by Simon Jaquemet
The whole world is against Matteo. At least that’s how it seems to this fifteen-year-old. He has no friends, his parents appear to live on another planet, and his awkward attempts at gaining the respect of his father continually fall flat. One night, Matteo is led away by two men and taken to an isolated Alp, where he is to spend the summer working hard on the fields at a boot camp. But Matteo gets a surprise while up in the mountains: After overpowering their supervisor, the rebellious youths Anton, Dion and Ali take over control and lock the newcomer in a dog pound. Over time, the tortured and humiliated Matteo proves his courage, and is finally accepted by the truculent gang.