Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love an Icelandic mystery novel!
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was on a Nordic Noir kick and absolutely wanted to keep going.
But this book is, like, not good. At first I th0ught it was the translation from Icelandic to English. Then I realized that no, it was just not a good book. The structure of it was a complete mess -- the flashback at the beginning with the blood in the snow, the flashbacks to the home invasion, the deep dive into the theater troupe characters that only kicks in about 50% of the way through the book, the bizarre twist at the end that was less of a fun reveal and more of a "um ok" bump in the road.
And the dialogue. Can we discuss the dialogue? Because it was shit. And again, I'm building in some buffer here because it was not written in English. But even with a 10% margin of grace on that, it's still terribly stilted and forced.
The one thing Snow Blind had going for it was the setting. Siglufjordur is almost its own character -- the small town gossip, the physically imposing mountains, the darkness, the unending snow...it feels so creepy and claustrophobic, you immediately understand our hero's sense of fright when left alone with his thoughts.
But as a mystery, it was a shit show. Skip.
But this book is, like, not good. At first I th0ught it was the translation from Icelandic to English. Then I realized that no, it was just not a good book. The structure of it was a complete mess -- the flashback at the beginning with the blood in the snow, the flashbacks to the home invasion, the deep dive into the theater troupe characters that only kicks in about 50% of the way through the book, the bizarre twist at the end that was less of a fun reveal and more of a "um ok" bump in the road.
And the dialogue. Can we discuss the dialogue? Because it was shit. And again, I'm building in some buffer here because it was not written in English. But even with a 10% margin of grace on that, it's still terribly stilted and forced.
The one thing Snow Blind had going for it was the setting. Siglufjordur is almost its own character -- the small town gossip, the physically imposing mountains, the darkness, the unending snow...it feels so creepy and claustrophobic, you immediately understand our hero's sense of fright when left alone with his thoughts.
But as a mystery, it was a shit show. Skip.
I love reading about Iceland and this was a really good mystery. Set in a remote northern Icelandic town, Ari Thor is a very likable narrator and the townspeople are interesting and enjoyable characters. I’ll definitely read the next in the series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Length: 8 hours and 15 minutes. Bearable.
Narrator: Will Damron - okay
Shelves: Series (New), FAH Reading Challenge (60. Book written by an author from a location that YOU hope to visit one day (or set in that location)
Met Expectations - The book was okay, but I wonder if something gets lost in the translation from Icelandic. I purchased the first three books in the series, so I'll get to see how the writer develops.
Exceeded Expectations
Below Expectations
Why did I make myself read this?
Narrator: Will Damron - okay
Shelves: Series (New), FAH Reading Challenge (60. Book written by an author from a location that YOU hope to visit one day (or set in that location)
Met Expectations - The book was okay, but I wonder if something gets lost in the translation from Icelandic. I purchased the first three books in the series, so I'll get to see how the writer develops.
Why did I make myself read this?
I am always a hard grader with my stars and this one should be a 4.5 or a 5. All the twists and turns of an epic mystery. Anytime I can't figure out the "whodunnit", I am a fan of the author and this one did not disappoint. I love the style of writing and the character build and now I want to go to Iceland too! The ending will leave you wanting more and so I am glad I waited until the next book was already published as this would make me crazy otherwise. No spoilers.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes