Young Adult Literature without Apology

Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by noone.

Realistic | Romance | Science Fiction | Historical Fiction | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Rosoff, Meg (2004). How I Live How. NY: Wendy Lamb Books. 208 pages. ISBN: 0385746776.

When New Yorker Daisy is sent to England to live with relatives of her dead mother, she is certain that her father and step-mother are trying to get rid of her before the newest (and already the favorite, Daisy suspects) member of the family arrives. Once installed in the British countryside, Daisy and her cousins find themselves left alone in the aftermath of a mysterious war that has claimed the country's metropolitan areas and threatens to encroach on their solitary lives.
Oh, man, this book really kicked ass. I didn't like it at first--found the narrator to be a pretty unsympathetic character--but gradually, by virtue of the subtle changes in language and voice, Daisy grew on me (as she grew into herself). The details of the war creep in, just as they do in the characters' lives, and scenes of survival and despair linger long after the book is over. The premise of the novel is enough to hook anybody; the book won the Prinz award, if anyone cares.