I Am Vincent and I'm Not Afraid — A Review

Data shows bullying is growing exponentially in Italian schools, eroding the very foundations of healthy development for both victims and perpetrators, and of civil life itself. Among the many books addressing this scourge, we recommend I Am Vincent and I'm Not Afraid (CameloZampa 2022, translated by Olga Amagliani), a novel for young readers by Dutch writer Enne Koens. The book tells the story of Vincent, an eleven-year-old from Rotterdam in fifth grade, struggling to survive years of violence and humiliation from school bullies. Through Vincent's voice we hear not only the daily hell imposed by his tormentors, but also what happens inside his mind as a victim: the distorted way he sees reality, the psychological damage bullying inflicts on him, and his conviction that he somehow deserves the nightmare consuming him ("I don't know what came first: me feeling different, or them treating me differently"). Far from simplistic, this novel is an essential piece for understanding the truth. And a call to move forward with determination to defeat a reality we cannot and must not accept.