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A review by nina_reads_books
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
2.0
This book has a really different main protagonist. Zelda is 21 years old and lives with her older brother Gert after the death of their mother. Fairly early on you realise that Zelda is a bit different and we soon find out she has fetal alcohol syndrome.
Zelda is obsessed with Vikings and this mythology is included throughout the book. Zelda uses the imagery of a strong Viking woman to give herself confidence. Gert is the main income earner and is trying to complete college through a scholarship but it soon becomes apparent he is mixing with fairly shady characters and his efforts to earn money might possibly be criminal.
So I loved reading about the lovable Zelda and her quirks and Viking ways of thinking. The way she approaches her relationships with her friends and boyfriend at the Community Centre she attends is wonderful to watch but the portrayal of Gert as an angry and violent young man really lost me. He obviously loves and cares for Zelda but his violent actions at certain points just felt so off. The deeper and deeper involvement in the criminal world I also found perplexing with the finale being so unrealistic – to me – that I could no longer connect with the story.
Lots of people have loved this book though so if it sounds interesting to you I’d say go for it. For me it was an average read.
Zelda is obsessed with Vikings and this mythology is included throughout the book. Zelda uses the imagery of a strong Viking woman to give herself confidence. Gert is the main income earner and is trying to complete college through a scholarship but it soon becomes apparent he is mixing with fairly shady characters and his efforts to earn money might possibly be criminal.
So I loved reading about the lovable Zelda and her quirks and Viking ways of thinking. The way she approaches her relationships with her friends and boyfriend at the Community Centre she attends is wonderful to watch but the portrayal of Gert as an angry and violent young man really lost me. He obviously loves and cares for Zelda but his violent actions at certain points just felt so off. The deeper and deeper involvement in the criminal world I also found perplexing with the finale being so unrealistic – to me – that I could no longer connect with the story.
Lots of people have loved this book though so if it sounds interesting to you I’d say go for it. For me it was an average read.