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Stessi
Rebbieħ tal-Konkors ta’ Kitba — Letteratura għaż-Żgħażagħ (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ u Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb)
X’tagħmel li kieku bħala rigal taqla’ kamera tar-ritratti vjola? Mhux tipprova tixgħelha, hux! Orrajt, tajjeb. Imma, tipprova kemm tipprova, l-iskrin jibqa’ ċappa waħda sewda. Wara li tixħitha qalb l-imbarazz biex tipprova tinsieha, titfaċċalek waħedha fil-basket tal-iskola. U wara ftit ġranet issib tliet stessi mixħutin fl-art ta’ kamartek li taħlef li ma tkunx ħadthom inti. Imma stessi isimhom magħhom — bilfors li inti tkun ħadthom. Imbagħad il-kamera tibda—
Żomm … s’hawnhekk biss qed iħalluni ngħid.
Il-ħajja ta’ Sven tibda tinbidel mal-kamera tal-istessi, sa ma ssir inkubu ta’ misteri oskuri minn ġenerazzjonijiet mgħoddija. Realtà waħda tibqa’ — li l-kamera ma tħalli xejn kif kien qabel.
X’tagħmel li kieku bħala rigal taqla’ kamera tar-ritratti vjola? Mhux tipprova tixgħelha, hux! Orrajt, tajjeb. Imma, tipprova kemm tipprova, l-iskrin jibqa’ ċappa waħda sewda. Wara li tixħitha qalb l-imbarazz biex tipprova tinsieha, titfaċċalek waħedha fil-basket tal-iskola. U wara ftit ġranet issib tliet stessi mixħutin fl-art ta’ kamartek li taħlef li ma tkunx ħadthom inti. Imma stessi isimhom magħhom — bilfors li inti tkun ħadthom. Imbagħad il-kamera tibda—
Żomm … s’hawnhekk biss qed iħalluni ngħid.
Il-ħajja ta’ Sven tibda tinbidel mal-kamera tal-istessi, sa ma ssir inkubu ta’ misteri oskuri minn ġenerazzjonijiet mgħoddija. Realtà waħda tibqa’ — li l-kamera ma tħalli xejn kif kien qabel.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Schembri
10 books26 followersMatthew Schembri (b. 1993) is a multimedia artist, writer and poet based in Malta. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Arts in 2017. Schembri won Divergent Thinkers 04 (2015), Shifting Contexts (2019), and was named The Young Artist of the Year in 2017 by Arts Council Malta. In addition to Malta, he exhibited his works and was awarded art and literary residencies in the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Croatia and Finland.
Schembri’s debut novel, Stessi (2018), won The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth 2016, and with his first poetry collection, Ħassartek (2021), he received the Best Emerging Author award given by the National Book Council Malta in 2022. In the same year, he was one of the winners of the A Sea of Words writing contest organised by IEMed and the Anna Lindh Foundation. His work was translated into English, French and Croatian.
Schembri’s debut novel, Stessi (2018), won The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth 2016, and with his first poetry collection, Ħassartek (2021), he received the Best Emerging Author award given by the National Book Council Malta in 2022. In the same year, he was one of the winners of the A Sea of Words writing contest organised by IEMed and the Anna Lindh Foundation. His work was translated into English, French and Croatian.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 30, 2021
I guess if one can could summarise Matthew Schembri’s debut novel Stessi (Selfie), it would be Marvel meets Neil Gaiman.
Sven adores his uncle Robert, however he does notice that there’s something strange about him, namely his aloofness, the fact that he spends long periods of time abroad , that he always carries a camera with him and why does Sven feel ill when his uncle is away?
On Sven’s 13th birthday , his uncle passes on the camera, and his life then changes. What happens next becomes a vortex of frightening moments and many secrets are unveiled. Finally Sven has to make a choice which will take his life into different directions. All I can say that the climax is worthy of a blockbuster film.
One can see Stessi as a commentary on the narcissistic selfie/social media culture. In one scene Sven goes on a talk show where the arrogant host falls on live TV. She’s not worried if she hurts but rather how people on social media sites will turn her mishap in a GIF and spread it around – spoiler: it happens. Also a selfie competition is at the center of the plot, and to see Sven and his best friend uploading selfies (albeit creative ones) on Facebook AND getting likes goes to show how things have evolved.
Stessi could be taken as an example of excellent storytelling: The characters are believable, the writing flows and the plot is well structured and, although the book has a fantastical element, the strength of the prose makes it credible. Incidentally the author is known as a conceptual artist so Stessi did actually lead to a second phase of the project but that review will be up in a few weeks’ time. At this point, enjoy and immerse oneself in this novel, it’s very easy to.
Sven adores his uncle Robert, however he does notice that there’s something strange about him, namely his aloofness, the fact that he spends long periods of time abroad , that he always carries a camera with him and why does Sven feel ill when his uncle is away?
On Sven’s 13th birthday , his uncle passes on the camera, and his life then changes. What happens next becomes a vortex of frightening moments and many secrets are unveiled. Finally Sven has to make a choice which will take his life into different directions. All I can say that the climax is worthy of a blockbuster film.
One can see Stessi as a commentary on the narcissistic selfie/social media culture. In one scene Sven goes on a talk show where the arrogant host falls on live TV. She’s not worried if she hurts but rather how people on social media sites will turn her mishap in a GIF and spread it around – spoiler: it happens. Also a selfie competition is at the center of the plot, and to see Sven and his best friend uploading selfies (albeit creative ones) on Facebook AND getting likes goes to show how things have evolved.
Stessi could be taken as an example of excellent storytelling: The characters are believable, the writing flows and the plot is well structured and, although the book has a fantastical element, the strength of the prose makes it credible. Incidentally the author is known as a conceptual artist so Stessi did actually lead to a second phase of the project but that review will be up in a few weeks’ time. At this point, enjoy and immerse oneself in this novel, it’s very easy to.
September 21, 2018
Bla dubju l-background artistiku tal-awtur isib postu wkoll fil-kitba tiegħu, għax Stessi huwa ktieb ikkulurit immens (mhux il-qoxra biss) filwaqt li jirrakkonta storja rikka fl-immaġinazzjoni u l-fantasija. Ktieb mexxej b’ħafna azzjoni u li jżommok tibqa’ taqra. Nirrakkomandah bil-qalb, speċjalment lil żgħażagħ fl-ewwel nofs tat-teens.
December 13, 2018
Ktieb għat-teenagers miktub tajjeb ħafna. Mexxej u jħallik fuq ix-xwiek sal-aħħar. Fakkarni ħafna f''The Picture of Dorian Gray' ta' Oscar Wilde f'xi waqtiet. Proset Matt, ħerqana biex naqra iktar xogħol tiegħek!
January 26, 2019
Kont ili ma naqra ktieb bil-malti daqshekk mimli fantasija. L-ending ħallini nibqa naħseb. Prosit!
December 11, 2018
Ktieb li ħallieni bla nifs mill-bidu sal-aħħar. Matthew ħabib tiegħi, xtrajtu u kelli ġenn biex naqrah imma ħallejtu bħala ' leisure reading ' - Letteratura għaż-żgħażagħ - jaf tqarraq b'dak li jkun. Wieħed jaf jarah bħala ktieb tat-tfal jew jaħseb li mhux se jolqtu imma kien ikun dispjaċir li kieku ma qrajtux! Storja mexxejja mmens u lanqas naf kif qrajtu, bdejtu u f'ħin minnhom irrealizzajt li qrajt iktar minn nofsu.
Il-protagonisti huma studenti minn skola sekondarja, membri familjari u kamera msaħħra! Imma mhux storja tat-tfal żgħar. Storja meħuda mill-ħajja ta' kujum u naqra seħer miżjud magħha. It-tmiem huwa partikolari mmens! Fl-aħħar sentenza waqajt f'dilemma li awtur jew tnejn oħra ġiegħluni nesperjenza.
Insomma ... Ta' min jaqrah u proset lil Matthew ta' xogħlu, nittama li ma jdumx ma jżewqilna storja oħra! 😉
Il-protagonisti huma studenti minn skola sekondarja, membri familjari u kamera msaħħra! Imma mhux storja tat-tfal żgħar. Storja meħuda mill-ħajja ta' kujum u naqra seħer miżjud magħha. It-tmiem huwa partikolari mmens! Fl-aħħar sentenza waqajt f'dilemma li awtur jew tnejn oħra ġiegħluni nesperjenza.
Insomma ... Ta' min jaqrah u proset lil Matthew ta' xogħlu, nittama li ma jdumx ma jżewqilna storja oħra! 😉
April 27, 2021
L-ideat varji ta' Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Goosebumps, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar children u iżjed jinsabu f'dan il-ktieb interessanti u mimli suspans miktub minn Matthew Schembri. Sven jingħata kamera misħuta f'għeluq sninu mingħand iz-ziju Rob u mingħajr ma jinduna, jinbidel għall-agħar fiżikament u kif ukoll psikoloġikament. Ir-ruħ ta' tifla ta' tlettax-il sena tkun qiegħda f'dan l-oġġett misterjuż u Sven jispiċċa jiġġieled ma' sħabu, jiksirha mal-ġenituri li sfortunatament jinqatlu f'inċident tas-sewqan u kif ukoll jaħqar lilu nnifsu sabiex jifhem kif taħdem il-kamera kollu biex jipproteġiha minn kull tip ta' ħsara. Sven ma jagħrafx li għalkemm ma jbatix fiżikament (wieħed mill-poteri tar-rigal) xorta qed jagħmel affarijiet li warajhom ma jkun hemm xejn ħlief ħsibijiet suwiċidjali. Bdejt nimmaġina li din tal-kamera kienet ħolma li kienet ser tinbidel f'marda tal-moħħ iżda kuntent b'kif żviluppat (pun intended) l-istorja. Bdejt nitwaħħax f'kemm kellha poter fuq il-konxju tal-bniedem il-kamera u iżjed kemm beda jsofri Sven iżjed stajt nirrelata. Sfortunatament, okkażjonijiet sopranaturali ftit jemmnu fihom u għalhekk sabuha daqshekk diffiċli l-ġenituri ta' Sven biex jafdaw fl-istorja taz-ziju Rob li kien ilu ħajtu sħiħa jdur id-dinja sabiex isib mod kif jeħles mill-kamera u Sven kellu dan il-poter minħabba li kien it-tlettax-il persuna li l-kamera kienet fil-pussess tiegħu tul bosta ġenerazzjonijiet. Ma fhimtx kif f'daqqa waħda l-intenzjonijiet tal-kamera nbidlu u din xtaqet li Sven imut u xtaqt kieku sirt naf dwar x'sar mill-ħbieb ta' Sven wara dawn l-avvenimenti traġiċi. Il-karattru ta' Henry dejjaqni mmens għalkemm nifhem li ma tantx setgħet żvolġiet mingħajru l-istorja. Waħda mix-xeni favoriti tiegħi hi meta Sven jiġi mistieden sabiex imur fuq l-istazzjon Nazzjonali u jaqleb il-preżentattriċi li ma jkollha xejn ħlief qżież wara li tipprova tisraqlu l-kamera minn idu. Il-kulur vjola hu fost il-favoriti tiegħi wkoll u dan jispiċċa jirrappreżenta vjaġġ traġiku b'messaġġ posittiv, is-saħħa dejjem għandha tingħata prijorità fuq il-fama. Ħadt gost naqra kapitlu wara l-ieħor mingħajr ħjiel li nieqaf u l-unika ħaġa li nista' ngerger dwarha hi li l-ktieb seta' kien daqsxejn itwal jew ftit iżjed konċiż. Għoġobni l-istil tiegħek Matthew! Grazzi ta' nofstanhar qari li ser indum biex ninsa.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stramba, oriġinali u taqbadlek moħħok.
Stessi hija storja mimlija misteru u tensjoni, li ddawwar il-ħajja ta’ Sven b’mod li qatt ma jistenna. Kamera vjola misterjuża tagħti bidu għal sensiela ta’ avvenimenti li jħalluk b’aktar mistoqsijiet milli tweġibiet. Matthew Schembri jikteb b’mod li jħallik ma tridx tieqaf taqra. Ideali għal min iħobb stejjer żgħażagħ b’dawk l-elementi skuri u sorprendenti.
Stramba, oriġinali u taqbadlek moħħok.
Stessi hija storja mimlija misteru u tensjoni, li ddawwar il-ħajja ta’ Sven b’mod li qatt ma jistenna. Kamera vjola misterjuża tagħti bidu għal sensiela ta’ avvenimenti li jħalluk b’aktar mistoqsijiet milli tweġibiet. Matthew Schembri jikteb b’mod li jħallik ma tridx tieqaf taqra. Ideali għal min iħobb stejjer żgħażagħ b’dawk l-elementi skuri u sorprendenti.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews