Praise for Love Novel

Sajko takes no prisoners Love Novel gloriously marries sociopolitical commentary on failed capitalism in a failed state to the inevitability of failed marriage locating the narrative in an extraordinary violence of mind and body Matching form with content it depicts lives that involve walking constantly on tightropes with a ferocity of prose that allows no breathing space consummately conveying the claustrophobic existence of the characters as external as well as personal circumstances close in on themltbr gtDublin Literary Award Judges Citation

A devastating book humane original and deeply relevantltbr gtKirkus Reviews starred review

A work of startling and brass originality Sajko never shies away from the broken and crass aspects of being in love But within this writing moments of grace and absolute beauty shine through Moments as exquisite as the rst falling snowakes that stop you in your tracksltbr gtHeather ONeill author of When We Lost Our Heads

Sajkos sentences mimic how in the heat of argument thoughts converge events conflate and emotions surge until one forgets where it all began ltbr gtLiterary Review of Canada

Love Novel is not a comfortable read but it is a timely exploration of socioeconomic inequality a raw confrontation of the pain humans are capable of inflicting on one another and a fearless engagement with the challenges of poverty and parenthoodltbr gtHelen Vassallo Reading in Translation

Sajkos taut innovative writing has a pounding tempo she unleashes a stream of consciousness that combines all the hopes regrets and resentments competing in the minds of her characters Every word has been chosen carefullyltbr gtHarriet Zaidman Winnipeg Free Press

A necessary read brief yet intricate raw but profoundly touchingltbr gtAnne SmithNochasak The Miramichi Reader

The true love story in this novel is the love between the reader and the characters asking the reader to sympathize with the flawed struggling characters reminding them that some relationships are too interwoven to be truly cut apartltbr gtAlex Carrigan The temz Review

Love Novel is a universal story about passion and poverty thats told in rich languageltbr gtSuzanne Kamata Foreword Reviews

A sharp and claustrophobic portrait of a fraying marriage Sajko never takes her foot off the gas in this potent and incendiary outingltbr gtPublishers Weekly

In its depiction of a contemporary relationship submitted to the meatgrinder of contemporary demands and expectations Love Novel is unafraid and unsparing in its honestyltbr gtAndrew Hood Bookshelfca

The interpersonal magic now lost or at least forgotten but above all poisoned by the big bad world out there Ivana Sajko celebrates this sad state of affairs with power and intensityltbr gtNDR Kultur

Breathless barely punctuated Her heroes a nameless couple in a Mediterranean nowhere devoted to each other in hate A tough great novelltbr gtNeue Presse

A brilliant novel intense and poetic exhilarating and devastatingltbr gtPriya Basil author of Ishq and Mushq