Pas couché

by Cathy Ytak

Non, Manon n'a pas couché avec Timothée ! L'amitié entre fille et garçon, sans embrouilles et sans larmes, ça existe. Manon le clame haut et fort, même si les autres ne peuvent, ne veulent, pas comprendre. Pourtant, le doute finit par s’installer chez elle : ravages des rumeurs et des idées reçues, malentendus, peur de se perdre et désir confus de l'autre... Un texte tendre sur les ambiguïtés de l'amour et de l'amitié.

Genres: Young Adult

72 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2014

About the author

Cathy Ytak was born in France in 1962. Both of her parents were teachers. She grew up in Paris but spent her vacations in the Jura Mountains, near Switzerland. Later on, she lived for a few months in Brazil, then in Barcelona, Spain.

She began writing stories as soon as she knew how to read and write. She has always loved books. When she was 15, she quit high school to attend a technical college where she studied book production and earned a diploma in bookbinding. By the time she was 18, she was working at various jobs such as sorting mail, housecleaning, bookbinding, etc. She worked for seven years as a sales assistant in a photo shop, which she enjoyed very much.

At the age of 27, she went back to school to study Catalan and to become a translator. At the same time, she was working as a journalist, which was bringing her closer to writing stories. During this period, she never stopped writing, even though none of her books were published. Her first novel was released in 1999.

Writing is part of Cathy’s life, even though it is not a full-time career. Until recently, she worked full-time as a translator of Catalan. Now she divides her time between writing and translating. She also likes to cook, and has published several recipe books on making bread and yogurt. She finds that cooking and writing have a lot in common: you start with practically nothing (flour, words), you add spices and flavoring, stir it with love, and it becomes a book or a dish to share or give as a gift. She finds it all very magical.

For Cathy, a writer is like a musician who uses words instead of notes. In order to become a composer of words, all you have to do is open your eyes, listen to the sounds around you, whether they be harmonious or dissonant, and be patient, very patient …

Reviews

[Valérie Carreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis : Je ferais un avis très court car ce livre est vraiment petit donc je ne détaillerais pas grand chose pour ne pas spoiler l'histoire.

Du coté de l’histoire : Timothée et Manon sont amis(pour la vie) . Ils n'en démordent pas mais à force de s'entendre demander s'ils couchent ensemble ou non, la jeune fille commence à se poser beaucoup de questions sur la véritable réalité de ses sentiments pour lui. Une nuit, un coup de fil fera basculer les choses...

Du coté de l'écriture :
Un très joli texte sur le sujet de l'amitié entre filles et garçons.
Il est très court et se lit d'une traite comme tous les textes de cette collection "D'une seule voix"de chez Actes Sud Junior.

En conclusion : J'ai beaucoup aimé ce récit tendre et tellement réaliste et j'adore toujours autant cette collection

[Stephane]

Texte court à l'écriture vive où une ado raconte son amitié avec un garçon de son école et dont l'innocence des sentiments est mise en question par leur entourage et fragilisé. Les références aux auteurs-interprètes de la chanson française - appréciés par les deux jeunes et qui les rapprochent- invitent à (re)découvrir leurs œuvres.

[Toki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texte court mais intense, réaliste et tendre. De belles références musicales. J’ai adoré!