Annika Linn Verdal Homme - Selected Title Author
We are happy to present our selected title author Annika Linn Verdal Homme. She has written Lava. The story of how everything that once felt solid suddenly became fluid (original title: Lava. Historien om hvordan alt som var fast, plutselig ble flytende). The book is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles of the autumn 2025.
What is your book about?
Lava is about a teenager named Evi who is taken by surprise when her parents announce they’re getting a divorce – and by the fact that she gets a puppy as a consolation. Everything she knows changes in the course of one afternoon, and she has to figure life out all over again. When her parents force her to move to Tromsø, she realizes something has to be done. Luckily, she finds her ticket for the family holiday to Tenerife! Lava deals with the theme of divorce, but it’s mostly about standing up for yourself and resisting when you feel you’re being treated unfairly. And it’s also about Tenerife, of course!
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to create a kind of journey toward independence. At the same time, I became fascinated by the visual universe surrounding “Syden” (warm vacation destinations in southern Europe): postcards, palm trees, and the architecture of big tourist hotels. In March 2023, I took a research trip to Tenerife to investigate whether it would be possible for a child to travel there alone. I discovered that going on a package holiday to an all-inclusive hotel is actually pretty simple for those of us with internet access, Google Maps, and can speak English! I also wanted to convey something I’ve realized in recent years: that everything that once felt solid can suddenly become unstable. But you have to remember to stay true to yourself so you don’t melt away completely!
Who is this book for?
This book is written for children around 9–13 years old, both those who love reading and those who don’t necessarily enjoy regular books that just have text. But adults can read it, too! One of my passions is showing that comics don’t HAVE to be about elves, trolls, and fairies; they can also be about life and how you deal with it! You don’t have to be a child of divorce to read it, though it might help if, for example, you feel like the world is unfair.
What sets your book apart from others in the same genre?
I guess there’s no escaping that it’s stylistically different, but maybe it’s also a bit more direct? I’ve given Evi the guts I myself only found when I was 16–17, but that I really wish I’d had earlier. And the swear words! Hehe.
Read more
See full presentation of the book here
Read more about the author here
See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the autumn 2025 here
