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A review by marilynw
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson
4.0
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson,
Narrated by Amanda Redman
Thirty year old Una really has nothing to keep her in Reykjavík. She's a teacher who can't find full time work, she's running out of funds to even afford her crummy little apartment, her only friend has a family now and doesn't really have time for Una, her love life doesn't exist, and Una's past haunts her. So Una takes a job in a tiny, remote village of ten people.
A feeling of depression lurks in the air with this story. And that feeling follows Una to the tiny village of Skálar. Both Una and I thought she was probably making a big mistake and that feeling is so much stronger when she meets the villagers and they act so suspicious towards her. But can you blame them for wondering what is wrong with Una for her to want to come teach two little girls in the middle of nowhere? The only person who wants her there is the lady who she is boarding with but even she can be surly and secretive. Una seems to always be saying the wrong thing and her drinking is just getting worse as she frets about what a horrible mistake she has made to come to this village. The only bright spot is quiet, kind, bearded Thor, a man close to her age, who is clearly attracted her but also is off limits.
Up in her attic lodgings, Una is having nightmares, hearing and seeing a little girl in a white dress. Is this house haunted, is Una drinking too much, or both? When something horrible happens, it seems that the villagers pull away from Una even more, making it clear what a true outsider she is and that she is not welcome in the village. The more Una tries to understand what is going on, the more the ranks close against her.
The atmosphere is so bleak and heavy, it's hard to know what is real and what is in Una's head but I can't help believing Una despite her drinking. We knew something was very wrong in this village even before the Christmas tragedy and that wrongness is growing. I enjoyed this story a lot, and trusted Una despite her heavy drinking. Am I right to have faith in Una? In the end, I am very satisfied with the revelations and the way the story ended.
Published May 4, 2021 by Macmillan Audio
Narrated by Amanda Redman
Thirty year old Una really has nothing to keep her in Reykjavík. She's a teacher who can't find full time work, she's running out of funds to even afford her crummy little apartment, her only friend has a family now and doesn't really have time for Una, her love life doesn't exist, and Una's past haunts her. So Una takes a job in a tiny, remote village of ten people.
A feeling of depression lurks in the air with this story. And that feeling follows Una to the tiny village of Skálar. Both Una and I thought she was probably making a big mistake and that feeling is so much stronger when she meets the villagers and they act so suspicious towards her. But can you blame them for wondering what is wrong with Una for her to want to come teach two little girls in the middle of nowhere? The only person who wants her there is the lady who she is boarding with but even she can be surly and secretive. Una seems to always be saying the wrong thing and her drinking is just getting worse as she frets about what a horrible mistake she has made to come to this village. The only bright spot is quiet, kind, bearded Thor, a man close to her age, who is clearly attracted her but also is off limits.
Up in her attic lodgings, Una is having nightmares, hearing and seeing a little girl in a white dress. Is this house haunted, is Una drinking too much, or both? When something horrible happens, it seems that the villagers pull away from Una even more, making it clear what a true outsider she is and that she is not welcome in the village. The more Una tries to understand what is going on, the more the ranks close against her.
The atmosphere is so bleak and heavy, it's hard to know what is real and what is in Una's head but I can't help believing Una despite her drinking. We knew something was very wrong in this village even before the Christmas tragedy and that wrongness is growing. I enjoyed this story a lot, and trusted Una despite her heavy drinking. Am I right to have faith in Una? In the end, I am very satisfied with the revelations and the way the story ended.
Published May 4, 2021 by Macmillan Audio