minute they're in the midst of everything, and the next it's a few years later and looking back on everything that happened.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I found that Daisy could be fairly child-like in some of her opinions and observations, but her thoughts about love and the whole situation with her looking after Piper were very mature, and developed as the story went on.

I have PMed blaisezabini12 and will be passing the book on as soon as I have an address :-)

Journal Entry 10 by rem_DUV-129661 on Thursday, November 10, 2005
Picked up today from the post office. Thank you so much mellowdaisy for mailing the book to Romania. And Squirk, what a great bookmark! I love it:)

11 November 05: I've raced through this book as it was so interesting and I really wanted to find out what happened. I've noticed that the reaction of some of the people when facing with such a strage war was similar to the one which is described in "The Day of the Triffids" (by J.Wyndham). I must confess that the first chapters confused me a little bit - it took me some time to understand what was the WAR they were referring to. I liked the main characters a lot (my favorite was Piper).
Like others before me metioned, the ending was a little bit brusque - after Daisy picked up the phone the story accelerated too much!
I've pmed the next reader on the list and I'm going to mail the book at the beginning of next week.
Thank you Squirk for offering me the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

16 November 05: finally mailed today:)

Journal Entry 11 by droogie from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Friday, December 2, 2005
Arrived in the post earlier in the week but too busy with house move to journal until today. It is next on the list to be read and looks good, thank you!

Journal Entry 12 by droogie from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Sunday, January 22, 2006
Big, big oops. I was sure I posted this before I moved house but I have just found it. It will be in the post as soon as I have purplerosebud's address.

I really enjoyed it and raced through it - I found it very unnerving and I think I may have felt this more reading it as an adult.

and I *love* the bookmark :)

Thank you for including me in this ring

Journal Entry 13 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Thanks droogie the book has arrived today. I should finish my current book first but I'm intrigued by all the other journals so will probably start it tonight. I love the book cover and the book mark, hope I enjoy the book as much!

Journal Entry 14 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Monday, January 30, 2006
Like most of the previous readers I flew through this book. Although the style of writing was unusual, with long sentances and no speech marks, using capitals instead, I didn't find it difficult to follow. The story line was thought provoking and a little scary in places but I enjoyed reading it through Daisy's teenage eyes.

Not a book I would probably have read if it hadn't been for bookcrossing so thanks squirk for starting this ring. Once I have Kazeh's address I will be sending it on it's way.

Journal Entry 15 by kazeh from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 3, 2006
Thanks Purplerosebud for mail this book to me. It'll be quick reading. Looking forward to read it.

Journal Entry 16 by kazeh from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 12, 2006
Finished this book last night. I was bit confused when it start. I felt this book is about Modern WW2 to me. I like Piper more than Daisy cos Daisy is an odd person to me. At the end, everything went fast forward. I quite enjoyed it. Thanks to SQUIRK to let me part of the bookring.
I will post it to Vauxhallcrosser this week when I am less busy!

Journal Entry 17 by VauxhallCrosser from Ilford, Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Received in the post this morning. I'm hoping I will be able to read this one in good time, unlike my last attempt at reading a book on a ring set-up by the inimitable Squirk. Browsing thorough it now, in spite of the fact I'm halfway through another book right now, I'm tempted to just read this one all the way through, it doesn't look like it would take long. I'll journal again once I've read it. Thanks again Squirk.

Journal Entry 18 by VauxhallCrosser from Ilford, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, March 30, 2006
Just finished this one, don't really know what to make of it. There were good parts, but the overall feeling was dissatisfying. The author's capitalisation of words to emphasize "received wisdom" from "grown-ups" did come across, but became slightly annoying by the end of the book. There was a certain charm about the innocence, but knowingness of Daisy, the lead character, particularly in her relationship with Piper, but this didn't make up for the anticlimactic ending. I brought it along to our meeting last night, only to realise that Squirk wasn't able to make it, We missed you :). See you soon.

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