Samuel Gerber, editor, finews.ch
«Why We Took the Car» by Wolfgang Herrndorf (originally released in German as «Tschick» in 2010)
What it is:
For 14-year-old outsider Maik, summer holidays represent weeks-long stretches of boredom and loneliness. Until Andrej Tschichatschow, a schoolmake of Maik's with Russian roots and whispers of a criminal past, turns up at the family's Berlin manse. «Tschick» has a plan: hot-wire a Lada and escape to Wallachia (southern Romania). The two boys experience a wild ride through eastern Germany – and the most exciting time of their lives.
Why I recommend it:
Wolfgang Herrndorf's novel is the perfect theme for summer holidays: the combination of road trip and coming-of-age genres shoots straight to your heart and challenges your mind with unexpected twists. Don't worry about finishing the slim novel too early into your holiday: you still have the knowledge that summer can hold many surprises in wait for you. And they can begin right at your front door.
