Reviews

• “A very moving and beautiful story about losing a parent at a young age. /…/ The story is believable and vividly depicted, and you can feel Nicolaus’ pain and sorrow.”

• “Four Minutes Past Midnight is a unique, heartfelt novel about the loss of a parent – a love letter from the author to anyone, but especially children, experiencing loss. It is quite unlike anything I’ve read before. It weaves a peculiar magic around the reader, employing magical realism and a text that sits somewhere between poetry and prose as it builds to a powerful denouement that ultimately offers comfort and hope. The author’s empathy and respect for his young readers is palpable and delivers the most poignant and important message to those experiencing grief: You Are Not Alone.”

• “I don’t know if I’ve ever read such a hard hitting and crystal-clear script. ”

• “I barely have words to describe this book, because it hit me right in the heart and brought tears to my eyes, which is a rare thing to happen to me. It is an incredibly moving and sad story that touches one deeply. /…/ It is a very sad story, but there is also something very beautiful and vulnerable about it. /…/ At the same time, the book invites you to reflect on how you would react if you, like Nicolaus, were able to travel back in time. /…/ It is an absolutely outstanding story, and even though it is aimed at a younger audience, it is equally moving for the adult reader, and therefore it receives the warmest recommendation from here on out.”

• “Conny Palmkvist’s new book is a fantasy about the fight against the inevitable. Very powerful and touching about life, illness, and the love of a family. ”

• “Palmkvist has written a suggestive and sad story that contains both hope and humor. It mostly revolves around Nicolaus’ thoughts and feelings during a short period of time. The visits to the past serve as an inner journey where the main character processes his grief and great fear in the face of his mother’s death. He is finally able to face the inevitable end with a completely different kind of courage. The prose has a short and rhythmic character that creates intensity. ”

• “This is not going to be light fare, as you immediately sense from the first sentences of Four Minutes Past Midnight. /…/ [Four Minutes Past Midnight] reads like a nightmarish course, further enhanced by the mesmerizing style, which makes Nicolaus’ despair strongly palpable. /…/ [Conny Palmkvist] offers a comforting and hopeful story about grief, in which you are immersed for a moment and which you cannot easily shake off.”

• “In this captivating story with a touch of magic realism, it is mainly the language itself that keeps capturing your attention. It is poetic, contemplative and versatile. /…/ By giving the language itself such a prominent role, Conny Palmkvist does something that is rarely seen in children’s books: a commendable display of confidence in the potential of young readers.”

• “Palmkvist dares to face topics that hurt, and can contribute consolation, support, and faith in the future, despite reality being what it is. Four Minutes Past Midnight is a beautiful and striking children’s novel, sprinkled with golden magic, which might be inspired by, for example, Astrid Lindgren’s Nangijala. [Palmkvist] uses a slightly humoristic tone, which is positive, even when facing things that are sad. [Four Minutes Past Midnight] is very moving about sickness, life, and love within a family.”