Sometimes a title is enough to raise my interest in a book. The fact that the book wasn’t available in any Flemish bookstore, only sparked my curiosity. When I finally started reading this debut novel ,my level of anticipation may have been too high and the first couple of chapters were hard to get into. Both style and content were very strange, as the reader sees the actions through the eyes of a very peculiar child who doesn’t fully understand everything around her. The second part, told by the adult Elly, is the more fascinating one. This part covers a lot of topics and has no real plot, but this adds to the overall atmosphere of searching to belong.
The language is dry, yet poetic, describing everyday images in a beautiful way: “The sky was dark and vast and empty and not even a plane disturbed that sullen stillness, not even a star. The emptiness above was now mine within. It was a part of me like a freckle, like a bruise. Like a middle name no one acknowledged. “(p.56)
Conclusion: the beautiful language and eccentric characters come together in a magical, unconventional coming-of-age novel.