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thestorydoer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The book follows a 7-year-old girl Elsa, and I must say, it is impressive to have the narration feel like the lens of a child, and not have it be incredibly annoying. This girl makes sense of the world through the fairy tales which her grandmother had given her as she grew up, and it permeates as the main narrative style throughout the entire book. It turns out all the fairy tales her grandmother had told, which seem fantastical, were based on real human beings.
And that's something I love about Fredrick Backman. He portrays the elderly people with flaws which feel immensely relatable, but also quite unique to the elderly. He leaves no character untouched, as each character feels so deeply layered, it's quite hard to keep track of.
Each story has its place in the story, and it's quite a talent to pack so much story into something digestible and not overly expositional. However, I'm afraid that because there is so much stuff, it's quite difficult to keep track of it all. So many stories are so intertwined, there are some occasions where a story could come up and it takes a couple backtracks to remember exactly which story the event is a part of. That, I believe, is the only flaw in this book. It's a major flaw, but it doesn't detract completely from the rest of the story. Because at the core of it, every sub-plot is a different expression of the same story. That's why each story feels like it belongs.
Overall, an excellent and beautifully written book which has a lot to say. So much, it'll probably need a re-read in the near future. 4.25/5
Graphic: Grief, War, Stalking, and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
embla_v's review against another edition
3.75
Boken handlar om en 7-åring vars mormor dör vilket leder till att flickan skickas ut på en skattjakt. En jakt efter sanningen om alla hon känner och framförallt om sin mormor.
Rekommenderar till all som gillar Backman böcker.
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, Violence, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, War, Abandonment, Cursing, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
missknown's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Most of the characters, if not all, can be frightening, challenging or straight obnoxious. Although the author manages to transform those same characters into likable people. Explores their past and stories, making them more human, making the reader see they are in fact good people that occasionally do shitty things.
Despite the harshness of some stories and the topics it explores, like grief, the book is very humorous. The light-hearted view of the world from Elsa's perspective and the chaotic energy of Elsa's grandmother, there is plenty of funny moments to break an otherwise very melancholic narrative.
Minor: Grief, Cancer, Infidelity, War, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
bookedwithbrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, War, Death, Bullying, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Abandonment
hollybearhouck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Cancer, Violence, and War
madisonfrank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, War, Animal death, Grief, Death, Pregnancy, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Stalking
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, Violence, War, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse
tpasta's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Grief and Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, War, and Violence
faythd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death
Minor: Abandonment and War
Just a note, there are several references to the Harry Potter universe which could turn people off from this otherwise great book. I felt the need to mention that as J.K. Rowling and her work can be triggering.alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Animal death, Infidelity, War, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Grief, Addiction, Death of parent, Abandonment, Car accident, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma
deepcurvesahead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Violence, Addiction, Stalking, and Gun violence
Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, and Cancer