Book Review

How I Was and How I Live Now
This summer I read two books by the author Meg Rossof. Quite a few people recommended this author to me and I was excited to read her books. The two books were very different but the writing in both was very strong. Another similarity I noticed was that the main characters are very strong, but very strange. Meg Rossof creates voices that quickly become familiar, but characters that remain mysterious.

How I Live Now is the story of Daisy who is stranded in the English countryside with her cousins after a war breaks out. The book seems to be futuristic but the time period is never completely clear. How I Was is the story of a young man at an English boarding school who befriends a hermit living alone in a fishing shack near the school. Rossof seems to really enjoy creating these quirky characters and they are interesting to read about. She is also really good at creating tension in her narrative and keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens.

One complaint I have is that the endings in her books leave something to be desired. Both endings try and dance around wrapping things up too neatly and leaving things too open. The result is rather unsatisfying. I would definitely read another book by Rossof because I think her skills as a writer and her quirky characters outweigh her somewhat lackluster conclusions.

I would recommend her books to students 12 and older. Both of these books kind of defy genre. They're a blend of sci-fi, historical fiction, and realistic fiction. If you have read either of her books, or have a related recommendation please feel free to comment.