Saturday, July 7, 2018

HÄR LIGGER JAG OCH BLÖDER by JENNY JÄGERFELD (2010)


Title: Här Ligger Jag och Blöder (Me On The Floor, Bleeding)
Author: Jenny Jägerfeld
Pages: 252
Published: Sep 17th 2010
Publisher: Gilla Böcker

One of my all-time favourite Swedish YA contemporary. This follows Maja and her relationship with her mum, for her mum has disappeared when Maja goes to visit her and she's the only one who doesn't care about the fact that Maja's sawed off half her thumb - by accident. Everyone else seems to worry about her missing thumb and in the midst of her disturbance about her mum and her dad's hurtful emails she meets Justin, who makes her forget.
This story is so relatable sometimes that it hurts. I found myself crying plenty. Maja's parents are separated and unawares they both hurt Maja in their own way. It's a book about emotions and love. After having read this book I asked mum to read it, for several reasons. Because it's just such as a great and entertaining book, but also because it's emotional and it really puts certain feelings into words. You don't have to have parents living hours away from each other, having sawn off half your thumb, wear crazy and amazing clothes or show up uninvited to parties to be able to relate to Maja's story. This book is clever and hurtful in the way it's written and cleverly understanding.

I'd like to think that Jägerfeld's background as a child psychologist may have a role in how well she seems to understand her own character and how it gets young teenagers like myself. I read this when I was around 15 and it still feels accurate.

I know the title has scared people off, for it may refer to self harm which is still a tough subject to cover, but it's more of a hyperbole or a metaphor for Maja's feelings. If anything, you'll learn on the first page that she's bleeding because she's sawn off the tip of her thumb by mistake during DT, and if anything, it's quite humours. This book is available in English which makes me so happy cause it means you can get your hands on it on Amazon here.

Plot Summary:

High School outsider Maja would never hurt herself on purpose as her dad, teachers, and class mates seem to believe Can't a person saw off the tip of her thumb without everyone starting to worry? That is, everyone except Maja's mum, who seems to have disappeared of the face of earth.
Goodreads

My Rating:

10/10

Other Books by Jenny Jägerfeld:

Här Ligger Jag och Blöder (Me On The Floor, Bleeding)

Jag Är Ju Så Jävla Easygoing (I'm Just So Fucking Easygoing)
Hål i Huvudet (A Hole In My Head)
Brorsan Är Kung! (Brother is King!)

Het
The Space In-between

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