Children's Books2025 · 264 pp · Age 12+
Dick pics and other disasters
Michael Stilson
Jonas is head-over-heels for Manuela, the new girl at school. But he has zero experience with girls – and even less of a clue about how to get their attention. Then he overhears some classmates talking about how effective sending dick pics can be. Desperate and wildly misguided, Jonas decides to give it a try. But taking a decent pic turns out to be harder than expected – bad lighting, awkward angles, hiding behind a curtain so no one sees him... and then, disaster: he sends it to the wrong person. Not just anyone – he sends it to his mum.
It's already the worst thing that’s ever happened to Jonas. But then it gets worse: his phone is confiscated for the rest of the day. No scrolling, no games, no chats. Just a full Saturday – offline. With Brutus. His weirdest friend.
What do people even do without a screen? Go outside? Play hide-and-seek? Ding dong ditch? Steal apples?One disaster leads to another… until, a miracle happens.
This outrageous, laugh-out-loud novel takes place over the course of a single day. A day full of poor choices, absurd moments, and one unforgettable miracle. With sharp humor and big heart, Michael Stilson captures both the horror of sending the world’s worst text and the strange, unpredictable freedom of being offline. Inspired by Stilson’s year-long participation in NRK’s Avlogga project, where he lived without a smartphone, the book is a bold, timely look at teenage life, social media addiction, and what happens when the signal goes dead – and real life kicks in.
