• Thirsty Moose
• La Festa Concurs

Epson stylus pro 9600 driver. WOW, this small book is absolutely amazing! It has more to say in it's sparse pages than many a novel I've read.

What a rare and special find!It's the story of a 14 year old boy named Lorenzo who doesn't fit in. He's the boy in the second row from the back, trying to be invisible, to blend with the walls. Early on he says 'Why did I have to go to school, you work and you die. Who had decided this was the right way? Couldn't we live differently?Why didn't they just leave me alone? Why did I h WOW, this small book is absolutely amazing! It has more to say in it's sparse pages than many a novel I've read.

What a rare and special find!It's the story of a 14 year old boy named Lorenzo who doesn't fit in. He's the boy in the second row from the back, trying to be invisible, to blend with the walls. Early on he says 'Why did I have to go to school, you work and you die.

Who had decided this was the right way? Couldn't we live differently?Why didn't they just leave me alone? Why did I have to be just like others?

Couldn't I live by myself in a forest in Canada?' Trying desperately to fit in, he tells his his parents a little fib. He's been invited on a ski trip with others in his class. His parent's jubilant reaction drives him deeper into the lie with little chance to confess.

He decides to spend the week in the cellar of his parents apartment, a chance to finally be alone. Little does he know an unexpected visitor will show up. One who allows him to see the world in a different light. One who revels many family secrets, leaving Lorenzo with new truths about himself.I must say I was riveted to my seat, unable to do anything but read until I finished. This book explored so many of life's questions. Who decides what is different? What does it matter what others think?

Why such a need to keep up appearances? How far do we challenge what is expected of us? It also delves into how damaging family secrets can be, the pain of addictions, and how life events can change one forever.The more I think of it, the more it invites me to ponder my own life.

How can such a slim novel do all this? Niccolo Ammaniti is truly a master of words. Loved this one! A dark but delicious tale—short in length but deep in drama. I couldn’t put it down! It reminds me that great things often come in small packages.

I’m so glad a friend recommended Ammaniti, a young Italian author who holds awards in Europe. I can’t believe he hasn’t caught on in America in a bigger way. He makes other writers look long-winded, and his writing seems effortless. He knows how to tell a big story in a small space.Speaking of small spaces, most of this story takes place in a cellar. A dark but delicious tale—short in length but deep in drama. I couldn’t put it down! It reminds me that great things often come in small packages.

I’m so glad a friend recommended Ammaniti, a young Italian author who holds awards in Europe. I can’t believe he hasn’t caught on in America in a bigger way. He makes other writers look long-winded, and his writing seems effortless. He knows how to tell a big story in a small space.Speaking of small spaces, most of this story takes place in a cellar. How the writer manages to turn a claustrophobic situation into a hot adventure story, I’ll never know, but I’m telling you, he does—with cleverness and grace. And even though the story is dark, there are poignant moments where there is light, however brief.An alienated 14-year-old, Lorenzo, manages to trick his parents and hide away in a cellar for a week.

In walks his half-sister, full of trouble, tremors, and demands. They both are loners and they both have secrets. They push each other’s buttons, and each of them ends up way out of their comfort zone.

I don’t want to spoil it by revealing anything more. I will say that Ammaniti delivers zap, not sap, so there isn’t an ounce of Hallmark to be found. The ending is clever, profound, and unexpected. It’s a tight little story that left me shaking my head in admiration of this fine writer.The translation is generally okay, although there is an occasional tense problem (“fitted” instead of “fit”, for instance). And the translator called the half-sister a step-sister many times. A small nit, but very annoying.I liked this book so much, I reordered my To Read list and immediately started another Ammaniti book called “I’m Not Scared.” I’ve been told it’s darker, so I’m bracing myself.

At this point, Ammaniti would really have to mess up for me to leave his fan club.I’ll be recommending “Me and You” to friends galore, for sure. 5 stars, without question. With a review of 'Niccolo Ammaniti disgusts me for how talented he is.

He has written a masterpiece,' and '.has distinguished himself as the most talented of his peers,' I expected something better. The story itself was ok - a teen with anger issues and maybe some mental illness lies to his parents and hides in the basement of his building for a week. At one point, his half-sister shows up. You can feel some of his dissociative behavior, so I suppose that part is well written, and the story With a review of 'Niccolo Ammaniti disgusts me for how talented he is. He has written a masterpiece,' and '.has distinguished himself as the most talented of his peers,' I expected something better. The story itself was ok - a teen with anger issues and maybe some mental illness lies to his parents and hides in the basement of his building for a week. At one point, his half-sister shows up.

You can feel some of his dissociative behavior, so I suppose that part is well written, and the story idea is kind of interesting, but overall it was just sort of ok.I might have given it three stars, but I was extremely annoyed with the sloppiness of the translation. For the first half of the book, his half-sister is referred to as a half-sister. Then they switched it to step-sister. There was no indication that this was done because of any intentional change in their relationship - it was just laziness.

(And the difference is huge, especially because a lot of the novel has to do with their relationships with the father they share). The second irritating translation error occurs at the opening and closing chapters, which happen on the same day, but they're dated six months apart, January and June. Because of what happens on that day, there's no way the six months occurred. More sloppiness.So it makes me wonder if my disenchantment with the novel that's so overwhelming well-praised is because of the author or the translation. Either way, it was just ok.

I enjoyed by Italian author,. I didn't realize it was a young adult book until I started reading it. I enjoy young adult books (some). My only issue with them (which isn't actually an issue but a reason I don't read them as much as I used to) is that the focus tends to be very narrow and the story very straightforward and I tend to like complicated and twisty.But I found this book to be very readable. I was interested in Lorenzo, an adolescent boy who has no friends a I enjoyed by Italian author,.

I didn't realize it was a young adult book until I started reading it. I enjoy young adult books (some). My only issue with them (which isn't actually an issue but a reason I don't read them as much as I used to) is that the focus tends to be very narrow and the story very straightforward and I tend to like complicated and twisty.But I found this book to be very readable. I was interested in Lorenzo, an adolescent boy who has no friends and insists he likes it that way.

He's from an affluent Italian family which seemed surprisingly like the affluent American families I've known. I was moved by his predicament, which I won't give away other than he has lied his way into a corner and can't easily get out.The book was especially touching in its insights (presented somewhat obliquely through Lorenzo's naive perspective) and I enjoyed the development of his character throughout this brief (I read it in less than two hours) but engaging book. This is a small but beautifully formed novel. Right up my alley with the flawed hero, a boy with anger issues who is probably on the spectrum and who is not at all good with people and his troubled rather more grown up sister. Lorenzo decided to show his mother that he is fitting in at school and pretends that he has been invited on a ski trip with some of the kids from school. He packs himself up and acts out going away with the group but then heads back to spend a week in the cellar of their h This is a small but beautifully formed novel. Right up my alley with the flawed hero, a boy with anger issues who is probably on the spectrum and who is not at all good with people and his troubled rather more grown up sister.

Lorenzo decided to show his mother that he is fitting in at school and pretends that he has been invited on a ski trip with some of the kids from school. He packs himself up and acts out going away with the group but then heads back to spend a week in the cellar of their house playing video games and reading Stephen King novels.

His peace is shattered with the arrival of his sister. I just wanted it to be a bit longer! WOW – this book would not let me put it down.The story starts out telling of a teen-age boy who just wants to be himself and have people accept him for who he is. This is not as easy as it sounds, because Lorenzo is different. He prefers to spend time by himself and doesn’t like to talk very much, especially with people he doesn’t know.His parents would like him to be a ‘popular’ kid and are very conscious of the appearance of things.

Thirsty Moose

Lorenzo know this and because he loves his mother, one day he WOW – this book would not let me put it down.The story starts out telling of a teen-age boy who just wants to be himself and have people accept him for who he is. This is not as easy as it sounds, because Lorenzo is different. He prefers to spend time by himself and doesn’t like to talk very much, especially with people he doesn’t know.His parents would like him to be a ‘popular’ kid and are very conscious of the appearance of things. Lorenzo know this and because he loves his mother, one day he lies and says he’s been invited to join the popular kids on a ski trip. Of course the parents are thrilled.But, Lorenzo hasn’t been invited and now must come up with a plan to cover up his lie. Lorenzo decides to spend the ‘ski-week’ in a long-forgotten cellar room in the family’s apartment building.Things go well with this plan and Lorenzo is enjoying himself, until suddenly his half-sister shows up and wants to stay in the cellar room as well.Over the course of the week, the siblings form a bond that they had never had before.At the end of the week, the reader is left with a hope that all things will work out for both of these troubled young people.The end however, was very unexpected.A very good book!! I feel guilty for rating too many books as '5's' but I've come to the conclusion that in my rating system, a book can get a 5 if I loved it so much that I wouldn't change one thing about it.This book was so short that it felt/read like a short story.

However, it was so easy to connect to the protagonist that it felt like I'd been reading about him for much longer. Much credit should be given to the author in that respect - its a clear display of talent in my opinion.The story followed a 14 year I feel guilty for rating too many books as '5's' but I've come to the conclusion that in my rating system, a book can get a 5 if I loved it so much that I wouldn't change one thing about it.This book was so short that it felt/read like a short story. However, it was so easy to connect to the protagonist that it felt like I'd been reading about him for much longer. Much credit should be given to the author in that respect - its a clear display of talent in my opinion.The story followed a 14 year old loner who, in order to appease his mother's desire for him to fit in, tells her that he's been invited on a ski trip with some of his popular classmates.

Instead, he spends the time camped out in the cellar of his apartment building doing what he loves best - spending time by himself. Little did he know that his plan would be foiled by the unexpected arrival of his older half-sister who he has only met once.This was truly an inspirational story that really makes you consider the unavoidable presence of unconditional love.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I couldn't help but be grateful for the health of my family and luck I have for just having them around. Two characters spend a week hiding in a basement of an Italian home for different reasons. One is an autistic high school boy who has told his parents he is going on a ski vacation.

But he simply want to drop out of the stress of trying to “act normal” so he can read and play video games. The autistic boy is well-portrayed. He’s bright and can act the part when he has to, but he just gets sick of trying to fit in amidst what he considers the silliness of the rest of the world. The other person i Two characters spend a week hiding in a basement of an Italian home for different reasons.

One is an autistic high school boy who has told his parents he is going on a ski vacation. But he simply want to drop out of the stress of trying to “act normal” so he can read and play video games. The autistic boy is well-portrayed. He’s bright and can act the part when he has to, but he just gets sick of trying to fit in amidst what he considers the silliness of the rest of the world.

The other person in the basement is his estranged half-sister, ten years older than he and a junkie. The odd couple forms a bond during which each breaks out of their self-centered world for one week. But that can’t hold off the tragic ending forever. This is a quick and intense read by an author who has won several Italian literary prizes. I’ve also enjoyed and reviewed his book “I’m Not Scared.”. Wow, another wicked story.

The story is amazing about a boy and his family, relationship, lies, society and just life.I am not sure whether it is still world of fiction or might be some eco of reality. The second option probably will be more comforting. Sadly, any story has a finale, doesn't matter how we wish to see it.To be honest, I had twenty pages to finish that book yesterday. And I left them to read today. It was agonizing to imagine the end of story, what could happen, what is happen Wow, another wicked story. The story is amazing about a boy and his family, relationship, lies, society and just life.I am not sure whether it is still world of fiction or might be some eco of reality. The second option probably will be more comforting.

Sadly, any story has a finale, doesn't matter how we wish to see it.To be honest, I had twenty pages to finish that book yesterday. And I left them to read today. It was agonizing to imagine the end of story, what could happen, what is happened, what will happen at the end of the story. I ran to office after the exam and as a treat - read those twenty pages. And those pages were priceless treat.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,A fast read. Started out strong, very readable, emotionally and psychologically erudite. Character development was moving along great.

Then it ended rather abruptly.Yes, an incredible amount of story in such a slim volume. Well written, emotional, poetic.

Manages to explore various psychology topics. Identity, what is 'normal', do we want to be 'normal'? Addiction, drug use, appearances can be deceiving, imitation as means for survival, parenting and knowing versus learning what is best for you A fast read.

Started out strong, very readable, emotionally and psychologically erudite. Character development was moving along great. Then it ended rather abruptly.Yes, an incredible amount of story in such a slim volume. Well written, emotional, poetic. Manages to explore various psychology topics. Identity, what is 'normal', do we want to be 'normal'? Addiction, drug use, appearances can be deceiving, imitation as means for survival, parenting and knowing versus learning what is best for your children.

The difference between knowing the importance or how to and wanting to fit in. Hope, tragedy, authenticity, and the need for closure.So why no five stars? Because this was not only about Lorenzo. Olivia gas a serious psychological problem, but completely evaded any real focus.

Instead, the author focuses on Lorenzo's transformations. The result is a completely unrealistic, almost offensive handling of drug addiction. As if one can simply, almost easily, with obscenities, tears and sleeping pills, get past the withdrawals from going cold turkey for a regular user. The needles still ready in her luggage, money being thrown at her, a few days later she is as good as new. Way to educate the public on drug addiction. Why do you think most of this world has difficulties truly understanding mental health?

Why, if it were this easy, then yes, everyone should simply quit tomorrow! Or why not this second?This is not even to mention the unbelievability of all the stars being perfectly aligned for him to get away with hiding out literally two stories below his family. For his overprotective mother to be satisfied with a single two minute phone call from Alessia's supposed mother, her only son's first time away from home. No meeting of the parent's, no discussion. He is fourteen years old.Last but not least, an entire lifetime of depression, not fitting in, wondering who he is and what he wants. Disappeared after this week.

He is now leaving the cellar, ready to seize the day!Alright. Now that I have that out of the way, Niccolo Ammaniti certainly has the characteristics of a superb novelist.

If only he had changed the length here, either expanding it to a full length novel, or even condensing it to a short story, instead of shortchanging the believability of the story, its characters, and, ultimately, the readers.Seems like it might be based on a true story (after the conclusion of the story narration, a blank page but for information on a Olivia Cuni, 1976-2010). That could also be part of the story, of course. Either way, there protagonist is Lorenzo Cuni, fourteen years old.

Typical teenage angst, he does not fit in. Has not since his toddler years. Finally realizes in high school that it is not entirely because he does not want to fit in, but that he is afraid he cannot and never will.On a whim, he tells his mother he has been invited on a snow trip with Alessia (beautiful girl he wishes he had befriended) and her family and friends. When his mother walks away and cries from happiness that they no longer have to worry about him, Lorenzo immediately regrets his innocent fantasy, but every time he tries to tell the truth, he cannot.By the first day of his supposed one week ski trip to Cortina, he has devised his almost foolproof plan. He insists, with a vengeance (refusing to go at all if his mother does not accede), that he be dropped off a block away from the meeting site and meet Alessia alone.

Somehow, he convinces his mother. He immediately returns to where they started from, to hide out in the cellar of his family owned apartment building.Olivia Cuni is his half-sister, nine years older, from his father in a previous marriage.

The entire family hides her from him, and never talks about her in his presence. However, with a little intelligence, Lorenzo had been able to figure out that she had some problems that the family is ashamed of, that they have tried to institutionalize her. When she shows up unexpectedly, a few days into 'Operation Bunker', he learns the details. She is a methamphetamine user, a serious addict.Olivia needs a place to start, but Lorenzo refuses, needing his space and not wanting to rush his cover being blown. Olivia is rather cunning, however, and threatens to tell his secret. When he does not believe her, she stands outside the building and begins yelling that there is someone hiding in the cellar.

Then, with his mother's insistence to speak to Alessia's mother with critical consequences if not achieved, Lorenzo needs Olivia's voice. Desperately, his mother waiting on the line, he agrees to 'be Olivia Cuni's slave for the rest of my life, and I will always be kind and generous to her' and, of course, gives her permission to start with him in the cellar.Over the next few days, the two of them live in animosity, Lorenzo watches her withdrawals, her pain, throws money at her to shut up and leave, Olivia takes the money only to collapse in tears, weak and desperate, knowing she needs to quit, yelling obscenities and how she fucked a guy in a parking lot for drugs so many times. Lorenzo finally find something within himself, begins to help his sister.

He gets her pain medication, sleeping pills, the two of them bond, talk about their shared father. In the process, he finds himself, and comes to terms with his grandmother's imminent death. They part a few days later after exchanging promises: Olivia to never try drugs again, Lorenzo to see Olivia again.Fast forward an entire decade. Lorenzo is now twenty four years old. His hands enveloping a coffee cup, he sits in a cafe, Olivia's goodbye note in his wallet. He stands up, enters a building, finally to make good on his promise to see his sister again.

She lies on a table, cold. In the mortuary. She is thirty three years old.Better luck next time, Ammaniti. I know you have it in there, waiting for you to do your best. Oooh my goodness. I read this as part of a reading challenge.

This was my 'translated' book. Whilst short, there are so many ideas floating around, each of which could be extrapolated into something larger. There were various disparate, and often distracting asides. Despite the brevity of the tale, there's so much to think about. And think about it I will.

The core story was sweet, and very insightful. Perhaps I'm rambling, but I'll happily recommend this just to find out whether others find it Oooh my goodness. I read this as part of a reading challenge. This was my 'translated' book. Whilst short, there are so many ideas floating around, each of which could be extrapolated into something larger. There were various disparate, and often distracting asides.

La Festa Concurs

Despite the brevity of the tale, there's so much to think about. And think about it I will. The core story was sweet, and very insightful.

Perhaps I'm rambling, but I'll happily recommend this just to find out whether others find it so interesting. 4.5 stars, rounded up. Lorenzo Cuni is an odd one. He's never fit in. Sometimes he cares, sometimes he doesn't.

Sometimes he tries, sometimes he doesn't. During one eventful week in high school, he finds he has the opportunity to go on a ski trip with 'friends' but it's not exactly the ski trip his parents think he's having. It becomes the week where he grows up and the week where he begins to understand what life is really about. In a few days he finds he has to fight his own (and other's) demons.The summary above (w Lorenzo Cuni is an odd one.

He's never fit in. Sometimes he cares, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he tries, sometimes he doesn't. During one eventful week in high school, he finds he has the opportunity to go on a ski trip with 'friends' but it's not exactly the ski trip his parents think he's having. It becomes the week where he grows up and the week where he begins to understand what life is really about.

In a few days he finds he has to fight his own (and other's) demons.The summary above (which was difficult to do without major spoilers) does not do this little Italian novel justice. Lorenzo is a troubled kid and as the story unfolds you find out about the family dynamics and what seems to be going well and what seems to be awry. I'm always interested in novels from other countries. The point of view is different and a casual sentence here or there reveals a look into another culture and another way of viewing the world. So much is said and revealed in this novel in such a short space.There are serious issues brought up in this novel and interactions between people that make you think. The discussion questions in the back were interesting, also. Is the central theme authenticity of self?

(To be honest, I wasn't really considering that when I read the book, only after confronted with the reader's guide.) Why is it so important to be considered 'normal'? And then the final question was to think if the novel was tragic or hopeful and I had to say: both. Three and a half stars, really. A short-and-bittersweet novella from an Italian author I clearly need to investigate more fully, Me and You tells the story of Lorenzo, a fourteen-year-old social outcast. He doesn't have any friends at school - but he also kind of doesn't care. His mother cares, though, so to get her off his back, Lorenzo lies about an invitation to a ski trip with several classmates.

While his peers are hitting the slops, Lorenzo is hiding out in the basement of his family's ap Three and a half stars, really. A short-and-bittersweet novella from an Italian author I clearly need to investigate more fully, Me and You tells the story of Lorenzo, a fourteen-year-old social outcast.

He doesn't have any friends at school - but he also kind of doesn't care. His mother cares, though, so to get her off his back, Lorenzo lies about an invitation to a ski trip with several classmates. While his peers are hitting the slops, Lorenzo is hiding out in the basement of his family's apartment building. But then, his older half-sister shows up in need of help.There's really not a lot of meat to this story and if Ammaniti had been able to flesh out an entire 300-page novel, I'd probably be raving.

Olivia needed some developing and some more tension needed to be built, but I loved Ammaniti's direct, sparse style. Lorenzo is an interesting character, a young man who just wants to be left alone, and it would have been interesting to see more interaction with his troubled sister. The reader's exposure to Olivia is too brief to really embrace her as a fully developed character.

It would have been nice is Ammaniti has more carefully explored her history, her role in Lorenzo's life - or lack thereof - and how the three days they share in this story shapes him.Still, there's promise here and I hope to check out more of Ammaniti's work. I'll skip the plot synopsis, since you can get that in the book description, or in the other hundred or so reviews already posted on this book.Me and You is the first book I have read by Ammaniti, and I can see why he has so many adoring readers. He has an amazing talent for sparse, but powerful narrative. His command of dialogue is inspiring. The pace and building of tension is slow, par for a European writer, and I'm okay with that.

I enjoy the ride.My only criticism would be Lorenzo. For much I'll skip the plot synopsis, since you can get that in the book description, or in the other hundred or so reviews already posted on this book.Me and You is the first book I have read by Ammaniti, and I can see why he has so many adoring readers.

He has an amazing talent for sparse, but powerful narrative. His command of dialogue is inspiring.

The pace and building of tension is slow, par for a European writer, and I'm okay with that. I enjoy the ride.My only criticism would be Lorenzo. For much of the first half of the story, he is profoundly selfish, dishonest, and weak - not great qualities in a protagonist, but of course I realize these flaws help set up his inevitable growth and transformation. The book delivers an excellent first person view of teenage disillusionment, and sense of isolation. Still, there's just only so much weak hero I can take.The real value in this short novel is the writing. Ammaniti tells a dark story, at once and tragic and hopeful, with a calm confidence that makes it real. Can't ask for much more than that.

I will be looking for his other books. Me and You is about a boy called Lorenzo, who has had a tough time at school. He hasn't found his place: in a school with almost friends he can't study what he wants to, in a school where he can learn what he wishes, he has to pretend being someone he actually isn't. Lorenzo's parents are worried and to please them the boy lies that he is going on a skiing trip with his classmates, but actually goes to the cellar for a week off, just for himself. The plan doesn't work out as he wanted, because h Me and You is about a boy called Lorenzo, who has had a tough time at school.

He hasn't found his place: in a school with almost friends he can't study what he wants to, in a school where he can learn what he wishes, he has to pretend being someone he actually isn't. Lorenzo's parents are worried and to please them the boy lies that he is going on a skiing trip with his classmates, but actually goes to the cellar for a week off, just for himself. The plan doesn't work out as he wanted, because his half-sister Olivia is in town. Now Lorenzo just has to help her, but can drug addict Olivia be helped?I loved how the story was set up, the book was so short but it was as long as it had to be. You constantly thought you knew what was going to happen, but in full honesty the reader doesn't even have a clue.

The ending was by far the best part of the book, because it showed hope, but still took it away from you. A real rollercoaster! 'Me and You' once again illustrates the skill of European authors in saying more in a condensed form than in many novels three times the length. Focussing on the character of Lorenzo, a sad and troubled young boy, who deceives his parents by not actually attending a ski-ing trip, but hiding out for the week in the basement of his building. Ammaniti constructs a beautifully compact examination of how easily family relationships can go awry and the alienation that can ensue. When Lorenzo's equally 'Me and You' once again illustrates the skill of European authors in saying more in a condensed form than in many novels three times the length.

Focussing on the character of Lorenzo, a sad and troubled young boy, who deceives his parents by not actually attending a ski-ing trip, but hiding out for the week in the basement of his building. Ammaniti constructs a beautifully compact examination of how easily family relationships can go awry and the alienation that can ensue. When Lorenzo's equally troubled half-sister enters his hideaway, this theme of family really comes to the fore as she battles her own demons and gains some solidarity with the little brother that she barely knows.

The close of the novel contains a shocking but incredibly poignant denouement. A wonderful novel that was both thought-provoking and beautifully written. Lorenzo Cuni is a misfit.

He doesn't get along well with adults or with his peers. His parents (especially his mother) is concerned)so he invents an exclusive ski vacation which he tells them he has been invited to and then he escapes to his basement where he lives for a week.However, his peace is invaded when his half-sister Olivia, who is estranged from her family ask his for refuge. Their relationship, stormy and troubled at first turns into an unexpected gift for each other.Wonderful.br Lorenzo Cuni is a misfit.

He doesn't get along well with adults or with his peers. His parents (especially his mother) is concerned)so he invents an exclusive ski vacation which he tells them he has been invited to and then he escapes to his basement where he lives for a week.However, his peace is invaded when his half-sister Olivia, who is estranged from her family ask his for refuge. Their relationship, stormy and troubled at first turns into an unexpected gift for each other.Wonderful.breathtaking.a soul shattering at the end.