The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
daisy_blub's review
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tearsofgold's review against another edition
1.0
I started reading this book before realising halfway through that it is a recount of the authors life which changes the way the book reads and not for the better. I did not enjoy reading this and found the author and how she spoke about herself insufferable. Also the way she dotes on the child is ridiculous and she is very overbearing. The authors note where she blatantly says for her son to never leave her makes her sound like a âno one will be good enough for my sonâ mum. Also I could never imagine telling the world through a book that I forced my partner into having a child by continually telling him that he would get over his hesitations about having a child once they were born. This is not something to be proud of as you forced a child to be born to a man that didnât want one fully in the first place. Sorry but this book is a hard no for me and I would not recommend it to anyone. Also she doesnât even name half the friends and family who support her but simply refer to them as my friend or my step mother. Where is the character development - if you are going to call this a novel which it clearly isnât. Call it an autobiography if your going to write like she does in the book. Again sorry but I would never read this book again and barely got through it the first time.Â
Edit: the only redeeming quality about this book it displayed an abusive relationship really well and the strength it takes to leaveÂ
Edit: the only redeeming quality about this book it displayed an abusive relationship really well and the strength it takes to leaveÂ
inlovewurmom's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bkish's review
2.0
This will be a very for me difficult review tainted by reams of guilt
When I began the book I didnt know it is the author's life story and I learned that when I read some of the other reviews.
First I want to say that unlike the author I am not from Sweden. I am not a mother. I did not have a man I loved die at a young age.
So how can I write an honest review of a book by a woman who had tragedies in her life and has sat down to tell of them to others? I should sympathize empathize be kind
Honestly this is the craziest story I have ever read. That has to be all as I dont want to say what I want to say since the story and Caroline's life with the two men in her life and with her son Ivan and her friends and her family and Ivan's father's family is so uncomfortable crazy that I can say nothing more
Judy
When I began the book I didnt know it is the author's life story and I learned that when I read some of the other reviews.
First I want to say that unlike the author I am not from Sweden. I am not a mother. I did not have a man I loved die at a young age.
So how can I write an honest review of a book by a woman who had tragedies in her life and has sat down to tell of them to others? I should sympathize empathize be kind
Honestly this is the craziest story I have ever read. That has to be all as I dont want to say what I want to say since the story and Caroline's life with the two men in her life and with her son Ivan and her friends and her family and Ivan's father's family is so uncomfortable crazy that I can say nothing more
Judy
elissacsweet's review
5.0
Let's Hope for the Best is a beautiful book about grief, motherhood, love and family. The book is written from the perspective of young widow Carolina to her partner Askel after his sudden death, recounting to him their early relationship and the birth of their son, plus her experiences in the two years after his death. This unique storytelling style highlights the longing and nuance of new motherhood and falling in love, along with the strange guilt and anger that follows the loss of a partner. It felt like an intimate glimpse into a part of life I haven't experienced, with a bonus of learning a little bit more about the day-to-day life (and amazing maternity leave) in metropolitan Sweden. Let's Hope for the Best was heartbreaking, yes, but ultimately hopeful and beautiful, and I loved this book.
mazza57's review
1.0
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An autobiographical tale dressed in Fictional clothing. It opens with a email/text from Aksel with instructions of what to do in case of his death. 6 months later a young supposedly healthy man Aksel dies in his sleep and what follows is a mix of Carolina's reminiscence about the development of their relationship and a recounting of her life after his death. For me it is a stream of memories and events that probably helped Carolina to deal with the events but just read like a list of what happened when to me. I think it failed because the author doesn't weave enough into the fictional narrative, it feels almost emotionless at times. I felt like she could have made more of the the original email from Aksel as she fictionalised this account - why is it the opening plot device and then barely mentioned again?
I think the author might have been better to portray her experience as truly an autobiography or fully fiction, this in between just doesn't work.
An autobiographical tale dressed in Fictional clothing. It opens with a email/text from Aksel with instructions of what to do in case of his death. 6 months later a young supposedly healthy man Aksel dies in his sleep and what follows is a mix of Carolina's reminiscence about the development of their relationship and a recounting of her life after his death. For me it is a stream of memories and events that probably helped Carolina to deal with the events but just read like a list of what happened when to me. I think it failed because the author doesn't weave enough into the fictional narrative, it feels almost emotionless at times. I felt like she could have made more of the the original email from Aksel as she fictionalised this account - why is it the opening plot device and then barely mentioned again?
I think the author might have been better to portray her experience as truly an autobiography or fully fiction, this in between just doesn't work.
emilybh's review against another edition
3.0
âToday itâs been a month. I've been waiting for this day ... I still havenât really understood what happened, and maybe Iâm even less sure now how to keep going. I realise itâs not a sustainable strategy to just count the days and months, soon I have to start filling my life with something meaningful.â
.
This memoir by a Swedish writer details the authorâs experience after suddenly losing the father of her eight-month old son. Short chapters describing the years leading up to the pregnancy are alternated with Setterwallâs account of her partner's death, her grief, and then her attempt to make a life for herself and her child. It is an unsparing and disarmingly honest book, and I found it intriguing to read about their relationship and life in Stockholm, and her own doubts both before and after having her son. It was hard to put down, and the final chapter, in which she starts a new relationship, was also incredibly candid. I can see why it's got such good reviews.
.
This memoir by a Swedish writer details the authorâs experience after suddenly losing the father of her eight-month old son. Short chapters describing the years leading up to the pregnancy are alternated with Setterwallâs account of her partner's death, her grief, and then her attempt to make a life for herself and her child. It is an unsparing and disarmingly honest book, and I found it intriguing to read about their relationship and life in Stockholm, and her own doubts both before and after having her son. It was hard to put down, and the final chapter, in which she starts a new relationship, was also incredibly candid. I can see why it's got such good reviews.
rorolouisa's review
3.0
This was a nice read. I loved her voice. However, it was extremely repetitive and not the kind of book I HAD to finish, ya know?
faysieh's review against another edition
3.0
This book is definitely not one I would usually read. It's not a traditional novel and it's not a traditional autobiography but a mix of the two and one that is strangely compelling. It is a beautiful, poignant look at grief in all its stages and how one copes with the sudden death of a partner and the task of raising a baby alone. The book flips between present day and past until the two converge. I liked the flair with which this was done. I think it added to build up of loss, being able to look back, be in the present and examine the relationship between Carolina and Aksel..
It is very sad but brings with it hope that is genuine as the tale is so down to earth and real. For anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, for struggling with bereavement, for trying to start again, or for those who have experienced loss through divorce and found themselves a single parent, this story will bring to life all the emotions one can feel and identify with.
Powerful in its honesty it is a memoir of one couple's love and how Carolina slowly (and painfully) learnt to come to terms with the fact that her partner was no longer alive.
It is very sad but brings with it hope that is genuine as the tale is so down to earth and real. For anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, for struggling with bereavement, for trying to start again, or for those who have experienced loss through divorce and found themselves a single parent, this story will bring to life all the emotions one can feel and identify with.
Powerful in its honesty it is a memoir of one couple's love and how Carolina slowly (and painfully) learnt to come to terms with the fact that her partner was no longer alive.
ziva98's review
4.0
It really tuched me. I can't really say anything bad about it. It is a true story of someone in a fucked up situation trying to live through it.