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Crazy Diamond
"I don't wanna be famous
I don't wanna be who you are
I don't wanna be a trademark
I don't wanna be a wannabe superstar
I wanna be infamous,
Incapable,
unfaceable,
untraceable..."
That's Mira M. And this is the story of her unforgettable life -- as a kid alone in a junkyard tire swing, to her escape from Croatia at age nine in a Marshall amp road case in the rear of her uncle Lou's van. A musician, he hands her the key to her future: a guitar.
When she's fourteen, Mira meets Melody, Rosa, and Jackson, three teens who stow away from Ghana in a shipping container and end up -- to their surprise -- in Hamburg, Germany. What stories they have! And what a story the four of them, plus Kralle (a little older and wiser) and Zucka (the record producer's son), share on the way to the fame that all of them covet -- except Mira, even after the MTV Awards show in Barcelona. Her song lyrics tell her truth.
But are they her lyrics? Her music? She swears so. But who listens, now that she's eighteen -- and dead?
I don't wanna be who you are
I don't wanna be a trademark
I don't wanna be a wannabe superstar
I wanna be infamous,
Incapable,
unfaceable,
untraceable..."
That's Mira M. And this is the story of her unforgettable life -- as a kid alone in a junkyard tire swing, to her escape from Croatia at age nine in a Marshall amp road case in the rear of her uncle Lou's van. A musician, he hands her the key to her future: a guitar.
When she's fourteen, Mira meets Melody, Rosa, and Jackson, three teens who stow away from Ghana in a shipping container and end up -- to their surprise -- in Hamburg, Germany. What stories they have! And what a story the four of them, plus Kralle (a little older and wiser) and Zucka (the record producer's son), share on the way to the fame that all of them covet -- except Mira, even after the MTV Awards show in Barcelona. Her song lyrics tell her truth.
But are they her lyrics? Her music? She swears so. But who listens, now that she's eighteen -- and dead?
- GenresGermany
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
David Chotjewitz
7 books3 followersDavid Chotjewitz (born May 14, 1964, in Berlin) is a German writer and theatre director who lives in Hamburg.
In 1967, his family moved to Rome, where Chotjewitz grew up until 1973. He attended the Italian primary school and later the German school of Rome. In 1973, he moved with his parents and brother to the small north Hessian village of Kruspis. He attended school in Bad Hersfeld until 1981, but left without receiving his diploma.
As of 1982, he was trained as a publisher, at first at the Weismann publishing house in Munich, then in spring of 1984, at the Rowohlt publishing house in Reinbek. He was married in 1983 and his daughter, Sarah, was born the same year. His first literary book publication, the collection, Frühreif - Texte aus der Plastiktüte, appeared in spring of 1984. He wrote his first radio play, Geduld Holfstätter oder Der erste Kuß, in 1987. In 1988, he began to translate a novel by Norma Klein, for the Frankfurt publisher, Alibaba. In the 1990s, Chotjewitz worked with independent theatre companies in Hamburg and as an assistant director at the Deutsche Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, as well as at the Burgtheater in Vienna.
From 1992 to 1994, he studied with the Javanese dance and performance teacher, Suprapto Suryodarmo in Java - see Amerta Movement. In the following years, he co-operated with the Healing Theatre in Cologne and the Julia Pascal Company in London. In 1994, his novel about Albert Einstein, Das Abenteuer des Denkens (The Adventure of Thinking), was published and received a lot of attention. It has been reprinted several times, last by the Hamburg publisher, Carlsen Verlag. His award-winning novel for young people, Daniel Halber Mensch, was also published in the USA by Simon and Schuster as Daniel Half Human and has been quite successful there.
In 1999, Chotjewitz produced his first theatre work, Der einäugige Karpfen, based on a story by Kenzaburō Ōe. In 2000, he and Christian Concilio founded the youth theatre project, "Theater: Playstation", which staged musical theatre projects such as BLUT on the DANCEFLOOR (BLOOD on the DANCE FLOOR, in a techno-disco) and STIRB, POPSTAR, STIRB (POPSTAR MUST DIE), in cooperation with Kampnagel Hamburg.
In summer of 2007, he started the project, BEHÖRDE für LIEBLINGSLIEDER (MINISTRY for FAVORITE SONGS). Projects planned for 2008 include a new biographical novel about the young Goethe and a project with youths in Colombia.
Chotjewitz has received awards such as the literature prize of the city Hamburg in 1996, a grant from the Stiftung Preußische Seehandlung in 1997 and a grant from the Stuttgarter Schriftstellerhaus in 2006. "Daniel Half Human" received in the USA, among others, a Mildred L. Batchelder Award (Honor Book). His Novel "Crazy Diamond," about a teenaged rock star who dies under unclear circumstances, was published in the USA in April 2008
In 1967, his family moved to Rome, where Chotjewitz grew up until 1973. He attended the Italian primary school and later the German school of Rome. In 1973, he moved with his parents and brother to the small north Hessian village of Kruspis. He attended school in Bad Hersfeld until 1981, but left without receiving his diploma.
As of 1982, he was trained as a publisher, at first at the Weismann publishing house in Munich, then in spring of 1984, at the Rowohlt publishing house in Reinbek. He was married in 1983 and his daughter, Sarah, was born the same year. His first literary book publication, the collection, Frühreif - Texte aus der Plastiktüte, appeared in spring of 1984. He wrote his first radio play, Geduld Holfstätter oder Der erste Kuß, in 1987. In 1988, he began to translate a novel by Norma Klein, for the Frankfurt publisher, Alibaba. In the 1990s, Chotjewitz worked with independent theatre companies in Hamburg and as an assistant director at the Deutsche Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, as well as at the Burgtheater in Vienna.
From 1992 to 1994, he studied with the Javanese dance and performance teacher, Suprapto Suryodarmo in Java - see Amerta Movement. In the following years, he co-operated with the Healing Theatre in Cologne and the Julia Pascal Company in London. In 1994, his novel about Albert Einstein, Das Abenteuer des Denkens (The Adventure of Thinking), was published and received a lot of attention. It has been reprinted several times, last by the Hamburg publisher, Carlsen Verlag. His award-winning novel for young people, Daniel Halber Mensch, was also published in the USA by Simon and Schuster as Daniel Half Human and has been quite successful there.
In 1999, Chotjewitz produced his first theatre work, Der einäugige Karpfen, based on a story by Kenzaburō Ōe. In 2000, he and Christian Concilio founded the youth theatre project, "Theater: Playstation", which staged musical theatre projects such as BLUT on the DANCEFLOOR (BLOOD on the DANCE FLOOR, in a techno-disco) and STIRB, POPSTAR, STIRB (POPSTAR MUST DIE), in cooperation with Kampnagel Hamburg.
In summer of 2007, he started the project, BEHÖRDE für LIEBLINGSLIEDER (MINISTRY for FAVORITE SONGS). Projects planned for 2008 include a new biographical novel about the young Goethe and a project with youths in Colombia.
Chotjewitz has received awards such as the literature prize of the city Hamburg in 1996, a grant from the Stiftung Preußische Seehandlung in 1997 and a grant from the Stuttgarter Schriftstellerhaus in 2006. "Daniel Half Human" received in the USA, among others, a Mildred L. Batchelder Award (Honor Book). His Novel "Crazy Diamond," about a teenaged rock star who dies under unclear circumstances, was published in the USA in April 2008
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 4, 2009
I find "Foreign books" (think foreign films) can be some of the most interesting books out there. That is how I discovered Per Nilson whose work I've adored.
This book crossed my path and I thought I'd give it a shot. There are places this book doesn't work for me, like her Uncle being conveniently called Uncle Lou. When I first read this, I kept thinking "Nick and Norah."
Overall, the tale is slightly different in that the main character has died (how you don't know until the end) and she tells part of the story while another part is told through the people who surrounded her. I enjoyed the different view points periodically, but by the end of the book, Mira was explaining everything and you started to loose track of the present.
This book is great for those into the music scene, enjoy rock star stories, and enjoyed Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist for the rock star living. It will not work as a great follow up book. This one is a bit of a downer.
This book crossed my path and I thought I'd give it a shot. There are places this book doesn't work for me, like her Uncle being conveniently called Uncle Lou. When I first read this, I kept thinking "Nick and Norah."
Overall, the tale is slightly different in that the main character has died (how you don't know until the end) and she tells part of the story while another part is told through the people who surrounded her. I enjoyed the different view points periodically, but by the end of the book, Mira was explaining everything and you started to loose track of the present.
This book is great for those into the music scene, enjoy rock star stories, and enjoyed Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist for the rock star living. It will not work as a great follow up book. This one is a bit of a downer.
April 7, 2025
I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it thoroughly. I've liked other books by this author that have been translated, such as "Daniel Half Human." The story is engaging, and there are some decent jokes throughout. My only concern is the mentioning adult content, but that’s more about my personal preferences.
October 24, 2023
Teen Fiction really has a finite timeline. This read like a book from another era. (which it is it's nearly 20 years old) Unrelenting darkness of plot, and flowery descriptions of characters skin color. Not to mention the confusing timeline.
Read
November 30, 2008I probably won't finish this book. It's about a teen girl who escapes from Croatia to become a rock star in Germany with two other girls who have escaped from Ghana. I think the international flavor could be refreshing in a plot. It has been translated from German and the author got his material from collaborating with teen actors and musicians on a four-year theatre project. So I'm sure it's all very authentic. I just don't feel like reading it.
March 10, 2016
This book was seriously weird. The plot was weird. The characters weird. I didn't like it much because the book just kept going on and on and on and on and...well, you get the point. Probably something I wouldn't read again, unless I would terribly bored. However, it was a pretty interesting story, about the rise and fall of a rockstar. Melody's character was pretty predictable. As for Mia...well, she was weird. Anyway, the book wasn't very good.
Want to read
April 3, 2008Released April 8, 2008
Want to read
May 18, 2011I haven't read the book yet... but that sure is a foxy lady on the cover ;)
April 11, 2016
Interesting read, with solid character development, but I was never entirely sure where the story was going.
library-to-read
July 11, 2018Not Found
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews