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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This book was anything like that I usually or have ever read. Normally not my type of book but I gave it a go anyways. Once I started it I could barely put it down. It was quite an easy read. I got wrapped up in Zelda's story and rooting her on. I loved how resilient she is. She hasn't had the best life but never lets that get her down. I got angry at some of the other characters in the book and than I cried at the end. I highly recommend this book.
Apparently I didn't bother to read a summary of this book before I added it to my library queue because when I started reading it was nothing like I'd expected, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing :) Zelda is a just-turned-21-year-old woman living with her older brother. She is also on the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum and while, physically, she doesn't appear to be different, she does have challenges which she faces by viewing herself as a viking warrior and her close friends and family as her tribe. Zelda's quest is thoroughly modern but her "viking filter" for life is wonderfully executed throughout the story as she determines who the legends and villains are around her. Almost four stars, but there is a ton of cursing and a few scenes of sex and violence that would definitely be rated R if this was a movie (yes, it is all fitting for the story, but still turned me off).
Whenever I hear the name “Zelda” I immediately think of that 1990’s Canadian news comedy show, “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”, that routinely included a segment starring a flabby middle-aged comedienne who, dressed in a skimpy studded-leather Marvel-like superheroine outfit (with the added finishing touches of dominatrix-styled chains, garters, black Cleopatra wig and bright red lipstick), would arrive at Parliament Hill (in real time), sword brandished, ready to do battle with the current Prime Minister over whatever inane policy or statement had been issued that week—a true warrior princess! Well, the narrator in “When We Were Vikings”, 21-year-old Zelda MacLeish, has the same sort of moxie, enthusiastically engaged in war against anyone out to harm her tribe...a marvellous saga of female empowerment where every woman character experiences an “aha” moment on her quest for self-actualization. The nine main tenets of the Viking Code are severely tested in this brutally honest story: truth, courage, honour, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, self-reliance, industriousness and perseverance. “Better to die with honour than live with shame—The Saga of the Jomvikings,” c.23) This book is definitely NOT reading for the faint of heart! Skaal!
I have mixed feelings about this book. What’s really getting to me is the incongruity of plot and marketing for this novel. This is not an uplifting, heart warming story! It is a dark and dicey and really painful story about abuse, sexuality, exploitation, identity, and trust. There are redeeming moments and lovable characters, but it is not the cheery YA novel that the cover leads you to expect.
Going to have trouble recommending this read to anyone without thorough disclaimers.
Going to have trouble recommending this read to anyone without thorough disclaimers.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The main character is a woman who has been affected by fetal alcohol poisoning. It makes her fierce and strong, but in non-traditional ways.
I’m not always keen on male authors with female main characters, but this was epic. I loved it. I hated it. I couldn’t stop reading it.
I’m not always keen on male authors with female main characters, but this was epic. I loved it. I hated it. I couldn’t stop reading it.
3½-4 stars.
It was definitely a very different story compared to what I expected. The novel was a bit confusing at the beginning, but it grew upon me the more that I've read of it. The characters and the plot are quite different from other YA novels and I really liked it. It didn't feel like some standard template that the author just filled in - this is in fact an interesting story.
It was definitely a very different story compared to what I expected. The novel was a bit confusing at the beginning, but it grew upon me the more that I've read of it. The characters and the plot are quite different from other YA novels and I really liked it. It didn't feel like some standard template that the author just filled in - this is in fact an interesting story.
4 stars for this debut novel told very well through the voice of Zelda as she faces daily challenges associated with her Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, her brother and the difficult situation they are in. And you really can't go wrong with Vikings!
Quick read, but felt like it was a little unrealistic. Interesting narrator and facts about Vikings.
Our book group read this book and we all universally liked it a lot. Great characters, a well written book with a really good story. Highly recommended.