God and I Broke Up

by Katerina Mazetti


~Sixteen-year-old Linnea is a tall, awkward, miserable outsider until she meets Pia, who is equally tall but much more self-confident. Suddenly, Linnea's life is so much better and she and Pia spend hours talking about everything from God to politics to parents to boys. And then just as suddenly, Pia is gone; a suicide. This first-person narrative looks back on the 120 days of their friendship with irony, humor, and intense sadness. While teens will relate to Linnea's introspective ramblings, the unattractive cover and slightly awkward translation serve to distance readers from a story that could have been emotionally engaging. ~ -SLJ

I have to agree with SLJ. At first I was impressed with the style and choice of words. In fact, I didn't know it was a translation until Mari pointed the fact out to me. Later in the book, unfortunately, the translation becomes clunky and distracts from Linnea's voice. Still, this is a book written with intelligence and maturity. Mazetti does not talk down to her readers. She does not simplify or neatly explain the complex and baffling nature of suicide. While Booklist states that the ending may be frustrating due to the fact that the reason for Pia's suicide is never clearly revealed, it does concede that some very subtle hints are given throughout the story. I don't find this to be a flaw but, instead, a strength. The story is about Linnea's experience. It is not a mystery thriller. It is the story of a person left in the wake of the suicide of a loved one. Unanswered questions, guilt and anger.

The heckling classmates sometimes felt a bit over the top. And the biology teacher seemed to come straight out of Pink Floyd's "The Wall". I was sure that at any moment he would begin screaming, "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding!" However, there a plenty of times when Mazetti really shines. For example, Chapter 11, The Santa Mask, a funny and painfully poignant description of a growing girl's relationship with her estranged father. Or when describing unrequited love in Chapter 6, A Bike Rack for My Beloved:

"I'm still in love with Markus, of course. He says a few words to me sometimes and turns on that light but, of course, he has no warmer feelings for me than he would for, say, a bike rack. You know, they're good to have around, but you can't tell one from the other..."

Ultimately, God and I Broke Up is a fine little novel that would have been great had it been better translated and would have been popular had it sported a more attractive cover.