Jasper is 10, has skipped a school year, and is extremely clever. He loves mazes – the more complicated the better – which he designs and draws himself.
Since he is all alone, and also curious, Jasper seeks the company of Emma. Emma is 14 years old and is in the first year of secondary school, but she acts as if she is much younger. Emma is an outsider and is bullied just like Jasper, although she deals with it in her own way. A few times, Jasper sets a trail for Emma on the street in an attempt to make contact with her. It works, but then Emma’s friendship starts to feel more and more suffocating. Jasper does not want to be friends with her anymore, but what should he do about it? For Emma would like to be more than just friends with him…
How I Ended Up Giving Emma a Black Eye is a wonderful literary children’s novel about friendship, loneliness and the search for individuality.
