A review by laurazdavidson
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald

3.0

“The Grendels are evil,” I said. “Well,” Dr. Laird said, “maybe the Grendels you’re talking about are pure evil. But regular monsters are more complicated.”

Zelda is a 21-year-old woman born with Fetal Alchohol Syndrome and obsessed with Vikings, and this, her coming of age story, is in turns heartwrenching, horrifying, and (ultimately) uplifting. The language and situations can be rough; there are several situations that some readers may find triggering.