Author: Fredrik Backman
Series: Stand alone
Age: Adult
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Fantasy
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Source: Booktube Tours
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Play Store | iBooks
Synopsis:
From the author of the internationally bestselling 'A Man Called Ove', a novel about a young girl whose grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters, sending her on a journey that brings to life the world of her grandmother's fairy tales.
Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.
When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.
My Rating:
Quote(s) I Like
"Idiots can't understand that non-idiots are done with a thought and already moving on to the next before they themselves have. That's why idiots are always so scared and aggressive. Because nothing scares idiots more than a smart girl." - Grandma (pg 47)"Only different people change the world. No one normal has ever changed a crapping thing." - Grandma (pg 89)
"Someone who wants to help himself is possibly not the one who most needs help from others." - Elsa (pg 213)
"Your grandmother used to say that sometimes we have to do things that are dangerous, because otherwise we aren't rally human." - Mother of son with syndrome (pg 283)
My Thoughts
This book was pretty amazing. I'm giving this a 3.5 stars meaning I liked it. I would have given it a 4 star rating, but this was definitely outside of the box for me as far as contemporary reads go (in a good way). I enjoyed the writing style, the characters, the humor and the "almost" fantasy feel to it. This was like no other book I've read before. I definitely recommend this book for a light, whimsical yet thought provoking read.The book is written in the perspective of 7 year old Elsa before and after the death of her grandmother. I've read MG books in my days, but nothing ever from the perspective of a child. Elsa and her grandmother are like two peas in a pod. Always with one another, always arguing, always loving and always having fun. Elsa grew up on fairy-tales that her grandmother would tell her about. When her grandmother dies, she is sent on a mission (by her grandmother) to deliver letters to those that her grandmother has wronged. Elsa begins a mission of wonder.
Elsa is a very different 7 year old. She's very intellectual, questions everything, never holds back and speaks her mind. Elsa was an amazing character from start to finish. She made me laugh and cry. Not once did I find myself thinking that I disliked her. Elsa was very strong and smarter than half the adults in her apartment building. She was lovable and annoying all at once. There was never a dull moment with her.
Elsa's grandmother was a whirlwind of sarcasm and crazy. She was not your average grandma. She always knew how to have fun and spoke whatever and however she felt. She didn't care for the age, gender or profession of the person. As the story progressed on I did find myself disliking her for things in her past, but as this book continued to unravel I realized how amazing Elsa's grandmother was. Just amazing.
The fairy tales in the story start off sounding like any fairy-tale, but then some parts get confusing. It wasn't until the last 10 chapters or so that everything started to make sense about these "fairy tales" that I really began to appreciate this book a lot more. The humor and "fantasy" aspects made this book fun, but when Elsa (being only 7 years old) began to really dive deep and understand each fairy tale and how real they were to her life it just blew my mind.
Each character was amazing. From Alf to Britt-Marie to Maud to Wolfheart, Sam, the wurse and everyone in the building. I love how each character had their own personality and issue, but how well they all meshed together, grew up together and really lived like a family. The writing within this was just impeccable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely would recommend this to anyone. It is a bit slow paced, but with every few pages you'll be cramping from laughter.
Disclaimer: I did receive this book for free in exchange for review through Booktube Tours hosted by Grace from LovingDemBooks. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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