A review by edamamebean
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An excellent book and my first by Tove Jansson. I’m not sure how I went this long without reading one of her books, but this was exceptional. Very atmospheric, a little spooky. It reminded me of We Have Always Lived in the Castle in a lot of ways. 

I found it interesting that the roles were almost reversed between these two women. Anna is elderly, but she’s very childlike and trusting. Her friends call her “Little Anna.” She keeps her parents’ house the way they like it despite the fact that they’ve been dead for years. Meanwhile, Katri is young but had to grow up very quickly in order to take care of her brother. She’s shrewd and cynical, and at times she takes an almost parental role with Anna. And even more odd, Anna seems to almost crave this parenting. It really is an expertly crafted story. There’s some fascinating symbolism, but it never feels heavy-handed. 

Shout out to the ladies of the Books Unbound podcast and Kat Dennings for this recommendation!