This book answers the age-old question of what a father and mother will do for their child in the most horrific circumstances.
Newly minted 18-year-old Stella Sandell is accused of the crime of stabbing 33 year old Christopher Olsen to death with a large knife. Did she do it? What do her parents believe? What do you believe?
I picked up this book because it was all over bookstagram. There wasn’t a whole lot of hype but there was enough that I felt the need to pick it up.
When I finished the book, I was a little underwhelmed. I think that I miscategorized this book as a thriller when in fact, it is a Nordic noir, in the same vein as Dear Mother by Nova Lee Maier. I expected a lot from a book like this because of the differing perspectives and that was a way of telling the story that I had never experienced. In that regard, it did well, I think the way it was structured was masterful, however, the father’s portion was too long (150 pages of the total 389) and I almost DNF’d this title because I was getting increasingly frustrated with him. The mother’s perspective is stuck at the end of the book with just under over 90 pages, not including the epilogue. It didn’t feel very equal.
The book is unique in showing us the same scenes from differing perspectives. It does a lot to open your eyes to the possibilities of the children we raise and how much control we really have on how they turn out. It did so well to define the lines between right and wrong and then completely blur them. Even though I don’t have kids, I could relate to the feeling of failure. Have you ever put some much effort into something and then things not go the way you planned? Have you ever let the silence linger for so long that you don’t remember that there were ever words in the spaces? Thinking that if you don't talk about it, it will just magically get better?
I loved the writing. Honestly, with the exception of the mentions of Swedish cities and handball, you wouldn’t even know it was a translation. The words flowed so well, written with such artistry. There wasn’t a lot of character development of the mother. I left the book wondering what her motivations were. A lot of the characters outside of the three perspectives were casualties of the narrative. However, that is part of the whole point, the thought that nothing else is more important than the problem that they are facing at that moment.
The last 90 pages felt rushed. The pacing of the story picked up so much that I completely skipped over the verdict because I didn’t know what was going on. It reverted back and forth from flashbacks to the present, while granted they were separated by chapters, it still didn’t feel like a cohesive story.
With all of that in mind, do I should you pick up this book?
Absolutely.
Even though this is M.T. Edvardsson’s first US release (not his first novel), he brings a new voice and challenges us to look inside ourselves with a universal question and real characters to relate to, not typically found in today’s fiction.
I will be picking up anything he decides to write in the future.
4.5 stars.
Newly minted 18-year-old Stella Sandell is accused of the crime of stabbing 33 year old Christopher Olsen to death with a large knife. Did she do it? What do her parents believe? What do you believe?
I picked up this book because it was all over bookstagram. There wasn’t a whole lot of hype but there was enough that I felt the need to pick it up.
When I finished the book, I was a little underwhelmed. I think that I miscategorized this book as a thriller when in fact, it is a Nordic noir, in the same vein as Dear Mother by Nova Lee Maier. I expected a lot from a book like this because of the differing perspectives and that was a way of telling the story that I had never experienced. In that regard, it did well, I think the way it was structured was masterful, however, the father’s portion was too long (150 pages of the total 389) and I almost DNF’d this title because I was getting increasingly frustrated with him. The mother’s perspective is stuck at the end of the book with just under over 90 pages, not including the epilogue. It didn’t feel very equal.
The book is unique in showing us the same scenes from differing perspectives. It does a lot to open your eyes to the possibilities of the children we raise and how much control we really have on how they turn out. It did so well to define the lines between right and wrong and then completely blur them. Even though I don’t have kids, I could relate to the feeling of failure. Have you ever put some much effort into something and then things not go the way you planned? Have you ever let the silence linger for so long that you don’t remember that there were ever words in the spaces? Thinking that if you don't talk about it, it will just magically get better?
I loved the writing. Honestly, with the exception of the mentions of Swedish cities and handball, you wouldn’t even know it was a translation. The words flowed so well, written with such artistry. There wasn’t a lot of character development of the mother. I left the book wondering what her motivations were. A lot of the characters outside of the three perspectives were casualties of the narrative. However, that is part of the whole point, the thought that nothing else is more important than the problem that they are facing at that moment.
The last 90 pages felt rushed. The pacing of the story picked up so much that I completely skipped over the verdict because I didn’t know what was going on. It reverted back and forth from flashbacks to the present, while granted they were separated by chapters, it still didn’t feel like a cohesive story.
With all of that in mind, do I should you pick up this book?
Absolutely.
Even though this is M.T. Edvardsson’s first US release (not his first novel), he brings a new voice and challenges us to look inside ourselves with a universal question and real characters to relate to, not typically found in today’s fiction.
I will be picking up anything he decides to write in the future.
4.5 stars.