Krummer Hund

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Language: 
Title in English: 
Crooked dog
Author: 
Juliane Pickel
Place of publication: 
Weinheim
Country: 
Publisher: 
Beltz & Gelberg
Year of publication: 
2021
Pages: 
258 p.
Size: 
13 x 19 cm
ISBN: 
978-3-407-75875-0
Category: 

Uncontrolled outbursts of rage dominate Daniel's life. Nothing is safe from him. When his beloved dog Ozzy has to be put down and his mother arranges a rendezvous with the vetinarian while they are still at the doctor's office, Daniel blows a fuse. He focuses his anger onto his tyrannical classmate Alina. With buddy Edgar, Daniel plots revenge. Then Alina's brother is fatally run over after a party and Daniel realises that he can only remember the evening in fragments.

Juliane Pickel's debut novel captivates with its raw, unsparing language. In short, concise chapters, she manages to sensitively and empathetically describe the rage and grief of an adolescent who falls by the wayside. Pickel never shames her young protagonist, but impressively describes his intense feelings and shows him a worthwhile perspective at the end. This title was nominated for the German Youth Literature Award 2022.