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I was thirteen years old and about to start the seventh class at Veitvet School. My mother said she would go with me on the first day – we were new to the area, and anyway she had no job – but I didn't want her to. It was the 18th of August, the sky was all grey, and as I opened the school gate and went into the playground, it started to rain. I pushed my sunglasses up my nose and walked slowly across the open expanse. It was deserted. Midway, I stopped and looked around. To the right there were two red prefabs, and straight ahead lay the squat, blue main building. And there was a flagpole with a wet, heavy flag clinging to the halyard. Through the windows I could see faces, and those sitting on the inside pressed their noses against the panes and watched me standing in the rain. It was bucketing down. It was my first day, and I was late.

By the time I reached the entrance, my hair was streaming and my shirt was soaking wet. I took it off and wrung ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Early on in the novel, Audun explains that he wears sunglasses because bright light makes him sick. How did this affect your reading of what followed? Why do you think Petterson opens his book by immediately calling into question his narrator's reliability?
2. While hiding behind his sunglasses and avoiding close emotional connection with others, Audun still seems to care deeply about being trendy—dressing in the latest fashions, listening to the coolest bands. Do you think this paradox rings true of adolescence? What about in adulthood? Ultimately what do you think drives Audun more: his desire to fit in, or to be apart?
3. Discuss Petterson's use of the forest as a metaphor. To Audun it's often a refuge, especially when he is young and...