New Swedish Books, Autumn 2017 1
New Swedish Books 70 Vacuum Undoubtedly one of th
is autumn’s strongest Swedish young adult novels, Vacuum is about grief, depicting loss with a subtle believability that rings true right down to the smallest detail. It’s almost a year since Jonna’s older brother took his own life, leaving her behind. The void that he’s created feels like a compact darkness within her, heavy like a tightly rolled snowball. She feels as if she’s floating alone in ice-cold space with nothing connecting her to earth. And yet her body is walking around down there on the ground, wearing Johan’s old sweater, expected to function. Through short episodes, fragments of dialogue, isolated thoughts, memories and short chapters Mia Öström writes Jonna with a sure hand. Jonna’s lostness radiates from the page. Johan was supposed to help guide Jonna through life. How will she find her way now? How will she even know where to begin? Vacuum is a sombre story about deep grief, but there is also laughter and a sense of hope peeking through the sadness. Jonna’s awkward anger at everything around her is occasionally comical. Maybe this is exactly why the story hits you so hard. “ Vacuum is a sombre story about deep grief, but there is also laughter and a sense of hope peeking through the sadness” Mia Öström (b. 1966) Vacuum Works Skuggsommar 2015 Young adult novel Publisher Gilla Böcker www.gillabocker.se Rights Lilla Piratförlaget linda@lillapiratforlaget.se Photo: Ola Kjelby