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A review by amr316
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson
4.0
This is a solid four-star thriller. The author (and translator!) do an amazing job of crafting a claustrophobic, brooding, chilling setting — a remote Icelandic village where outsider Una struggles to fit in. As she discovers the village’s secrets she’s confronted with a bloody past that echoes into present-day.
Characterization and setting were both wonderful - I love stories about insular communities and the author painted a chilling picture. One star off for some frustrations with Una (just leave already!), a bit of a deus ex machina ending, and a plot twist that was a little too believable to be worth the slow burn runup. I was also frustrated that Una’s father’s suicide was never explored in great depth despite it obviously deeply impacting Una.
Nevertheless, this is a solid four stars and a quick read once you get through a bit of a slow beginning third.
Characterization and setting were both wonderful - I love stories about insular communities and the author painted a chilling picture. One star off for some frustrations with Una (just leave already!), a bit of a deus ex machina ending, and a plot twist that was a little too believable to be worth the slow burn runup. I was also frustrated that Una’s father’s suicide was never explored in great depth despite it obviously deeply impacting Una.
Nevertheless, this is a solid four stars and a quick read once you get through a bit of a slow beginning third.