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bookergirl90
I received a copy of this book for free from LovingDemBooks and Booktube Tours in exchange for an honest review, but opinions expressed in the review are my own.
Elsa, a seven-year-old girl, is the main character in this literary fiction novel. It was written in Swedish and then translated into English. Elsa gets bullied in school because she is different. Her grandmother is her best and only friend. Her grandmother helps her by creating stories about the "Land of Almost Awake." When her grandmother dies, Elsa is left with letters that her grandmother wrote to people who she had wronged and her task is now to deliver them. Through this, Elsa realizes she didn't know her grandma as well as she thought and learns more about her through her adventure.
At first I was worried about if I was going to enjoy this book or not. I was in a reading slump and I normally don’t read very much literary fiction. The book was slow starting off, but that all changed once I hit about 50 pages or so.
This book was very different from my usual reads, but it was refreshing and can’t wait to read more from Backman. Backman’s writing style was beautiful and the way he wrote his characters showed that he had a lot of heart attached to them.
I have heard from a few people that they didn’t feel that the way Elsa is written is not realistic of a 7-year-old. I can see their point, but she is portrayed in the story that way because that’s the point. She does portray some characteristics of someone who is older than 7, but at the same time during certain points she acts very much like a 7-year-old. I think seeing the two sides of Elsa works in the novel.
Granny was my favorite character. She is wild and crazy, but loves Elsa to a fault. Granny and Elsa have a very special bond that I think it's relatable for many people. While Granny’s actions aren’t always the best and probably wouldn’t be done by anyone’s grandma, the way she loves Elsa is portrayed in a wonderful way.
Overall I loved this book and I give it 4 stars. It was a little slow starting, but then found that I could not pull myself away. I recommend this book to anyone and don’t let the size of the book, the genre, or the fact that it was translated discourage you.
Elsa, a seven-year-old girl, is the main character in this literary fiction novel. It was written in Swedish and then translated into English. Elsa gets bullied in school because she is different. Her grandmother is her best and only friend. Her grandmother helps her by creating stories about the "Land of Almost Awake." When her grandmother dies, Elsa is left with letters that her grandmother wrote to people who she had wronged and her task is now to deliver them. Through this, Elsa realizes she didn't know her grandma as well as she thought and learns more about her through her adventure.
At first I was worried about if I was going to enjoy this book or not. I was in a reading slump and I normally don’t read very much literary fiction. The book was slow starting off, but that all changed once I hit about 50 pages or so.
This book was very different from my usual reads, but it was refreshing and can’t wait to read more from Backman. Backman’s writing style was beautiful and the way he wrote his characters showed that he had a lot of heart attached to them.
I have heard from a few people that they didn’t feel that the way Elsa is written is not realistic of a 7-year-old. I can see their point, but she is portrayed in the story that way because that’s the point. She does portray some characteristics of someone who is older than 7, but at the same time during certain points she acts very much like a 7-year-old. I think seeing the two sides of Elsa works in the novel.
Granny was my favorite character. She is wild and crazy, but loves Elsa to a fault. Granny and Elsa have a very special bond that I think it's relatable for many people. While Granny’s actions aren’t always the best and probably wouldn’t be done by anyone’s grandma, the way she loves Elsa is portrayed in a wonderful way.
Overall I loved this book and I give it 4 stars. It was a little slow starting, but then found that I could not pull myself away. I recommend this book to anyone and don’t let the size of the book, the genre, or the fact that it was translated discourage you.
