25-year-old Nene grew up in Bochum's Nordstadt neighbourhood. Her childhood and youth were characterised by violence and poverty. Her father beat her when he was drunk and her mother looked the other way until she died of cancer. The only thing that helped was swimming at the club, where she found recognition and the encouragement of her trainer. Men are actually passé for Nene, but when she meets Boris in the swimming pool, things are different. Boris is disabled because his esoteric mother refused to immunise him against polio. He is unemployed, shy and a chronic liar, but Nene is fascinated and in love. Their rapprochement is as complicated as the protagonists' childhood wounds.
Despite the social problematisation, Annika Büsing's debut remains positive and pushes the conventional boundaries of a young adult novel. Childhood episodes, traumas and psychological injuries are powerfully revealed without the narrator losing her courage to face life or her empathy. The characters are broken and strong at the same time, and they correspond to a time that has made resilience a principle of survival.
This title was awarded the 2023 German Children՚s Literature Special Award "New Talent".