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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
sad
medium-paced
Not for me but a sweet little book. Beautiful settings. Sad.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
started off ok but lost me in the second half. i don’t mind a book where there’s little plot but this just felt too plotless. some parts were heartwarming and i did enjoy the narrative voice of ronja and her perspective, but this just wasn’t what i was expecting. the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, and this wasn’t the type of upbeat and light christmas read i was anticipating.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a sad, eye-opening, and thought-provoking read. I would gladly give this book five stars over and over again. Ronja and Melissa both live lives that are all too familiar to many individuals and I found a sense of nostalgia within the writing. This was a simple read that allowed me to get soaked in the storyline through a child’s Christmas joy and anticipation. I highly recommend!
I'm not sure how I feel about this story. It was well written and reminded me of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." With the subject matter, it's not what you would call a "feel-good" story, but you still were invested in Ronja's story. The ending was also somewhat ambiguous and I tend to prefer books that wrap up in neat little bows. But I'm still glad I read it.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
En ledsam men samtidigt fin berättelse. Konsekvenserna av pappans alkoholism är stundtals jobbig att läsa och barnens perspektiv i det hela är Rishøi riktig bra på att få fram i skrift. Slutet var lite av en besvikelse då jag inte riktigt vet om jag förstått det hela rätt. Min upplevelse av boken är dock möjligtvis påverkad av att jag läst många noveller de senaste veckorna som belyser liknande problematik med föräldrar som, av olika anledningar, inte klarar av föräldrarskapet. Jag behöver nog en paus från dessa ämnen.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Two young girls struggle at Christmastime
Narrator Ronja is ten years old and lives with her older sister Melissa and their father in an apartment in Oslo. Life is not easy for them; their father is an alcoholic and is regularly unemployed, leaving Melissa to act as primary caregiver for Ronja. Having enough food to eat isn't a given in this household, although there are those who know of their situation and do their best to provide some support when needed. Despite this less than ideal life, Ronja is an optimistic dreamer. When someone lets her know of a job locally selling Christmas trees and wreaths, she pushes her father to pursue it. He gets the job and all is well for a short time, but he soon reverts to old patterns and starts visiting his favorite bar. Melissa takes his place at the tree lot to try to keep food on their table, and Ronja helps her as best she can. Each girl supports the other, and they are the recipients of kindness from neighbors and even strangers, but can these earnest and hard-working girls continue to hold out hope for a better future?
This is a beautifully written and poignant story that owes more than a little to the classic story of the little match girl. Like that well-known tale, this is no warm and fuzzy, happily ever after Christmas read(. That said, it is a quick and satisfying read which reminds us all that not everyone enjoys a happy holiday....Ronja and Melissa have been dealt a bad hand in life, and the ending is left up to the reader's imagination (but its difficult to imagine a complete happily-ever-after). It has been beautifully translated from the original Norwegian by Caroline Waight, and there are so many characters that spring to life as the story unfolds. Readers who have enjoyed the Christmas tales of Richard Paul Evans, Jean Shepherd and Fannie Flagg, as well as classics like The Little Matchgirl and The Gift of the Magi would be well served to add this to their holiday TBR. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press for allowing me access to this magical if heartwrenching tale.
Narrator Ronja is ten years old and lives with her older sister Melissa and their father in an apartment in Oslo. Life is not easy for them; their father is an alcoholic and is regularly unemployed, leaving Melissa to act as primary caregiver for Ronja. Having enough food to eat isn't a given in this household, although there are those who know of their situation and do their best to provide some support when needed. Despite this less than ideal life, Ronja is an optimistic dreamer. When someone lets her know of a job locally selling Christmas trees and wreaths, she pushes her father to pursue it. He gets the job and all is well for a short time, but he soon reverts to old patterns and starts visiting his favorite bar. Melissa takes his place at the tree lot to try to keep food on their table, and Ronja helps her as best she can. Each girl supports the other, and they are the recipients of kindness from neighbors and even strangers, but can these earnest and hard-working girls continue to hold out hope for a better future?
This is a beautifully written and poignant story that owes more than a little to the classic story of the little match girl. Like that well-known tale, this is no warm and fuzzy, happily ever after Christmas read(. That said, it is a quick and satisfying read which reminds us all that not everyone enjoys a happy holiday....Ronja and Melissa have been dealt a bad hand in life, and the ending is left up to the reader's imagination (but its difficult to imagine a complete happily-ever-after). It has been beautifully translated from the original Norwegian by Caroline Waight, and there are so many characters that spring to life as the story unfolds. Readers who have enjoyed the Christmas tales of Richard Paul Evans, Jean Shepherd and Fannie Flagg, as well as classics like The Little Matchgirl and The Gift of the Magi would be well served to add this to their holiday TBR. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press for allowing me access to this magical if heartwrenching tale.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3⭐️
Bittersweet but quick and a welcome winter-y read. It was lovely to read from a young girls perspective. She viewed the world like an adult but in a more magical way.
The open ending was sad but I'm glad that the girls got to stay together. True sisterhood.
Bittersweet but quick and a welcome winter-y read. It was lovely to read from a young girls perspective. She viewed the world like an adult but in a more magical way.
The open ending was sad but I'm glad that the girls got to stay together. True sisterhood.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes