The Youth Critic's Award is a prize for contemporary fiction, where the jury consists of high school students. The goal of the prize is to direct focus to and appreciate the youth's reading of contremporary fiction, and has proven as an incentive to spread joy and enthusiasm for reading. It is rare that the same book is awarded both of the Critic's Awards, but this time the youths agreed with the adults: Brynjulf Jung Tjønn is the decided critics's favourite.

Excerpt from the jury's statement:

The book we have awarded the prize to gives great room for interpretation. It's easy to read, but it is clear that the author has done a thorough job looking at himself and his emotions. Each and every one of us are left with thoughts, understandings and impressions, and the unique writing style has left tracks in us all.

The author writes powerfully and gives you a close and personal connection to the book. The more you read, the more you understand. The book can be interpreted in many different ways and you want to read it again and again. Furthermore, it's incredibly emotional and you feel it in your heart when reading. Because the author offers up so much of himself.

In addition to this, the author is self-critical and shows a certain ironic tendency. We get descriptions of otherness, and afterwards we can all sit for long moments thinking over what we read. The book was perhaps not our expected favourite [of the four nominees], but it didn't take long until it won our hearts. It's simplistic, short and stripped down, but it still rooms so many emotions and such vulnerability. It's a book and a history for everyone, no matter how much or how little you've read or experiences in life.

[...] After each page you can stop for 30 minutes to think and discuss. The book makes the reader want to read more poetry. The book doesn't just affect those who have been exposed to racism it's an important book for everyone and it is for everyone. It's not an ordinary poetry collection, but a story.

Read the whole statement here (in Norwegian)