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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
fast-paced
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this novella follows ronja and her older sister melissa as they try to survive a tough holiday season with their alcoholic father. when he can’t keep a job selling christmas trees, melissa takes charge of holding the family together. told from 10-year-old ronja’s perspective, the story mixes harsh realities with small moments of hope and kindness.
as for my thoughts? it was… okay. the writing is beautiful, and the bittersweet holiday vibes are there, but the ending felt rushed and left me wanting more closure. not a must-read for me, but if you like sad but hopeful holiday stories, this might be your thing.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Skrivemåten var helt oppslukende. Minnet meg om en deprimerende versjon av en Erlend Loe-bok som ønsker å gjøre deg trist før jul
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
sad
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A rather bittersweet Christmas read - with two sisters doing their best to survive life with an alcoholic and not particularly present Father. They survive on the meagre earnings from the older sisters job selling Christmas Trees and by telling each other stories of imagined other lives - like living in a cosy cottage deep in the woods. Gonna need something cheerful for my next book!
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
To begin with, this book had legs. I was hoping it might even enter Claire Keegan's 'Foster' territory. It was moving and I became invested in the characters however, the magical realism at the end was disappointing. I wanted more closure and I felt like there were plenty of opportunities for the book to sink deeper but Rishøi didn't quite nail it.