How I Live Now Audiobook

" So, back in June, I attended the Carnegie Medal 2011, which Patrick Ness rightfully won with Monsters of Men. And it was there that I found myself walking up a flight of stairs, sandwiched between Meg Rosoff and Marcus Sedgwick. It was kind of an other-worldly experience. But how did I recognise them, you might ask? Rosoff's stand-outish hair and Sedgwick's uncanny resembalance to a werewolf. Rosoff's book The Bride's Farewellwas a short-listed contender for the medal. I disliked that book. It made no sense. And I wasn't exactly stoked to read another by Rosoff. However, when Sedgwick turned to me and said 'Hi, I'm Marcus Sedgwick' and I said 'I know, I loved Floodland, it's a pleasure to meet you,' he then grinned at me and shook my head. Meg, seeing this, also introduced herself, all the whilst - we are walking up a very lengthy flight of stairs. She said 'I'm Meg Rosoff,'...and trying to keep with a pattern, I wanted to reply with 'I know, I hated The Bride's Farewell', but obviously I couldn't. So...I said, 'I know, I read The Bride's Farewell'. And lets just thank God that I was then pulled a few steps forward to talk to a publisher from Penguin House by my mentor. Because I would bet my book shelf that the next question she would have asked would have been 'And did you like it?'. And I could not have lied to a fellow writer. I digress. But the thing is, I felt kind of rude after that encounter, and vowed that one day - I would give this appraised, loved and popular author another swing. I was thinking maybe in a few years. So when How I Live Now came to my door through a book-swap, I felt it was fate. And I began to read. This ook is actually Rosoff's first novel which I was quite surprised with. Her writing style throughout was very exact and never wavered. I find this a rare occurence amongst debut authors. At times, I felt as if I was thinking words. She wrote the book in such a way...that it was like the way my mind works. When you construct sentences or phrases in your heads - there is no grammar or speechmarks or precise paragraphs. There is just your thoughts and the 'and's that string them altogether. It made the read fluid and very likeable. The idea of war was very clear in this book. It really sang out in the conditions that charatcers had to live through and the various scenes that unfolded. It was very WW2 in theming; if I hadn't known it was modern day I might actually think it was set in the 40s, but I guess that's the only place Rosoff could have got inspiration from aside from, you know, futuristic nuclear wars or something else equally unbelievable. So I'm happy that it was kind of old-school. Her characters were solid. That's a definite. Whilst all weren't exactly likeable, ahem, Daisy, nobody can deny that they weren't deep and carefully layered. AUnt Penn's children, especially, were so unique and individual that they grew o nme instantly. Each was so distinctly their own person, but also banded with their siblings unbelievably well. Alas, not all was brilliant on the character front. Daisy was a bit of a problem for me. She's fifteen year old from New York, so obviously a bit bratty, and is sour about her dad's relationship with 'Davina the devil' and therefore feels that turning to anorexia is the best option to guarantee attention from her neglective father. Well Daisy, that is where you would be wrong. Because he then proceeds to send her off to the English countryside. There was a certain irony in that, for me. She was overly selfish and annoying for the majority of the book, and whilst it was clear that she cared for her cousins, it didn't stop me from hating her. Nevertheless, it still gave her depth and with characters - you should either love or hate them. It's a sign of good writing, in my opinion. Anorexia wasn't the only 'moral dilemma' we dealt with in this book though. No, incest was also present. And I think...in many ways it kind of ruined the romance between Edmond and Daisy. Couldn't hehave been adopted? Or a family friend? Or...something other than her cousin. It made the situation...well, icky. And what was even more alarming about the fact that they had sex on a regular basis was that the whole family knew - and did nothing about it. In fact, Isaac even went as far as to encourage Daisy. It was weird. The 'love' between Daisy and Edmond, whilst not insta-love, thank God, was too down-played in the beginning. It made for a fantastic finish, but Daisy's, I would go as far as calling it, obsession with him wasn't really justified by Rosoff, and that kind of ruined the whole relationship between them. Oh, as well as the incest thing. Another minor problem with that plot-line was the way that Rosoff's writing was kind of fast. Whole days and nights spent with Edmond would be summed up in one sentence, whole sex scenes and kisses and conversations in another. It was too quick to make it realistic. So, yeah. I'm glad this was sent to me from a swapper up in Manchester. I hope she enjoys the copy of Stolen: A letter to my captor I sent to her. And the next time I meet Rosoff, I won't be able to say 'I know, I loved The Bride's Farewell/ How I Live Now'...but I will be able to lure her into a conversation about the latter. "

" WHOA, this was... not what I expected... Review coming soon ^^ "

" This is my favorite teen fiction book. Unexpected as it starts as a seemingly ordinary teen novel and quickly turns into something far darker and original. Highly recommended for adults! "

" I read this when I was about 13-14 and now I am 20 years old and can still say this book has impacted me and continues to. "

" At first it was hard to get the rhythm of the writing. A very depressing book, some parts were hard to read. However, I think it will be a great discussion book. "

" A unique look at what modern war might be like and the influence that it has over people. This coming of age story shows many emotions and some of the values that are part of most human experiences. "

" Irritating. "

" I just couldn't get past the main characters as cousins that were making love to each other. From the narrative of the main character it seemed Ms Rosoff why trying too hard to sound like a snotty teen. One of the worst books I've ever read. "

" This book is flawless. It haunts me until now. Perfect read! "

" it was good but a little too much incest and darkness for my liking "

" Not my kind of book. I couldn't handle the style of writing and the relationship between Daisy and her cousin was a little creepy to me. "

" The beginning was interesting, but I found the writing style kind of annoying after a while. The part when they leave the house and go to the McEvoys was SO BOARING!!! Then afterwards it was really great "

" I finally finished it! It's a very short read, but its so heart breaking that I could only read it early on in the day- it's not a before bedtime book. Once you get used to the train of thought narration it's a very engrossing read. I would recommend it- but not to the faint of heart. "

" Loved the writing and the voice of the main character, Daisy. She had just the right amount of snark to balance out her insecurities, fears and neuroses. Deep down though, Daisy is competent. She's a survivor. A stark portrayal of the ravages of war. "

" A must read. Strong voice, beautifully narrated. "

" I dont know what to say about this book.... It was ALL OVER THE PLACE. "

" Moving and powerful. You just don't know where it's going, and that deceptive innocence makes the events that much more shocking. It put me in mind of the Markus Zusak book, The Book Thief, in that it is a book of such impact that it should be read by everyone, not just YA readers. "

" I enjoyed this futuristic novel, which surprised me "

" unique writing sytle. once i got into it i couldnt put it down. "

" A must read. Strong voice, beautifully narrated. "

" I had trouble getting into it, because there was hardly any punctuation, but it turned out to be a really good book anyway. "

" A group of children are left alone in the countryside during a war. No adults, they must fend for themselves. While the first part had me on the floor in fits of laughter, the tne of this book soon changes. It becomes a moving story of loss and love. "

" Jane Eyre? More like Wuthering Heights mashed with Catcher in the Rye with a scoop of Hunger Games. I greatly enjoyed Daisy at 15 as the narrator. The plot was interesting, as was the setting. It just did not quite live up to its reviews as a "future classic." "

" why can't I give this a zero? hated. "

" Wow, what a great book. I loved the first half so much, the ending was a bit over the top though. "

" Touchant, poignant, dramatique, beau... J'ai dévoré ce livre du début à le fin! Avis complet à venir :) "

" The cousin love thing was kind of creepy... But a good, quick read. I enjoyed daisy's voice and loved piper! "