Comments (22)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 22 of 22 items
Nov 03, 2023
Fridlund's novel contains beautiful, striking descriptions of the natural world around teenage protagonist Linda, but the plot feels disjointed and confusing at times. I feel that Fridlund sought to integrate multiple big, overarching…
Aug 15, 2023pozrob rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Yes it’s beautifully written, however that alone couldn’t save this bleak, dark non-linear tale. Three seemingly unrelated meandering stories in one that never really stay the course long enough for the story to come together.
Jul 01, 2022Seirin rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
A page-turner, but when I finished it, I had no idea what the story meant. What did the relationship between Linda and her BF have to do w/ the other 2 main story lines? What was the evil the author said she was writing about? Was it a…
May 04, 2020JCLHelenH rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Linda, whose parents are the last holdouts at a failed commune, becomes nanny to an apparently well-educated family who are not what they seem. It's an interesting window into a world most of us only hear about in tabloids.
Jun 30, 2019maipenrai rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable to read a novel set in Minnesota. The story jumps around quite a bit and seems to lose its way at times. Mild recommendation. Kristi & Abby Tabby
May 22, 2019
Shortlisted for the 2019 International Dublin Literary Award.
Nov 02, 2018
Read the book again in December/January prior to trip to Tuscon?
Jun 12, 2018llwboston rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Maybe I've read too many "rural women in peril"* novels recently, but this one just didn't grab me. I found nothing particularly interesting about the narrator Linda or most of the other characters. I kept waiting for the back story of…
Jun 11, 2018scribby rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This would seem to be a YA novel, but it is not. The narrator looks back on her teenage years, sometimes in fragments mixed with recollections of other periods in her later life, and tells of a tragedy that slowly unfolds -- in direct,…
Mar 25, 2018SPPL_caitlink rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A quiet narrative set in northern Minnesota brilliantly juxtaposes the tense, disquieting, and heartbreaking family event that lumbers through a young woman's coming of age story. You won't be able to put it down, but you will be forced…
Feb 17, 2018smc_1 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Atmospheric, bleak, beautifully-written read - with an unpredictable, looming sense of dread. About isolation, belonging, family and coming-of-age. Grab a cozy blanket, a mug of something warm and indulge!
Nov 29, 2017MamaLovesBooks rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a haunting book - recommended if you are looking for something serious and disturbing. It was easy to feel lonely, sad, and confused all at the same time while reading it. I picked up this book knowing nothing about the plot - I…
jr3083
Nov 28, 2017jr3083 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book was short-listed for the 2017 Man Booker Prize but I really can’t work out why. It does well enough as a first novel – and perhaps that is its appeal – but it doesn’t have the depth or skill that I would expect in a shortlist for…
Nov 07, 2017ralphsanders rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
bleak!
Oct 06, 2017sarahjgrant rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A rare, intelligent, honest book. It made me think about isolation, the way one person can blind another, about desire and the worlds of guilt and loneliness a person can carry within themselves. I hope it wins the Booker this month!
Aug 28, 2017_Mirelda_ rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Compelling, lyrical, and skillfully crafted. The narrative voice is distinct and the story is memorable. Bonus: it inspired me with ideas for my own writing.
Jun 18, 2017njon38 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A wonderfully written debut coming of age novel about Madeline the 14 year old resident of a former commune and her summer babysitting 4 year old Paul and resulting interaction with his parents Petra and Leo. Lots of great foreshadowing…
Apr 27, 2017darcy_lynn rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I did not enjoy this book at all, and was pretty disappointed given the positive reviews I read about this book on Goodreads. I found the story jumbled and not very interesting. There were some interesting points in the book (like the…
Apr 22, 2017Jenkskitten rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This was the most frustrating book I have every read. Most of the first half of the book appears to be setting up the story. There is way too much description and wanderings of the mind. It is like reading a teenage diary. The book…
Mar 12, 2017multcolib_karene rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Part contemporary coming-of-age novel, part suspense novel, and all parts are wonderful! Beautiful language and a fascinating, complicated protagonist.
Feb 06, 2017
One of those books you don't forget. Beautifully written, insightful, and haunting in the pursuit of truth.
Jan 15, 2017EmilyEm rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A teenage loner who spent her earliest years in a failing commune in northern Minnesota is narrator of the story of a school year when Mr. Grierson comes to teach and she gets a summer babysitting job with a new family across the…