Book review: Original love triangle with warmth and humor

the Triangle is one of the more common elements in the stories of love, jealousy, and desire. For example, it can consist of a couple being torn apart by a mistress, or of the two men competing for a woman's favor (despite the fact that they really just want to impress each other). It is a subject with many stereotypical pitfalls, but also a great tool for questioning the norms.

Nic Stones youth novel, ”Triangle” is an example of the latter. Coop is in love with his best friend Jupiter. The situation seems hopeless. It is not enough that they've been late primary school, and the Jupiter is also a lesbian. So one day, they learn to know Rae, and are all put into the rescue effort.

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”Dear Martin”, a youth about police excessive use of force against african-american young men. ”Triangle” is her second novel and the first to be translated into Swedish. The setup is smart and similar to it in the Norwegian tv-series ”Shame”. The book consists of three parts that are all written in the first person. First, we follow the Coop, then Rae, and finally Jupiter.

There is a warmth and sense of humor in Stones novel that is utterly irresistible.

At first it seems the ”Triangle” to be an african-american version of the books about koreanskamerikanska ”Lara Jean”, also published by Lavender Lit. A kind of dull, the neo-liberal american youth, where christian teenagers from villaförorter bake cakes, drive big cars and engaging in charity, which is totally unbearable. However, it is to read a few pages in the ”Triangle” to think about.

There is a warmth and sense of humor in Stones novel that is utterly irresistible. Where are the intimate details which I have seldom seen in print before, both embarrassing as funny. Above all, it is physical. ”She settles on my arm, puts his head against my chest, drill into the nose under my chin and puts one arm over my chest and thigh over mine. ’Better?’ she asks.” In the ”Triangle” there will always be the better of a little cuddling.

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miss where fragile nearby that some friends have in their teenage years. To know everything about the other. And then suddenly not knowing anything. The body changes, the perspectives widen, the mind changes direction. Stone depicting the fluctuations and growth suppression with skill. ”Triangle” is something as rare as a truly original love triangle.