Gremo mi v tri krasne
(To the Back of Beyond) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
What can happen at a summer camp in nature, where a group of youths, cut off from modern technology, finds themselves? Considering that each of them has their problems, some very, others less serious, the answer is … many things! Panic and aggressive attacks and outbursts, health problems, first sympathies, sometimes funny and sometimes quite serious communication complications, even a missing father … (source: publisher)
Edited by: Mestna knjižnica Ljubljana
Comment:
Set against the scenic backdrop of a summer camp in the Slovenian mountains, we meet a group of struggling kids and their therapists. The story centres on Valentina, who battles an eating disorder, and Uroš (first introduced in the author’s earlier novel Avtobus ob treh (The Bus at Three)), who is at the camp due to his unhealthy dependence on screens. The novel strikingly portrays how modern kids’ struggles send ripples through the lives of adults, especially their parents and extended family. The title reflects how these children — uprooted from the environments that feed their unhealthy habits — are left to confront their insecurities and sense of being lost, stripped of their smartphones in the great outdoors. Thematically complex, the novel explores relationships, friendship, teamwork, outdoor activity, healthy eating, physical work, and even language, the lost art of letter-writing, and more, while shedding light on various mental health challenges. Written in a fluent, engaging style and structured around the days of the week, it blends insight with humour — sometimes eliciting laughter, at other times bringing the reader to tears. The book has received the Golden Pear Quality Badge.