Take a photo of a barcode or cover
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Forced institutionalization
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a lot of thoughts on this book. I can see how it could be a popular book, I think I’ve read a fairly similar book to this and found this one just didn’t hit as hard as I think it was trying to hit.
Firstly, bro is 59, that is not old, that is middle age. Genuinely if he was like 20 years older I could have liked this book so much more. I think I ended up pretending he was older in my head for my own sake.
Secondly, I feel like you need to be a little more cautious when talking about suicide. I’m not saying you can’t, or even ove can’t be suicidal. But PLEASE if this is what you write about, write about their emotions more. I want to FEEL why he is suicidal, not just be told bro is old and lost his wife so therefore he is suicidal. Like genuinely his mindset is not when I would say is a suicidal mindset (this is just my opinion though). I fully understand at the end he is probably subconsciously trying to not actually commit suicide but this is just a very sensitive line to walk on.
Thirdly, bro is saying the most controversial things and we are just supposed to let it slide cause he is old??? (And he isn’t even that old lol) I’m sorry, but like you can still be respectful, not racist, and not homophobic in your “old” age.
Cat was the MVP of this book tbh. I wanted more cat POV
Saabs are now haunting me lol
I did tear up at the end so I do give it credit for that, I just feel like too many things irked me that i couldn’t look past.
Firstly, bro is 59, that is not old, that is middle age. Genuinely if he was like 20 years older I could have liked this book so much more. I think I ended up pretending he was older in my head for my own sake.
Secondly, I feel like you need to be a little more cautious when talking about suicide. I’m not saying you can’t, or even ove can’t be suicidal. But PLEASE if this is what you write about, write about their emotions more. I want to FEEL why he is suicidal, not just be told bro is old and lost his wife so therefore he is suicidal. Like genuinely his mindset is not when I would say is a suicidal mindset (this is just my opinion though). I fully understand at the end he is probably subconsciously trying to not actually commit suicide but this is just a very sensitive line to walk on.
Thirdly, bro is saying the most controversial things and we are just supposed to let it slide cause he is old??? (And he isn’t even that old lol) I’m sorry, but like you can still be respectful, not racist, and not homophobic in your “old” age.
Cat was the MVP of this book tbh. I wanted more cat POV
Saabs are now haunting me lol
I did tear up at the end so I do give it credit for that, I just feel like too many things irked me that i couldn’t look past.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is essentially like that entire montage at the beginning of Up… prepare some tissues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
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
If you spend enough time with someone you will find at least one thing you like about them and that opens up a gate way into more like able qualities; especially if that person is a grumpy old man who feels alone in the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Fredrik Backman’s quirky style of writing. His stories are poignant and make me cry 😭 This book is like the Pixar movie “Up” if it was written for depressed adults. 😅
“Loving someone is like moving into a house. At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.”
“Loving someone is like moving into a house. At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A perfect book! I fell in love with these characters and they live in my heart forever now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I find it hard to articulate why I loved this book so much. It made me think of my grandfather, of my dad, of a lot of people in my life and who have been in my life who I love very much. For a book so sad, a book I legitimately sobbed at the end of, I laughed and smiled and shared passages with my husband a lot more than I would've expected.
I don't know how to review this properly, but I will include my favorite two passages (no real spoilers) because it made me smile. Make sure to check the content warnings, but I hope you read this book if you can get past them (although totally understood if you can't).
I don't know how to review this properly, but I will include my favorite two passages (no real spoilers) because it made me smile. Make sure to check the content warnings, but I hope you read this book if you can get past them (although totally understood if you can't).
Looking back, he couldn't quite explain why he stayed. Maybe because he felt, in spite of it all, that an agreement to meet was an agreement. And maybe there was some other reason. Something a little harder to put his finger on. He didn't know it at the moment, of course, but he was destined to spend so many quarter hours of his life waiting for her that his old father would have gone cross-eyed if he'd found out. And when she did finally turn up, in a long floral-print skirt and a cardigan so red it made Ove shift his weight from his right foot to his left, he decided that maybe her inability to be on time was not the most important thing.
"Loving someone is like moving into a house," Sonja used to say. "At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake has been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Crying and laughing, in any combination
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Homophobia, Dementia