Short, spare prose passages from debut author Ardelius relate the passionate, first-love story of Swedish teens Morris and Betty. The immediate intensity and sexuality soon give way to doubt, depression and constant questioning, as Morris tries to hide his family from his girlfriend, Betty compares Morris to his bipolar father and Morris sinks into altered thoughts and memories. Individually, the passages exude beauty, poetry and powerful emotions that translate well. A few rare beams of subtle humor even bring light to the couple’s darkened moods. Grouped together, however, this fragmentary form makes it difficult to follow each character’s thoughts and speech, and the lovers’ incessant questioning without resolve, which at first seems natural in the relationship, becomes tedious by the end. For sophisticated readers who enjoy alternative writing forms and a good turn of phrase over a complete story line. (Fiction. YA)
