nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
Well, I was not expecting this one to be as good as it was. This is the story of a murder investigation and it is told through three sets of eyes- the father, who is a pastor who is known for not lying, but has a warped idealized version of his daughter. The daughter, who is accused of the crime, but has a deep dark side which began after she tested her sexuality and it went horribly wrong. The mother, who has seemed to be absent for most of the story, but brings her own spin to everything.
Rather than jumping back and forth, the author took the Rashomon narrative and we stay with each character up until a certain point and then the perspective switches without returning to the previous perspective. This was a nice take as after a bit, you become tired of the voice or the story the person is weaving and then it is over and begins a new voice.
Good story, but was a bit long as you will figure out what probably happened mid daughter’s story, so mom’s seems tedious. I liked it though.
Rather than jumping back and forth, the author took the Rashomon narrative and we stay with each character up until a certain point and then the perspective switches without returning to the previous perspective. This was a nice take as after a bit, you become tired of the voice or the story the person is weaving and then it is over and begins a new voice.
Good story, but was a bit long as you will figure out what probably happened mid daughter’s story, so mom’s seems tedious. I liked it though.
randomreader41's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
noellel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
catreader18's review against another edition
5.0
A pastor and his family face something no family wants to face. Eighteen year old Stella is arrested for murder. The story unfolds first from the view of the father, Adam, a pastor. The viewpoint changes to the mother, Ulrika, a criminal defense lawyer. Finally the viewpoint changes to Stella, the daughter accused of murder. It is set in Sweden and is the author’s first book published in the US.
I was intrigued by the book because of the storyline and also because of the setting. The criminal system in Sweden is different than in the US and the author cleverly explained how the system worked via Ulrika. It was very helpful so I was not confused as to what was going on. The story explores how parents battle doing everything they can to protect their child with the ethics shown in their jobs, a pastor and a lawyer. How do you protect your child and each other while finding out the truth?
You will not be disappointed in this book!
I was intrigued by the book because of the storyline and also because of the setting. The criminal system in Sweden is different than in the US and the author cleverly explained how the system worked via Ulrika. It was very helpful so I was not confused as to what was going on. The story explores how parents battle doing everything they can to protect their child with the ethics shown in their jobs, a pastor and a lawyer. How do you protect your child and each other while finding out the truth?
You will not be disappointed in this book!
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
Wow. A Nearly Normal Family had me completely riveted from the very beginning. Once I got started I was barely able to put it down until I finished, reading it all in one day.
What would you do to protect someone you love? How far would you be willing to go for your kids? How well do you really know your family? These are all questions this book can make you ponder.
18 year old Stella Sandell and her parents are a perfectly ordinarily (Nearly Normal) family - until the night everything changes. Now Stella is being held on suspicion of murder and her parents are trying to learn what happened and figure out how best to help her.
Told in three different sections - the father, the daughter, the mother - it gives us a really unique way of seeing the same events from different perspectives.
I had lots of theories and suspicions about what happened and what was going to happen that were changing the whole time I read. I highly recommend!!
Thank you so much to the publisher Celadon for the advance reading copy in exchange for my review.
What would you do to protect someone you love? How far would you be willing to go for your kids? How well do you really know your family? These are all questions this book can make you ponder.
18 year old Stella Sandell and her parents are a perfectly ordinarily (Nearly Normal) family - until the night everything changes. Now Stella is being held on suspicion of murder and her parents are trying to learn what happened and figure out how best to help her.
Told in three different sections - the father, the daughter, the mother - it gives us a really unique way of seeing the same events from different perspectives.
I had lots of theories and suspicions about what happened and what was going to happen that were changing the whole time I read. I highly recommend!!
Thank you so much to the publisher Celadon for the advance reading copy in exchange for my review.
applekern's review against another edition
4.0
Quite captivating read, told using 3 perspectives. Definitely enjoyed the story, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the last page. The writing style is definitely different from the typical novel I read, which is an intriguing detail most likely caused by the book‘s swedish origin.
carking's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
melissah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bwkramer's review against another edition
5.0
Not sure how this book ended up on my list but I’m glad it did. Very solid. Great story. Enough twists to keep it interesting.
jgreen929's review against another edition
5.0
One murder trial. Three different perspectives. This book flawlessly introduces us to three different narrators (one for each part). The author's ability to change the voice between each part is incredible. As I read this book I had a few theories of what really happened to Christopher Olsen, but it wasn't until the very end that everything came full-circle. A murder mystery that really kept me guessing the whole way through.