A review by mazza57
Let's Hope for the Best by Carolina Setterwall

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.