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A review by stuckinafictionaluniverse
Sagoberättaren by Antonia Michaelis
3.0
3.5 stars.
The storyteller is a tricky book to rate, and even more difficult to review. Take the 3 stars with a grain of salt, because this was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. Never mind that nearly a year has passed since I read it; it took me this long to gather my thoughts.
Initial reaction:
Wow. What the fuck just happened?
This. Freaking. Book.
I cannot explain it for the life of me.
This was one of those books that I just picked up on a whim during one of my trips to the library. Usually books like that don’t end up being anything special, and often earn a spot on the DNF shelf, simply because there are other books that interest me more at the moment.
But The storyteller is something completely different.
It's a dark, mysterious, beautifully written tale with mature themes. It felt more adult than YA, and is difficult to put in a box.
Definitely on the slower side, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I was so immersed in it, and couldn't stop thinking about the book after I'd finished it.
If it affected me that much, why no 5-star rating?
Where it all went downhill for me was around the 75% mark. It quickly becomes darker and more confusing.
Jumping back and forth between Anna and Abel’s contemporary story and a tale Abel tells to his sister, it messed with my head. There's no big twist or reveal, but it screws with your head when mixing the surreal and real.
The ending was very messy and I still can’t wrap my mind around what happened. Normally that would be a good thing, and it sure was mindfucking, but I needed more answers.
The characters:
I loved the main character Anna. She was very easy to relate to and a great narrator.
Anna wants adventure, to escape from the boring normal life she has. Abel is her key to that world.
I would’ve really enjoyed this book if it weren’t for Abel. He was a distant, strange character who I never managed to relate to. I didn’t understand Anna’s attraction to him.
There’s a scene in the book that made my stomach turn and I wanted to hide beneath my covers.
It’s a medium larger spoiler.
I don’t get scared too easily. I watch few horror movies, and have found most of them to be boring.
But there are certain things I cannot read. Horror movies don’t frighten me because I know they’re not real.
However, horrible things that I know happen everyday scare the living hell out of me.
There’s a pretty graphic
When I first got to that part, it was impossible for me to read it. It’s sickening and too explicit for my taste. I skipped a few pages, but it continued. Pages and pages of true terror. It’s nightmarish, really. All I could think was, ''This is fucked up, this is so fucked up.''
Then, once they're undressed, he takes commando and becomes aggressive. Anna is frightened by the change in his behavior and also clearly says no. Abel doesn't listen. He rapes her and leaves her there. Dirty, broken and confused.
Later on in the book,Anna forgives him. I couldn't believe it. Just no. NO. He doesn't deserve an ounce of sympathy, and that's when I began hating his character. I'm all for separating fictional characters between real people, but Abel was so alive to me that I was genuinely scared of him.
Therefore, I’d only recommend this to mature teens, maybe even 17 and up. (yeah, I’m totally one of them).
I had trouble understanding how the story that Abel told and the reality connected.
I ended up skimming some of the parts because of my lack of interest in the fairytale.
As a fictional character, Abel is not someone I like. As a human being, I fucking despise the guy.
I wish the author had made him redeemable, but after what happened, I couldn't forgive him.
Still, I applaude Antonia Michaelis’ writing skills; she made these characters terrifyingly real.
Final verdict:
This and Tiger lily (which has the same haunting prose and messed up characters) may not be the best books I’ve read this year, but surely the most memorable ones.
The storyteller fucked me up.
The storyteller is a tricky book to rate, and even more difficult to review. Take the 3 stars with a grain of salt, because this was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. Never mind that nearly a year has passed since I read it; it took me this long to gather my thoughts.
Initial reaction:
Wow. What the fuck just happened?
This. Freaking. Book.
I cannot explain it for the life of me.
This was one of those books that I just picked up on a whim during one of my trips to the library. Usually books like that don’t end up being anything special, and often earn a spot on the DNF shelf, simply because there are other books that interest me more at the moment.
But The storyteller is something completely different.
It's a dark, mysterious, beautifully written tale with mature themes. It felt more adult than YA, and is difficult to put in a box.
Definitely on the slower side, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I was so immersed in it, and couldn't stop thinking about the book after I'd finished it.
If it affected me that much, why no 5-star rating?
Where it all went downhill for me was around the 75% mark. It quickly becomes darker and more confusing.
Jumping back and forth between Anna and Abel’s contemporary story and a tale Abel tells to his sister, it messed with my head. There's no big twist or reveal, but it screws with your head when mixing the surreal and real.
The ending was very messy and I still can’t wrap my mind around what happened. Normally that would be a good thing, and it sure was mindfucking, but I needed more answers.
The characters:
I loved the main character Anna. She was very easy to relate to and a great narrator.
Anna wants adventure, to escape from the boring normal life she has. Abel is her key to that world.
I would’ve really enjoyed this book if it weren’t for Abel. He was a distant, strange character who I never managed to relate to. I didn’t understand Anna’s attraction to him.
There’s a scene in the book that made my stomach turn and I wanted to hide beneath my covers.
It’s a medium larger spoiler.
I don’t get scared too easily. I watch few horror movies, and have found most of them to be boring.
But there are certain things I cannot read. Horror movies don’t frighten me because I know they’re not real.
However, horrible things that I know happen everyday scare the living hell out of me.
There’s a pretty graphic
Spoiler
rape scene in this book.When I first got to that part, it was impossible for me to read it. It’s sickening and too explicit for my taste. I skipped a few pages, but it continued. Pages and pages of true terror. It’s nightmarish, really. All I could think was, ''This is fucked up, this is so fucked up.''
Spoiler
Basically, Anna and Abel kiss and she starts touching more and more eagerly, wanting to have sex. Abel clearly says no several times and tries to make her stop. Already, that's over the line, and sexual harassment.Then, once they're undressed, he takes commando and becomes aggressive. Anna is frightened by the change in his behavior and also clearly says no. Abel doesn't listen. He rapes her and leaves her there. Dirty, broken and confused.
Later on in the book,Anna forgives him. I couldn't believe it. Just no. NO. He doesn't deserve an ounce of sympathy, and that's when I began hating his character. I'm all for separating fictional characters between real people, but Abel was so alive to me that I was genuinely scared of him.
Therefore, I’d only recommend this to mature teens, maybe even 17 and up. (yeah, I’m totally one of them).
I had trouble understanding how the story that Abel told and the reality connected.
I ended up skimming some of the parts because of my lack of interest in the fairytale.
As a fictional character, Abel is not someone I like. As a human being, I fucking despise the guy.
I wish the author had made him redeemable, but after what happened, I couldn't forgive him.
Still, I applaude Antonia Michaelis’ writing skills; she made these characters terrifyingly real.
Final verdict:
This and Tiger lily (which has the same haunting prose and messed up characters) may not be the best books I’ve read this year, but surely the most memorable ones.
The storyteller fucked me up.