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Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor: HappyVeganGirlJules

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Rebbieħ tal-Konkors ta’ Kitba — Letteratura għaż-Żgħażagħ (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ u Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb)

“Iva, f’Jules għoġobni dak kollu li jien m’għandix. F’Jules għoġobni kollox għax jien m’għandi xejn.”

Lil Manda, id-dinja reali ħaditilha kollox filwaqt li d-dinja diġitali tatha lil Julia, Jules.

Manda u Julia, żewġ tfajliet ta’ tlettax-il sena li jgħixu fuq naħat differenti tal-iscreen. Waħda quddiemu taqsam il-ħajja perfetta li għandha mad-dinja kollha, u l-oħra warajh tikkonsma l-istess dinja li hi m’għandhiex.

Kulħadd jaħsibha li qed tipprova tkun bħal Jules …

“Imma mhux vera, jien ma nixtieqx inkun bħal Jules. Jien nixtieq inkun Jules. Nixtieq li kulħadd flok isejjaħli Manda, jibda jsejjaħli Julia, Jules jew b’mitt elf isem ieħor.”

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

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Lon Kirkop

2 books5 followers

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Robert.
2,273 reviews252 followers
November 25, 2021
I first heard of the World Wide Web in late 1995. From then I saw all the developments occur; flash, then blogging, YouTube, social media sites and streaming services. Without sounding too old, I saw a new culture form. One where anybody could both voice an opinion and exert influence. Such is the main theme in Lon Kirkop’s debut novel: Mitt Elf Isem Iħor ( A Hundred Thousand Different Names).

Julia/Jules is an influencer: She uploads content on YouTube which range from make up tutorials to vegan recipes. Sometimes there’s vlogs and Q & A sessions. In summary, typical YouTuber.

Manda is obsessed with Jules. She copies her make up techniques, reads everything she does and talks about her constantly. Unfortunately her real life is not quite as idyllic: she lives with her single mother and their relationship is not a particularly good one, she has a best friend but they are starting to drift apart and even the one person she truly admires, her father disappoints her as well.

As Manda’s obsession with Jules increases, so do the problems in her life, until Manda learns that she has to face reality, which will lead to consequences.

Mitt Elf Isem Iħor examines the false life which can be presented within a computer screen. Although a YouTuber may have problems or be open about then, there still is the impression they said person is coping and that life beyond the channel is just as perfect. The book also is about the false personalities which can be created. The internet allows a person to be anyone and it is easy to take on a character. However, one cannot be divorced from reality, which is something totally different. Throughout the novel Manda expresses how she wishes she could change her name (hence the title), which her way of avoiding her problems.

With Mitt Elf Isem Iħor, Lon Kirkop gives the reader a glimpse of internet behaviour. Not only the falsity of the influencer’s world but also how teens use social media as an escape or to bully: one scene involves Manda being harassed through Instagram and Messenger, another one scene focuses on the nasty comments Jules receives from trolls on her channel. The book is an insightful one and , more importantly, opens the reader’s eyes to the more negative aspects of this cultural phenomenon.
Profile Image for Andrew Sammut.
580 reviews21 followers
December 14, 2021
Spoilers ahead... Ktieb li ġabuli ommi u ħija ż-żgħir wara li marru l-Belt Valleta. Parti mill-iskema tal-Valletta Cultural Agency. Qrajtu fi żmien qasir għax iżommok f'suspans sal-aħħar għalkemm ma kellix dubju wieħed li Manda u Julia huma l-istess persuna u kull kapitlu kkonferma dan il-fatt iżjed. Kien hemm elementi xokkanti li ma stennejtx minn rumanz bħal dan minkejja li hu addattat għaż-żgħażagħ. Kumbinazzjoni, illum ġie permess l-użu tal-ħaxixa f'dożi kkalkulati u dan il-ktieb jindirizza temi ta' abbuż ta' xorb alkoħoliku u pilloli.

Tifla b'marda tal-moħħ, bipolar jew multiple personality u problemi fil-familja fejn iħossha abbandunata. Tiftaħ channel fuq YouTube u tipprova ssir il-karattru li toħloq, wieħed li għandu dak kollu li hi tixtieq. Is-siti soċjali huma platforms li jimmanipulaw u jqarrqu b'kull min jużahom. Imħuħ immaturi jemmnu dak kollu li jaraw u sfortunatament jagħmlu dak kollu fil-poter tagħhom biex ikunu l-istess.

Il-karattru prinċipali antipatka waħda u sew u nħoss li l-ġenituri tagħha setgħu kienu ta' iżjed kontribut kieku fetħet qalbha magħhom. Bullying li ma jiġix indirizzat mill-għalliema fi skejjel u abbuż bl-użu tal-maskra anonima li toffri kull sit soċjali huma elementi li għoġbuni ferm. Stil ta' kitba b'ritmu mgħaġġel u informali li jintegra l-qarrej iżjed fil-fehma tiegħi. Naħseb li kieku Julia mietet, l-istorja kienet issir iżjed interessanti pero ma naħsibx li l-kittieb kellu f'moħħu jtawwalha wisq. Ngħid hekk biss għax introduċa ċerti temi li kellhom ħafna potenzjal speċjalment minħabba li s'issa għadni ma qrajtx kotba bil-Malti li jiddiskutu dawn l-aspetti tal-omosesswalita, riskji, impatti u konsegwenzi li jinħolqu bl-użu ta' siti soċjali u kif ukoll id-differenza bejn il-ħbieb tal-qalb, dawk foloz u kif ukoll dawk tal-immaġinazzjoni. Ngħid għalija, minn tal-aħħar għandi ħafna.
Profile Image for Once Upon A Maltese Reader.
147 reviews21 followers
November 28, 2021
Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor

@Merlinkotba gifted me this book my Lon Kirkop. I loved it especially because it is the first sprayed edge book in Maltese that I own but also because it is a story that I can see a lot of my students in it. As a teacher I can recognise the validity of the story and how faithful it is to real life situations. This is the story of Manda, a thirteen year old from Malta. Manda is a normal teenager with a lot of social problems. She is that student that no one wants to talk to her, having a gay father resulted in a lot of bullying and thus, became very reserved yet rebellious person. Manda discovered a YouTuber her age named Jules or Julia.

This YouTuber became what Manda wants in her life. She wants not only to be like her but to become Julia or Jules. This YouTuber had everything; fame, love, beauty and acceptance from others. Manda started to change like her favourite influencer thus resulting in a lot of good but also in bad decisions. The twist in the end surprised me and made this whole reading experience worth-it. This review will be in Maltese and without any spoilers.

Mitt elf isem ieħor huwa ktieb li nara ħafna adolexxenti fl-istess sitwazzjoni. Huwa ktieb li jiftaħ tieqa fuq il-ħajja tal-lum tal-2021 u jixref fil-beraħ dwar kemm l-adolexxenza hija perjodu li hemm bżonn ħafna sapport u smiegħ. Faċli naslu f’konklużjonijiet ta’ malajr speċjalment ma’ adolexxenti li huma ribellużi, fuq tagħhom jew li ma jżommux man-norma jew mal-kundizzjonijiet li nkunu ħloqna aħna. Manda hija persuna li tippersonifika ħafna mill-adolexxenti tagħna u li ħafna drabi minħabba nuqqas ta’ kommunikazzjoni, nuqqas ta’ ftehim u għaġla żejda għax m’aħniex kapaċi nifmuhom. B’hekk jibqgħu persuni aljeni li jivvintaw kollox barra dak li hu normali. M’għandix biżżejjed kliem biex nirrakomanda dan il-ktieb.

Fih naraw sitwazzjonijiet dwar kif it-teknoloġija qed tinfluwenza l-bniedem u kif ħafna influencers fid-dinja teknoloġika juri biss faċċata waħda mill-ħajja tagħhom. Hija storja li kapaċi titgħallem dwar kemm għandna nużaw l-għajn kritika’ anke fuq dak li nesperjenzaw fuq il-midja Soċjali. Huwa ktieb li nissugerih jekk inti adolexxent għax probabli ħa tara l-istorja tiegħek jew almenu biċċa minna miktuba imma fuq kollox lilek jekk inti tixtieq tiskopri ftit mit-turbolenzi li jgħaddu minnu studenti tas-Sekondarja f’dan il-perjodu tant diffiċli għalihom. Grazzi Merlin u Lon!
Profile Image for ChaoticDemonSpawn.
3 reviews
January 18, 2023
Bħala adoloxxenti Maltija vera ogħġobni dan il-ktieb. Wieħed mill-ewwel jekk mhux l-ewwel ktied li stajt nirrelata miegħu. Da ktieb dejjem nieghdilom biex jaqraw għax vera kont eċitata meta sibt ktieb hekk. Dejjem ħa ikun viċin qalbi<3
9 reviews
December 3, 2022
Really good story but could trigger some people because it talks about suicide drugs and those stuff
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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