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illuminatedspace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
The book has all the elements of an interesting mystery/thriller. Simultaneous murder plot, mysterious child death, possible ghosts, a small town with a secret to hide. The way everything came together felt a bit unsatisfying. There's no way you could figure out what was happening before the solving of a mystery. The b plot that was covered goes unresolved.
It is possible that there is something cultural being lost in translation but it just didn't hit for me.
It is fairly short and wasn't an unpleasant read, it just isn't sticking with me.
It is possible that there is something cultural being lost in translation but it just didn't hit for me.
It is fairly short and wasn't an unpleasant read, it just isn't sticking with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
_thelitlibrarian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.50 stars
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TW; Child Death, Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, Murder, Suicide.
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After the tragic death of her father, Una is worried her life will end up just like his. When an opportunity arises for her to teach to two young children in the small village of Skálar, she is quick to jump at the chance in hopes for a new lease at life. It is clear that from the start, things are not as they seem - the villagers (a handful of them) are unfriendly, the winter is bleak, and a chilling ghost story that just so happens to have happened in the attic she is staying in lead to Una believing she's bit off more than she can chew. Everything changes when a few days before the holidays there's a tragic murder that leaves the villagers stunned.
I went into this under the impression that it was a ghost story, and although it does dabble in the supernatural, it wasn't what I expected. I found the plot to be a little confusing at times as some of the book is told from an alternate perspective of a crime that happened in the past. It was really interesting to see how it all tied together in the end - I think that without the ending I wouldn't have liked this book as much. If you're into a slow-burn book, this is the one for you. I will applaud Ragnar for an amazing job at setting a chilling atmosphere, reading this book made me feel just as isolated as Una was in this book.
-
TW; Child Death, Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, Murder, Suicide.
-
After the tragic death of her father, Una is worried her life will end up just like his. When an opportunity arises for her to teach to two young children in the small village of Skálar, she is quick to jump at the chance in hopes for a new lease at life. It is clear that from the start, things are not as they seem - the villagers (a handful of them) are unfriendly, the winter is bleak, and a chilling ghost story that just so happens to have happened in the attic she is staying in lead to Una believing she's bit off more than she can chew. Everything changes when a few days before the holidays there's a tragic murder that leaves the villagers stunned.
I went into this under the impression that it was a ghost story, and although it does dabble in the supernatural, it wasn't what I expected. I found the plot to be a little confusing at times as some of the book is told from an alternate perspective of a crime that happened in the past. It was really interesting to see how it all tied together in the end - I think that without the ending I wouldn't have liked this book as much. If you're into a slow-burn book, this is the one for you. I will applaud Ragnar for an amazing job at setting a chilling atmosphere, reading this book made me feel just as isolated as Una was in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Murder, and Suicide
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