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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
It is a slow start. You have to bear with it a little bit, but the spooky stuff does start building up. I figured out a few of the twists in advance, but the way everything comes together is still surprising and satisfying. It is appropriately called “a ghost story.” I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling it, but if you like multiple narratives, slow burns, and twists (and can put up with some sad plot elements), you’ll find this one is worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
Thrilling and genuinely chilling tale with two intertwined narratives. This one flew by, I literally could not wait to find out what happened.
mysterious
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(updated August 3rd.)
Freyr’s investigation into the disappearance of his son was one of the main sections of the book that I looked forward to. Especially the grief that comes with losing a son and how it clouded his judgment was decently written. I also enjoyed how he confessed to his ex-wife about his affair and how he sat there, thinking about how if he hadn't had the affair, his son would still have been alive.
Lif, Katrín, and Gardar’s section was not my favorite, as I felt a bit bored and expected more from the ghost and paranormal experience (such as more taunting from the ghost or just being creepy from afar). I know there were a few instances with the ghost of the boy, but it just felt kind of tame. Poor dog, though, he tried his best in his warnings/growls.
The story was a bit slow in the beginning (for me at least), but it got better as you continued reading. It wasn’t as scary as I wanted it to be, but I still appreciated the writing and how isolated the island felt. The weather being set in the Winter made the location feel more isolated.
Freyr’s investigation into the disappearance of his son was one of the main sections of the book that I looked forward to. Especially the grief that comes with losing a son and how it clouded his judgment was decently written.
Lif, Katrín, and Gardar’s section was not my favorite, as I felt a bit bored and expected more from the ghost and paranormal experience (such as more taunting from the ghost or just being creepy from afar). I know there were a few instances with the ghost of the boy, but it just felt kind of tame. Poor dog, though, he tried his best in his warnings/growls.
The story was a bit slow in the beginning (for me at least), but it got better as you continued reading. It wasn’t as scary as I wanted it to be, but I still appreciated the writing and how isolated the island felt. The weather being set in the Winter made the location feel more isolated.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
Overall, not bad, but plot a bit too contrived. I found it hard to believe the connections between the characters, even in a country of 375,000, and the whole ghost subplot compared to other ghost stories I've read was rather lacking. I listened while hiking over the course of a few days, so it was interesting enough to keep me going. This is the first book I've read by Yrsa, and I know she is highly regarded for crime fiction, so I should have read one of her other books. I have her novel Brakið because I started to study Iceland in the past, but it's still too hard for me to read in the original. Maybe I'll try another book of hers.
In Iceland it gets so dark that you can’t see anything, so their version of “show don’t tell” is “just tell and tell and tell, no matter how shitty the story is.”
Quite badly written (or translated) - very clunky dialogue.