BOOK: How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

Title: How I Live Now
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2004
Pages: Paperback, 211
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: In a fictitious near future, fifteen year old Daisy from New York is sent to her family in England, where she should be safe for the fastly extending World War. Despite (or thanks to) these threatening circumstances she falls in love. With her cousin. It doesn't last long until the war reaches England as well and while Daisy's aunt gets stuck somewhere in Europe, Daisy and her cousins (3 older boys and one younger girl) try to survive on the farm, until the army shows up and seperates them.

Spoilerfree review
After I read Meg Rosoff's Just In Case, I had to buy her other books. This is her debut.
Told through the eyes of teenage Daisy and especially in the beginning very much written in 'american cheerleader/like, you know' style, the troubles in the rest of the world are not the focus of the story. Daisy's has more important issues in her life. But when the situation gets grim enough that the war can't be ignored any longer, her perspecive and tone of voice change and become more adult. I did find her continuing undivided attention towards her cousin Edmund a bit tiresome, but I suppose that's love.
I found it really interesting how the war developed, even if the author never explains the situation or shows the big picture. Of course the details of war are often unclear for the people who are in the middle of it and the confusion, but also the acquiescence with the state of the world became very understandable through Daisy's point of view.
Impressive story in a very surprising style.