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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Nilsson, Frida

Hattie + Olaf

176 pp. | Gecko | October, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-77657-317-2 $18.99
(2) 4-6 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Stina Wirsén. During one year in the life of Swedish middle-grader Hattie, she survives a protracted period of violent bullying, alienates and then reconciles with her best friend, and rehabilitates a rescue donkey (which her ­well-meaning father bought her instead of the longed-for horse). But none of these plot strands follows an expected arc, nor are they narrated in a typical reassuring tone. Hattie incites the bullying herself by slugging classmate Alfie and breaking his nose, launching an escalating payback series of attacks. Wise interventions by parents and teachers are fruitless; the deep pleasures of revenge are too potent. The kids finally work it out for themselves in an effective scheme that would not be recommended in any anti-bullying program. Hattie lies, sulks, and steals. Is she presented as dysfunctional? No, just real. What keeps all this buoyant is a rambling, funny, fearless omniscient narrator who skitters away from sentimentality at just the right moment. "Hattie thinks a lot about Jesus and all his donkeys. Life is so easy for some people. If you're Jesus, having a donkey is no trouble; people clap their hands whatever you come up with. But if you're a rotten little Hattie, it's another story." Pen and wash illustrations in a loopy, squiggly style suit the tone completely. This is the perfect offering for readers who have graduated from the Dani books by Lagercrantz and Eriksson (All's Happy That Ends Happy, rev. 11/20) or who resonate with Hilary McKay's brand of bracing hilarity (Saffy's Angel, rev. 7/02).
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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