One is Enough
Juliette is growing up in a musical family, but life is no picnic; after the death of her father, her mother proves demanding to live with. The oldest child, Louis, sees straight through her caprices – “So much circus in one person, it sends chills down your spine” – and leaves home. Juliette desperately attempts to keep her younger sister out of the firing line of her steadily derailing mother. The latent tragedy develops inexorably.
A confrontational book that grabs you by the throat before slowly taking possession of youTrouw
Els Beerten uses deep psychological insight to bring the affairs of Juliette and her family to life. But this book, made up of three parts with two narrators, is just as much the story of Juliette’s older brother Louis and of the man Juliette would love to make her own: café manager and talented cyclist Wilfried.
Beerten has a thoroughly authentic writing style and she succeeds in retaining the Flemish character of her native language. Moreover, as she demonstrates here once again, she is a born storyteller. The tale unfolds on several levels. Every sentence rings true in a novel that breaks down the boundaries between young adult and adult literature.
Beerten convinces in her meticulous dissection of the human soul and the steadfast belief that one person is enough to rely onCutting Edge
A proper young adult book such as this has no age limits and can be enjoyed by everybodyDe Standaard
