#Blogtour Never Tell Anyone Your Name by Federico Ivanier

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Never Tell Anyone Your Name by Federico Ivanier.

About the Author

Federico Ivanier is an acclaimed Uruguayan writer for young people. He has written over twenty books that have been published across Latin America. On more than one occasion, his works have been awarded the National Prize for Literature from the Uruguayan Ministry for Education and Culture as well as the Premio Bartolomé Hidalgo, one of the country’s most important literary awards. Federico has also worked occasionally as a screenwriter and teaches English as a second language. Follow @FedericoIvanier on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter)

About the Translator

Claire Storey translates from Spanish and  German into English. She specialises in literature for younger readers with a particular interest in MG and YA fiction. In 2021/22, she was given funding from Arts Council England for a translation project focusing on Young Adult Literature from Latin America. She regularly volunteers in schools to talk about careers with languages and was named Outreach Champion 2021 by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. Follow @ClaireStorey16 Visit clairestoreylanguages.co.uk

About the book

Travelling between France and Spain, a 16 year-old-boy is marooned in on the Spanish border, in the unfamiliar Spanish town of Irún, with nowhere to go. Snow is falling, darkness is creeping in, and the next train to Madrid is not till midnight. 

Lost and hungry, he has eight hours to kill. His favourite rock band blasting in his ears, he explores the shuttered town, thinking of Lucrecia, his first love who told him it was over, and how he was heartbroken. A dark-eyed Spanish girl befriends him, and he is instantly attracted to her. But what are her intentions, and who is she really? The two teens spend the evening walking and talking as night falls. Midnight approaches, and the boy with no name must leave and return to board his train. Dark forces gather, and his hours in Irún come to a truly shocking end. 

Review

This is a short, poignant and memorable read - novella length. It's very much - the reading experience and what you take away from it - will be determined by the reader and their frame of reference. Not that it isn't usually the case, but this story might just have a wide range of responses.

Although the story is perhaps a step into the macabre, a tinge of horror, and a dollop of darkness - there is light at the end of the tunnel. The spark of humanity that is drawn through the story like a line in the sand, dividing the hope and the base inhumanity we know exists.

How close do we walk between the two sides of our emotional and physical responses, how many of us walk exactly on the divide and are always in danger of slipping into one or the other. Simultaneously the realisation that someone who walks through life with an open mind embracing the world and people around them, is probably going to be disappointed by how often that open embrace is misused, taken advantage of and creates a potentially dangerous situation.

What I took away from this very astute, well written and compelling piece of literature, is that trust has become an almost mythical element of our existence that is a rare quality never experienced. Equally that behind every external appearance and base assumptions is the interior of boundaries, memories and emotions we are unable to recognise.

I really enjoyed the read and the ride - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this author. Also kudos to the translator for capturing the voice of the story. 

Buy Never Tell Anyone Your Name at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HopeRoad, pub date26 Oct. 2023. Buy at Amazon com.