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This book! Wow, just wow.
Generally speaking, I don't tend to read thrillers but there was something about this book that just spoke to me and I am so, so glad I gave it a chance!
This is a steady, slow-burning story that makes it increasingly difficult to know if the bad guy truly is a bad guy.
I've written and deleted this review countless times because part of me wants to talk and talk and talk but the other, more sensible, part of me refuses to post spoilers!
I need to talk about this book so I need you all to read this book ASAP before I explode! (That last paragraph!😱🤯)
Thank you so much to Doubleday Books for sending me a free proof copy of Resin by Ane Riel.
Generally speaking, I don't tend to read thrillers but there was something about this book that just spoke to me and I am so, so glad I gave it a chance!
This is a steady, slow-burning story that makes it increasingly difficult to know if the bad guy truly is a bad guy.
I've written and deleted this review countless times because part of me wants to talk and talk and talk but the other, more sensible, part of me refuses to post spoilers!
I need to talk about this book so I need you all to read this book ASAP before I explode! (That last paragraph!😱🤯)
Thank you so much to Doubleday Books for sending me a free proof copy of Resin by Ane Riel.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Duister, meeslepend, spannend, bizar, die woorden kom ik vaak tegen in reacties op dit boek. En ze kloppen zeker! Maar naast dat alles vond ik het ook een bijzonder grappig boek. Wat een heerlijke onderkoelde humor zit er in, het is zo mooi droog geschreven. Het verhaal van het gezin is triest, maar ik heb echt genoten van de manier waarop de jonge Liv tegen dingen aankijkt. Dat maakt het geheel een stuk luchtiger, liever en misschien zelfs een beetje onschuldiger.
"'s Nachts had ik gedroomd dat ik onder een waterval stond die onderweg naar beneden spijt kreeg."
Ik hou ervan :)
"'s Nachts had ik gedroomd dat ik onder een waterval stond die onderweg naar beneden spijt kreeg."
Ik hou ervan :)
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my fricking God! This book is the most disturbing scandi masterpiece of art. Its like that saying: watching a train wreck but you cant look away or something? This book evokes some psycho parts of me that allow me to enjoy despite it all. I am never recovering from that birth scene, ever. This is such a raw and rich debate material on various social topics: lets talk about isolation, loss, attachement, belonging, fear, surviving. Lets talk about the grey area. Lets talk how no one notices the worlds that are falling apart due to some garbled politeness and minding our own business. Or how our children are the most endagered and the most protected beings at the same time. How families create this monstruous patterns inside that never trully go away. And how dangerous is to stay or look back. This book gives a whole different spin on toxic love trope and wild setting makes it even more horrific. Would recommend this adrenaline kick slash mind enticing gem to everyone. Stretch yo tummies a bit, reality is not that far away sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Mental illness
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Podchodziłam do tej pozycji jak pies do jeża - i chciałam i bałam się. Wystarczyło, że przeczytałam opis wydawcy i już miałam przeczucie, że "Żywica" może mnie sponiewierać i przerazić. Dlatego, mimo początkowego strachu, z ciekawością sięgnęłam po powieść duńskiej pisarki. I tym razem moje przeczucia całkowicie się sprawdziły - mamy tu do czynienia z książką, w której pierwsze skrzypce gra osobliwy, niepokojący klimat, ocierający się wręcz o naturalizm. Właściwie brak tu dialogów, a jednak powieść przyciąga i sprawia, że nie chce się jej odkładać. Czasami wywołuje smutek i niepokój, po to, byś za moment mógł się taplać w obrzydzeniu. Wznieca skrajne emocje i może budzić mieszane uczucia.
Ciężko napisać coś więcej na temat "Żywicy" nie chcąc zdradzać zbyt wiele informacji na temat samej fabuły. Mogę natomiast zapewnić, że jest trochę straszno - kiedy pod koniec nieco uspokoiłam emocje i złapałam oddech, ostatnia super creepy scena przyprawiła mnie o lekki zawał. Na pewno szczegóły tej historii na długo utkwią mi w głowie.
Ciężko napisać coś więcej na temat "Żywicy" nie chcąc zdradzać zbyt wiele informacji na temat samej fabuły. Mogę natomiast zapewnić, że jest trochę straszno - kiedy pod koniec nieco uspokoiłam emocje i złapałam oddech, ostatnia super creepy scena przyprawiła mnie o lekki zawał. Na pewno szczegóły tej historii na długo utkwią mi w głowie.
3.5
Not bad, but not great either. I think this will work very well as a television series, which I understand is in the making. As a novel/thriller I guess it is up there with the better ones, but I am increasingly failing to enjoy - or even see the point of spending time on - fictional thrillers when there is so much good non-fiction and true crime out there...
Not bad, but not great either. I think this will work very well as a television series, which I understand is in the making. As a novel/thriller I guess it is up there with the better ones, but I am increasingly failing to enjoy - or even see the point of spending time on - fictional thrillers when there is so much good non-fiction and true crime out there...
You know when you watch a scary movie and you really don't want to look, well, "Resin" made me feel like that but for some inexplicable strange reason I COULDN'T tear my eyes away! Such a hauntingly creepy, chilling and disturbing story yet beautifully atmospheric and at times emotional and tender.
Blurb - His father, his brother, his son had taught him - whoever leaves him will never come back. Liv died when she was just six years old. At least, that's what the authorities think. But behind the boxes and baskets crowding her Dad's workshop, Liv is hiding. This way her Dad had said, she'd never have to go to school; this way she'd never leave her parents. This way, Liv would be safe.....
I'm not too sure there's much I can say about the storyline without giving much away other than what the blurb tells you, which leaves you completely intrigued and desperate to read but the fact that I have never read anything like it EVER before makes it a unique and very original read that packs a punch around every corner.
The characters are brilliant, disliking them one minute but then feeling sorry for them soon after. Jens' character was particularly well thought out and I could picture him so clearly. Young Liv was pivotal to the story and I enjoyed so much reading her thoughts and actions. When Roald entered the story, the mounting dread of what could happen when the house and family was discovered, kept me turning the pages and it didn't disappoint, creating an atmosphere of palpable tension.
There were a couple of triggers in the book, which although didn't effect me at all could to some - so if baby deaths and animal cruelty do upset you then best be warned. However, the issues were paramount to the story and in no way were meant to cause upset or distress and were handled perfectly.
So well written and imaginatively created, this book deserves all the awards it's had in Scandinavia and it's definitely a one which will continue to stay with me a very long time. After the tense conclusion to the book and the jaw dropping last page, I'm going to seriously miss this dark book in a warped way and I truly wish the author Ane Riel every success with this fabulously written book!
All the stars and then some!!
Blurb - His father, his brother, his son had taught him - whoever leaves him will never come back. Liv died when she was just six years old. At least, that's what the authorities think. But behind the boxes and baskets crowding her Dad's workshop, Liv is hiding. This way her Dad had said, she'd never have to go to school; this way she'd never leave her parents. This way, Liv would be safe.....
I'm not too sure there's much I can say about the storyline without giving much away other than what the blurb tells you, which leaves you completely intrigued and desperate to read but the fact that I have never read anything like it EVER before makes it a unique and very original read that packs a punch around every corner.
The characters are brilliant, disliking them one minute but then feeling sorry for them soon after. Jens' character was particularly well thought out and I could picture him so clearly. Young Liv was pivotal to the story and I enjoyed so much reading her thoughts and actions. When Roald entered the story, the mounting dread of what could happen when the house and family was discovered, kept me turning the pages and it didn't disappoint, creating an atmosphere of palpable tension.
There were a couple of triggers in the book, which although didn't effect me at all could to some - so if baby deaths and animal cruelty do upset you then best be warned. However, the issues were paramount to the story and in no way were meant to cause upset or distress and were handled perfectly.
So well written and imaginatively created, this book deserves all the awards it's had in Scandinavia and it's definitely a one which will continue to stay with me a very long time. After the tense conclusion to the book and the jaw dropping last page, I'm going to seriously miss this dark book in a warped way and I truly wish the author Ane Riel every success with this fabulously written book!
All the stars and then some!!
Histoire sale.
Il m'a fallu 4 lectures pour la première moitié du roman et une seule pour la seconde. La raison ? On a enfin un regard extérieur à cette famille matricide et on s'extirpe du narrateur non fiable qu'est la gamine. Qui "cause comme une gamine". Moi qui pensais être très sévère vis-à-vis des enfants, l'auteure ne semblent pas leur accorder plus de 25 de QI. C'est pénible à lire, surtout lorsqu'on évite consciencieusement de se farcir ce genre de monologue dans la vie réelle. Donc cette première partie qui met en place très lentement les événements n'est pas vraiment intéressante à lire.
La seconde partie met en mouvement la mise en place et on découvre enfin l'étendue de ce qui nous a été caché de manière trop facile avant. On ressent enfin autre chose qu'un vague dégoût pour les personnages et l'exploration de la maison est excellement écrite. En ce qui concerne le final, il fonctionne correctement, il n'a rien d'inédit.
L'auteure sait charger la mule lorsqu'il s'agit de faire dans le sordide. Saleté et morbidité s'attaquent à tous, des enfants aux vieux. Cet acharnement n'a pas fonctionné sur moi, je suis resté au niveau de l'inintérêt poli. Choquer pour choquer n'est plus vraiment effectif de nos jours, manque le fond.
Pourquoi a-t-elle écrit cette histoire ? Qu'a-t-elle voulu raconter ? A mon avis, rien et elle ne possède pas encore suffisamment d'art pour que ça passe.
Il m'a fallu 4 lectures pour la première moitié du roman et une seule pour la seconde. La raison ? On a enfin un regard extérieur à cette famille matricide et on s'extirpe du narrateur non fiable qu'est la gamine. Qui "cause comme une gamine". Moi qui pensais être très sévère vis-à-vis des enfants, l'auteure ne semblent pas leur accorder plus de 25 de QI. C'est pénible à lire, surtout lorsqu'on évite consciencieusement de se farcir ce genre de monologue dans la vie réelle. Donc cette première partie qui met en place très lentement les événements n'est pas vraiment intéressante à lire.
La seconde partie met en mouvement la mise en place et on découvre enfin l'étendue de ce qui nous a été caché de manière trop facile avant. On ressent enfin autre chose qu'un vague dégoût pour les personnages et l'exploration de la maison est excellement écrite. En ce qui concerne le final, il fonctionne correctement, il n'a rien d'inédit.
L'auteure sait charger la mule lorsqu'il s'agit de faire dans le sordide. Saleté et morbidité s'attaquent à tous, des enfants aux vieux. Cet acharnement n'a pas fonctionné sur moi, je suis resté au niveau de l'inintérêt poli. Choquer pour choquer n'est plus vraiment effectif de nos jours, manque le fond.
Pourquoi a-t-elle écrit cette histoire ? Qu'a-t-elle voulu raconter ? A mon avis, rien et elle ne possède pas encore suffisamment d'art pour que ça passe.
I thought Ane Riel- Resin was superb, again with an authentic child’s voice, in a claustrophobic tale of the lengths one man will go to in order to protect his family. With its fairytale quality, this was creepy and macabre in equal measure, and with its encroaching forest setting, the landscape used seemed to perfectly mirror the dark tale that unfolds.