The story of teenagers left to fend for themselves during wartime is not a new tale. It’s been explored many times. From the wonderful Tomorrow series from John Marsden, the classic The Camomile Lawn and even within the time-honoured film that is Red Dawn. How I Live Now from Meg Rosoff adds a fresh perspective to the traditional archetype, explored through the eyes of the protagonist of the film, Daisy.

Unlike the other stories that touch within this setting, the story does not follow a need to band the teenagers together to fight back against those they perceive as invaders. Instead it focuses purely on the mindset of Daisy, winding through the many (many) typical emotions that comes with the teenage years. Meg Rosoff has explored these through the lens of war and survival, not once neglecting the emotive state that befalls a teenager, but instead burrowing into how they would sit within an environment so threatening and unfamiliar.

The parallels within the book are sharp - the scene is set within an picturesque English countryside, an American teenager thrown into an unfamiliar landscape, learning how to tend to a farm and survive. There’s almost an Enid Blyton-esque feel to this story at the beginning, with one of the English children talking to animals, and another foraging for wild foods. This is where that familiarity stops however. As the reader and Daisy begin to accept and enjoy this new life, everything abruptly changes.

The themes within the book, outside of the war, are surprisingly strong. With underage sex, sudden deaths and the need for children to grow quickly woven within the words. It’s a book that you may find yourself stepping back to at times - when things in the world seem unsure - as a spot of comfort can be wrung from its pages.

Don’t forget to check out the Past Parcels section of the shop to see if we have any ‘Survival’ parcels left in stock.