Me and You

By Niccolò Ammaniti

The bestselling author of I’m Not Scared “elegizes adolescence fiercely and sympathetically” in a novel that’s “scary, lovely and at last a heartbreaker” (Kirkus Reviews).
 
Lorenzo Cuni is a fourteen-year-old loner. His wealthy parents think he is away on a school skiing trip, but in fact he has stowed away in a forgotten cellar. For a week he plans to live in perfect isolation, keeping the adult world at bay. Then a visit from his estranged half-sister, Olivia, changes everything.
 
Evoking the fierce intensity and the pulse-quickening creepiness of I’m Not Scared, Ammaniti’s bestselling first novel, Me and You is a breathtaking tale of alienation, acceptance, and wanting to be loved by “a fearsomely gifted writer” (The Independent).
 
“Immensely engaging . . . Both tender and emotionally arresting, Ammaniti’s novel is unforgettable.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
“Italian author Niccolò Ammaniti does a lot in 160 pages, including surprise, humor, and frighten you—sometimes simultaneously.” —Daily Candy
 
“Ammaniti’s prose is nimble, perceptive and economical . . . There’s a lot to love about this book—its reticent empathy, its delicate and pragmatic treatment of addiction, its remarkable use of restricted physical space.” —Full Stop
 
“Me and You takes a short time to read but offers a memorable experience in a mutual recognition of loneliness and grief.” —Curled Up With a Good Book
 
“Me And You, at just over one hundred pages . . . [is a] perfect book . . . Niccolò Ammaniti disgusts me for how talented he is . . . He has written a masterpiece.” —Antonio D’Orrico, Corriere della Sera

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Feb 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9780802194701

Niccolò Ammaniti

Niccolò Ammaniti (Roma, 1966) es la gran figura literaria italiana de su generación, alabado por la crítica, galardonado con el Strega y el Viareggio, los premios más prestigiosos, con incontables lectores y traducido a 44 lenguas. Entre sus novelas destacan Te llevaré conmigo y No tengo miedo, que serán recuperadas próximamente por Anagrama. De él se ha escrito: "Está en lo más alto del muy fecundo y brillante grupo de jóvenes escritores de nuestros días" (Renato Barilli); "Un talento extraordinario, el escrito más versátil" (Antonio d'Orrico); "La nueva palabra italiana para el talento es Ammaniti" (The Times); "Ammaniti ha creado un retrato convincente de la Italia contemporánea, y ha aportado un necesario contrapeso a los retratos románticos y turísticos del país. Y aun así, a pesar de la dureza de su mundo, el calor humano burbujea entre sus grietas. Preferiría perderme en el mundo alienado de Ammaniti que en muchos otros" (Matthew Kneale, Financial Times); "Ammaniti es un escritor de una gran imaginación y una notable sutileza moral" (Times Literary Supplement).

Book preview

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Reviews for Me and You

[janbarlow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Challenging and somewhat confranting about a boy and his junkie sister. A modern take on a "Moral " story. short, sharp and to the point. I loved it and think it's got some potential and class set or textbook for more senior students, Coming of age story. Identity.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

De dertienjarige Lorenzo, nogal eenzelvig, maakt zijn ouders wijs dat hij op skivakantie mag met zijn vrienden, maar verblijft al die tijd in de kelder van hun appartement. Hij leert er zijn junkie-halfzuster kennen. Goede aanzet, maar nogal ongeloofwaardige wendingen.

[opinionated_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A rivetting novella or long short story which I read in about an hour and half, never once turning my eyes from the page. Lorenzo is a classic Ammaniti adolescent - clumsy, unsure of himself, and in this case a loner. But he's about to be catapulted into the world of adults. Hiding in the cellar whilst faking a week's skiing holiday with the popular and successful kids at school, he's amazed and distressed when his half sister Olivia, who he's met once, arrives looking for her possessions - and then decides to stay. What follows in the next few days (which is hard to discuss without spoiling it - its only a very short piece) is for Lorenzo a vision and premonition of his own future - he has a moment of clarity in which he can see a different short and long term future to his current miserable lonely existence. Can he take the chance?This is a great piece of work. Lorenzo, Olivia and their parents are brought to life beautifully in a few short paragraphs. Ammaniti is a genius

[boekenwijs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a good start of my reading year, with a book this thin. It was easy to read, but has a clear deeper, touching, layer that makes you think.The story is about Lorenzo, the typical outsider boy at high school. But he tries (and it seems to work) to give his parents the idea that he fits in. Part of this is a made up invitation for a skiing holiday. But of course he isn't. He spents the week in the cellar. And it's a weird week, as an unexpected person comes by and needs his help.Until now I only read the more hillarious books by [[Ammaniti]]. This was much more heavy and touching. And also a good read.

[speedy74_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lorenzo is a fourteen-year-old boy that doesn't fit in with his peers. He learns at a young age what he must do to fit in enough so that he won't be bullied, but he always feels a sense of "aloneness." "But the longer I put on this show, the more different I felt. The chasm that separated me from the others grew deeper. On my own I was happy, with the others I always had to pretend. Sometimes this scared me. Would I have to imitate them for the rest of my life?" (38). When some of Lorenzo's classmates talk of going on a skiing trip, Lorenzo tells his mother that he has been invited. Lorenzo's mother is so overwhelmed by the "normalness" of all this that Lorenzo can't tell her that he lied to her and instead plans a week in hiding. Lorenzo seems to be enjoying his little getaway in the cellar of his building, when he is interrupted by his half-sister, Olivia, whose own issues force Lorenzo to think outside himself.At first, I was a bit apathetic to this book and might not have finished had it been a longer work, but after completing it, it continues to haunt me. The characters are well developed but the reader is left with some questions about why Lorenzo is so different and how his sister Olivia's problems developed. Some of this may be implied such as: Lorenzo's relationship with his mother, Olivia's problems with her father, and what makes Lorenzo different. Delving into these issues truly makes this a story worth reading and discussing!

[alexann_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lorenzo is a 14 year-old misfit. He has no friends at his school; to appease his mom, he tells her he's been invited on a ski weekend with some of the most popular kids. As he prepares for his "trip" he's also setting up his "getaway" in the basement of his family's apartment--mattress, sheets, food (including nutella and 20 cans of tuna), a small tv, his PlayStation, and three Stephen King novels. This would be his vacation--a week away from his parents and the stress of his daily life. What bliss! All this planning, only to have it interrupted by his annoying half-sister, Olivia, who was 23. They had never liked one another--why was she bothering him now?In this small gem of a book, "Europe's hottest novelist" (Kirkus Review) has drawn a picture-perfect relationship of two half- siblings, who although they neither like nor even know one another, are drawn together in a time of need. Much of the story is told in dialogue: Lorenzo with his mother, his father, Olivia, and much through Lorenzo's active imagination. Me and You is a real treat--don't miss it!

[bonnieconnelly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gripping novella. Great character development and well written. I read it in a day and the pages flew by.

[readingthruthenight · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whoah craziness guys! You know how there are certain movies out there (I'm looking at you David Lynch) where you're watching them and half of the time you're wondering what's going on while the other halftime you're riveted and SO SURE of yourself?Well. That's ALMOST what it was like reading Me and You. It's the oddness of David Lynch without any dancing midgets.Lorenzo is a fourteen year old oddball. He has no friends and is partially okay with being Mr. Anti-Social. Except, he seems really close with his mom. And by really close, I mean REALLY close. There was no grossness there, folks, so I have to wonder if their level of intimacy is more of a Italian thing...and by that, I hope not to offend because I'm waving the ignorant American flag...but Lorenzo has a couple of thoughts that just seem a bit Oedipul. But perhaps all of that affection that raised red flags for me is nothing more than my stuffy Americanisque ways...like, I don't think I've ever thought about the smell of my mother? Missing her smell on a trip away from home. Or holding my mother's hand and having a passing thought of "oh this is what it would be like if I was involved". But there was no ewwiness to be sited, and in fact the dysfunction that does occur is quite suited for my American brain.I feel that I might have embarrassed myself by that paragraph,but none the less will continue.Soooo, Lorenzo lies to the parental figures about going away for the week skiing with friends that he doesn't have but his parents wished he did. After telling this big lie, he must cover up. Which essentially means avoiding the house for a week and hiding out in the cellar. He's pretty much stoked about it, actually. No showering, yummy Nutella sandwiches, and Stephen King's Salem's Lot to keep him company. What's not to dig?But then the unexpected happens. His estranged half sister joins him. And by unexpectedly I mean it's 2AM and snowing outside and she's BEGGING him to let her stay the night in this cozy little hideaway. This completely ruins his isolated plans. And what began as one night, turns into a couple and a whole new discovery takes place. For him. And for his sister.The whole sibling thing was an interesting dynamic. Since you know, they weren't close or anything. Both are sorta disturbed and selfish and it manifests itself differently. Neither are very LIKABLE characters, which is pretty interesting because you're not sure if you should be rooting for them, or wishing for their demise.At best, it's a realistic piece of work. At worst, it's just sorta out there and questionable. I can however see it becoming a movie.

[auntmarge64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

14-year-old Lorenzo has always been an outsider, despite his parents' efforts to goad him into having friends and fitting in. When he tries to make points with his mother by telling her he's been invited on a ski trip with a popular group at school, she's so thrilled he can't bring himself to tell her the truth. Instead, he holes up in the basement of their apartment building for a week of uninterrupted "Lorenzo" time, free from adults and peer pressure. Instead, he's interrupted by a half-sister he barely knows, and he experiences changes which will forever alter his picture of himself in the world.Told between the bookends of Lorenzo's life at 24, the story's importance is shown in the final few pages, when he finally goes to see his sister again. Sweet, funny, and sad, all in one.