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veloci_rachel 's review for:
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
by Fredrik Backman
It seems that Goodreads has changed some of the star rating descriptions, but until recently (at least in my memory, likely flawed), 5 stars means, "I loved it." I don't think this book is perfect by any means, but just as you can fall in love with an imperfect person, so too did I fall completely in love with this imperfect book and it's imperfect inhabitants. As Granny says, it is ever so slightly "reality challenged."
Like Elsa, my champion was also my grandma, a "perky" woman in the sciences at a time when that was a very difficult thing to be. My grandma was my hero and my idol; I miss her every day, so to see our relationship reflected in this book was deeply personal and moving for me. I also happen to have a profound love of Harry Potter, Star Wars, and all things Marvel Comics, and I connected with Elsa so immediately and empathized with her struggle as a female who identifies with traditionally male fandoms. Although I would not recommend this book for younger readers as it does contain some very dark, adult themes, I think Elsa is a great female character who would inspire others like her to keep embracing the things they love.
1) Sometimes, all you want to read is a happy story, or at least one that is only unhappy in an average, "these things happen to everyone" kind of way. I think this story would have been just as wonderful, deep, and moving if it had simply been about a girl learning to fit in, dealing with grief from a loss most of us will experience, and learning to accept the human imperfections of her idol.
I got more and more annoyed as the story became less and less believable and felt duped by the author because by then I was already deeply invested in these characters and wanted to know if they were going to be OK. I actually think the message of this book would have been more pure if it simply focused on Elsa's discovery of the individual struggles of each housemate and the role her granny played in their lives. We didn't need a villain like Sam to showcase those bonds.
2) I am extremely sick of sociopaths. They've become incredibly popular in fiction as of late and I'm just done with them altogether. Sociopaths are not common, although you would think there's one living in every house based on the frequency with which they're showing up in novels these days. ENOUGH. This book did not need a sociopathic villain and it made a very unique and creative tale feel very played out at the end.
3) DOES THE DOG REALLY ALWAYS HAVE TO DIE? REALLY? Also, how on Earth does this animal live on chocolate? Isn't chocolate bad for dogs? The wurse's diet borders on abuse by malnutrition. Am I supposed to accept that this is actually a magical creature and is isn't being starved to death or made sick by a diet of milk and cookies and chocolate?
/endrant
I love fairy tales, and I think this was a charming, moving, and dark new story that is ultimately about how one incredible woman uses the strength of her character and her faith in her family to build and protect her community. It's also about a little girl's quest to embrace being different in a world that puts tremendous pressure on her to conform. Despite some of the circumstances in the book pushing the limits of reality, I think that ultimately this is a journey that will resonate with anyone who's felt a little bit different, who needs a champion, and who was lucky enough to have incredible grandmother.
Like Elsa, my champion was also my grandma, a "perky" woman in the sciences at a time when that was a very difficult thing to be. My grandma was my hero and my idol; I miss her every day, so to see our relationship reflected in this book was deeply personal and moving for me. I also happen to have a profound love of Harry Potter, Star Wars, and all things Marvel Comics, and I connected with Elsa so immediately and empathized with her struggle as a female who identifies with traditionally male fandoms. Although I would not recommend this book for younger readers as it does contain some very dark, adult themes, I think Elsa is a great female character who would inspire others like her to keep embracing the things they love.
Spoiler
However, in the spirit of Elsa, I want to add a few notes on the imperfections:1) Sometimes, all you want to read is a happy story, or at least one that is only unhappy in an average, "these things happen to everyone" kind of way. I think this story would have been just as wonderful, deep, and moving if it had simply been about a girl learning to fit in, dealing with grief from a loss most of us will experience, and learning to accept the human imperfections of her idol.
I got more and more annoyed as the story became less and less believable and felt duped by the author because by then I was already deeply invested in these characters and wanted to know if they were going to be OK. I actually think the message of this book would have been more pure if it simply focused on Elsa's discovery of the individual struggles of each housemate and the role her granny played in their lives. We didn't need a villain like Sam to showcase those bonds.
2) I am extremely sick of sociopaths. They've become incredibly popular in fiction as of late and I'm just done with them altogether. Sociopaths are not common, although you would think there's one living in every house based on the frequency with which they're showing up in novels these days. ENOUGH. This book did not need a sociopathic villain and it made a very unique and creative tale feel very played out at the end.
3) DOES THE DOG REALLY ALWAYS HAVE TO DIE? REALLY? Also, how on Earth does this animal live on chocolate? Isn't chocolate bad for dogs? The wurse's diet borders on abuse by malnutrition. Am I supposed to accept that this is actually a magical creature and is isn't being starved to death or made sick by a diet of milk and cookies and chocolate?
/endrant
I love fairy tales, and I think this was a charming, moving, and dark new story that is ultimately about how one incredible woman uses the strength of her character and her faith in her family to build and protect her community. It's also about a little girl's quest to embrace being different in a world that puts tremendous pressure on her to conform. Despite some of the circumstances in the book pushing the limits of reality, I think that ultimately this is a journey that will resonate with anyone who's felt a little bit different, who needs a champion, and who was lucky enough to have incredible grandmother.