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How I Live Now
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From: Hope Baugh <hbaugh>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 11:07:34 -0500
I finished HOW I LIVE NOW last night, and although I felt yanked around a bit at the end, the yanking was appropriate. I woke up this morning thinking, "Yes! Yes. It's all good. It's all GOOD."
I don't know that I would have noticed the angel detail if Ginny hadn't mentioned it, but I appreciate having it pointed out. I think this book merits multiple readings for many reasons.
In the meantime, a colleague had told me that although she loved the book she had two quibbles, so this morning I asked her what they were.
She said, "If the narrator is telling this story at age 26, why does she sound so authentically 14 at the beginning?"
But we agreed we could let that go. I imagined Daisy letting her 14-year-old self come through while she was writing at age 26, even though she says, "The happiness is the worst. Some days I can't bring myself to remember. But I will not relinquish a s ingle detail of the past." (p. 168)
The other quibble was, "Daisy would not have left Piper behind, alone, when Daisy's dad pulled her out of the country."
And I agreed: Daisy couldn't have known that Isaac was going to return three days later, so as far as she knew, she was leaving Piper all alone.
I thought the adults would have forced Piper to go with Daisy, unless Piper was hiding, but in which case, I agree, Daisy would not have just left.
Hmm.
Could her father really have not cared enough (or had power enough?) to force Piper to go with Daisy, and so maybe the reference to blackmail on p. 169 has something to do with Daisy leaving Piper? "By then I was back in New York City, not because I want ed to be, but because I was half dragged and half deported and the final half was blackmail, and after all the rest of the things I managed to resist, I didn't have the strength for that particular fight."
I don't know.
I do know that I loved this book, and can see suggesting it to many, many teens, cousin love and all, which is not true of every Printz book.
Best wishes,
Hope
Hope Baugh Young Adult Services Manager Carmel Clay Public Library 55 4th Ave. SE Carmel, IN 46032 Tel: 317?4979 Email: hbaugh at carmel.lib.in.us Website: www.carmel.lib.in.us Also check out: www.reads4teens.org
Received on Fri 25 Feb 2005 10:07:34 AM CST
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 11:07:34 -0500
I finished HOW I LIVE NOW last night, and although I felt yanked around a bit at the end, the yanking was appropriate. I woke up this morning thinking, "Yes! Yes. It's all good. It's all GOOD."
I don't know that I would have noticed the angel detail if Ginny hadn't mentioned it, but I appreciate having it pointed out. I think this book merits multiple readings for many reasons.
In the meantime, a colleague had told me that although she loved the book she had two quibbles, so this morning I asked her what they were.
She said, "If the narrator is telling this story at age 26, why does she sound so authentically 14 at the beginning?"
But we agreed we could let that go. I imagined Daisy letting her 14-year-old self come through while she was writing at age 26, even though she says, "The happiness is the worst. Some days I can't bring myself to remember. But I will not relinquish a s ingle detail of the past." (p. 168)
The other quibble was, "Daisy would not have left Piper behind, alone, when Daisy's dad pulled her out of the country."
And I agreed: Daisy couldn't have known that Isaac was going to return three days later, so as far as she knew, she was leaving Piper all alone.
I thought the adults would have forced Piper to go with Daisy, unless Piper was hiding, but in which case, I agree, Daisy would not have just left.
Hmm.
Could her father really have not cared enough (or had power enough?) to force Piper to go with Daisy, and so maybe the reference to blackmail on p. 169 has something to do with Daisy leaving Piper? "By then I was back in New York City, not because I want ed to be, but because I was half dragged and half deported and the final half was blackmail, and after all the rest of the things I managed to resist, I didn't have the strength for that particular fight."
I don't know.
I do know that I loved this book, and can see suggesting it to many, many teens, cousin love and all, which is not true of every Printz book.
Best wishes,
Hope
Hope Baugh Young Adult Services Manager Carmel Clay Public Library 55 4th Ave. SE Carmel, IN 46032 Tel: 317?4979 Email: hbaugh at carmel.lib.in.us Website: www.carmel.lib.in.us Also check out: www.reads4teens.org
Received on Fri 25 Feb 2005 10:07:34 AM CST
