Tullio Forgiarini

A boy who runs blindly into the abyss. A girl who pulls him deeper and deeper down. Two teenagers who should never have met.
Johnny is a total loser. His mother is a prostitute, and he has long since given up on school. He smokes weed, drinks and prefers to solve problems with his fists. Between him and juvenile detention stands one last chance: Time Out, a programme for school dropouts. The first rule is: no more slip-ups! But good intentions have an expiry date. The day he meets show more Shirley.
‘Do it like you always do. You know what they want. There's no room for honesty in crisis meetings. The only rule here is: keep your head down, duck and dish out one lie after another. Playing on their emotions works well too. Especially when the topic of Dreiborn comes up. They can't do much anyway. You're only 15. They have to take you back.’

I found this social study interesting. As you read, you hear Jonny talking to his second ego, “you”. “You” is more like a shy teenager who, on the one hand, would like to fit in, but on the other hand is full of anger about his life and his chances for the future. In any case, the author makes it clear that the environment in which you grow up does play a role. In this story, the teenagers never have a chance because their parents' homes are more than messed up. show less