Sebastian Fitzek is one of my favorite German authors when it comes to local thriller novels, but Elternabend - parent teacher conference - is just another level of storytelling. Actually, for me - and I bet for other parents as well - such kind of events are in fact a kind of pulp fiction black thriller. But this book by Fitzek although it uses twists and suspense belongs to a different category.
Two complete strangers while trying to escape the police, for two different reasons, end up on an island near Berlin, where an Elternabend was organised, as presumed parents of a child, Hector, they don´t know. But as the story evolves, all the information we took for granted, through assumptions or allusions, proves to be completely wrong.
With a hilarious cast of characters, and humourous interactions, by the end of the story it take a very serious turn, warning about teenage suicide and depression. The take on how to answer to depression, both as a victim and as someone close to a person suffering of it is one of the most honest and direct I´ve read in a contemporary novel: no one wants to have it but there is nothing one can do it to prevent or stop it. It´s a simple yet meaningful message, especially for people feeling guilty for not being able to stop the depressive behavior.
After the narrative tour de force, it ends on a too ´normal´ note, but maybe the reader feels already overwhelmed by the pace and turns of events.
Elternabend is an unexpected book on an unexpected - horror - topic. It is also an empathic take on teenage life, caught in the onesided selfish world of adults.
Rating: 4 stars
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