Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I Remember You won the Icelandic Crime Fiction Award and also was nominated for The Glass Key Award.
This is the story of three friends who go to a isolated Icelandic village. They go during the off season (winter) in order to restore an old home they bought in hopes of turning it into a guesthouse or bread and breakfast before people start arriving in the village for the summer. It doesn't take long before they realize they may not be alone there. The village seems to be haunted.
There is also secondary story going on in another small town across the fjord. A doctor there also had a son named Benni who disappeared as a child. The doctor is also involved in the suicide investigation of a woman who mentioned Benni in her journals.
Eventually the two stories collide and the secrets behind these strange happenings get revealed.
I've heard that the rights to a film have been purchased. I'm not sure if it will translate well onto the big screen. It could be really cheesy or truly terrifying. Let's hope they do the book justice.
This is the story of three friends who go to a isolated Icelandic village. They go during the off season (winter) in order to restore an old home they bought in hopes of turning it into a guesthouse or bread and breakfast before people start arriving in the village for the summer. It doesn't take long before they realize they may not be alone there. The village seems to be haunted.
There is also secondary story going on in another small town across the fjord. A doctor there also had a son named Benni who disappeared as a child. The doctor is also involved in the suicide investigation of a woman who mentioned Benni in her journals.
Eventually the two stories collide and the secrets behind these strange happenings get revealed.
I've heard that the rights to a film have been purchased. I'm not sure if it will translate well onto the big screen. It could be really cheesy or truly terrifying. Let's hope they do the book justice.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A slow burn with a good payoff.
The ending was incredibly tense and satisfying, elegantly tying all the loose threads together in a way that really paid off.
That said, the pacing dragged at times. The family-focused chapters felt a bit repetitive: scenes of life in the haunted house building up to a scare and a cliffhanger, then rinse and repeat. In contrast, the alternating chapters following the psychiatrist’s investigation were far more engaging.
The ending was incredibly tense and satisfying, elegantly tying all the loose threads together in a way that really paid off.
That said, the pacing dragged at times. The family-focused chapters felt a bit repetitive: scenes of life in the haunted house building up to a scare and a cliffhanger, then rinse and repeat. In contrast, the alternating chapters following the psychiatrist’s investigation were far more engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death
4.5 Stars
A story that starts off simple enough, and ends in a quagmire of lies, deceit, trauma and things long forgotten.
3 friends purchase an old home in a remote village, hoping to turn a profit and create memories. Too bad the house has memories of its' own. These memories and unsettling spirit that roams free, makes sweet memories impossible to create. So, we are left in the cold and dark, just like these 'friends.' (take note)
On a separate, but is it really; plot line, we have a psychiatrist dealing with his own loss. His son went missing and was never found. He moves through life like a ghostly apparition, never confronting the truth (take note) and dealing with the consequences. A 3rd (maybe) plot-line is the deaths of elderly folk who went to school together after another child went missing. Of course, this was 45+ years ago, so what does that have to do with anything?? Everything.
The author weaves these missing children, the deaths and this old house across the water with ease. It is all very unsettling, because the truth is right there. You can almost see it. It unsettles and then frightens you in its horror. When you learn the truth, it gives you answers, but not peace. The end pissed me off. Like what? Hence, the 1/2 star loss.
This book actually creeped me out and I had to stop reading it at night before bed. This was a great ghost story. Highly recommended
A story that starts off simple enough, and ends in a quagmire of lies, deceit, trauma and things long forgotten.
3 friends purchase an old home in a remote village, hoping to turn a profit and create memories. Too bad the house has memories of its' own. These memories and unsettling spirit that roams free, makes sweet memories impossible to create. So, we are left in the cold and dark, just like these 'friends.' (take note)
On a separate, but is it really; plot line, we have a psychiatrist dealing with his own loss. His son went missing and was never found. He moves through life like a ghostly apparition, never confronting the truth (take note) and dealing with the consequences. A 3rd (maybe) plot-line is the deaths of elderly folk who went to school together after another child went missing. Of course, this was 45+ years ago, so what does that have to do with anything?? Everything.
The author weaves these missing children, the deaths and this old house across the water with ease. It is all very unsettling, because the truth is right there. You can almost see it. It unsettles and then frightens you in its horror. When you learn the truth, it gives you answers, but not peace. The end pissed me off. Like what? Hence, the 1/2 star loss.
This book actually creeped me out and I had to stop reading it at night before bed. This was a great ghost story. Highly recommended
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes