leebones's review against another edition
3.0
I love a good spooky book. This one kind of fell apart at the end. What the heck was happening?
bpsalinas's review against another edition
3.0
This book is set on a creepy little island in a Swedish archipelago. The folks who live there are interesting and well-rendered and a little weird. There is a big secret here, something awful, and the drunk, grieving protagonist has to uncover that secret. But of course, nobody wants him to.
I love so much about this novel. The characters are all fantastic, particularly the elderly magician, Simon. The setting is unique and the author takes time to fully explore it. He tells all manner of stories about that island, frequently jumping backward through time to grab little snippets of information that shed light on the present. This technique is a little rambling, but also quite satisfying.
The only real problem I have is that the plot takes forever to get going. The characters don't do much. They are far more reactive than proactive. The book feels longer than it is because of that lack of plot. I probably spent a couple months reading this book because I seldom felt the need to pick it up. The plot is just not that compelling. But when I remembered to read the book, I greatly enjoyed my time with its fantastic cast of characters and eerie setting.
I love so much about this novel. The characters are all fantastic, particularly the elderly magician, Simon. The setting is unique and the author takes time to fully explore it. He tells all manner of stories about that island, frequently jumping backward through time to grab little snippets of information that shed light on the present. This technique is a little rambling, but also quite satisfying.
The only real problem I have is that the plot takes forever to get going. The characters don't do much. They are far more reactive than proactive. The book feels longer than it is because of that lack of plot. I probably spent a couple months reading this book because I seldom felt the need to pick it up. The plot is just not that compelling. But when I remembered to read the book, I greatly enjoyed my time with its fantastic cast of characters and eerie setting.
queenxhag's review against another edition
2.0
Reading Lindqvist is great for your freshman year of college. Where you feel hip and superior for reading Swedish horror. Then you’re nearly 30, know what the Bechdel test is and how it’s REALLY not that hard to pass. (This book doesn’t.) And it all becomes tiresome instead of spooky. I should have quit when the ghosts only spoke in Smiths lyrics. Ugh.
eachoco's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
it took me forever to finish this book so my rating is probably kind of skewed. if this book had been translated better i think it would have been a better read, just a lot of grammatical mistakes and words that don’t make sense in sentences. a very unique storyline!
jhngrn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
sortabadass's review against another edition
4.0
A grieving father returns to the site of his daughter's disappearance and slowly discovers that his former home holds secrets.
I'm not sure what I loved so much about this.
It could be the setting: a remote Swedish fishing village. It could be the protagonists: wounded, independent people who, despite sharing lifetimes together, can never really know one another. It could be the tension: the creeping sense of unrest, the sudden jarring drops.
Ajvide was billed as Sweden's answer to Stephen King, but he reads more like Joe Hill than an early Stephen King. (That is to say similar depictions of small time life and the unknowable forces that propel us... and minus the-coked out run-on sentences.) This would have easily been five stars if it hadn't kind of gone off the rails near the end. It seemed like Ajvide was trying to do too much, introduce too many elements into the big bad, and it just got muddled. However, still a great ride.
"We can never know anything about what happened in the past, because it has turned into stories. Even for those involved."
"Who can say what is just a mire of dark needs and desires, and what is true love? Does such a think exist?"
I'm not sure what I loved so much about this.
It could be the setting: a remote Swedish fishing village. It could be the protagonists: wounded, independent people who, despite sharing lifetimes together, can never really know one another. It could be the tension: the creeping sense of unrest, the sudden jarring drops.
Ajvide was billed as Sweden's answer to Stephen King, but he reads more like Joe Hill than an early Stephen King. (That is to say similar depictions of small time life and the unknowable forces that propel us... and minus the-coked out run-on sentences.) This would have easily been five stars if it hadn't kind of gone off the rails near the end. It seemed like Ajvide was trying to do too much, introduce too many elements into the big bad, and it just got muddled. However, still a great ride.
Spoiler
"We can never know anything about what happened in the past, because it has turned into stories. Even for those involved."
"Who can say what is just a mire of dark needs and desires, and what is true love? Does such a think exist?"
faketeeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve read a bunch of Ajvide books now, with some being really good and some being not so great. I find his issue is usually finding a good way to end his stories, but this book feels completed and well planned. Loved the characters, and being from a small island myself, I felt completely immersed in the setting. There’s a lot of characters to keep track of, but I like the depth this ads to the story as it makes me understand the relationships in this community. There are certain elements I didn’t like, but they’re easy to overlook. I was glued to the second half of the book and was on the edge of my seat till the end. Definitely one of Ajvides best books in my opinion.
carmelitasita's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lindqvist did a good job of slowly introducing the supernatural into this story, making it more believable than if he had hit us over the head with it at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the pace of the book and found that even with 500 pages, the read was fairly quick. It is reminiscent of a Stephen King with the way it entwines reality with mysterious and unexplainable happenings.
* I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
* I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.