Gdoup! The Secret Diary of Lina is the story of a 9-year old girl told through her diary entries. She’s 9 years and 39 days old. She counts the days and not the months because days go by faster.

What makes the story so special and powerful is the girl’s rather wry take on life. She doesn’t believe adults when they tell her things, always trying to get around the constant

dos and don’ts her life is riddled with. ‘I hate it when people ask me how I’m doing at school. It’s the stupidest thing to ask. No, the stupidest thing to ask is if I’m a good girl.

As if I’d tell them if I weren’t. Sometimes I’m good but sometimes I’m a bad girl, and I

don’t mind, because when I’m bad it’s because I do things that I want to do. But when

I’m good it’s because I do things that other want.’

Lina has to cope with her parents’ constant quarrels, their pending divorce, her extremely

annoying grandmother and boring school work. But she’s not alone. She finds support in her understanding aunt and her exciting gay uncle.

The book deals with topics such as love, divorce, sex, homosexuality and avoiding food

you don’t like eating.

Kedros, 2012, 120 p.