skurtyka89 's review for:

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

4.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a heartwarming and humorous story that tugs at your heartstrings. A 63 year-old woman trying to find herself after a life of trauma and submission. There are heartbreaking moments, which are punctuated with beautiful moments of healing. The characters were wonderful. A typical Backman story that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. The ending wrapped up fast, was ambiguous and not exactly what I hoped for, but offered partial satisfaction and hope for what was left open. The audiobook was fun to listen to, though the narrator made Britt-Marie sound like an 83 year old, instead of the 63 year old she is. The other voices weren’t the greatest either, but the narrator was able to evoke a lot of emotion which helped give the story more depth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

Additional Content Warnings: Heart Attack, Robbery, Knife Violence