No and Me

Lou B

ertignac is a very unusual thirteen-year-old girl. With an IQ of 160 and a hyper-active mind, she feels out of place amongst the beautiful, confident teenagers in her class. She finds no comfort at home as her mother has barely spoken since the death of Lou's baby sister several years ago.

Lou's life changes when she meets No, an older homeless girl. Both are outsiders, unable to act like things are ok when they are not, and Lou immediately feels an affinity with her new friend. Along with a classmate, Lucas, Lou tries to help No to build a life away from the streets.  However, No's emotional scars run very deep and she pushes Lou's friendship and trust to the limits.

Bestselling French author De Vigan creates a unique, distinctive voice in Lou, whose loveably anxious observations on all aspects of life keep the novel light and readable, even when tackling the darkest themes. From her obsessive experiments with household products to her theories on infinity, Lou draws us irresistibly into her world.

Both poignant and funny, this unusual French novel explores homelessness, friendship, love and loss.