Reviews

In the prologue Jonas Jonasson mentions how he never planned to write a sequel and I think that it shines through in the course of this book. The first installment is cute, funny, adventurous and just a little bit outrageous. This book tried to capture that vibe, but failed. In the end it isn't really about Allan but more about the other characters and that is what made it a 2.5 star read for me.
I also didn't like it being a satire about modern politics as well, it felt misplaced.

codetrasher's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cassandra_t's review against another edition

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3.0

This is the story of Allan, a newly 101 year old man who is all about adventure. It begins with him receiving a tablet, that he thinks is the greatest gift ever. Then when going in a hot air balloon for his birthday, he ends up crashing into the Indian Ocean, being picked up by a North Korean vessel, and ending up lying to save his life. The lies turns into one of many and his hilarious adventure continues with him travelling the world and trying to figure out how to do what’s best and not what’s easiest.

This book reminded me of old shows like Pink Panther and Get Smart, with someone who somehow bumbles their way through predicaments, but that always come out of them winning. I loved the old man in it and his ways of getting out of sticky situations. I, however, was not as fond of how much of a political aspect it had. Some parts were rather hard to get through, as I just wasn’t interested, but I kept reading simply for the old man.

king_of_the_pippins's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

leihleih's review against another edition

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funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

katariina_typpo's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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