DIGUEU-ME JU

(La Galera, 2020)
Novel: young
Literary style: narrative
Language: catalan
Tags: bullying, origin, empathy
Recommended for: secondary education

Judith can’t believe it’s happening to her. She has been expelled from high school, her boyfriend has left her and her parents have just given her some news that will shake the foundations of her identity.

The journey from your hometown to a strange village hidden in the mountains will be the beginning of a magical and disturbing quest. An unusual but welcoming family and a bewildered boy accompany her as she tries to discover her origins, hidden in the depths of a dark but dazzling swamp.

Bullying seen from a new perspective: bullier’s.

«It seemed difficult not only to improve, but only to maintain the level after the highly celebrated Duna: Diari d’un estiu and Dunes: Diari d’un alter estiu. But so it has been, in the opinion of the person who signs these lines. The only common point between these three magnificent novels (hopefully they will be read, commented on, spread!) is a polyhedral, rich and complex female character, who explains to us how she is built under our gaze.»

Joan Bustos, Faristol Magazine (ClijCAT).

«Like all Muriel’s stories, the emotions and feelings of the characters are excellently portrayed and the social content makes it a highly recommended read for young people who will easily see themselves or others reflected in some of the novel’s characters. »

Sílvia Cantos.

What readers say

«From the beginning, Digueu-me Ju grabs you with very short chapters that strike a chord with you. They describe abstractly – but with surgical precision – the incomprehensible mess that feelings can be. In addition, his descriptions are poetic, delicate and peculiar.»

Paraula de Mixa.

«Muriel Villanueva never disappoints you, she has a great gift for representing the psychology of teenagers to the point that her characters are practically flesh and blood. However, this time its a challenge for us because the main character of the story, Judit, is expelled from high school after a very cruel act of harassment towards another student. From there, a series of events will accelerate a surprising journey to search for his identity as well as to rethink acquired privileges and prejudices, all with touches of fantasy and humor. Although I usually have a hard time getting into magical realism works, in Digueu-me Ju magic is one more element of the rural environment and that gives Judit’s introspective journey quite an epic touch. A youth novel that catches you thanks to the magnetism of the characters. Highly recommended!»

Clàudia Bookatú.