Himalayas Pizza — Irena Karpa

At the heart of the story is a teenage girl (who strongly resembles the author herself in her youth) living in a small provincial town. Her life is a mix of school, dreams of the wider world, first parties, and attempts to find her true self amid the gray monotony of everyday life.

The title “Himalayan Pizza” is a metaphor for something exotic and unattainable that the characters are trying to find in their surroundings. It’s a story about travel (both real and imagined), music, teenage rebellion, and the desire to escape to a place where life feels real.

Key features of the book:

Style: The book is written in lively, conversational language. It is sincere, sometimes a bit crude, but very honest.

Atmosphere: Karpa perfectly captures the spirit of the “transition period”—both in a person’s life and in the life of the country.

Humor: The author pokes fun at stereotypes, provincial customs, and pretentiousness, doing so with ease and precision.