New Swedish Books, autumn 2019 1
29 Autumn 2019 Linda Skugge (text) b. 1973 Juno’s
Vlog. Chaos and Catastrophes chapter book 9–12 years, 118 p. Publisher B. Wahlströms Bokförlag www.wahlstroms.se Rights Rabén & Sjögren Agency Åsa Bergman asa.bergman@rabensjogren.se Selected works The series ‘Iskompisar’ 1-4, chapter books, 2018–2019 Ordentliga människor, literary non-fiction, 2019 Awards First Prize Blog Awards 2008 Juno’s Vlog. Chaos and Catastrophes Juno was named after a cocky film character but is in fact her polar opposite: she’s introverted and finds it difficult to take advantage of life. Juno has a single friend and is satisfied with her YouTube channel’s handful of subscribers. And so it continues until, by mistake, she uploads a recording where she mocks one of her classmates. Her viewing numbers go through the roof and suddenly Juno has to defend herself and decide what to do in front of her class and the entire school. Linda Skugge writes about a modern phenomenon, yet the book itself shouldn’t be considered ephemeral. Being a media personality she knows precisely what effect different ways of expressing oneself will have and she skilfully alternates descriptions of what happened with excerpts from the character’s recorded vlogs and the comments underneath. The objective of the novel is clear. It examines the way YouTube clips are used to broadcast a thought, an opinion, or just in order to get attention. But it also demonstrates the impact of a platform like YouTube and how, if you’re not cautious, it's easy to get hurt or hurt others because of it. When the conflict arises the novel allows the reader to sympathize with both sides - here it is the outcast who’s being rude online. Was it really a mistake to upload the film? And how should she act now? The novel’s resonance in a classroom setting feels very apparent. Photo: Andreas Dienert