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ellaticonstellation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It made me sad that he lost the love of his life and brought his heart with her when she passed.
Loneliness must have eaten him inside out. Good thing, he met new people around the community even though he's the most grumpy old man alive; people around him seemed to get his tough exterior.
It's like Ove complains a lot about other people's choices, decisions, and intelligence, but helps them anyway. I'm in my early 30s and I understood his annoyance because sometimes people younger or older than me are way different than I am.
This story is heartwarming, and sad, but funny at some points because of the community he is in.
I love that Parvaneh's kids considered him as their granddad, that's so sweet. He even gifted one of them a new iPad. So sweet❤️
Ove must have been happy to die and meet Sonja in the afterlife like what he wanted all along.
Even though he wanted to go; he touched people's lives before he did and that made this story worth reading.
It's as if he found a family before going to the love of his life. He must have a lot of stories for her.
Ove and Sonja's love story broke me😭
Now, I have to see the movie adaptation.🔥
Graphic: Cursing, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child death, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Self harm, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Cancer, Death of parent, Homophobia, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Death, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Miscarriage
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ove is an elderly curmudgeon of a man and also a recent widower. After his wife's death, life has lost all meaning and he is walling himself off from the world around him in preparation for his own death. Things don't progress as smoothly as he'd hoped because his interfering, nosy, well-intentioned neighbors keep showing up with minor emergencies for him to resolve.
The plot concept is simple and not entirely unique. (It certainly reminds me of the movie Up by Pixar which was produced a couple years prior to this book.) That said, Backman leans into that simplicity and just tells a really good, moving story. He doesn't try to make is surprising or twisty. Instead, he builds a relationship between the reader and Ove and the cast of characters that surround him.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see this book touch on topics like ableism, ageism, xenophobia, racism, social services and homophobia. I did not expect this book to take a stance on these topics, but each one is addressed by little plot points throughout the story.
The characterization was one of my favorite parts of the book. Each character from Ove himself to the minorest of supporting characters is vibrant, alive, and realistic. Not only could I imagine the interactions that occur, but I've actually witnessed similar interactions by similar people in my own life.
If you enjoy found family tropes, grumpy old men, and an easy to enjoy style of writing, this is the book for you! Don't be put off by the hype. This one is worth it.
Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
ate_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use