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Una, Unwanted: Novel
When Una, a child of infidelity, as an adult decides to do everything she can to reunite with her father, it is with a sense that something important is missing in her life. The father is the well-known self-help expert MotivaTor, and Una follows everything he does through YouTube and social media.
Inspired by his encouraging life advice, she finds the courage to seek him out to become a part of his life, despite warnings from those closest to her.
MotivaTor's inflated self-image is nourished by the admiration he receives from his audience, but does it reflect his actual life and personality? Along the way in her quest for her father, Una realizes that everything she has dreamed of looks different than what she expected. When she gets to know her half-brother Kalle, her faith in her father takes a dramatic turn, and she makes a decisive choice.
A dark feel-good with Scandinavian flavour. Released in Norway in 2022, with brilliant reviews nationally.
"Recommended! Compelling storytelling, well-written, constructed as a psychological drama. Sharp satire and themes for reflection - with just the right glimpses of astronomy and philosophy."
"Poignant, witty, and exciting all at once. The characters come across as vivid, nuanced, and credible in their pursuit of success in their lives. When one of the main characters simply works as a "MotivaTor," it sheds clear light on the self-destructive pursuit of external happiness. Stylistically reminiscent of the worlds that Helle Helle and Marit Eikemo enchant us with. Lots of humor, difficulty, and strangeness walking hand in hand. A bit like in real life! Highly recommended."
"A book brimming with warmth, joy, curiosity, and melancholy. It's a book about everything one desires, and everything one believes they don't have. It's easy to relate to and perfect for Norwegian summer days - both the grey and the sunny."
"Beautiful, painful, dramatic, and poignant. I am truly impressed."
"What a delightful book! I was completely engrossed from page one to the last. The story was compelling, warm, and painful at the same time. It's interesting to read between the lines about the self-images and life lies we humans create for ourselves. The book ended far too quickly."
Inspired by his encouraging life advice, she finds the courage to seek him out to become a part of his life, despite warnings from those closest to her.
MotivaTor's inflated self-image is nourished by the admiration he receives from his audience, but does it reflect his actual life and personality? Along the way in her quest for her father, Una realizes that everything she has dreamed of looks different than what she expected. When she gets to know her half-brother Kalle, her faith in her father takes a dramatic turn, and she makes a decisive choice.
A dark feel-good with Scandinavian flavour. Released in Norway in 2022, with brilliant reviews nationally.
"Recommended! Compelling storytelling, well-written, constructed as a psychological drama. Sharp satire and themes for reflection - with just the right glimpses of astronomy and philosophy."
"Poignant, witty, and exciting all at once. The characters come across as vivid, nuanced, and credible in their pursuit of success in their lives. When one of the main characters simply works as a "MotivaTor," it sheds clear light on the self-destructive pursuit of external happiness. Stylistically reminiscent of the worlds that Helle Helle and Marit Eikemo enchant us with. Lots of humor, difficulty, and strangeness walking hand in hand. A bit like in real life! Highly recommended."
"A book brimming with warmth, joy, curiosity, and melancholy. It's a book about everything one desires, and everything one believes they don't have. It's easy to relate to and perfect for Norwegian summer days - both the grey and the sunny."
"Beautiful, painful, dramatic, and poignant. I am truly impressed."
"What a delightful book! I was completely engrossed from page one to the last. The story was compelling, warm, and painful at the same time. It's interesting to read between the lines about the self-images and life lies we humans create for ourselves. The book ended far too quickly."
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2024
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 18, 2024
This was a slightly different read for me, but enjoyable! Una is a child of infidelity. For about 8 years her father came around and spent time with her, but then he stopped. And she never stopped thinking about him and why he stopped coming to see her. Her father is the famous self-help expert MotivaTor. She watches his speeches online and desperately wants to reconnect. But her vision of him and their reconnection in her mind isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And things in his life aren’t exactly how she imagined them to be. Then she meets her half brother, Kalle, and things take a dark turn.
I was a little iffy when I first started the book, but then wow, it really hooked me. I felt so bad for Una. I am from a divorced family and do not have a relationship with my father. I was able to connect with Una on this level. The always wondering what things would be like if he was around, thinking about reconnecting etc… Her life is simple. She has her mom, her best friend, her dog, and her job. I felt her need to find the familial connection, and it made me yearn for her to find it.
Once things came to a head, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I didn’t know the secret that Kalle was keeping (I did guess, but I guessed wrong), and I didn’t know how it was all going to end. And while the end is not an in your face ending where the author tells you exactly what happens, the author describes it enough that you know what is going on.
Be careful, because there are some triggers in this book, namely childhood sexual trauma.
I was a little iffy when I first started the book, but then wow, it really hooked me. I felt so bad for Una. I am from a divorced family and do not have a relationship with my father. I was able to connect with Una on this level. The always wondering what things would be like if he was around, thinking about reconnecting etc… Her life is simple. She has her mom, her best friend, her dog, and her job. I felt her need to find the familial connection, and it made me yearn for her to find it.
Once things came to a head, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I didn’t know the secret that Kalle was keeping (I did guess, but I guessed wrong), and I didn’t know how it was all going to end. And while the end is not an in your face ending where the author tells you exactly what happens, the author describes it enough that you know what is going on.
Be careful, because there are some triggers in this book, namely childhood sexual trauma.
July 19, 2024
This heartbreaking story starts with a young Scandinavian woman (in Norway, I believe) desperate to reconnect with her father who she had not seen since she was a small child. Una believes once she can meet with her father again, that all the trauma, all the feelings of abandonment, and all her problems will just go away and she will be the person she’s supposed to be.
“Once she’s welcomed by her father, once everything aligns, she’ll unfurl her wings like a butterfly - embracing newfound freedom, and transformation.”
This book hooked me quickly and kept me in to the very end, and it was an ending I did not see coming. I cannot personally relate to the experiences of the characters in this book, but I did relate to Una in a couple of ways. She felt that growing up without a father was an injustice done to her. I’ve had similar feelings about my own childhood trauma and seeing that in this story actually made me feel better about my own experiences. It made me think that I’m not really selfish to think it and that it’s probably a very common feeling for people who feel they missed out on certain things. My biggest connection to Una though was to her thoughts of “what if…” “What if I have had a “normal” childhood?”, “Who could have I been if…” Been there, done that.
“What she really hopes to find is the person she could have been if he hadn’t left her: a completely different Una.”
⚠️Trigger Warnings! Please be aware this book could be highly triggering for some people. Here are some that stuck out to me:
• Child abandonment
• Child sexual abuse/assault
• Homophobia
• PTSD/Panic Attacks
• Infidelity
• Narcissistic parents/abuse
“Once she’s welcomed by her father, once everything aligns, she’ll unfurl her wings like a butterfly - embracing newfound freedom, and transformation.”
This book hooked me quickly and kept me in to the very end, and it was an ending I did not see coming. I cannot personally relate to the experiences of the characters in this book, but I did relate to Una in a couple of ways. She felt that growing up without a father was an injustice done to her. I’ve had similar feelings about my own childhood trauma and seeing that in this story actually made me feel better about my own experiences. It made me think that I’m not really selfish to think it and that it’s probably a very common feeling for people who feel they missed out on certain things. My biggest connection to Una though was to her thoughts of “what if…” “What if I have had a “normal” childhood?”, “Who could have I been if…” Been there, done that.
“What she really hopes to find is the person she could have been if he hadn’t left her: a completely different Una.”
⚠️Trigger Warnings! Please be aware this book could be highly triggering for some people. Here are some that stuck out to me:
• Child abandonment
• Child sexual abuse/assault
• Homophobia
• PTSD/Panic Attacks
• Infidelity
• Narcissistic parents/abuse
July 16, 2024
I read this book as part of the release team. Overall it was an interesting read. lt takes a while to get going, but once I got into the story I enjoyed it.
The concept seems common at first - a child raised by single mother grown up and trying to reconnect with her father. But family drama starts to come out and that’s when it got interesting.
I will also say it should have come with a trigger warning for childhood sexual trauma, so if that is something you are triggered by - don’t read.
The concept seems common at first - a child raised by single mother grown up and trying to reconnect with her father. But family drama starts to come out and that’s when it got interesting.
I will also say it should have come with a trigger warning for childhood sexual trauma, so if that is something you are triggered by - don’t read.
July 19, 2024
If you have embarked on a quest to discover where you belong, have been confused about your place in the world and wondered if you are messed up because you have felt unloved by your caregivers, you will surely empathize with Una. 1️⃣
'Una, Unwanted' follows a girl's desire to connect with her father as a child raised by a single mom. The author (@author.elinstyve) beautifully extrapolates the intricacies of the human soul's urge to experience important emotional connections while also touching on how appearances can be deceiving. ♥️
I loved how the protagonist is 24 years old in this book because it showed that adults also struggle with certain insecurities and it doesn't make them any less of a person. 🫂 One thing I really resonated with was how even those close to Una found it hard to understand why her sense of identity wavered due to her relationship with a parent. Sometimes even well-wishers can't walk in the shoes of people who have been made to feel like their childhood was "incomplete."
Do give this book a try, especially if you can read between the lines and are interested in the human psyche. 💭
'Una, Unwanted' follows a girl's desire to connect with her father as a child raised by a single mom. The author (@author.elinstyve) beautifully extrapolates the intricacies of the human soul's urge to experience important emotional connections while also touching on how appearances can be deceiving. ♥️
I loved how the protagonist is 24 years old in this book because it showed that adults also struggle with certain insecurities and it doesn't make them any less of a person. 🫂 One thing I really resonated with was how even those close to Una found it hard to understand why her sense of identity wavered due to her relationship with a parent. Sometimes even well-wishers can't walk in the shoes of people who have been made to feel like their childhood was "incomplete."
Do give this book a try, especially if you can read between the lines and are interested in the human psyche. 💭
August 4, 2024
I identified with Una and her desire to know her biological father, to have a real father/daughter relationship like others have. Very emotional while also being stoic and Nordic, this book explores what family and belonging mean. Good fit for fans of Fredrik Backman.
August 16, 2024
Description: A dark feel-good with Scandinavian flavour: Una's search for familial connection leads her to her charismatic self-help guru father, only to discover the jarring dissonance between public image and private reality.
This is the story of Una who spend time with her father periodically until she was about 8. From this moment on he never returns and as she grows older she becomes increasingly obsessed with reconnecting with him.
The image she has in her head of her father is very much based on his public persona and it becomes clear throughout the book that behind the persona that she has gotten to know and admire via social media and YouTube hides a fragile man that is surrounded by darkness with a distorted and inflated self image.
It took me a while to get into the story as the writing style is a little stoic. We follow the scattered thoughts of either Una or Tor (her father) where the inner voices intermingle with dialogue and descriptions of surroundings. However, once I warmed up to the style and the story picked up pace I was at the edge of my seat needing to know what would happen next.
The book in general picks up different threads of mental health disorders… Una works at a mental health clinic in Norway. Tor is clearly a narcissist. Various characters deal with depression, PTSD (from childhood trauma) and the author manages to portray the inner dialogue of each character in each context very well.
I also liked that the ending drew a general conclusion, but also allows the reader to fill in some of the blanks.
I’ve seen that some reviews include trigger warnings for childhood sexual abuse, which is fair. The theme was definitely touched on, but the author managed to deal with them with tact without being overly explicit.
I would have liked the author to have spent more time developing some of the characters to gain an even deeper understanding, but have overall thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Overall, I loved the blend of darkness, authenticity and humor. I was rooting for Una and Kalle, felt compassion for her mother, Erna and even Tor, despite their character flaws and mistakes. I have read this book being compared to Fredrik Backman, which I see, but I would describe Backman’s style as a little more refined.
Thank you to ARC for making a copy of this book available to me in exchange for an honest review.
#UnaUnwanted #NetGalley
This is the story of Una who spend time with her father periodically until she was about 8. From this moment on he never returns and as she grows older she becomes increasingly obsessed with reconnecting with him.
The image she has in her head of her father is very much based on his public persona and it becomes clear throughout the book that behind the persona that she has gotten to know and admire via social media and YouTube hides a fragile man that is surrounded by darkness with a distorted and inflated self image.
It took me a while to get into the story as the writing style is a little stoic. We follow the scattered thoughts of either Una or Tor (her father) where the inner voices intermingle with dialogue and descriptions of surroundings. However, once I warmed up to the style and the story picked up pace I was at the edge of my seat needing to know what would happen next.
The book in general picks up different threads of mental health disorders… Una works at a mental health clinic in Norway. Tor is clearly a narcissist. Various characters deal with depression, PTSD (from childhood trauma) and the author manages to portray the inner dialogue of each character in each context very well.
I also liked that the ending drew a general conclusion, but also allows the reader to fill in some of the blanks.
I’ve seen that some reviews include trigger warnings for childhood sexual abuse, which is fair. The theme was definitely touched on, but the author managed to deal with them with tact without being overly explicit.
I would have liked the author to have spent more time developing some of the characters to gain an even deeper understanding, but have overall thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Overall, I loved the blend of darkness, authenticity and humor. I was rooting for Una and Kalle, felt compassion for her mother, Erna and even Tor, despite their character flaws and mistakes. I have read this book being compared to Fredrik Backman, which I see, but I would describe Backman’s style as a little more refined.
Thank you to ARC for making a copy of this book available to me in exchange for an honest review.
#UnaUnwanted #NetGalley
September 5, 2024
Wow wow wow this was haunting
She craves that feeling of searching, imagining, waiting, hoping, and believing.
"Don't wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect," her father's voice echoes. She's replayed it countless times. She ruined the moment she longed for when it finally arrived. And now she's aware of something she never wanted to know.
Una has spent her life grappling with her father's infrequent presence - and eventual abandonment of her - in her childhood. She fills the void looking at his social media posts, watching his motivational YouTube videos, and fantasizing about the day they're reunited. Although there isn't necessarily anything wrong with her life, the feeling that something is missing niggles at her, and her mother and best friend's struggle to understand her point of view leave her feeling further ostracized.
I hugely related to Una's disillusion with her life - I, too, think far too often about how if something hadn't been the way it was, I could have been a different person; and I seem to constantly be confronted with things I would have been better off not knowing about.
The tone of the book is quite stoic, almost cold and detached, and you think not much is happening until it is; but the change of pace is incredible towards the end - I had 5% left to read at the end of my lunchbreak and I was livid having to put it down until I finished my shift.
4 stars on account of the ambiguous ending (I understand but I also do not like not having a neatly tied-up conclusion, it reminds me too much of my own life) but I feel like I'll be thinking about this one for a while! TW for mild descriptions of CSA.
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
She craves that feeling of searching, imagining, waiting, hoping, and believing.
"Don't wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect," her father's voice echoes. She's replayed it countless times. She ruined the moment she longed for when it finally arrived. And now she's aware of something she never wanted to know.
Una has spent her life grappling with her father's infrequent presence - and eventual abandonment of her - in her childhood. She fills the void looking at his social media posts, watching his motivational YouTube videos, and fantasizing about the day they're reunited. Although there isn't necessarily anything wrong with her life, the feeling that something is missing niggles at her, and her mother and best friend's struggle to understand her point of view leave her feeling further ostracized.
I hugely related to Una's disillusion with her life - I, too, think far too often about how if something hadn't been the way it was, I could have been a different person; and I seem to constantly be confronted with things I would have been better off not knowing about.
The tone of the book is quite stoic, almost cold and detached, and you think not much is happening until it is; but the change of pace is incredible towards the end - I had 5% left to read at the end of my lunchbreak and I was livid having to put it down until I finished my shift.
4 stars on account of the ambiguous ending (I understand but I also do not like not having a neatly tied-up conclusion, it reminds me too much of my own life) but I feel like I'll be thinking about this one for a while! TW for mild descriptions of CSA.
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
August 15, 2024
ARC Review ✨️
☆Breathtakingly beautiful♡
This story broke my heart and had so many emotions. Una embarks on a mission to reuinte with her father. She's willing to do anything to make that happen. I loved how the story unfolded and the secrets that popped up. To be honest, I never would've guessed the outcome! The author's writing style is highly unique, and I most definitely think this is a must read!
Thanks so much to the author and Haylingbookstorm for the ARC!
☆Breathtakingly beautiful♡
This story broke my heart and had so many emotions. Una embarks on a mission to reuinte with her father. She's willing to do anything to make that happen. I loved how the story unfolded and the secrets that popped up. To be honest, I never would've guessed the outcome! The author's writing style is highly unique, and I most definitely think this is a must read!
Thanks so much to the author and Haylingbookstorm for the ARC!
July 25, 2024
Una, Unwanted speaks to a lot of people all over the world that is looking for answers and trying to build a relationship with a relative. Elin F. Styve did not sugarcoat or make the story end as a fairytale. It has real life possibilities through out the story. I felt sorry for Una, and her best friend aggravated me. As a friend I would think she would want to support Una, but a true friend won't be afraid to hurt feelings to protect you. The only reason I'm giving this 4 and not 5 stars is because the end of the story was only implied but it bugs me that I don't know what happened with someone (this is all I can say to not spoil it). I also love the cover being the dollhouse in the story. I was and still am a HUGE fan of dollhouses.
A 𝘉𝘐𝘎 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 @𝘩𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 & @author.elinstyve 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 a 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮!
A 𝘉𝘐𝘎 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 @𝘩𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 & @author.elinstyve 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 a 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮!
September 6, 2024
Una, Unwanted has a lot going for it: plenty of themes to get your teeth into and characters with real depth.
Una is a child conceived during an affair. In her early years, her father would return regularly to see her, but then his visits stopped abruptly. Now an adult, Una lives for only one thing: to be reunited with her beloved father. She believes that this is all she needs to heal her loneliness.
Her father is a charismatic self-help guru, the MotivaTor. He appears to Una to be a wonderful personal with a loving family, adored by his audiences. Una obsessively follows everything he posts on YouTube and social media, trying to work up the courage to make herself known to him.
As the reader suspects from the start, Tor is not the wonderful person he pretends to be, and all does not work out smoothly. The novel touches on dark themes that I can't really list without spoilers. It also shines a harsh spotlight on the world of self-help gurus and motivational speakers.
I did like the way the novel contrasts the apparently 'broken' people (e.g. Una) with the apparently 'enlightened' (her father, notably), then turns the tables on the cast of characters to reveal who, really, is damaged, and who is responsible for the damage done. There are passages that are extremely moving, some that are quite horrifying. The ending is all in all a satisfying twist.
Una, Unwanted is also, I believe, a critique of Norwegian/Scandinavian society and values. Having spent much of my life with connections to Scandinavia, there is a vein of hypocrisy that I recognise here: a hypocrisy that underlies the schism between the sanitised picture that people present of themselves, their family, their lifestyle and their values, and a reality that is much darker. Obviously, it's silly to generalise and sweep entire cultures with a broad brush, but this feels -- to me, an outsider -- pretty true to what I have observed.
So all in all, a good story, strong characterisation and insightful observations.
I was less enamoured of the translation. The prose is not smooth, expressions sometimes seem to be too literally translated and the dialogue doesn't always quite ring true. I kept wondering if the translator might be a non-native English speaker (albeit with an excellent command of English).
3.5*
My thanks to the publisher Books on Demand, the author and @NetGalley_UK for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
#NetGalley_UK #bookreview #UnaUnwanted #NetGalley
Una is a child conceived during an affair. In her early years, her father would return regularly to see her, but then his visits stopped abruptly. Now an adult, Una lives for only one thing: to be reunited with her beloved father. She believes that this is all she needs to heal her loneliness.
Her father is a charismatic self-help guru, the MotivaTor. He appears to Una to be a wonderful personal with a loving family, adored by his audiences. Una obsessively follows everything he posts on YouTube and social media, trying to work up the courage to make herself known to him.
As the reader suspects from the start, Tor is not the wonderful person he pretends to be, and all does not work out smoothly. The novel touches on dark themes that I can't really list without spoilers. It also shines a harsh spotlight on the world of self-help gurus and motivational speakers.
I did like the way the novel contrasts the apparently 'broken' people (e.g. Una) with the apparently 'enlightened' (her father, notably), then turns the tables on the cast of characters to reveal who, really, is damaged, and who is responsible for the damage done. There are passages that are extremely moving, some that are quite horrifying. The ending is all in all a satisfying twist.
Una, Unwanted is also, I believe, a critique of Norwegian/Scandinavian society and values. Having spent much of my life with connections to Scandinavia, there is a vein of hypocrisy that I recognise here: a hypocrisy that underlies the schism between the sanitised picture that people present of themselves, their family, their lifestyle and their values, and a reality that is much darker. Obviously, it's silly to generalise and sweep entire cultures with a broad brush, but this feels -- to me, an outsider -- pretty true to what I have observed.
So all in all, a good story, strong characterisation and insightful observations.
I was less enamoured of the translation. The prose is not smooth, expressions sometimes seem to be too literally translated and the dialogue doesn't always quite ring true. I kept wondering if the translator might be a non-native English speaker (albeit with an excellent command of English).
3.5*
My thanks to the publisher Books on Demand, the author and @NetGalley_UK for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
#NetGalley_UK #bookreview #UnaUnwanted #NetGalley
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews