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God and I Broke Up

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For all of her 16 years, Linnea has been a thinker. She thinks about everything from boys to zits to why parents get divorced to whether or not God really exists and what happens when you die. When she and Pia become best friends, Linnea becomes a talker. Whether the subject is guys, school, the afterlife, or politics, Pia is someone she can talk to about everything. They're so close they’re like twin souls. So why did Pia have to go and kill herself? With self-deprecating candor, Linnea recounts the year following her friend’s suicide as she struggles to heal her grief. Alternately hilarious and profoundly sad, Linnea’s voice illuminates both her inner and outer selves, vividly portraying the difficulty of appearing to be a smart, savvy teen while inwardly feeling crushed by the loss of her soul mate. Her dilemma, told with honesty, grace, and often-unsettling wit, is sure to resonate with young readers.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

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279 people want to read

About the author

Katarina Mazetti

82 books65 followers
Vera Katarina Mazetti was a Swedish author and journalist. She made her debut as a writer in 1988 with the picture book "Här kommer tjocka släkten!". She worked as a producer and presenter at Sveriges Radio between 1989–2004.

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5 stars
64 (13%)
4 stars
148 (30%)
3 stars
185 (37%)
2 stars
66 (13%)
1 star
26 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for littleprettybooks.
933 reviews317 followers
March 27, 2015
Encore une fois touchée par un roman de Katarina Mazetti. Cette fois-ci, elle aborde le suicide chez les adolescents et j'ai été très émue par le personnage de Linnea qui est confrontée à la disparition de son amie et à la culpabilité qui l'accompagne.
Profile Image for Burçak Kılıç Sultanoğlu .
544 reviews85 followers
August 23, 2016
Aslında beğendim kitabı.. Kız en yakın arkadaşı ölünce hayata küsüyor ve sorguluyor.. İçinde dine, siyasete, hayata karşı sorgulamalar var.. Biraz kendime yakın hissettim görüşleri o yüzden beğendim :) Sadece çok kısaydı ve merak ettiğim bir nokta açıklanmamıştı.. O yüzden 3 yıldız :D
Profile Image for Kate.
166 reviews47 followers
October 12, 2016
Короткая история, была бы милой, если бы не была такой грустной. Грустно-милая? Мило-грустная?
Хорошее отображение лопоухой юности, когда что-то происходит, а что - непонятно. В том числе непонятно потому, что нет времени подумать, ты слишком занята разглядыванием затылка мальчика, который сидит впереди тебя в школе.
И только потоооооом, когда уже всё случилось...
Profile Image for Meaghan.
1,096 reviews25 followers
September 28, 2007
A short, sweet, pithy little story narrated by an immensely ordinary teenager. The Swedish authorship and setting made this book a novelty for an American like me, and I liked Linnea’s voice. I thought the story was a bit predictable, however, and slow-moving. I might not have finished it if it had been much longer than 127 pages.
Profile Image for Magdalene.
37 reviews
June 24, 2013
Thoroughly depressing. Can't believe this was up for a children's award. Ugh...never again.
Profile Image for Luna.
102 reviews
January 20, 2025
J'ai adoré toutes les questions que le livre posait. Il nous permet de nous interroger et de nous remettre en question sur un tas de sujets.

J'ai également aimé les personnages (et notamment les deux personnages principales). Je m'identifiais à l'une puis à l'autre. C'était très agréable qu'un roman mette des mots aussi facilement sur ce que l'on pense de manière aussi simple.

De plus, l'auteure parle de sujets très vastes au regard d'une jeune fille de quinze/seize ans. On s'accroche assez facilement à elle, et on se retrouve dans ce qu'elle dit sur la vie.

Le livre est très court, comme les chapitres. Il se lit très facilement et est assez addictif.

Seulement, je pense que c'est un roman qu'il faut que je relise. En effet, je suis passée à côté de plein de choses. Je pense que pour comprendre l'histoire, il est nécessaire que je m'y replonge. Je n'étais pas dedans tout le long.

Et la fin assez ouverte (le "pourquoi" ?) est assez frustrante. J'aurai aimé savoir le fin mot de l'histoire et comprendre réellement ce qu'il s'est passé.
Profile Image for laaaaames.
524 reviews108 followers
April 26, 2009
A tiny little book. Like others who've reviewed this, I'll set aside some language awkwardness given that it's a translation. The emotion here is so real, and of some of the loss books I've read lately, painted a true emotional portrait.

I would have liked a little more plot, and to be surprised more than I was (I don't think I was surprised at all), but it's still a lovely, heartbreaking little story.
Profile Image for Banafsheh Esmailzadeh.
103 reviews5 followers
May 17, 2013
Linnea is a plain teenager whose life changes when she meets extroverted Pia, whom she feels understands her when no one else does.

Her life changes again, however, when Pia dies.

She looks back on the 120 days she knew Pia in an effort to heal herself from the pain.

A short, very light read that gets you emotionally if you've ever found that one friend who changed your life around.
Profile Image for Lusionnelle.
192 reviews12 followers
March 18, 2021
(3.5/5)
En fin de compte, une meilleure lecture que ce à quoi je m'attendais après les deux/trois premiers chapitres. J'ai eu du mal, en effet, avec la narratrice, même remise dans son contexte (la mort de son amie) et son âge (l'adolescence).
Peut-être, parce que je le lis trop tard, alors que je ne suis pas la lectrice visée. Mais certaines réflexions qu'elle pouvait avoir, à quelques reprises dans le roman, m'ont agacées (car, en fin de compte, elles restent assez gratuites).

Toutefois, j'y ai découvert une belle plume, poétique, qui arrive à donner de la consistance à ce que l'adolescence a à raconter : la quête d'identité, la volonté de sortir de l'ordinaire, la difficile relation parentale, surtout dans un contexte de divorce, d'abandon et de violence conjugale, les émois amoureux et le rapport avec les garçons, l'amitié et la rivalité entre filles, etc.

Sans vraiment sortir de l'ordinaire sur ces thématiques, ce court roman parvient à délicatement mettre en exergue l'émotion complexe du deuil difficile de la narratrice.
Tapie dans le dressoir de sa grand-mère, elle se met à parler à un mur. On suit ainsi la lente remontée de ses souvenirs qui la lient à Pia, dont elle tente de tirer quelques débuts de réponse à une mort qui lui paraît incompréhensible.

C'est ainsi qu'on en découvre d'avantage sur leur amitié, sur ces deux jeunes filles dont la vie familiale est compliquée, sur les possibles raisons de la mort de Pia, sans que jamais le roman ne perde de vue l'essentiel.
Du point de vue interne de Linnea, on ne saura donc jamais ce qui s'est réellement produit, même si on a des indices. Le reste est laissé à notre interprétation, comme à celle de Linnea, et cependant, je n'y ai pas trouvé de manque à cet égard. Ce travail thérapeutique engagé par Linnea est moins pour découvrir la vérité, que pour faire son deuil.

Je lirai par curiosité le second tome.
Profile Image for Anna Björklund.
1,221 reviews15 followers
December 16, 2021
Både nattsvart och humoristisk. Viktigt ämne men kanske uppksattar man den mer som vuxen än som ungdom? Att man minns hur det var i den åldern, hur man tänkte och hur vuxen man kände sig, vad man älskade att diskutera saker men vilket barn man var på insidan utan livserfarenhet och perspektiv. Riktigt bra!
Profile Image for Alma.
95 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2023
Wow, när jag plockade upp en gammal bok som jag fått av mormor förväntade jag mig egentligen ingenting. Men oj så fin och autentisk den här boken var. Med en klar röst tar den upp sorg, vänskap, livet, tron, människan med mera.

Så ja, this is your sign to pick up that unexpected read. You might actually love it!
96 reviews41 followers
September 3, 2021
Bu benim okumaya karar verip aldığım bir kitap değil. Kızımın kitapları arasında görüp bir akşam diğer okumaların arasına sıkıştırdığım bir kitap. Yazarını tanımıyorum.
Okudukça sevdim. Sevilen bir arkadaşın arkasından hayata dair bazı konuların bir lise öğrencisinin ağzından sorgulanması... Herkesin ebediyen kaybettiği sevdiği biri vardır: Bir aile ferdi, bir arkadaş, bir dost, bir sevgili... Ardından duyulanlar gözlemlenemez, hissedilir. Mazetti bu hissedilenleri somut olaylarla, tahlil yapmadan aktarmış. Başarılı. Dili akıyor (Ali Arda'nın Türkçe'sine de teşekkürler).
Çok fazla bir şey beklemeden okudum. Bu mütevazi kitabı sevdim. Mazetti adı aklımda kalacak...
3,5 yıldız
Profile Image for Aasees.
11 reviews
June 17, 2022
I just randomly picked this book up at the library bc it was short and had an interesting title. I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. This book is reminiscent of Sally Rooney’s writing and the Fault in Our Stars for me, as it involves best friends, not fitting in and loss. The plot depicts a Swedish 16-year-old girl named Linnea, who ponders about God and other questions. She narrates the novel from her thoughts as she stares at her grandmother’s closet wallpaper. At the time of telling the story, her friend (to be introduced) is dead and she is reflecting on it. She doesn’t exactly fit in being tall and is not considered pretty. Then, she meets Pia, who is just like her. They become good friends and compliment each other well, with Pia looking after Linnea when people make remarks. Linnea talks about things she has never spoken to anyone else about, and despite knowing each other for so little time, they make a lasting connection. The book follows Linnea’s struggle to deal with the loss of her friend and her confusion after the fact. I loved this book because it explored mental health, relationships and existential questions from a teen girl’s perspective. There weren’t any sexual or violent scenes, which I liked. It was a beautiful and relatable book, but it also gave me a new point of view and some mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read and likes the books I mentioned before!
Profile Image for Chris  - Quarter Press Editor.
706 reviews33 followers
September 16, 2012
This wasn't quite the book that I was expecting it to be. (I suppose that's what comes from not reading the backs of these things before I start them...) However, I enjoyed it enough.

The narrator has just enough of bitter humor and teenage jerk-ness to make this really work. She's not a character that simply falls into a sweet or sour category; she has a good mix of both. And her bitterness becomes justified in most instances, which is always a good thing, as it makes her emotions feel that much more real.

Really though, I simply wanted more from this story. You knew where it was going from the outset, and you could see it spiraling down to that conclusion, but just a bit more, just a bit, because the narrator's best friend is a very interesting person, and one I wish we could've spent some more time with.

It's a short book, which is both a good and bad thing, as it utilizes its space well, but I still wanted just that hint more. Regardless, it's worth your time if you're looking for a story that deals with serious themes without straying into the melodramatic telling.
Profile Image for Debbie Hoskins.
Author 1 book58 followers
August 6, 2013
I picked up this book, because I love the title. I'm a realistic fiction woman, so I read this fast. Linnea thoughtfully tells the story of her friendship with Pia, who has died.
Translated from Swedish, the Swedish setting is easy to relate to. The characters are well-developed, especially emotionally. There is some humor to keep the story from being morbid, but the tone is melancholy and wistful.
495 reviews14 followers
April 16, 2013
Sixteen and talking to walls, as they're much more easy to talk to ( they don't say stupid things back), Linnea deals with the grief and questions "why?" when her best friend commits suicide.

I thought this was beautiful, and it made me cry.
Profile Image for Anastassia Dyubkova.
208 reviews16 followers
November 28, 2016
Бабушка говорит, что, если хочешь что-то забыть, надо это сначала хорошенько запомнить.

У Катарины Масетти я до этого читала только "могильную" дилогию, и не могу сказать, что осталась от неё в восторге - возможно, благодаря этому особенно приятное впечатление произвела на меня эта книга. Видимо, из-за того, что, несмотря на её тематику, "Между Богом и мной всё кончено" совсем не кажется мрачной. Это не лёгкое чтение, да, здесь затрагиваются некоторые тяжёлые вопросы, а в тексте много самокопания девочки-подростка, но именно раскрытие темы через восприятие школьницы является очевидным плюсом. При этом рассказ от лица девочки не выглядит нарочитым или наигранным, скорее наоборот. Это что-то вроде дневника, притом очень реалистичного. В процессе чтения постоянно думалось о том, что я хорошо понимаю Линнею, и что охотно поговорила бы с ней, и, возможно, даже сыграла роль старшего товарища, который подскажет, поможет и утешит.
И ещё - после нескольких других книг с подобным сюжетом мне это уже кажется немного странным, - в этой книге меня совершенно не раздражала подруга главной героини, та самая, с которой всё произошло. Почему-то в подростковых книгах нередки такие ходы, когда главная героиня превозносит свою подругу до небес и считает её идеальной и вообще самой-самой. Порадовало, что здесь этого нет. Да, Линнея считает, что Пия была хорошим человеком и хорошей подругой. Сожалеет о том, как всё для этой девушки повернулось. Но не идеализирует. И это тоже однозначный плюс.
А в целом это тот странный случай, когда вроде бы книга и грустная, но при этом светлая и добрая. И вот это, пожалуй, та разновидность книг для молодёжи, которая мне по душе. То ли европейцам этот жанр удаётся лучше, чем американцам, то ли мне не со всеми книгами везёт, в любом случае, в исполнении Катарины Масетти это было очень приятное открытие.

И да, у Линнеи замечательная бабушка.
Profile Image for Elgyn.
3,067 reviews39 followers
November 14, 2022
Rádobyhlubokomyslné románky mě neberou.

s. 11 znaly jsme se dohromady sto dvacet dní, a to bychom ještě musely odečíst dny o víkendech
Těch 120 dní znamená od října (ne-li dřív) do 4. června.

Šestnáctileté studentky slouží noční v nemocnici? (s. 76)

s. 75, 76 Nehoda se stala ve čtvrtek večer, Jenny měla noční službu a hned cestou z noční zazvonila u hrdinky doma:
Jenny tam měla tu noc službu. (...) Ale navždycky jí budu vděčná za to, že hned cestou z práce se stavila u nás doma.
Zazvonila toho pondělního rána v šest hodin

Nebo že by měla službu od čtvrtka večera do pondělního rána?

s. 75 Altzheimerova choroba

Profile Image for bdr0.
111 reviews
July 21, 2021
Very sad but also entertaining and relatable in some parts. The high school experience and being an outsider. I wish there was some more depth in the story though, because it felt like there was something going on that was never really made explicit in the end... But maybe in the sequels.
Profile Image for Jackson.
2,472 reviews
November 17, 2023
There is something about the northern european writers -- things might be harder to handle in cold dark climates?
Profile Image for Brianna Davies.
231 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2017
This book was simple and I'm struggling to write this because I don't know WHY it was so good, it just was. It was a vignette of glimpses into characters who I feel far expand beyond the confines of this book, and maybe it is this small glance that makes this novel so good. It is like a tiny peek into someone's window when you drive by and witness a scene. Pia felt larger than life and the fact that so many questions were left unanswered frustrated me but also made God and I broke up so much better for it. I felt for Linnea because I am just as confused and uncertain.

I liked every aspect from Linnea's artist stepfather, her fortune telling grandmother, Henry's love for Market Forces, Pia's boy enticing ways and the dynamic between the two girls.

I did feel as though the book was anticlimactic and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied in regards to Linnea's feelings towards Pia's death, so I've knocked it down to four stars.

A lovely little read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,783 reviews172 followers
January 5, 2023
This book translated from the original Swedish will bring you to tears. It’s the story of Linna an outsider in her school she is a tall, awkward, miserable, loner who’s parents are divorced and just happens to be 16 years old. Then she meets Pia who is just as tall but does not lack self-confidence. Linnea and Pia become best friends. The spend hours and hours together talking about everything, God, boys, parents, politics just about everything.

The story recounts the 120 days that the two know each other. For now Pia is dead, and it is a suicide. Linnea’s world has collapse and it is worse then before she had a close friend, for now she has tasted friendship and lost it and her loneliness and isolation is worse then before.

Most of the story takes place in Linnea’s grandmother’s closet. She is suffering and her Grandmother tells her to talk to God to recount the story of her friendship. So she is in the closet telling herself the story of the 120 days that she knew Pia.

Readers will relate to Linnea's introspective ramblings, and be drawn to a story that is very emotionally engaging. This is a great resource for teens who have lost someone, and will help in the grieving process. It will help them learn how to cope with loss.

This is one of this little known treasures.
Profile Image for Cylia Kamp.
100 reviews
February 4, 2013
I may write more later, but one thing I think, for sure, is that this would not be "just a children's book" in the US. First of all, it contains words and practices that Americans don't generally think appropriate or interesting for "children." The topics are God, belief in an afterlife, abuse, sex, teenage world views, and the basic idea that we don't really know even those closest to us. Especially in light of the latter topic, I highly recommend Katarina Mazetti's book for all ages. It is simply written and straightforward, but it also inspired me to think more sincerely and deeply about relationships with friends and family that I don't usually confront daily.
Profile Image for Amanda.
354 reviews33 followers
August 13, 2016
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette histoire qui se concentre sur les sentiments et émotions du personnage principale. Toutefois, beaucoup de dialogues/réflexions ne sont pas adaptés à des adolescents. Ce serait plus des propos tenus par des enfants. Ce décalage est assez étrange même s'il n'empêche pas d'apprécier le récit. L'autre point négatif que je retiens est la fin : elle est un peu abrupte selon moi.
Profile Image for Balkiss Sltii.
127 reviews24 followers
February 15, 2015
ça semble surtout être une petite nouvelle pour les petites filles de 8 ans tant les pensées de la narratrice sont immatures , irréfléchies, et pleines de préjugés enfantins.
Un petit paradoxe à la fin, la meilleure amie à choisi le lieu de sa mort en étant soucieuse de ne pas choquer les enfants... non, ça reste égoïste malgré ça, elle a quand même impliqué un conducteur de train malgré lui... (c'est juste une petite pensée qui me dérangeait)
Profile Image for Lapetitem.
201 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2011
on devrait toujours laisser les ados s'enfermer dans les dressing ou avoir ce genre de comportements franchement agaçants ou intriguant, ça passe tellement vite, c'est tellement fragile aussi. ce petit livre, un peu mièvre, un peu stéréotypé, un peu pathétique m'a semblé à la juste mesure des questionnements de l'âge !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews

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