“She deserves the Brage Prize … Maria Navarro Skaranger writes with wisdom and heart about the anybodies in society in a brilliant novel … If there’s any justice in the world, awards will shower over her third book, Emily Forever, too, since this is definitely her best – so far … Skaranger is a glowing literary talent, and part of what makes this novel so rich is its inquiring, critical, observing narrative voice … Skaranger really blows life into these twisted souls, both through Emily’s observations of them – and through their observations of Emily. Elegant!”
Ellen Sofie Lauritzen, Dagens Næringsliv
“A powerful, sharply written novel about finding value in the life you have … It is the sum of the theme, the social class of the characters and Skaranger’s quite distinct, personal narrative voice that makes her books and this novel in particular unique … It’s far from a thick volume, but it will probably end up as one of this autumn’s most looming titles”
6/6 stars, Ole Jacob Hoel, Adresseavisen
“Maria Navarro Skaranger has written a profoundly beautiful book about a rudderless existence that seems genetically conditioned … A novel about class such as this one brings your thoughts back in time to the hopelessness of Amalie Skram’s naturalistic stories of inherited poverty. But Maria Navarro Skaranger’s warm prose and deeply felt sympathy with Emily glows throughout the novel”
5/6 stars, Inger Bentzrud, Dagbladet
“In beautiful, intuitive prose, Maria Navarro Skaranger shows how class contempt is expressed in Norway … a fantastic book … the prose is so intuitive and beautiful”
Ingeborg Misje Bergem, Vårt Land
“Skaranger’s third novel hits the mark. Emily Forever is a novel about a young soul in a terrifying situation, written with integrity and a distinctive approach … In spite of [Emily’s] situation, this is not a depressing novel. This is in part due to the presence of a distinctive omniscient narrator, who is a bit out of the ordinary. The narrator feels her way forward, is spontaneous, wondering, shifting, subtly ironic, guessing, but still effortlessly poetic. Like a pleasant stream of remembrance. This makes us experience Emily with a certain ironic distance, but empathy and care for her still seep out between the lines … Skaranger draws up young characters in beautiful/ugly landscapes on Oslo’s east end with distinctive literary strokes and with an impressive lightness and authenticity.”
Shana Fevang Mathai, NRK
“Again, it’s Skaranger’s distinctive literary sense that makes the book shine … The author portrays pregnancy, birth and postnatal period with her very own vitality, irony and poetry … The novel can absolutely be read as a book about class, a perspective which one can also find in Skaranger’s previous two books. The author’s alertness to the material details of class differences is perhaps at its highest in this year’s novel, and it is accompanied by a finely tuned depiction of caregiving … With literary authority and subtle hints to authors worth measuring yourself against, Maria Navarro Skaranger has succeeded in writing a tight, short novel rich in themes and motives and with clear literary and aesthetic qualities. In this way she assumes her place among the truly good ones with confidence and great naturalness”
Margunn Vikingstad, Morgenbladet
“In a novel distinguished by intelligence and nuanced prose, Maria Navarro Skaranger follows her confused main character into a new life phase … Her body of work spreads a peculiar, beautiful energy”
Tom Egil Hverven, Klassekampen
