afox98's review against another edition
4.0
After a somewhat slow start, this book blooms into a beautiful telling of normal people’s lives as a fairy tale scripted by the 7yo narrator’s granny. That 7yo, Elsa, and her granny are best of friends. When Granny dies, she sends Elsa on a mission of sorts to deliver letters to people in their lives to tell them she’s sorry for various things, and along the way, Elsa learns more about the people she just glossed past before, and also learned more about her grandmother and her earlier life. It’s a complex story but the author drips just enough detail in each succeeding chapter to whet your appetite for more. Elsa is pretty precocious and quirky and quite intelligent for a 7yo but she hangs out with mostly adults so that makes her style of speech and actions a bit more believable. The unfolding of the back story and unveiling of how it connects to the fairy tale Granny has always told Elsa is gradual but well done. Unique and interesting book.
mhworth's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t have the words for the joy and beauty of this book. I cried and smiled through a lot of it— which is a weird feeling.
annemarco's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
carolinafidalgo's review against another edition
5.0
“Ter uma avó é como ter um exército. É o derradeiro privilégio dos netos: saberem que têm alguém sempre do seu lado sejam quais forem as circunstâncias.”
Comecei este livro sem qualquer expectativa. Tinha adorado o “A Man called Ove” mas não tinha gostado assim tanto do “Anxious People”, no entanto decidi dar uma oportunidade a este livro e ainda bem que o fiz.
O livro conta-nos a história de Elsa uma menina de 7 anos muito perspicaz para a idade e a história com a sua avó, o elo de ligação que ambas criaram. O melhor de tudo é que apesar de o ponto principal ser a ligação entre as duas, os restantes personagens têm um papel tão ou mais importante e são todos muito bem descritos ao longo da narrativa.
É uma história tão bonita que sinto que a vou levar para sempre comigo. Sinto que este livro foi como se me dessem um abraço durante todo o tempo em que o li. Gostei tanto que me faltam as palavras. Leiam!
Comecei este livro sem qualquer expectativa. Tinha adorado o “A Man called Ove” mas não tinha gostado assim tanto do “Anxious People”, no entanto decidi dar uma oportunidade a este livro e ainda bem que o fiz.
O livro conta-nos a história de Elsa uma menina de 7 anos muito perspicaz para a idade e a história com a sua avó, o elo de ligação que ambas criaram. O melhor de tudo é que apesar de o ponto principal ser a ligação entre as duas, os restantes personagens têm um papel tão ou mais importante e são todos muito bem descritos ao longo da narrativa.
É uma história tão bonita que sinto que a vou levar para sempre comigo. Sinto que este livro foi como se me dessem um abraço durante todo o tempo em que o li. Gostei tanto que me faltam as palavras. Leiam!
nglofile's review against another edition
4.0
Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero. That's just how it is. Anyone who doesn't agree needs their head examined. That's what Elsa's granny says, at least.
What a magical beginning, yet rooted in humor, compassion, and the hint of surmounting difficulties -- which means it is a thumbnail preview of what this book will portray. This isn't a story of escaping reality through storytelling; it's an example of how embracing story can provide the strength, inspiration, and perspective needed to cope with life's hardships. Granny's character certainly incorporates the wacky (perhaps a new manifestation of manic-pixie-elder-dreamgirl?), but we see glimpses that she outsizes her natural free spirit tendencies to counter the worries, fears, and precision of an extraordinary yet struggling little girl. Even if some of the crossover between fantasy kingdom and real life seems a tad disjointed or strains even generous license with credibility, no soft-hearted reader will dare complain.
re-read for book discussion: Interesting to note how many of the participants largely skimmed any passages of the Land of Almost Awake and how many zeroed in on Britt-Marie as a favorite character throughout the story, even if unaware that she later earned her own spin-off.
What a magical beginning, yet rooted in humor, compassion, and the hint of surmounting difficulties -- which means it is a thumbnail preview of what this book will portray. This isn't a story of escaping reality through storytelling; it's an example of how embracing story can provide the strength, inspiration, and perspective needed to cope with life's hardships. Granny's character certainly incorporates the wacky (perhaps a new manifestation of manic-pixie-elder-dreamgirl?), but we see glimpses that she outsizes her natural free spirit tendencies to counter the worries, fears, and precision of an extraordinary yet struggling little girl. Even if some of the crossover between fantasy kingdom and real life seems a tad disjointed or strains even generous license with credibility, no soft-hearted reader will dare complain.
re-read for book discussion: Interesting to note how many of the participants largely skimmed any passages of the Land of Almost Awake and how many zeroed in on Britt-Marie as a favorite character throughout the story, even if unaware that she later earned her own spin-off.
nikmahie's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get through the pages and pages of tales from Miamas. I was skipping through it, and I hate that. It was dragging on and I couldn’t find the energy anymore to keep on going. The way it’s written, is not for me. I could hear the rambling of Elsa… It made me feel anxious.
This book is, sadly, not for me.
This book is, sadly, not for me.
leaps's review against another edition
3.0
I love his style of writing. He describes and gives metaphors.
But the girl is 7, almost 8? There were times where I wish that she could be just a child sometimes. She is very insightful, maybe to much?
The other world was sometimes unneseceary to the story. You dis not always had to read it.
But the girl is 7, almost 8? There were times where I wish that she could be just a child sometimes. She is very insightful, maybe to much?
The other world was sometimes unneseceary to the story. You dis not always had to read it.
kimdanya's review against another edition
3.0
Did I enjoy this book? Sort of. Fredrick Backman is a incredible author, how could I possibly write a bad review?
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
Backman is incredible. I came to love the community of individuals in this building. I love how he used fairytales so Elsa, and the reader, could understand the world. It was a little slower than I usually like, but I've read enough Backman to know that it will be worth it in the end, and boy, was it. This is a story about death, grief, friendship, community, the whole world, really. This would have been the perfect book to read around Christmas, and ideally, I should have read it before I read Britt Marie, but I still enjoyed it.