Not Just Tennis

Peter Barlach

QUOTATIONS FROM REVIEWS, “Not Just Tennis”, up to and including 18th June 2007.

“A very powerful, unsentimental book!”

“An important story to tell – and he does it brilliantly!”
Ingalill Mosander, Go’kväll, SVT

“A powerful, profoundly moving depiction of how life changes when one’s mother suddenly dies.”
Per Israelsson, SvD

“Peter Barlach really does succeed in capturing and describing immeasurable despair. — A book for everyone who wants to understand something of life’s implacability.”
Suzanne Frieberg, Sydsvenskan

“It’s very clear that the author has experienced this situation himself; I don’t believe anyone else could write with such honesty and truth about the grief, despair and rage John feels.”

“I read the book in one sitting; it made me cry, and it made me laugh… Not Just Tennis is a really, really good book.”
AnnCharlott Söderholm, Barnens Bokklub [The Children’s Book Club]

“… an intense story that affects the reader with the same level of brutality as the catastrophe that befalls John … extremely convincing and psychologically credible.”

“It’s equally difficult to put the book down and to hold back the tears… It’s a long time since a book about a young person going through the process of grieving affected me as deeply as this one.”
Jan Nilsson, Bibliotekstjänst [The Library Service]

“The author skilfully portrays the chaos which ensues.”

“The story has a wonderful, realistic, extremely genuine tone, both in its depiction of characters and of the setting.”
Staffan Engstrand, Bibliotekstjänst

“… both entertaining and shocking.”

“I believe in him — He convinces me.”
Karin Holm, Hallandsposten

“The mixture of scalding tears and joyous laughter makes Not Just Tennis an extremely vivid and emotionally powerful novel, for both children and adults.”
Cathrine Beijer, Nittonde stolen, litteratur-blog

“An incredibly powerful book. You feel it throughout your entire body.”
Barnens bibliotek [The Children’s Library]

“… a captivating book about what happens when a twelve year-old boy loses someone very close to him.”
Sofia Erlandsson, Västervikstidningen

“Top marks – 5 out of 5.”
Norrköpings tidningar

“A promising debut for Peter Barlach as a writer for young people.”
Pia Huss, Dagens Nyheter

“…we can only hope that it reaches many readers, both young people and adults.”

“This is an important book, very close to the thoughts, emotions and conflicts of a young person.”
Bo Bjelvehammar, Trelleborgs Allehanda

“This is incredibly well described. The author uses the first person narrative and captures the chaos of the twelve year-old.”

“A powerful book about grief and loss.”
Ulla Wentzel, Värmlands Folkblad

“Peter Barlach describes John’s life after his mother’s death with fantastic accuracy, a life containing an enormous amount of sorrow, but also happiness in the midst of all the distress. The book is an intense story about a family in chaos which gradually finds a new template for their everyday lives.”
Eva Töllner, Jönköpings-Posten

“The genuineness, arising from the author’s own experiences, the simple language, the closeness to the characters, the feeling for what goes on inside the head of a twelve year-old, the fact that it isn’t actually possible to think about your dead mum every single minute – all of this makes Not Just Tennis powerfully moving and easily accessible in equal measure.”

“John is irresistible in the way he thinks and in his honesty. The whole book is irresistible.”
Agneta Edwards, Helsingborgs Dagblad

“The story feels genuine, and it’s difficult to put the book down.”
Margareta Söderlund, Eskilstunakuriren

“This novel is absolutely packed with believable scenes from everyday life. /…/ This book is ‘right on the money’, by which I mean that we are dealing with an author of considerable sensitivity.”

“A fine depiction which leaves nothing more to be desired.”
Staffan Engstrand, Nerikes Allehanda

“This book is heartbreakingly sad, philosophically accurate and perceptively amusing in turn.”
Alice Thorburn, Dagensbok.com

“…a true-to-life portrait emerges of a boy with his good and bad points, and his enormous grief and sense of loss after the death of his mother. The way Peter Barlach describes a person working through their grief is just the way it feels in real life.”
Marie-Louise Wallin, Dala-Demokraten

“Not Just Tennis marks Peter Barlach’s debut – and it’s a powerful one.”
Eva Bejhed, Bohuslänningen

“…a powerful, sensitive debut novel.”

“…important literature.”
Margareta Wiman, Ostgötakuriren

“This is an eminently readable, comforting book.”

“It’s good to have a hero of a children’s book who can both cry and rejoice, and who can also cope with moral considerations.”
Kajsa Oberg Lindsten, Göteborgs-Posten

“Peter Barlach accomplishes his story Not Just Tennis with professional skill.”
Maria Küchen, Expressen

“Really, really good.”
Yokiko Duke, Gomorron Sverige, SVT

“Peter Barlach writes about John and the drastic changes that take place in his life with real understanding… it’s evident that he has a feeling for drama.”

“Barlach has created a convincing portrait of an eleven year-old.”

“There is a great deal of emotion in the book, and as a reader it tugs at your heartstrings over and over again. A warm, realistic, vivid description in easily accessible language of a difficult topic, which can lead to many conversations.”
Thomas Brylla, Upsala Nya Tidning

“This is one of the few books about tennis, so it’s disappointing that there is so little tennis in the book.”
Ivar Källhed, Kamratposten