From the Bookshelf of The Read Around The World Book Club…

The Ice Princess (Fjällbacka, #1)

Camilla Läckberg

Start date: October 1, 2017

Finish date: October 31, 2017

Discussion: October 2017 - SWEDEN

Why we're reading this: October 2017 Read SWEDEN
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October 2017 - SWEDEN

The rest of the book
By Melanie · 20 posts · 26 views

last updated Nov 06, 2017 12:43AM

Chapters 4 and 5
By Melanie · 11 posts · 18 views

last updated Oct 31, 2017 03:28AM

What Members Thought

Oct 04, 2017 Melanie rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Now that I had a night to sleep on it, I thought I share some of my thoughts about this book. First of all, let me tell you that if you love this book, that is ok. I love some really terrible books and I am not ashamed of it and neither should you. Nevertheless, I want to talk a bit about why this book just did not work for me.

When I suggested this book as a read for my Read Around the World Bookclub it was on the basis of the marketing for this book as a "hard-hitting Scandi-crime novel that e Now that I had a night to sleep on it, I thought I share some of my thoughts about this book. First of all, let me tell you that if you love this book, that is ok. I love some really terrible books and I am not ashamed of it and neither should you. Nevertheless, I want to talk a bit about why this book just did not work for me.

When I suggested this book as a read for my Read Around the World Bookclub it was on the basis of the marketing for this book as a "hard-hitting Scandi-crime novel that explores the difference in Swedish society between rich and poor, small town Sweden...". I expected something a bit like Mankell, bit like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I prepared myself to be scared and freaked out by the descriptions of horror that humans inflict on each other. Instead, I read a book that claims to be a hard-boiled crime story, but in fact it is a cozy mystery pretending that it is not a cozy mystery.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do love a cozy mystery now and then. They are honest about what they are, reading one, I expect outragous storylines, crazy people, over description of everything and outlandish crimes with weird motives. And here is my main problem with the book, it's just not honest what it is about. It is cozy set in a Swedish backwater with a bit of romance thrown into the mix.

I found the writing to be terrible and I don't think it's a translation error, Murray is a well respected translater of Swedish. The portrayal of each woman being dependent on a man or the opinion of a man or the action of a man was a throwback to the 1950ies. Erica's obsession with Weight Watchers, her thoughts on urinary tract infections or analysing her weight and her eating all the time, was at first amusing towards the end downright annoying. Laeckberg is so judgey of women's appearances. They are either too skinny or too fat. Some could do with a good haircut. Her obsession with interior design reflecting the people's personalities in this book, because you know if you don't have hardwood flooring, you are a bit frumpy. Just deal with it.

By the time, the conclusion comes around, you will no longer care about who murdered the victim. I cared, however, because as I predicted that it would feature childhood abuse (referred to quite often as "assault" which made me livid to say the least). As a survivor, I have so many issues with childhood abuse portrayal in books, and this book has hit a new low. The beautiful woman who is withdrawn from everyone and cannot love anyone and does not share anything, the talented artist who has to drown his painful experiences in drink and the successful businessman that has become a psychopath himself. No real reflection on what has happened to these people, but then what did I expect, after all, there is no character development in this book whatsoever, so surely reflection is just too much to ask.

In short: This was the worst book I have read (and finished) and a very long time. ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Stacey rated it liked it

2.5-2.75

I read this with the GR's group called, The Read Around the World Book Club. They all despised the book. I have to admit that until the ending I thought it was fair to midldlim. Yes, it's not a classic, yes, it doesn't display exemplary writing, yes, the story was a bit flat, but, I found it a nice change from my usual heavy classics and serious literature. Unfortunately, it went south for me in the last 1/8th, it was flat and uninteresting, and it felt like the author was grasping to ge ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Joana Gomes rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015

Há quanto tempo eu não lia um policial deste género?! Já nem sei, mas tenho ideia que foi há muito tempo… O certo é que despertou em mim os mesmos sentimentos como quando eu era miúda e só lia Agatha Christie e policiais da colecção Vampiro… A cada 10 páginas eu dizia “ah, agora já sei quem é o assassino!” e nas 10 páginas seguintes mudava de opinião… Foi divertido!
A história de Alex é um bocado pesada, principalmente se tivermos em conta que ela tinha apenas 12 anos quando lhe aconteceu algo de ...more

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