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abbielester 's review for:
How I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
Analysis: This modern fantasy novel’s greatest strength is the change in the characters. While they aren’t bad in the beginning, they are immature and a bit selfish, not at all concerned with the welfare of others, even the mother. They are just happy to be on their own. As the story progresses and Rosoff presents the children and the reader with some of the horrifying effects of war, we see them slowly change into more compassionate people. At the beginning of the story, Daisy is mainly concerned with her own unhappiness with her stepmother and her father’s indifference. She has even become anorexic to annoy and frustrate her step-mother. When the government institutes rationing, Daisy doesn’t mind because it makes it easier not to eat; however, when she and Piper are hiding in the forest during their journey home, living on what they can find, she finally realizes she has been starving all along for love and for food. This revelation helps her overcome the disorder. She also describes her feelings for Edmund as starvation and hunger. It is the powerful relationship with Edmund that teaches Daisy compassion. Even though the characters are separated for about two thirds of the book, the connection is so strong they can sense each other across the miles.
All the cousins have telepathic ability and seem to be more fragile than Daisy. As the story progresses, she forgets herself and begins to take responsibility for protecting them. Rosoff uses Daisy to illustrate the callousness of human nature when presented with the suffering of others. Like Daisy, many people aren’t concerned with a problem if it doesn’t directly affect them. By the end of the book, Daisy understands the suffering of war and takes her place among her cousins as a protector. Most of the characters are helpful and considerate, making the best of a bad situation, but the occupying army knows they will most likely be killed eventually and the soldiers have no fear of death. Rosoff shows the effects of wars fought by suicide bombers and people with nothing to live for.
The book has some elements of fantasy (telepathic ability and an alternate reality embroiled in WWIII), but Rosoff’s descriptions are graphic and intensely realistic. It is not hard to imagine the world in a similar state.
All the cousins have telepathic ability and seem to be more fragile than Daisy. As the story progresses, she forgets herself and begins to take responsibility for protecting them. Rosoff uses Daisy to illustrate the callousness of human nature when presented with the suffering of others. Like Daisy, many people aren’t concerned with a problem if it doesn’t directly affect them. By the end of the book, Daisy understands the suffering of war and takes her place among her cousins as a protector. Most of the characters are helpful and considerate, making the best of a bad situation, but the occupying army knows they will most likely be killed eventually and the soldiers have no fear of death. Rosoff shows the effects of wars fought by suicide bombers and people with nothing to live for.
The book has some elements of fantasy (telepathic ability and an alternate reality embroiled in WWIII), but Rosoff’s descriptions are graphic and intensely realistic. It is not hard to imagine the world in a similar state.