Zlozvyk – Portero Alana S. (2024)

The heroine of the novel "Bad Habit" is a girl trapped in a boy's body, who is trying to understand herself and the world she lives in. She grows up in the 1980s in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Madrid. In a part of the city forgotten by God, ravaged by a heroin epidemic, where neighborly solidarity and incomprehensible violence flourish. With the onset of puberty, she begins her secret excursions into the city center, discovering cafes, clubs, and neighborhoods with a remarkable nightlife. In an environment full of wild and sad existences, nonconformist young people, prostitutes, and fallen angels, she feels closer to herself and seems to finally find her place in life and society, even if uprooted from the mainstream. With each step forward, however, she must confront more and more violence that she cannot effectively resist. The girl's loving parents only sense what their child is going through and are often more helpless than she is. In the end, it is other women who give the heroine strength, confidence, and a sense that she too can belong somewhere. The novel "Bad Habit" tells of the connections between gender and social status, the search for one's own identity, and the power of sisterhood. It does not embellish anything, yet it has a magical effect. It pays tribute to the people in...