Bizarro by Sjoerd Kuyper is a book about many things, if not almost everything. The main character, Sallie Mo, has not spoken since her grandfather died, so her mother sent her to a psychiatrist. Sallie Mo remains in her books and “lives on an island in her head,” as she says. Dr. Bloem temporarily stops her from reading. So instead of reading books, Sallie Mo starts writing a book.
On an island where she spends her vacation with her mother, she discovers herself. She fills her time writing a diary that is said to become the best book in the world. In it, Sallie Mo reveals her thoughts, feelings and compares her life to Hamlet, the last book she read. While her mother is looking for a new father for her and hanging out with her friends, Sallie Mo wanders around the camp and follows her crush Dylan. One day, she discovers a bunker in the dunes, where three children who have run away from home are hiding. And then everything becomes truly bizarre: who are these children and why are they hiding in the bunker? From that moment on, the world suddenly becomes much more complex and the young protagonists are faced with many important socio-political issues.

Bizarre is anything but a small story about an insecure girl who writes a diary. On the contrary, it is a real adventure and a carousel of important social themes and philosophical fragments (banking crisis, crises in art and culture, refugee policy, falling in love, death (of grandfather). The writer skillfully plays with the concept of truth and lies, also in the context of the writing profession, and draws the reader into his game - what is true and what is not? Does the writer have to tell the truth or can he tweak it a little? The writer's departure from the classical narrative form provides him with an excellent starting point for thoughtful social criticism. It seems that he deliberately challenges, teases and asks the reader "uncomfortable" questions, which are - especially in the chaotic modern world - still very important. Thematically rich and extremely inspiring reading! (summarized from the general p. of Založba Grlica)