That rare, rare thing, a first novel with a sustained, magical and utterly faultless voice. After five pages, I knew she could persuade me to believe anything.”
— Mark Haddon
Daring, wise, and sensitive.”
— People magazine
Powerful and engaging …a likely future classic.”
— The Observer (UK)
A crunchily perfect knock-out of a debut novel.”
— The Guardian (UK)
Awards
- Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2004
- Branford Boase Award 2005
- Michael L. Printz Award 2005
- Der Luchs des Jahres Book Prize 2005
- Julia Ward Howe Prize (Boston Authors Club) 2005
Hi Meg
I absolutely loved your book. It left me spellbound and I had to read it again. I needed a book to read and though this sort is not what I usually it had a very good review so I read it.
And I glad I did.
Can’t wait to read your other novels
Thanks
THanks for that Nina. Really good to hear you liked it! xxxmeg
meg.. i love your book and have bought it for every member of my family !!! i am 17 and in two days i’m auditioning for the part of Isaac in Kevin MacDonald’s feature film based on your book and i was wandering if you had any tips on his character and personality? thankyou
Lewis x
Hi Lewis. I thought Isaac had been written out of the script!!! Are you sure it’s not Edmond?
I don’t think I’d be very good at tips anyway. The author is the last person to ask! We never understand our own characters…..
Good luck!
Hi Meg
Just thought i’d say i got your book as a christmas present, and was so gripped by the plot i read it in one night!
I have recommended it to just about everyone i know, it was such a fantastic read, i am so excited about reading more of your books!
So i just wanted to say thank you.
Hi Meg
Love your book, absolutely magical- got through it in two evenings (fastest we’ve ever got through a book)! We take it everywhere with us, never really read it, just treasure it- makes us cry everytime we glance at the last few sentences!
Love your writing style also Meg. Looking forward to reading your other novels!
Mickey and Choudhery
Meg,
Thank you from Spain. It is one of the best books that I have ever read. I could not stop reading, I have read it in one night!
This book was really different from anything I’ve read in a long time and I love it. I was in tears by the end.
Thanks and “gracias” in spanish.
I love your book I want to read it in english though because I read it first in french for a book report in french immersion class and It was really good.
hi meg,
i’d just like to say that ‘How I Live Now’ is seriously the best book I’ve ever read! I absolutely loved it and have read it over and over! If it’s possible, I’d love it to be a movie- just a suggestion!! It would be fantastic!!
Thanks heaps,
Talya
Hi meg,
My grandma bought me this book for christmas and i have enjoyed it soooo much!The only thing was i was slightly confused about what time period it was. Because it was going on about a war in England so i assumed it was the 2nd world war but then it mentioned having emails and phones?? Other than that it has been my favourite book that i have ever read!!!
xxx
Thanks Ellie
HI Ellie
Really glad you liked the book.
I always say it takes place about six weeks in the future.
Hope that helps.
xmeg
I am so happy my mother brought me all your books for christmas and i have just finished the brides Farewell it is such a beautiful book thank you.
xxx
Hi Chelsie
Thanks so much for your nice note — I’m really glad you liked Bride’s Farewell…it’s kind of a quiet book so I’m never sure if anyone will notice it!
Hope you like the rest of them as much.
xMeg
Hi Meg,
I loved this book!
It was amazing!
What were the names of all of Daisy’s cousins?
xx
Edmond, Isaac, Osbert, Piper.
So glad you liked the book!
xxxMeg
Dear Meg,
It’s never easy to express yourself when you have the chance to talk to a person you really admire. A couple of years back I read ‘How I Live Now’, and I absolutely adored it. I’ve never read anything like it. I was submurged by emotion while reading it, and felt like I was in another world. I was really able to picture everything in my mind; the characters, the setting, the colors, the atmosphere,…
I could go on for hours, praising you and your book, telling you what a fantastic writer you are and giving you a thousand reasons why since I’m 14, ‘How I Live Now’ is my favorite book (I’m now 19), so let me just say thank you, very, very, very much.
Thank you, Suzanna. It’s lovely to hear from you. xxx Meg
Great book, loved your style so much I googled you to see what else you have written. Thanks
[...] And I discovered I had missed the point entirely. A precious gem had been cast aside for transgressions that I had imposed on it. It was good to get a second chance to appreciate this book. [...]
I dont quite know how to put this, but i didn’t really enjoy the book.
I am from Holland and i had to read the english version. I think the storyline was weird becasue it was realistic but also unrealistic, like a war, by unknown forces… having sex with a cousin…. things like that just didn’t add up for me.
i have a test about your book tomorrow, wish me luck!
Greets Max
This book is my favorite book! There really needs to be a movie made!
Hi Meg!
I just finished HOW I LIVE NOW and found it one of the most incredible, profoundly vivid and moving books I have ever come across. I couldn’t put it down (which meant learning how to clean my teeth, walk along the street, make breakfast – all with one hand and occasional sideways glances), and I just wanted to thank you for an incredible few days of reading. (My boyfriend then stole it off me and got through it in 2 days – a record for him!)
Just wondering whether you were casting for the film version yet? It would be the most incredible privilege and responsibility to play Daisy, and I would love to write to the casting director.
If you have time to respond, that would be AMAZING! If you don’t, best of luck with the film adaptation and I look forward to reading whatever you write next.
Love,
Sarah xxx
Hi Meg, this is a new experience for me – just finished a book and now writing a message directly to the author! Wanted to say congratulations on “How I Live Now”, which I found at our local charity shop here in Melbourne (where I always find the BEST books, where kind people leave them to be discovered by others!) and devoured in two days (lucky me was home with the flu!). I was really captured by your writing style and the way the plot evolved … thanks for inspiring a 35-year-old wannabe writer who needs to stop procrastinating! I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your novels. Thanks so much and all the best! Rebecca x
Hi Rebecca, so glad you found the book. I’ll be in Melbourne in a few weeks doing some book events, might see you there!
xMeg
I’ve got to be honest and say it took me a while to get into this book, but as soon as I did… Wow.
I was right there with Daisy and Piper, it was terrible and wonderful and it really did move me. I can’t believe how beauitful your book was. I’ll definately be reading your others! It left me speechless and even now, weeks after finishing it – i’m still in Daisy’s little world. I want more! hehe
Carly xx
Thanks, Carly. There are more books, but for more Daisy, you’ll have to wait for the film! xmeg
Aw, thanks for replying, it’s actually made my day! I don’t suppose you have any idea about when the film might be released and if it will be showing in the UK or not?
I’m so excited! x
Not sure when the film comes out, sometime in 2012, and the director is British, so it should show in the UK!
Dear Meg,
I read ‘How I Live Now’ 7 years ago when it first came out and I was 11 years old. It was such a magical and engaging novel that it quickly become my favourite. So pleased to hear they’re doing a film adaptation; something I’ve been hoping hear from the moment I finished it. Is there anyway people can get involved or contact the casting director? Would love to be a part of something that has played such a big part in my life.
Nicole x
i read this book in school, and enjoyed it so much i read ahead of all the class
i loved it and didn’t want it to end..
Daisy xx
Ah, and you’re called Daisy too. Wonder if that had anything to do with it! xxmeg
i haven’t finished the book yet but so far i am loving it!!!!! and funnily enough the casting director came to my school for auditions for the movie and i couldn’t resist and i tried out with my friends for the part of Edmond thankyou so much it is a fantastic book!!!!
I just read How I Live Now a few weeks ago and it’s now one of my favorite books. Your work is close to perfection, Ms. Rosoff. Thank you for writing such an amazing book. I am an 16 yr old aspiring writer and this book has inspired me so much. I hope I’ll be able to write something as good as this one day.
Thanks Christie. Good luck with your own writing. It took me till I was 46 to write How I Live now, so you have a few years to practice!
xxxMeg
I loved your book. I read it a couple of years ago and fell in love with it. Amazing.
While I enjoy reading itself, I am one of those people who has piles of less-than-half-read books. ‘How I Live Now’, however, took no willpower whatsoever to stick with. When I did have to pry myself away from its pages, I was eager to dive back in, and, while I did not want it to end, the last section was particularly wonderful. It is so refreshing to see a book with a satisfying ending that is neither the best nor worst case scenario, and one which uses so well the subtlety of emotion.
I read ‘How I Live Now’ (and then your other books) after meeting you nearly exactly a year ago at Tonbridge Library where you gave a thought-provoking talk on your life and your books (and thank you for convincing me not to go into advertising). You also mentioned the film, which I would like to audition for if possible, but I understand so do a lot of people!
Thank you for creating this little world.
Kathleen x
Thanks for being in touch, Kathleen. I really enjoyed coming to Tonbridge and am very glad I managed to stop one soul from being lost to advertising! The auditions seem to be happening through schools and drama groups, and I’m not having much luck in helping people audition. If anything changes, I’ll let you know…. x meg
hellooo!
I read How i live now recently, and i physically couldnt stop my self reading because if i did then i would be spending the whole day just wondering what will happen to Daisy and her cousins. The ending was in a way unexpected and certainly magical.
WOW
thank you!
ps i cant wait till the film!
kat (kitkat)
Hello,Meg!
I just finished reading your book.I read it in one afternoon(tough english isn´t my first language!)and I liked it a lot,but…I have a question:Will Edmond and Daisy come together later?I mean,you´re the author,so I guess you thought about,what´s going to happen to them after the book…so please tell me!I don´t like open endings,and I´d just like to know what happens to them after the last page in your imaginations:)Thank you very much:a girl.
Dear A Girl!
I’m so glad you liked the book, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you what happens after the ending. You’ll find that most authors only write what’s in the book — if i knew exactly what was going to happen next, I would definitely have put it in the book. BUt I don’t really know. I can say what I would like to happen, but then, so can you!
xxMeg