chaoticnostalgia'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
4.5
Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Car accident, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Medical content, Cancer, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Pregnancy, Animal death, and Alcohol
yuna's review
- 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
Throughout the course of the story you learn why/how he is the way he is, and a lot of it is wonderful. I really liked the structure of this book and how the backstory unfolds with the present. His relationship with Sonja is so tender and lovely, and the slow creation of a found family in the present is great. Translation work was very good--it read very fluidly.
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
A few CW notes: so much suicidal ideation in this book. Homophobia, xenophobia (that Ove only sort of softens on. He grows to be more understanding/accepting in a lot of ways, but there's a layer of ingrained xenophobia he never truly gets over), and both overt and casual fatphobia. Minor animal cruelty.letsavoidadulting's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Spoiler
suicide and animal abuseGraphic: Suicide
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Animal death
vniasf's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Miscarriage
fujo_cat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Animal death, and Violence
clawfinger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Cursing, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, and Violence
cianarae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Car accident, Terminal illness, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Miscarriage
Minor: Animal death, Ableism, Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
antoniaodernein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Terminal illness, Medical content, Fatphobia, Cancer, Animal death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Body shaming, Dementia, and Fire/Fire injury
shannanigans92'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
4.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Ableism
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Homophobia
Minor: Violence, Infertility, Animal death, and Blood
booksandel'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
Sometimes a book lands in your lap by some miracle at the perfect moment in your life. This was one of those times. I struggle to think of a better moment in my life to handle the intense and almost unbearable discussion of grief and love and living.
Was it perfect? No. The blatant and unnecessary fatphobia in this was irritating to say the least and I had a few other small things that didn't totally work for me (the timeline was too fast and too slow at the same time and this needs to stop being marketed as humorous because it is decidedly NOT funny. At best, it's charming and endearing.) But that does not mean that its emotional impact and true mastery of the craft of writing doesn't merit it five stars. There were moments wherein I was overwhelmed by the beautiful prose in the darkest moments of this book and that precision is a testament to Backman's skill.
Easily takes its place in my top books of the year already and I do not see it being bumped from that list. And Backman is now cemented in my mind as an author whose entire works I cannot wait to devour.
(though I think I can wait because idk if I'm ready to cry my eyes out again too soon)
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Animal death
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, and Terminal illness