Ich sage Hallo und dann nichts
(I Say Hello and then Nothing) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Jecinta, 15, unremarkable, conformist, no distinguishing features, the middle child, parents from two continents, Afrobeat and German rap, neither happy nor unhappy, prefers unisex clothing, not a climate activist but against plastic bottles, in short: a complete in-between. Things can’t go on like this. If nothing is happening in life, then really nothing at all is happening. That’s the decision, even her name has to go, shortened to one letter. J., or Jay in English.
Edited by: ALEKI - Arbeitsstelle für Kinder- und Jugendmedienforschung
Comment:
Throwing everything away – her own clothes, her own life – seems to Jay to be a way of freeing herself from her indifferent limbo. However, this game with individual family and cultural positioning takes on a whole new twist when Jay meets Leo – and Jay’s desire to create NOTHING becomes intertwined with the biography of a young person who is exposed to NOTHING. Leo’s narrative perspective is limited to fragmentary passages, messages that seem like discarded notes, perhaps even originating from different people? In the associative arrangement of the narrative, however, Leo’s personality becomes increasingly visible – even if it is elusive at the same time. But how can one be friends with someone who has multiple personalities? Perhaps even fall in love with them? Lilly Axster is able to tell stories from a diverse society without compulsively naming or even explaining the fluidity of her characters. Rather, she allows the situational and existential coexistence of borderline experiences and transgressions to become an equally pleasurable and formative experience for her characters.