Next Time Everything Will Be All Right

With her previous books (including published in English 'Dear Rikard'), Lene Ask got a lot of attention especially for her personal and humorous descriptions of the daily life. 'Next time everything goes right' is Ask's first cartoon that is not about herself. The artist handles the transition to the new format excellently. She tells the story about the village girl Marte who has moved to Oslo to study and work at a library. When her father dies, Marte has to go home again, and among other things try to find out her relationship with the strictly religious mother. With persistent idealism, she strives to make the right choices, but throughout history gets new insights into what is important in life. Lene Ask again shows her ability to describe people with great empathy and credibility. She glides freely between the big existential themes and the small everyday events. Her clear drawings and effective use of colour drive the story forward and support the characters' characteristics.