Maamaa
Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Highschooler Akira is half Japanese and suffers from stuttering. Akira spends a lot of time at home alone, because his father is working as a translator in Brussels and his mother is in the hospital because of her severe depression. In addition to family issues, Akira is lonely, but loneliness feels easier than talking to others. In school there’s a group of teenagers who bully other students and even teachers. Akira is anxious as he has been bullied both because of his background and because of his stuttering. His coping mechanisms include movies and long bike rides, which he takes almost daily. Akira’s father has suggested to him trying to speak out loud to a recorder, which Akira thinks is strange and feels forced. After the initial stiffness, Akira begins to vent his feelings on the recorder more and more often. In the recordings, he talks about his own life and the things he encounters, such as bullying and being an outsider, but also about his budding friendship and the magical and slightly disturbing Japanese daruma doll he has received from his grandparents.
Edited by: Lastenkirjainstituutti
Comment:
The book is a touching story of a young boy’s thoughts and feelings, being different and accepting yourself. The text format of the book is unique, because it consists of Akira’s transcribed recordings. The layout of the text on the pages illustrates the challenges of producing speech, but at the same time it brings a lightness similar to a verse novel to the heavy story with its airy layout. The book deals with bullying and an atmosphere of fear. At school, bullies target almost anyone, and the bullying is severe, even violent. The group of bullies idolizes chauvinistic men they see online, such as Andrew Tate. Akira thinks this is stupid, but is unable to speak up because of his stuttering. He receives racist comments because of his Japanese background.