In Search of the Boyish God

"As long as you have the passion to make discoveries, to move forward, to explore the unknown - it means the boyish god is with you," said Boris, the radio operator, to Vanya one day. But how to find this boyish god? Especially here, in the Arctic cold, amidst emptiness, where Vanya spends the longest summer of his life. All people are like people; in July, they go to the sea, to the warm beach, but his father suddenly decided to spend the holidays in the north. In the village of Tsypnavolok, on one street - no stores, no Wi-Fi with mobile service, nor a smooth asphalt patch for skating. Only old, crooked houses, bored workers, sunken ships washed ashore… Although a sunken ship is perhaps still interesting: Vanya overcame his fear, sneaked inside one early morning, and seemed to understand what Boris meant. Or maybe not? The pages of this book are scattered with numerous hints on where and how to search for your boyish god, what he might be, and how not to lose connection with him. Dmitry Ishchenko's novella is certainly not a collection of practical advice for lost teenagers, but rather an inspiring and strikingly cinematic story about the inevitable end of childhood. Three months on the picturesque coast of the Barents Sea become for the main character an inexhaustible source of experience - and knowledge about himself. Dmitry Ishchenko's name is not yet well-known to readers, but his debut book reveals a breadth of thinking characteristic of classic children's authors. The picturesque panoramas of northern nature, abundant in the novella, remind one of the works of director Andrei Zvyagintsev. The writer lives in Murmansk and has worked at different times as a journalist, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker. His novella "Teriberka" was shortlisted for the I.P. Belkin Prize, while "In Search of the Boyish God" received the V.P. Krapivin Prize in the "Children's Jury Choice" nomination. For middle and senior school age. 3rd edition, corrected.