• Favorite readings are something to be shared and our community recommends one of the ten novels selected from the Nuggets of the Montreuil Children's Book Fair every day.

  • Today, a novel in the "teen fiction" category (12-17 years old), "Black Sands" by Hervé Giraud, published in August 2022 by Éditions Thierry Magnier.

Cathy Borie, author and contributor to the 20 Minutes Books reading group, recommends

Sables noirs

by Hervé Giraud, published on August 31, 2022 by Éditions Thierry Magnier and selected among the Pépites for the best teenage novel (12-17 years old) at the Salon du books and the youth press, from November 30 to December 5 in Montreuil.

His favorite quote:

The world is lent to us and the desert is a school.

Why this book?

  • Because the author has a very beautiful writing

    which completely immerses us in sumptuous landscapes which he seems to know perfectly and which he describes with intensity and sensuality.

    It accurately evokes the emotions provoked by the immensity, the night sky, the heavy heat and the spiritual dimension of such a setting.

  • Because the plot unfolds slowly,

    to the rhythm of the camel caravan and the footsteps of sun-drenched men, putting us in the perfect state to enter into total empathy with Lilu when he gets lost in the dunes.

  • Because the young boy's encounters

    lead to universal questions about the world of men, about their ideals and the means they have chosen to implement them, pointing out without concessions the absurdity of certain answers.

  • Because the author has not made this story watered down,

    it is often harsh and violent, but never complacent.

The essentials in 2 minutes

The plot.

Taken in by a Tuareg tribe after the tragic death of his parents, Lilu is separated from his family in the middle of the desert during a sandstorm.

He is first rescued and then hosted by a group of terrorists, then by a UN camp, both of which introduce him to other facets of the world.

Characters.

Lilu, 14 years old;

Nora, a young Tuareg;

Karim, Youssef and other members of the clan;

Nazim, leader of the terrorist group;

UN soldiers.

Places.

The Sahara.

The time.

Nowadays.

The author.

Hervé Giraud is a French author who has written several books for young people as well as documentaries and travel diaries.

This book was read with

the feeling of being in the middle of the desert with Lilu.

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