BOOK: The Bride's Farewell - Meg Rosoff

Title: The Bride's Farewell
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 186
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Pell Ridley sneaks out of the house on the evening before her wedding and takes off with her horse to live life on her own.

Spoilerfree Review
While browsing in a bookstore in London I discovered Rosoff had written a new book. Since I had devoured her previous work, I had to buy it. This is once again a completely different story and environment from her other books; this time it's about a young girl in fictitious middle ages.
Young Pell Ridley doesn't want to be confined by marriage, even if she would marry her best friend and longtime neighbour, so she leaves her family the night before her wedding. Unbeknown to her, her mute little brother Bean follows her. He refuses to go back home, so she drags him along on her journey. Pell wants to find a job, but that's not easy; her only talent is working with horses and that is considered a man's job. Plus no one is really eager to take responsibility for a single young woman and a silent (weird) child.
But eventually Pell meets a rough and mysterious stranger who is willing to give her a job...

I had to get used to the seemingly imaginary era the story was set in and the sometimes curious tone of the story; it's mostly told from Pell's point of view but takes unsettling sidesteps to events she knows nothing about. (Without the "meanwhile, on the other side of town" introduction, it takes you out of the mainstory nevertheless.)
I like that not everything is explained though and it is an interesting read. If Rosoff is aiming to write as many different books as possible, she certainly succeeded so far. I wonder what she comes up with next.

BOOK: What I Was - Meg Rosoff

Title: What I Was
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2007
Pages: Paperback, 199
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Written in first person and until the end the main character doesn't tell his name. We do know that he is a teenage boy, who has been kicked off several boardingschools until he is sent to St Oswalds, located in a far away coastal village. He is a loner and doesn't connect with any of his classmates, but when he discovers a beachhut and its intriguing occupant Finn, he tries to be friends.

Spoilerfree review
As in Rosoff's How I Live Now the main character falls prey to idolizing his 'object of affection', even if he has to emphasize all the time that what he feels for Finn is not a crush (it can't be). Because Finn doesn't talk much, as a reader you only get the point of view of the narrator. He learns a lot of survivaltechniques from Finn: fishing, repairing the hut and cooking amongst other things. There are hardly any conversations, just a lot of innermonologues and there is plenty going on in his head. His relationship with Finn comes with many doubts, but it's mostly a motivation to stay at St Oswalds. He may not pay a lot of attention to the official curriculum, but it sure turns out to be an educational schoolyear. Exceptional story.

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.

BOOK: Just In Case - Meg Rosoff

Title: Just In Case
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin Books, 2006
Pages: Hardcover, 230
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Fifteen year old David has the eery feeling that Fate has it in for him. He decides to change his identity and become a different person so Fate won't be able to track him down.

Spoilerfree review
Found in the bargainbin, this book caught my eye because of its cover. The text on the back about how 'Every minute of every day, a million things happen. [...] A fifteen-year-old boy falls in love. Or has sex. [...]' made me buy it...

I thought David's paranoia was simply an extreme case of puberty until Fate himself speaks up. David's transformation in itself is a fun read and recognizable for anyone who struggled to figure out their identity. It's an awkward surprise when Fate admits to the reader he (she?) is indeed playing a game.
And even though David's (new) life eventually becomes a little extreme, it is still a very believable story.
Cool idea, excellent execution. I highly recommend this book and will definitely search for the author's debut 'How I Live Now', because I love her style.