“Solems’ novel about a maladjusted, vulnerable boy is full of heartbreaking scenes. (…) She paints vivid pictures of scenes and situations with sharp contours, and the prose is charged with both insight and intensity throughout. This makes Gustav a novel that is captivatingly easy to read, yet leaves a lasting impression.”
Eivind Myklebust, Klassekampen

“Not a lament about the torments of family life, but an alternately beautiful and ugly portrayal of the mother’s boundless empathy. (…) The novel is narrated with en easy flow, and the lack of resistance reinforces the discomfort … this is, all in all, a truly solid novel. (…) Gustav is precise and highly effective in his imitation of reality, depicting experiences that also concern childless young men who know FIFA evenings better than parents’ working committee meetings at school (…) Gustav shows that we never, for better or worse, escape the norms of life and literature.‘
Eirik Riis Mossefinn, Morgenbladet

“An intense and tragicomic novel that makes the reader squirm in their seat. (…) Solem is least of all interested in diagnosing Gustav. Instead, his mother’s behaviour is analysed in merciless detail.”
Ingunn Økland, Aftenposten