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Tiger Milk
"We need to practise for later on, for real life. We need to know everything so nobody can ever mess with us."
Nini and Jameelah are best friends forever. This summer they're going to grow up. Together. On their terms. But things don't always turn out the way you plan...
Tender, funny, shocking and tragic, TIGER MILK captures what it is to be young.
Nini and Jameelah are best friends forever. This summer they're going to grow up. Together. On their terms. But things don't always turn out the way you plan...
Tender, funny, shocking and tragic, TIGER MILK captures what it is to be young.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2013
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906 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
April 17, 2021
A wonderfully thought provoking coming of age drama, following the remarkable friendship between two, fourteen year old girls, German Nini (the narrator) and Iraqi refugee Jameela over a Summer in Berlin. 'Tiger Milk' is a locally conceived cocktail of school milk and brandy that allows kids to drink alcohol in public view.
The story follows the highs and lows of a move from faux weary adulthood to the real thing as the trials and tribulations of Westernised Muslim girls growing in a Berlin where a widening gap between Muslims and non-Muslims; and the reality of prejudice and racism starts to hit home. The beauty of this work is how the real youth and innocence of the girls is portrayed despite their belief in their own maturity; in addition the writer captures the spirit, naive decadence and perceived freedom of youth in the urban climate and how it is impacted by external forces. Translated from German. 8 out of 12.
The story follows the highs and lows of a move from faux weary adulthood to the real thing as the trials and tribulations of Westernised Muslim girls growing in a Berlin where a widening gap between Muslims and non-Muslims; and the reality of prejudice and racism starts to hit home. The beauty of this work is how the real youth and innocence of the girls is portrayed despite their belief in their own maturity; in addition the writer captures the spirit, naive decadence and perceived freedom of youth in the urban climate and how it is impacted by external forces. Translated from German. 8 out of 12.
June 17, 2018
ملاحظة: التقييم والمراجعة للترجمة وليس للرواية
سبب ذلك أنني لم أقرأ الرواية كاملةً, أو بتفصيل, بل قرأت أولها ثم تصفحتها سريعاً حتى النهاية
بشكل عام أنا لا أفضل العامية في الروايات العربية, ورغم ذلك فإن بعض الروايات بعاميتها في الحوار تبقى مقبولة, وطبعاً حتى في الحوار فإن ترجمة الروايات عن لغة أخرى إلى العربية لا تستخدم فيها اللهجة العامية لأنها لا داعي لها في الترجمات, فالقارئ يتآلف بسهولة وتلقائية مع أي حوار فصيح إذا كان عن لغة أجنبية مترجمة ولكن المذهل في هذه الرواية (المترجمة) أنها كلها بالعامية المصرية, أجل , من أول كلمة وحتى آخر كلمة سرداً وحواراًَ... وشتائم
من المضحك جداً أن يقول مراهق ألماني لصديقه (ياض) (أي يا ولد),كيف يستقيم هذا في ذهن القارئ؟
كان خياراً سيئاً جداً خيار الترجمة الكاملة للرواية بالعامية (والتي ربما ظلمت الرواية في ترجمتها العربية), ولا أريد أن أبدو بارانوياً وأقول إنها إساءة مقصودة وتدمير موجّه للغة العربية
أتمنى أن لا تتكرر هذه التجربة السيئة أبداً
لا أنصح بقراءتها طبعاً
سبب ذلك أنني لم أقرأ الرواية كاملةً, أو بتفصيل, بل قرأت أولها ثم تصفحتها سريعاً حتى النهاية
بشكل عام أنا لا أفضل العامية في الروايات العربية, ورغم ذلك فإن بعض الروايات بعاميتها في الحوار تبقى مقبولة, وطبعاً حتى في الحوار فإن ترجمة الروايات عن لغة أخرى إلى العربية لا تستخدم فيها اللهجة العامية لأنها لا داعي لها في الترجمات, فالقارئ يتآلف بسهولة وتلقائية مع أي حوار فصيح إذا كان عن لغة أجنبية مترجمة ولكن المذهل في هذه الرواية (المترجمة) أنها كلها بالعامية المصرية, أجل , من أول كلمة وحتى آخر كلمة سرداً وحواراًَ... وشتائم
من المضحك جداً أن يقول مراهق ألماني لصديقه (ياض) (أي يا ولد),كيف يستقيم هذا في ذهن القارئ؟
كان خياراً سيئاً جداً خيار الترجمة الكاملة للرواية بالعامية (والتي ربما ظلمت الرواية في ترجمتها العربية), ولا أريد أن أبدو بارانوياً وأقول إنها إساءة مقصودة وتدمير موجّه للغة العربية
أتمنى أن لا تتكرر هذه التجربة السيئة أبداً
لا أنصح بقراءتها طبعاً
June 29, 2014
I was lucky enough to win this in a Goodreads giveaway, and I had an inkling it would be my kind of book since I'm a sucker for a good coming-of-age novel, especially with a flawed female character at the centre.
We join Nini, our narrator, in Berlin for a month or so in which the usual adolescent ennui of Summer is disrupted and disturbed by sexual adventure and awakening, turbulent friendships and, most significantly, harsh realisations about life, loss and longing.
In many ways "Tiger Milk" is THE perfect contemporary European bildungsroman - set against a backdrop of rippling cultural tensions.
I would urge readers not to be put off by some of the other reviewers who have bemoaned the "lack of speech marks" - stylistically the novel is perfect. De Velasco presents us with a first person present tense narrative which eliminates the need for speech punctuation as Nini delivers the dialogue of her friends in a style closer to reported speech. It flows perfectly, and at no point was it unclear which character was speaking. One of the novel's greatest strengths in my opinion was the mastery of the characterisation and the differing voices. I was in love with Nini's intelligent, confident Iraqi best friend, Jameelah, within pages. Similarly, her innocent, quiet Bosnian neighbour and childhood friend, Amir, broke my heart.
The present tense narration also allows for a sense of urgency which befits the essence of the story and echoes the (gorgeous) imagery of time slipping away from those who find themselves gliding, not always so seamlessly, from the carefree boundless luxury of childhood into the gritty, painful reality of the adult world which awaits them.
Stunning debut. Devoured it in days and loved it.
We join Nini, our narrator, in Berlin for a month or so in which the usual adolescent ennui of Summer is disrupted and disturbed by sexual adventure and awakening, turbulent friendships and, most significantly, harsh realisations about life, loss and longing.
In many ways "Tiger Milk" is THE perfect contemporary European bildungsroman - set against a backdrop of rippling cultural tensions.
I would urge readers not to be put off by some of the other reviewers who have bemoaned the "lack of speech marks" - stylistically the novel is perfect. De Velasco presents us with a first person present tense narrative which eliminates the need for speech punctuation as Nini delivers the dialogue of her friends in a style closer to reported speech. It flows perfectly, and at no point was it unclear which character was speaking. One of the novel's greatest strengths in my opinion was the mastery of the characterisation and the differing voices. I was in love with Nini's intelligent, confident Iraqi best friend, Jameelah, within pages. Similarly, her innocent, quiet Bosnian neighbour and childhood friend, Amir, broke my heart.
The present tense narration also allows for a sense of urgency which befits the essence of the story and echoes the (gorgeous) imagery of time slipping away from those who find themselves gliding, not always so seamlessly, from the carefree boundless luxury of childhood into the gritty, painful reality of the adult world which awaits them.
Stunning debut. Devoured it in days and loved it.
Read
June 17, 2018انا مش عارفة أقول ايه .
أولاً انا قرأت الروايةة بناءً على انه نفس المُترجم لنسيم الصبا
اللي ترجمتها كانت سلسة جدًا
/
فعليًا مش عارفة أقول ايه
لو علي الرواية نفسها
فاعتقد الرواية نفسها فيها نوع من الحياة ، فيها واقع
حتى لو كان صادم أو يبدو أن زيادة لكن ده بيحصل
الرتم السريع نوعًا ما للرواية ممتع جدًا
/
بس هذا كله لا يجعنلي أتغاطى عن الترجمة
ليس فقط لأنها عامية بل تحتوى على كمية ألفاظ خارجة كثيرة جدًا
الترجمة كان بها بعض الجمل لو كانت بالفصحى كانت ستكون رائعة جدًا
خسارة
إنها بالعامية
أولاً انا قرأت الروايةة بناءً على انه نفس المُترجم لنسيم الصبا
اللي ترجمتها كانت سلسة جدًا
/
فعليًا مش عارفة أقول ايه
لو علي الرواية نفسها
فاعتقد الرواية نفسها فيها نوع من الحياة ، فيها واقع
حتى لو كان صادم أو يبدو أن زيادة لكن ده بيحصل
الرتم السريع نوعًا ما للرواية ممتع جدًا
/
بس هذا كله لا يجعنلي أتغاطى عن الترجمة
ليس فقط لأنها عامية بل تحتوى على كمية ألفاظ خارجة كثيرة جدًا
الترجمة كان بها بعض الجمل لو كانت بالفصحى كانت ستكون رائعة جدًا
خسارة
إنها بالعامية
August 28, 2018
أحب في اﻷول إني أعبر عن استغرابي الشديد من كل اﻵراء السلبية اللي انهالت على مبدأ ترجمة رواية للعامية المصرية، واستغرابي من السؤال الاستنكاري المتكرر حوالين (ليه اترجمت للعامية؟)، وأرد على السؤال دا بالسؤال المعاكس (ليه ما تترجمش للعامية؟، وإيه المانع أصلًا؟ ولحد إمتى حنفضل رافضين العامية في الكتابة اﻷدبية والترجمة وقابلنيها بالعافية في الشعر؟)
دي رواية في اﻷساس كانت مكتوبة بالعامية اﻷلمانية مش باللغة اﻷلمانية المعيارية، وهو اختيار فني مفهوم جدًا ومنطقي جدًا مع روح المعايشة الحميمة اللي بتقوم بيها شتفاني دي فلاسكو لحياة المراهقين في ألمانيا، بكل ما في المعايشة دي من تفاصيل صغيرة بيعيشها أغلب الناس اللي في المرحلة العمرية دي، عن الصداقة والحب والجنس والهوية والموقف من العالم واﻷسرة والنضوج الجسدي، وكل الحاجات دي بيتم التعبير عنها من منظورهم هما، مش من منظور جاي فوقهم، وبالتالي كان لازم تكون اللغة حية قوي وحقيقية قوي وسوقية قوي عشان نحس إن الرواية عن مراهقين حقيقيين ممكن نقابلهم في الشارع أو قدام المدرسة، مش مراهقين قاعدين في ملتقي ثقافي بيتكلموا كلام أكبر من سنهم بكثير.
كمان كان لازم إن الترجمة تلاقي معادل لغوي للعامية اﻷلمانية، ومفيش أحسن من العامية المصرية عشان توصل للقاريء بسرعة روح النص، لو كانت الرواية دي اترجمت للغة العربية الفصحى، كانت حتكون رواية دمها تقيل جدًا وبعيدة عن اللي الكاتبة حاولت تقدمه أصلًا في نصها اﻷصلي.
في النوعية دي من الروايات، وجنب إن مركزيتها قايمة على شخصياتها أكثر من أحداثها، ولكن هنا برضه، نلاقي الرواية فيها استعراض لتسلسل من اﻷحداث الصغيرة والعادية واليومية، حتى لما بيحصل حدث مزلزل زي جريمة القتل أو مشاكل جميلة ونورا مع إدارة الهجرة، بتتحول الأحداث والصراعات الكبيرة لجزء من السلسلة، مش بتكسرها وتميل كفتها لصالحها، ومش بتحاول حتى إيقاعها الداخلي اللي بيوصل سلسلة اﻷحداث الصغيرة ببعضها.
ببساطة شديدة: لو اندمجت مع اﻹيقاع الداخلي للرواية ومع تفاصيلها الصغيرة، حتلاقي الرواية طريقها لقلبك أكيد.
دي رواية في اﻷساس كانت مكتوبة بالعامية اﻷلمانية مش باللغة اﻷلمانية المعيارية، وهو اختيار فني مفهوم جدًا ومنطقي جدًا مع روح المعايشة الحميمة اللي بتقوم بيها شتفاني دي فلاسكو لحياة المراهقين في ألمانيا، بكل ما في المعايشة دي من تفاصيل صغيرة بيعيشها أغلب الناس اللي في المرحلة العمرية دي، عن الصداقة والحب والجنس والهوية والموقف من العالم واﻷسرة والنضوج الجسدي، وكل الحاجات دي بيتم التعبير عنها من منظورهم هما، مش من منظور جاي فوقهم، وبالتالي كان لازم تكون اللغة حية قوي وحقيقية قوي وسوقية قوي عشان نحس إن الرواية عن مراهقين حقيقيين ممكن نقابلهم في الشارع أو قدام المدرسة، مش مراهقين قاعدين في ملتقي ثقافي بيتكلموا كلام أكبر من سنهم بكثير.
كمان كان لازم إن الترجمة تلاقي معادل لغوي للعامية اﻷلمانية، ومفيش أحسن من العامية المصرية عشان توصل للقاريء بسرعة روح النص، لو كانت الرواية دي اترجمت للغة العربية الفصحى، كانت حتكون رواية دمها تقيل جدًا وبعيدة عن اللي الكاتبة حاولت تقدمه أصلًا في نصها اﻷصلي.
في النوعية دي من الروايات، وجنب إن مركزيتها قايمة على شخصياتها أكثر من أحداثها، ولكن هنا برضه، نلاقي الرواية فيها استعراض لتسلسل من اﻷحداث الصغيرة والعادية واليومية، حتى لما بيحصل حدث مزلزل زي جريمة القتل أو مشاكل جميلة ونورا مع إدارة الهجرة، بتتحول الأحداث والصراعات الكبيرة لجزء من السلسلة، مش بتكسرها وتميل كفتها لصالحها، ومش بتحاول حتى إيقاعها الداخلي اللي بيوصل سلسلة اﻷحداث الصغيرة ببعضها.
ببساطة شديدة: لو اندمجت مع اﻹيقاع الداخلي للرواية ومع تفاصيلها الصغيرة، حتلاقي الرواية طريقها لقلبك أكيد.
December 14, 2021
Trotz der Jugendsprache ist das Buch aus meiner Sicht auch sehr lyrisch und verständnisvoll.
July 15, 2020
الأسباب اللي الناس بتهاجم الرواية دي بسببها هي نفس أسباب حبي ليها. هي لن تصحّ إلا بالعامية لنّ تصح إلا بألفظاها الخارجة لأن دي رواية بتتكلم عن مراهقين. محبي الأدب-هيهي-النظيف يمتنعون
August 5, 2016
After reading all the fairly negative reviews of this book, I feel like I need to explain why I really like it - because I really, really like it.
First of all, I want to say two things: a) I wish the girls (and their friends) were a little, just a little older, maybe sixteen, because throughout the book all I could think was: can someone plese protect these children, my goodness. (They also seem more mature, but that might be a consequence of growing up in the big city, furthermore in a not-so-easy environment.)
b) I am very sure I wouldn't have been friends with either of them, maybe Jameelah in a different setting, but that doesn't make me like the book less, even though a lot of other people seemed to use it as their starting point of disliking it.
What I really liked was the style of the book. I read it in German, and I don't know whether translations took some of it away, but the tone is very authentic, and I like how things that happen and that are said constantly mix with Nini's thoughts and perceptions. The "missing quotation marks" thingy irritated me a little at first, but you get used to it very easily. Besides, it also spares you of cryptical sentences no one would ever say that way irl, because Nini is more or less summarizing what the other person said in her thoughts, and it feels very natural.
The second thing I really liked is the relationships between the characters. First, there's of course Jameelah's and Nini's friendship, there's family ties and values and the lack thereof, hidden interest and fascination, complete indifference, there's friendships growing into love just as natural as growing up, rivalry turning into support in the face of fear turning back to rivalry, stupid and not-so-stupid crushes, and it all feels very, very real.
The plot is a bit over-the-top, I admit so much, but it is non the less interesting, sometimes shocking, and giving depth to the characters, and challenging their relationsips and the understanding of one another.
The only thing that book really leaves me wishing for is a sequel.
First of all, I want to say two things: a) I wish the girls (and their friends) were a little, just a little older, maybe sixteen, because throughout the book all I could think was: can someone plese protect these children, my goodness. (They also seem more mature, but that might be a consequence of growing up in the big city, furthermore in a not-so-easy environment.)
b) I am very sure I wouldn't have been friends with either of them, maybe Jameelah in a different setting, but that doesn't make me like the book less, even though a lot of other people seemed to use it as their starting point of disliking it.
What I really liked was the style of the book. I read it in German, and I don't know whether translations took some of it away, but the tone is very authentic, and I like how things that happen and that are said constantly mix with Nini's thoughts and perceptions. The "missing quotation marks" thingy irritated me a little at first, but you get used to it very easily. Besides, it also spares you of cryptical sentences no one would ever say that way irl, because Nini is more or less summarizing what the other person said in her thoughts, and it feels very natural.
The second thing I really liked is the relationships between the characters. First, there's of course Jameelah's and Nini's friendship, there's family ties and values and the lack thereof, hidden interest and fascination, complete indifference, there's friendships growing into love just as natural as growing up, rivalry turning into support in the face of fear turning back to rivalry, stupid and not-so-stupid crushes, and it all feels very, very real.
The plot is a bit over-the-top, I admit so much, but it is non the less interesting, sometimes shocking, and giving depth to the characters, and challenging their relationsips and the understanding of one another.
The only thing that book really leaves me wishing for is a sequel.
February 12, 2019
Die Berliner Sommerferien hatten die Teenies Nini und Jameelah sich anders vorgestellt. Anstatt gemütliche Tage im Freibad zu verbringen und endlich ihre Unschuld zu verlieren, erleben sie hautnah ein tödliches Familiendrama mit und werden plötzlich mit allerhand moralischen Fragen und einer Zerreißprobe für ihre Freundschaft konfrontiert.
So “cool und pomade” die Sprache in Tigermilch auch ist, wird sie das Buch wohl ziemlich schnell altern lassen. Denn (ich hoffe) in 10 Jahren wird “Deine Mutter ich kann das nicht!” nur noch zum Stirnrunzeln anregen. Andererseits rutscht der Roman nicht komplett in dieses zeitgenössische Kiezdeutsch ab, sondern beweist mit seiner O-Sprache, die aus Geld Gold macht, dem Wörter Knacken (Nachtschicht wird Nacktschicht) und so amüsanten Schöpfungen wie “einen an der Falafel haben” und “sie sieht heute aus wie mit Perwoll gewaschen” durchaus auch zeitlose Kreativität.
Die originelle Sprache und eine Handvoll literarischer Verweise sollen womöglich verdeutlichen, wie “deutsch” Jameelah, die mit ihrer Mutter aus dem Irak einwanderte, ist. Auch ihrer Mutter werden keine dümmlichen Grammatikfehler übergeholfen. Stattdessen fehlen ihr manchmal fehlerfreie idiomatische Wendungen (“der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Baum”). Auf diese Weise wird ein Bild rund um Immigranten, Einwanderungsbehörde und Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen gezeichnet, das Leser.innen für sich selbst interpretieren können. Nini sieht viele der Probleme, die Jameelah plagen, aufgrund ihres Privilegs samt ihren Eltern in Deutschland geboren worden zu sein, beispielsweise gar nicht.
Aber das ist nicht das einzige schwierige Thema, das Tigermilch anschneidet. Viel krasser ist nämlich eigentlich, wie die Mädels “so tun” als würden sie auf den Strich gehen, indem sie sich auf der Kurfürstenstraße zwischen die Prostituierten schummeln und mit älteren Männern mitgehen, um mit diesen fürs erste Mal zu üben – allerdings immer gemeinsam, was durch den freundschaftlichen Zusammenhalt eine gewisse Sicherheit generiert. Ähnlich extrem ist der Alkohol- und Kippenkonsum. Den Großteil der Handlung sind beide Mädels mal mehr, mal weniger alkoholisiert. Interessanterweise kam mir das nicht übertrieben, sondern genauso authentisch wie das Berliner Setting vor.
Vor allem in Anbetracht des sozialen Umfelds der Figuren ist ihr Drogenkonsum wenig verwunderlich. Viele von ihnen werden von den Eltern vernachlässigt, das reicht von fehlenden regelmäßigen Mahlzeiten bis zu Desinteresse über Gefühls- und Gedankenlage der Kinder. Bei manchen Charakteren wird das schnell offensichtlich, bei Nini aber geschieht es etwas subtiler und kann zwischen den Zeilen herausgelesen werden. So traurig es klingt, aber diese Lebensumstände machen die Figuren auch menschlicher. Sind sie einerseits die respektlosen Gören, die ihre Schuhe auf den Bahnsitzen parken, kann ich ihr Rebellieren andererseits nachvollziehen, denn ihnen fehlen ja beinahe auf ganzer Linie die positiven Vorbilder – wobei Jameelahs Mutter hier definitiv die Ausnahme bildet.
Tigermilch ist ein Roman, der kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt und stattdessen krakelige, quietschend bunte Streifenmuster auf die Berliner Straßen hustet. Flüssig, rasant und ohne zu werten erzählt er von tiefen Freundschaften, Kulturaustausch, ersten sexuellen Erfahrungen, Vernachlässigung und Ungerechtigkeit.
So “cool und pomade” die Sprache in Tigermilch auch ist, wird sie das Buch wohl ziemlich schnell altern lassen. Denn (ich hoffe) in 10 Jahren wird “Deine Mutter ich kann das nicht!” nur noch zum Stirnrunzeln anregen. Andererseits rutscht der Roman nicht komplett in dieses zeitgenössische Kiezdeutsch ab, sondern beweist mit seiner O-Sprache, die aus Geld Gold macht, dem Wörter Knacken (Nachtschicht wird Nacktschicht) und so amüsanten Schöpfungen wie “einen an der Falafel haben” und “sie sieht heute aus wie mit Perwoll gewaschen” durchaus auch zeitlose Kreativität.
Die originelle Sprache und eine Handvoll literarischer Verweise sollen womöglich verdeutlichen, wie “deutsch” Jameelah, die mit ihrer Mutter aus dem Irak einwanderte, ist. Auch ihrer Mutter werden keine dümmlichen Grammatikfehler übergeholfen. Stattdessen fehlen ihr manchmal fehlerfreie idiomatische Wendungen (“der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Baum”). Auf diese Weise wird ein Bild rund um Immigranten, Einwanderungsbehörde und Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen gezeichnet, das Leser.innen für sich selbst interpretieren können. Nini sieht viele der Probleme, die Jameelah plagen, aufgrund ihres Privilegs samt ihren Eltern in Deutschland geboren worden zu sein, beispielsweise gar nicht.
Aber das ist nicht das einzige schwierige Thema, das Tigermilch anschneidet. Viel krasser ist nämlich eigentlich, wie die Mädels “so tun” als würden sie auf den Strich gehen, indem sie sich auf der Kurfürstenstraße zwischen die Prostituierten schummeln und mit älteren Männern mitgehen, um mit diesen fürs erste Mal zu üben – allerdings immer gemeinsam, was durch den freundschaftlichen Zusammenhalt eine gewisse Sicherheit generiert. Ähnlich extrem ist der Alkohol- und Kippenkonsum. Den Großteil der Handlung sind beide Mädels mal mehr, mal weniger alkoholisiert. Interessanterweise kam mir das nicht übertrieben, sondern genauso authentisch wie das Berliner Setting vor.
Vor allem in Anbetracht des sozialen Umfelds der Figuren ist ihr Drogenkonsum wenig verwunderlich. Viele von ihnen werden von den Eltern vernachlässigt, das reicht von fehlenden regelmäßigen Mahlzeiten bis zu Desinteresse über Gefühls- und Gedankenlage der Kinder. Bei manchen Charakteren wird das schnell offensichtlich, bei Nini aber geschieht es etwas subtiler und kann zwischen den Zeilen herausgelesen werden. So traurig es klingt, aber diese Lebensumstände machen die Figuren auch menschlicher. Sind sie einerseits die respektlosen Gören, die ihre Schuhe auf den Bahnsitzen parken, kann ich ihr Rebellieren andererseits nachvollziehen, denn ihnen fehlen ja beinahe auf ganzer Linie die positiven Vorbilder – wobei Jameelahs Mutter hier definitiv die Ausnahme bildet.
Tigermilch ist ein Roman, der kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt und stattdessen krakelige, quietschend bunte Streifenmuster auf die Berliner Straßen hustet. Flüssig, rasant und ohne zu werten erzählt er von tiefen Freundschaften, Kulturaustausch, ersten sexuellen Erfahrungen, Vernachlässigung und Ungerechtigkeit.
September 19, 2014
Tiger Milk is the debut novel from Stephanie de Velasco, and was published on the 11th of September this year. I received this copy for review from a Waterstones giveaway, and wish to extend thanks to them for this.
This novel was quite unusual for me, for a number of reasons. Firstly, I had never read a novel translated from German before. The writing style was also quite unusual, with an almost complete lack of punctuation. Add to that the fact that the protagonists were both 14 year old girls further increased the alienation I felt when reading this.
I didn't particularly warm to Tiger Milk. I found the protagonists Nini and Jameelah to be unsympathetic and unrealistic - the things that they get up to in this book, the drinking, smoking, sex, and other things in between, I just felt like the world that the author created was something that would never be real. How often do 14 year olds get sold liquor in shops? How often do their parents let them run around at all hours of the night and do whatever they want? I just wasn't convinced. The two girls seemed overly crass, immature, and the way they spoke to each other and the things they did together did not strike me as something friends would do.
I would normally give a plot summary, but honesty I couldn't really tell you what the specific plot was. It felt more like an exercise in character development, and to de Valesco's credit, there was that. The friendship of the two girls altered significantly over the course of a summer, for reasons I won't disclose to avoid spoilers. And I do enjoy character development in a novel, which is why I thought this book was just 'okay', and not bad. But the idea and writing style overall really didn't work for me. The lack of punctuation, although it seems to be a stylistic choice, I felt really didn't work, and from glancing at other reviews, it seems a lot of people felt the same way.
If you are intrigued by the story, or by translated works, I'd say go ahead and check this out. I wouldn't go as far as to recommend it though.
This novel was quite unusual for me, for a number of reasons. Firstly, I had never read a novel translated from German before. The writing style was also quite unusual, with an almost complete lack of punctuation. Add to that the fact that the protagonists were both 14 year old girls further increased the alienation I felt when reading this.
I didn't particularly warm to Tiger Milk. I found the protagonists Nini and Jameelah to be unsympathetic and unrealistic - the things that they get up to in this book, the drinking, smoking, sex, and other things in between, I just felt like the world that the author created was something that would never be real. How often do 14 year olds get sold liquor in shops? How often do their parents let them run around at all hours of the night and do whatever they want? I just wasn't convinced. The two girls seemed overly crass, immature, and the way they spoke to each other and the things they did together did not strike me as something friends would do.
I would normally give a plot summary, but honesty I couldn't really tell you what the specific plot was. It felt more like an exercise in character development, and to de Valesco's credit, there was that. The friendship of the two girls altered significantly over the course of a summer, for reasons I won't disclose to avoid spoilers. And I do enjoy character development in a novel, which is why I thought this book was just 'okay', and not bad. But the idea and writing style overall really didn't work for me. The lack of punctuation, although it seems to be a stylistic choice, I felt really didn't work, and from glancing at other reviews, it seems a lot of people felt the same way.
If you are intrigued by the story, or by translated works, I'd say go ahead and check this out. I wouldn't go as far as to recommend it though.
February 13, 2016
Good reads winner.
Ok so this is an advanced reading copy but where the hell are the speech marks! I’m not sure if this is because they have not yet been included but that wouldn’t make any sense. That surely is one of the fundamentals when writing a book. The result of this is the text is hard to read. I start to read something and it is not until mid-sentence that I realise it is someone speaking and then sometimes I’m not even too sure who, which leaves the conversations confusing and hard to follow and me very annoyed.
Normally with ARCs the book just needs a good proof read to remove any mistakes in grammar and this is evident here but that is normal, no speech marks is just a nuisance. The thoughts of the narrator are in the same manner as when she speaks and without the use of speech marks it just becomes difficult. If this is only the case with the advance reading copy, then don’t provide an advance copy with no speech marks! I can’t give this a serious review or delve into the actual plot of the book because I am just so put off. If any other reader of this book is reading my review please comment to tell me if you experienced the same or if it is just me being strange.
It says in the front that this is an uncorrected manuscript and that I will receive a final copy when it is released. If I do receive this copy then I shall update this review because maybe that copy will be readable. I have gone back after thinking about this and decided to re-read the book, if I receive another copy then I’ll update the review but for now I’ll have to give it 1* because I just couldn’t get through it.
There is also the possibility that this is some ambitious project by the author but for me, if it is, it doesn’t work.
Ok so this is an advanced reading copy but where the hell are the speech marks! I’m not sure if this is because they have not yet been included but that wouldn’t make any sense. That surely is one of the fundamentals when writing a book. The result of this is the text is hard to read. I start to read something and it is not until mid-sentence that I realise it is someone speaking and then sometimes I’m not even too sure who, which leaves the conversations confusing and hard to follow and me very annoyed.
Normally with ARCs the book just needs a good proof read to remove any mistakes in grammar and this is evident here but that is normal, no speech marks is just a nuisance. The thoughts of the narrator are in the same manner as when she speaks and without the use of speech marks it just becomes difficult. If this is only the case with the advance reading copy, then don’t provide an advance copy with no speech marks! I can’t give this a serious review or delve into the actual plot of the book because I am just so put off. If any other reader of this book is reading my review please comment to tell me if you experienced the same or if it is just me being strange.
It says in the front that this is an uncorrected manuscript and that I will receive a final copy when it is released. If I do receive this copy then I shall update this review because maybe that copy will be readable. I have gone back after thinking about this and decided to re-read the book, if I receive another copy then I’ll update the review but for now I’ll have to give it 1* because I just couldn’t get through it.
There is also the possibility that this is some ambitious project by the author but for me, if it is, it doesn’t work.
September 10, 2024
Sonne und Beton in weiblich
November 9, 2014
To begin with the story was slightly slow however, the further I got into the story the better it got! I loved the writing style and the way that Stefanie De Velasco makes the setting seem so realistic and so gritty- I could picture perfectly the settings described by her as if the story was a movie in my head. In hindsight I understand why the book starts slowly as this is needed to set up the feel of both the book's setting and characters before getting into the nitty gritty of the story.
Also, I loved the character development! The relationship between the two girls was so dark but so beautiful at the same time. However, I couldn't believe that the girls were only supposed to be 14. The things there were getting up to were more realistically the sorts of things 18 year olds would normally be doing both in book and in reality. All I could think was where are their parents..?
My one bug bare was the lack of punctuation in the book. I am aware that I read an ark copy but is it typical for arcs to have no speech marks/ lack important punctuation? I only say this becasue it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between what the characters were saying and what they were thinking.
All in all this book is beautifully written, the storyline is realistic and relatable and the characters are well developed. My only suggestion is the addition of punctuation for increased differentiation between speech and thought. As a final conclusion, I feel that this book dealt with a number of situations in a very appropriate way, she manipulated the immaturity/ maturity of the main characters in a way that makes you want to keep reading in order to see what will happen and how the characters will deal with it.
Also, I loved the character development! The relationship between the two girls was so dark but so beautiful at the same time. However, I couldn't believe that the girls were only supposed to be 14. The things there were getting up to were more realistically the sorts of things 18 year olds would normally be doing both in book and in reality. All I could think was where are their parents..?
My one bug bare was the lack of punctuation in the book. I am aware that I read an ark copy but is it typical for arcs to have no speech marks/ lack important punctuation? I only say this becasue it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between what the characters were saying and what they were thinking.
All in all this book is beautifully written, the storyline is realistic and relatable and the characters are well developed. My only suggestion is the addition of punctuation for increased differentiation between speech and thought. As a final conclusion, I feel that this book dealt with a number of situations in a very appropriate way, she manipulated the immaturity/ maturity of the main characters in a way that makes you want to keep reading in order to see what will happen and how the characters will deal with it.
November 10, 2013
* Meinung geändert. Das Buch ist super.
Ich habe dieses Buch nicht genossen. Es ist nicht "schön", es hat Figuren, die mein Pubertäts-Ich nicht mag. Was man ihm lassen muss, ist der authentische Ton. Die Autorin spricht wirklich mit der Stimme jugendlicher Helden - es sind keine "hochbegabten" Jugendlichen, wie Autoren sie gerne einsetzen, um die Schwierigkeit des Perspektivenwechsels zu umgehen, die einen Verzicht auf die volle Breite des schriftstellerischen Könnens bedeutet. Das bewundere ich.
January 14, 2022
ich fand das buch zwar unerwartet „krass“, allerdings sehr wahrhaftig und in gewisser weise traurig. würde es vermutlich nicht nochmal lesen, aber man* sagt niemals nie…
erinnerte mich entfernt an ein aktuelleres „die kinder vom bahnhof zoo“
ließ sich innerhalb von einem tag lesen und war fesselnd :))
erinnerte mich entfernt an ein aktuelleres „die kinder vom bahnhof zoo“
ließ sich innerhalb von einem tag lesen und war fesselnd :))
August 19, 2025
Müllermilchmeeresgott 🙏
September 8, 2018
Well, the fact that it seems like this caused a bit of an uproar when it first came out just shows how incredibly dusty Germany's literary scene - and German society in general - is. Sure, this dealt with a lot of heavy topics, but I dunno. The fact of the matter is that Germans apparently like watching protagonists like these on Berlin Tag und Nacht (or well, rather sneer at how they're definitely not watching it, but that's where they think they belong all the same), but when they're treated with, y'know, artistic respect, and the pathos present in their lives is acknowledged, it's like...............................MIND BLOWN, apparently. (I'm being vitriolic because I'm an immigrant kid eternally frustrated with what this means in country, I'm allowed to, alright?) Reading this out of any context, just having picked it up in the library because the cover looked interesting, I didn't feel...all that incredibly shocked, like, in a world where Push (the novel the movie Precious was based on) exists, a book like this might not be an everyday occurance, but not a huge shock, either.
Well,, I thought this was great, I really loved the writing style. It's incredibly poetic, but at the same time, it's still believable as the narrative voice of a teenage girl. The protagonists are, I feel, a couple of years older than me, but I felt very much transported back into my own teens. Stefanie de Velasco dedicated this book to "All girls" and she really nailed both the codependent, passionate nature of young female friendships and also generally, what it means to be a teenage girl. At no point did I feel like she was simplifying anything or falling back on stereotypes (or even being exploitative). Instead, this novel feels incredibly honest. Being a teenage girl is far from what people think it's like, and even if you've had a far more sheltered life than these kids, you've probably still had weird experiences and sexual thoughts and so on.
(One little attendum that might be considered a spoiler, though it's more about what didn't happen in the book?
All in all, this really touched me and I wish we had more books like this.
Well,, I thought this was great, I really loved the writing style. It's incredibly poetic, but at the same time, it's still believable as the narrative voice of a teenage girl. The protagonists are, I feel, a couple of years older than me, but I felt very much transported back into my own teens. Stefanie de Velasco dedicated this book to "All girls" and she really nailed both the codependent, passionate nature of young female friendships and also generally, what it means to be a teenage girl. At no point did I feel like she was simplifying anything or falling back on stereotypes (or even being exploitative). Instead, this novel feels incredibly honest. Being a teenage girl is far from what people think it's like, and even if you've had a far more sheltered life than these kids, you've probably still had weird experiences and sexual thoughts and so on.
(One little attendum that might be considered a spoiler, though it's more about what didn't happen in the book?
All in all, this really touched me and I wish we had more books like this.
June 22, 2014
I won this on a goodreads giveaway.
So... it was all right but nothing amazing and only all right for me in the fact that I had to skim bits. I've seen other reviewers say they've struggled with it because of the lack of speech marks (don't know if this is a german writing/translation thing - or just trying to be too clever with the use of language, like the teenagers are so disengaged with everything, they don't need to use punctuation). I can't say this bothered me, perhaps because with other books I've read different ways of denoting speech have been used... or perhaps due to the fact that my irritations were just focused on the teenagers.
Oh I don't like books about teenagers most of the time; and these girls weren't likeable. And the book is so slow. Nothing happens for the first half, so it's just them hanging out and having conversations and being teenagers - someone save me! But they're like this abandoned youth in Berlin in the summer. They run wild, do everything, but modern culture has numbed them so they're unshockable, completely to the extreme and... oh, get over yourselves. So they travel about town drinking tiger milk which is some cocktail mix they make up in milk bottles and drink because they're cool. They smoke, they hang out by the pool, they swear, they chase boys... and then they go to the red light district and pick up guys. No emotion, nothing. Not even enjoyment or a need to experiment. They both loose their virginity together with a couple of guys they pick up, and even though this is the thing they've been talking about doing for ages, it passes in the blink of an eye and it's all like, yeah, whatever. And I'm sorry for the coming SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER... but even when they've just witnessed a girl being murdered, the first thing they do is go and steal her jewellry. They're just so numb and apathetic to everything. There are odd flashes of moments when you think, oh, they might be human after all, such as when Nini (the narrator) looks after her little sister when she gets her period, or how Nini and Jameelah help one of the girls go to a clinic when she realises she is pregnant. The story did pick up a bit in the second half, but it's not really a book I can say I particularly enjoyed to any extent, and I wouldn't bother reading it again.
So... it was all right but nothing amazing and only all right for me in the fact that I had to skim bits. I've seen other reviewers say they've struggled with it because of the lack of speech marks (don't know if this is a german writing/translation thing - or just trying to be too clever with the use of language, like the teenagers are so disengaged with everything, they don't need to use punctuation). I can't say this bothered me, perhaps because with other books I've read different ways of denoting speech have been used... or perhaps due to the fact that my irritations were just focused on the teenagers.
Oh I don't like books about teenagers most of the time; and these girls weren't likeable. And the book is so slow. Nothing happens for the first half, so it's just them hanging out and having conversations and being teenagers - someone save me! But they're like this abandoned youth in Berlin in the summer. They run wild, do everything, but modern culture has numbed them so they're unshockable, completely to the extreme and... oh, get over yourselves. So they travel about town drinking tiger milk which is some cocktail mix they make up in milk bottles and drink because they're cool. They smoke, they hang out by the pool, they swear, they chase boys... and then they go to the red light district and pick up guys. No emotion, nothing. Not even enjoyment or a need to experiment. They both loose their virginity together with a couple of guys they pick up, and even though this is the thing they've been talking about doing for ages, it passes in the blink of an eye and it's all like, yeah, whatever. And I'm sorry for the coming SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER... but even when they've just witnessed a girl being murdered, the first thing they do is go and steal her jewellry. They're just so numb and apathetic to everything. There are odd flashes of moments when you think, oh, they might be human after all, such as when Nini (the narrator) looks after her little sister when she gets her period, or how Nini and Jameelah help one of the girls go to a clinic when she realises she is pregnant. The story did pick up a bit in the second half, but it's not really a book I can say I particularly enjoyed to any extent, and I wouldn't bother reading it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2014
I received a copy of the uncorrected manuscript through a goodreads giveaway, so I will write this review with a pinch of salt.
Something which has come up a lot in other reviews is the lack of punctuation, especially the complete lack of speech marks. I'm not sure if this is just because it is the manuscript, or whether it was a literary choice. If it was the latter, I would encourage the publisher/ author to rethink it, as it did make the book relatively difficult to follow and get in to.
The story is told from the perspective of Nini, a 14 year old girl running riot in Berlin with her best friend Jameelah and their group of friends, not doing a lot except getting drunk and getting up to mischief. Things change when Nini and Jameelah witness something awful.
I found the main characters to be emotionally detached. Nothing was reacted to with any feeling - including
I didn't enjoy this book. The writing style didn't work for me, the characters were awful and often shallow, and don't even get me started on the unresolved ending. Nothing is explained to a satisfying level. If I hadn't won this book and felt obliged to provide a full review, I definitely would not have made it the whole way through.
Something which has come up a lot in other reviews is the lack of punctuation, especially the complete lack of speech marks. I'm not sure if this is just because it is the manuscript, or whether it was a literary choice. If it was the latter, I would encourage the publisher/ author to rethink it, as it did make the book relatively difficult to follow and get in to.
The story is told from the perspective of Nini, a 14 year old girl running riot in Berlin with her best friend Jameelah and their group of friends, not doing a lot except getting drunk and getting up to mischief. Things change when Nini and Jameelah witness something awful.
I found the main characters to be emotionally detached. Nothing was reacted to with any feeling - including
I didn't enjoy this book. The writing style didn't work for me, the characters were awful and often shallow, and don't even get me started on the unresolved ending. Nothing is explained to a satisfying level. If I hadn't won this book and felt obliged to provide a full review, I definitely would not have made it the whole way through.
April 22, 2018
Two 14-years old girls from a lower-class multi-ethnic Berlin neighborhood learn about the hard truths of life during a summer when they experience sex and love, witness a crime, and are simply confronted with the realities of life.
I liked this book. It touches all the themes that one would expect 14 years old from broken families and a tough neighborhood care about. From very superficial to very deep ones. And snippets of knowledge are spread all over the erratic thoughts of the protagonist and narrator Nini. And while the jumping of Nini's thoughts from a detail to another this book is more an open window into a summer of new experiences than the narration of a single overarching story. And drama doesn't have time to build up much. Here is where the reason for 3 rather than 4 or 5 stars lies: the book lacks suspense. It fails often to bring the feelings from the characters to the reader. Longer descriptions of the other characters, settings, situations would have been nice. On the other hand when you are young your mind wonders around and feelings change quickly. One moment you cry but soon something can make you smile again.
I liked this book. It touches all the themes that one would expect 14 years old from broken families and a tough neighborhood care about. From very superficial to very deep ones. And snippets of knowledge are spread all over the erratic thoughts of the protagonist and narrator Nini. And while the jumping of Nini's thoughts from a detail to another this book is more an open window into a summer of new experiences than the narration of a single overarching story. And drama doesn't have time to build up much. Here is where the reason for 3 rather than 4 or 5 stars lies: the book lacks suspense. It fails often to bring the feelings from the characters to the reader. Longer descriptions of the other characters, settings, situations would have been nice. On the other hand when you are young your mind wonders around and feelings change quickly. One moment you cry but soon something can make you smile again.
August 13, 2016
3/12 stars. Really enjoyed the energy and momentum in this. I could have honestly done without the murder and have just followed these girls around Berlin, but I guess that added a traditional plot to this, which was fine. The translation was sort of nuts; I think with all the German youth slang this must have been pretty tough to do. For example, of saying "gross" the characters would say "cross" which made me wonder if this was an error on my kindle or if it was supposed to be slang. Also, apparently "losing your chandor" is the translation for an expression that means "losing your mind," which is pretty interesting. Anyway, this was a fun dark read that made me glad not to be a 14-year-old in Berlin--man, these kids would eat me alive. I thought it was weird that none of them used cellphones much, even though this was set in 2010. That's probably fairly accurate though, as none of them are well-off. Man, this sure did bring back memories of working in the Boys & Girls Club back in the States...
September 6, 2014
Ninii erzählt von einem Sommer mit ihren Freunden, hauptsächlich mit ihrer besten Freundin Jameehla. Sie machen lauter verrückte Dinge, verlieben sich, beobachten einen Mord...
Es ist für mich gar nicht so einfach dieses Buch zu bewerten. Ich habe mich beim Lesen die meiste Zeit als Voyeurin gefühlt. Ich habe in eine Welt hineingeblickt, die so weit entfernt von mir ist, dass ich vieles nicht nachvollziehen kann, Beweggründe nicht verstehen kann. Im Grunde wird hier eine unheimlich traurige Generation (sicher in einem bestimmten Milieu) gezeigt. So was zieht mich immer extrem runter. Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft wird auch nicht wirklich in Aussicht gestellt.
Stilistisch gibt es immer mal wieder sehr gute Momente, sehr stark in den Beschreibungen.
Die Lektüre lässt mich ein bisschen ratlos zurück.
Es ist für mich gar nicht so einfach dieses Buch zu bewerten. Ich habe mich beim Lesen die meiste Zeit als Voyeurin gefühlt. Ich habe in eine Welt hineingeblickt, die so weit entfernt von mir ist, dass ich vieles nicht nachvollziehen kann, Beweggründe nicht verstehen kann. Im Grunde wird hier eine unheimlich traurige Generation (sicher in einem bestimmten Milieu) gezeigt. So was zieht mich immer extrem runter. Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft wird auch nicht wirklich in Aussicht gestellt.
Stilistisch gibt es immer mal wieder sehr gute Momente, sehr stark in den Beschreibungen.
Die Lektüre lässt mich ein bisschen ratlos zurück.
June 2, 2015
Well, Christiane F. for the new generation this ain't. (That was my impression after reading the blurb, and the reason I searched for the book and ordered it from Germany).
This is a YA book - the protagonists have that self-absorbed voice of teenagers everywhere - which makes it very heavily dependent on just the right nuance of voice, but it does not quite fully convince me. There is perhaps not quite enough self-awareness or introspection or growing up going on there, despite all the rather horrific events happening. There are interesting elements, some memorable scenes (the younger sister and brother jumping around on the sofa watching porn films, with carrots and courgettes stuck down their pants, for instance), but overall it doesn't quite gel for me.
This is a YA book - the protagonists have that self-absorbed voice of teenagers everywhere - which makes it very heavily dependent on just the right nuance of voice, but it does not quite fully convince me. There is perhaps not quite enough self-awareness or introspection or growing up going on there, despite all the rather horrific events happening. There are interesting elements, some memorable scenes (the younger sister and brother jumping around on the sofa watching porn films, with carrots and courgettes stuck down their pants, for instance), but overall it doesn't quite gel for me.
July 15, 2014
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was really excited to read it. I liked the idea of the plot, but found it quite hard to get into and quite tough reading because of the stylistic choices - the lack of speechmarks and punctuation make it quite hard to keep track of what's what - particularly when the book is not grabbing you massively.
Still, just because it's not my sort of thing, doesn't mean that other people won't like it.
Still, just because it's not my sort of thing, doesn't mean that other people won't like it.
January 9, 2025
habe so viel Teenagermädchen liebe für diese Geschichte, wenige Bücher machen so viel mit mir und haben mich so geprägt
June 21, 2019
Painful.
November 23, 2017
Firstly I need to start this with a warning or two.
1) There are unfortunately no references to Belle & Sebastian superb 1996 debut album Tigermilk. Indeed in the title, "tiger milk" is two words and the B&S album title was one word. The tiger milk in this title is a drink concoction of the 2 main characters.
2) You probably don't want to read this book if you have teenage daughters or maybe you do want to read it to be aware of what they are getting up to it.
The novel is about Nini and her friend Jameelah, two fourteen year old girls living in germany, nini a german and jameelah from iraq who she and her mother have been living in germany for some time since the death of her father and brother but are applying for naturalisation. Nini's father is also not present though by his own choice abandoning his wife and daughter. They are teenagers but growing up, growing up too fast probably.
The novel is set in Berlin as they nearly have the summer holidays from school. the summer is turned upside down when after pinching a witches handbook from another girl Anna Lena, they go to the park to cast a love spell and then they witness murder by the brother of a friend of theirs on his sister. The friends are of different opinions as what to do, scared of consequences of it. They also are interested in boys and Jameelah more so than Nini I feel. Jameelah has her eyes on Lukas and spend the time hanging out at the swimming pool or that street the prostitutes hang out.
a story of 14 years old wanting to grow up too fast, a story of loss of innocence and the preciousness of going slow and enjoying the time of youth and not growing up too fast, you have 60 years of adulthood compared to 18 years of childhood so why try to rush into adulthood. this might have turned into a rant ;) Another thing is that the mothers of the two girl play only a small part in their lives and are rarely seen in the novel, is this accurate depiction or is it the depiction through the lens of the narrator? I think in the case Nini, it is the accurate that her mother has little involvement.
coming of age or growing up too fast?
I really loved De Velasco's writing, it is vibrant and engaging and in the narrator of Nini, i find the narrative to be fitting. as with being the age of 14, some kids are more aware of what is going on than others, some more aware than others, jameelah is aware of stuff while nini to be still learning and unaware of particular stuff. there is an innocence to Nini that there isn't in Jameelah but Nini I think suffers from peer pressure in terms of sexual stuff. It is humourous but with a real message, I loved the book
1) There are unfortunately no references to Belle & Sebastian superb 1996 debut album Tigermilk. Indeed in the title, "tiger milk" is two words and the B&S album title was one word. The tiger milk in this title is a drink concoction of the 2 main characters.
2) You probably don't want to read this book if you have teenage daughters or maybe you do want to read it to be aware of what they are getting up to it.
The novel is about Nini and her friend Jameelah, two fourteen year old girls living in germany, nini a german and jameelah from iraq who she and her mother have been living in germany for some time since the death of her father and brother but are applying for naturalisation. Nini's father is also not present though by his own choice abandoning his wife and daughter. They are teenagers but growing up, growing up too fast probably.
The novel is set in Berlin as they nearly have the summer holidays from school. the summer is turned upside down when after pinching a witches handbook from another girl Anna Lena, they go to the park to cast a love spell and then they witness murder by the brother of a friend of theirs on his sister. The friends are of different opinions as what to do, scared of consequences of it. They also are interested in boys and Jameelah more so than Nini I feel. Jameelah has her eyes on Lukas and spend the time hanging out at the swimming pool or that street the prostitutes hang out.
a story of 14 years old wanting to grow up too fast, a story of loss of innocence and the preciousness of going slow and enjoying the time of youth and not growing up too fast, you have 60 years of adulthood compared to 18 years of childhood so why try to rush into adulthood. this might have turned into a rant ;) Another thing is that the mothers of the two girl play only a small part in their lives and are rarely seen in the novel, is this accurate depiction or is it the depiction through the lens of the narrator? I think in the case Nini, it is the accurate that her mother has little involvement.
coming of age or growing up too fast?
I really loved De Velasco's writing, it is vibrant and engaging and in the narrator of Nini, i find the narrative to be fitting. as with being the age of 14, some kids are more aware of what is going on than others, some more aware than others, jameelah is aware of stuff while nini to be still learning and unaware of particular stuff. there is an innocence to Nini that there isn't in Jameelah but Nini I think suffers from peer pressure in terms of sexual stuff. It is humourous but with a real message, I loved the book
July 7, 2017
Quand j'ai reçu ce roman avec un titre arc-en-ciel et un résumé sur fond d'événement tragique qui scinde une amitié, je ne m'attendais pas à ça. On se retrouve dans un Berlin où se joue la tragédie moderne d'une jeunesse en mal de repères. Ces deux jeunes filles font les quatre cents coups, boivent, fument, sortent...
On attend cet événement tragique qui les séparera mais au final il vient très tard dans l'intrigue car ce n'est pas l'événement tragique (cette scène dont elles sont témoins), qui les éloignent l'une de l'autre mais le rapport de ce témoignage auprès des autorités.
Le style est assez inégal et peu cohérent car on passe de qualificatifs plutôt soutenus (incongrus dans la bouche de gamines de 14 ans, par exemple le mot "esseulé") à un langage cru et vulgaire avec un vocabulaire très répétitif, qui colle pour le coup plus aux personnages mais la langue reste simple. Par contre, j'ai bien aimé les jeux de langage des deux filles avec la langue des O, pour le coup, c'était plutôt bien trouvé.
L'intrigue est assez lente à se mettre en place et traîne en longueur avec l'impression que beaucoup de scènes se répètent (la piscine, l'armoire électrique...). Certains thèmes ont été sous-exploités à mon sens, la mixité n'est qu'évoqué mais les traditions et l'impact des coutumes sur la vie et le comportement de ces jeunes sont finalement peu évoqués alors qu'ils sont la cause de l'événement majeur de la trame.
Les personnages sont bien travaillés dans l'ensemble même si Nini m'a été antipathique du début à la fin.
Au final, ce roman m'a un peu déçue par rapport à ce que promettait son résumé. C'est un bon roman à destination des ados, même si je suis friande de littérature jeunesse et adolescente, ce livre ne m'a pas touchée, trop moderne et trop proche de la réalité sans doute. J'aime m'évader par les livres et ce livre fait tout, sauf rêver. Je le conseille aux amateurs de fiction réaliste, à prendre comme une sorte de documentaire sur la jeunesse actuelle.
On attend cet événement tragique qui les séparera mais au final il vient très tard dans l'intrigue car ce n'est pas l'événement tragique (cette scène dont elles sont témoins), qui les éloignent l'une de l'autre mais le rapport de ce témoignage auprès des autorités.
Le style est assez inégal et peu cohérent car on passe de qualificatifs plutôt soutenus (incongrus dans la bouche de gamines de 14 ans, par exemple le mot "esseulé") à un langage cru et vulgaire avec un vocabulaire très répétitif, qui colle pour le coup plus aux personnages mais la langue reste simple. Par contre, j'ai bien aimé les jeux de langage des deux filles avec la langue des O, pour le coup, c'était plutôt bien trouvé.
L'intrigue est assez lente à se mettre en place et traîne en longueur avec l'impression que beaucoup de scènes se répètent (la piscine, l'armoire électrique...). Certains thèmes ont été sous-exploités à mon sens, la mixité n'est qu'évoqué mais les traditions et l'impact des coutumes sur la vie et le comportement de ces jeunes sont finalement peu évoqués alors qu'ils sont la cause de l'événement majeur de la trame.
Les personnages sont bien travaillés dans l'ensemble même si Nini m'a été antipathique du début à la fin.
Au final, ce roman m'a un peu déçue par rapport à ce que promettait son résumé. C'est un bon roman à destination des ados, même si je suis friande de littérature jeunesse et adolescente, ce livre ne m'a pas touchée, trop moderne et trop proche de la réalité sans doute. J'aime m'évader par les livres et ce livre fait tout, sauf rêver. Je le conseille aux amateurs de fiction réaliste, à prendre comme une sorte de documentaire sur la jeunesse actuelle.
April 16, 2019
I find this book much more interested is because I was learning about the exact same topic at school. Everything about refugees and migration in Europ, the book shows this situation by telling about the life of Jameelah. It makes you feel bad for her because she basically had lived her whole life there, but you have to also cuestion yourself how difficult for a country must be for recieving so much persons, because they want a better life. This persons may not always help with the system of the new country their are staying and that makes all refugees be in a difficult position, because the country doesn´t if they should help or not or who to help or not. It is an economicall risk but laso a moral dilemma.
Also is this for me, another world. Living in such a situation where nobody cares about you, and that makes you don´t care about anything not even yourself.
It shocked be how the two girls and the other teenagers, behaved in the book. As a reader and a person living life day by day, you see how their actions (drinking, smoking) will not improve their situation. For example believing they have to practise their sexuall life, so when the time comes they´ll want to do it with someone they care about, they´ll know how it´s done.
On the other hand spinning around the matter you realized they do not know better, they do not haven any exampple not at home, not at school, not anywhere, how can they possibly know?
I don´t know, I guess that is the best thing about this book, you can think everything is wrong but then it is everything right, because they think is right.
I´ll leave it here, hope someone agree with me.
Also is this for me, another world. Living in such a situation where nobody cares about you, and that makes you don´t care about anything not even yourself.
It shocked be how the two girls and the other teenagers, behaved in the book. As a reader and a person living life day by day, you see how their actions (drinking, smoking) will not improve their situation. For example believing they have to practise their sexuall life, so when the time comes they´ll want to do it with someone they care about, they´ll know how it´s done.
On the other hand spinning around the matter you realized they do not know better, they do not haven any exampple not at home, not at school, not anywhere, how can they possibly know?
I don´t know, I guess that is the best thing about this book, you can think everything is wrong but then it is everything right, because they think is right.
I´ll leave it here, hope someone agree with me.
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