Minus Me

by Ingelin Røssland

Overview

As compelling as The Lovely Bones and as memorable as Before I Fall, Minus Me raises thought-provoking questions about love and death

It’s not always easy to become the person you want to be.

When Linda discovers that she has a life-threatening heart condition, she refuses to be wrapped in cotton wool. Determined to experience everything a thirteen-year-old girl should, she starts to work her way through a list of all the things she and her best friend wish to do: have a first kiss, go to a pop concert, travel without her parents... But when a strange and mysterious boy called Zak appears, Linda’s life takes an unexpected turn – suddenly she is experiencing things she never dreamed possible, and every moment is precious.

Minus Me is a gripping, addictive novel – written with heart-stopping emotional honesty – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed young adult writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780746951
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	07/02/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	893 KB
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ingelin Røssland is an award-winning Norwegian author and journalist. Her
books have won numerous awards and have been translated into several
languages. Her fourth book, Handgranateple, was listed in the 2008 IBBY Honours
List. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden.

Deborah Dawkin was born in London in 1961. She worked in the theatre and in marketing before becoming a literary translator. In 2009 she completed an MA in Social and Cultural History.

Editorial Reviews

06/22/2015
After 12-year-old Linda collapses at a swim meet, she learns that she has a rare (and fatal) heart condition. With a transplant highly unlikely, Linda begins to envision the life around her “minus me” and turns to a forgotten list of everything she hoped to do by age 13, including kiss a boy, travel on her own, and go to a pop concert. Encouraged by a mysterious new friend, Zak, Linda begins to confront her mean-girl tendencies, which come into sharp relief against her newfound sense of mortality. An 11th-hour revelation brings Linda new truths about herself. The book’s voice is its strongest asset: Linda’s reactions to her situation ring true, and as the book addresses themes of life and culpability with wisdom and humor, philosophical lines intertwine easily with moments of intense emotion. While discussing the afterlife, Zak, who acts as a patient foil to Linda, offers, “People who believe can also doubt.” The use of British slang may require a bit of Googling for readers unfamiliar with it. Ages 10–14. (July)

Publishers Weekly

‘The ending will have you sniffing... the stripped-back style contrasts cleverly with the emotionally charged subject.’

Daily Mail

'A gripping book about finding yourself in the world...Minus Me has all the makings of becoming a phenomenon teens talk about'

Norwegian Arts

"The book’s voice is its strongest asset: Linda’s reactions to her situation ring true, and as the book addresses themes of life and culpability with wisdom and humor, philosophical lines intertwine easily with moments of intense emotion.”
— Publishers Weekly

"The story is moving, and Linda is a realistic 13-year-old, complete with flaws. Her reaction to her diagnosis is believable: She is angry about her illness and often cruel to her family and friends, though she is remorseful afterward. VERDICT Give this one to fans of Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere "
— School Library Journal

" MINUS ME is a book about growing up too fast, and not fast enough all at once. The heartfelt struggles of Linda will both challenge and comfort the reader, while leaving enough room for life’s mysteries.”
— YA Books Central

" MINUS ME is a compelling, heart-wrenching novel full of adventures and harsh reality. We all know nobody is perfect, but with death so near, this gets in the way a little more than usual. Who wants to be remembered for the terrible things they did? But who can help it? Linda learns this lesson and many more. The writing style creates a chilling effect that keeps you wanting more. The characters are well-developed with contrasting (and sometimes conflicting) personalities... MINUS ME is a good read for anyone who's in the mood for an adventurous story that also touches on the subject of the cruelty of reality.”
— TeenReads.com

From the Publisher

06/01/2015
Gr 6 Up—When riding the tram one winter night, young Norwegian teen Linda feels a pain around her heart and can't breathe, just as she sees a mysterious boy leaning against a lamp post. Later, when she is competing at a diving meet, she sees the same boy and when she makes a spectacular dive, her heart stops. She is revived, but the doctors tell her that her only hope is a heart transplant, and that she can never do anything stressful or physically demanding. Her parents are understandably protective, and Linda chafes against all the restrictions. She decides to compile a bucket list of everything she would like to do in her life, such as having a first kiss, going to parties, traveling without her parents, and climbing into Trondheim Cathedral, but when she attempts to complete items on the list, things don't always turn out the way she expects. And the mysterious boy, whose name is Zak, keeps turning up and making her question her choices. Who is Zak, and why does he know so much about her? The prose in this Norwegian import occasionally seems a bit stilted. However, the story is moving, and Linda is a realistic 13-year-old, complete with flaws. Her reaction to her diagnosis is believable: She is angry about her illness and often cruel to her family and friends, though she is remorseful afterward. VERDICT Give this one to fans of Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere (Farrar, 2005).—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

School Library Journal