Hardcover, 336 pages
Published May 4, 2021 by Minotaur Books.
2.5 stars rounded up. It was so short that I kept going, but it ended up getting worse by the end. I was sort of entertained, so sure, it was fine.
I found the reveals at the end quite dull, and I was frustrated by the haunting. It didn't matter and felt disconnected from the main plot.
Perhaps the entirely unimaginative and irrelevant title should have clued me in. ;)
Una is a 30ish substitute teacher in Reykjavik who decides to change things up and become a teacher "at the edge of the world", a small (less than 15 people) village on the eastern tip of Iceland. Battling loneliness and depression, she tries to make the best of things, despite the emotional coldness of most of the other inhabitants and the small matter of a ghost living in the attic with her. When a death happens, the townsfolk close ranks against her and she struggles to make sense of things.
Not too bad really. Una was an interesting character and her sense of foreboding and confusion is expertly charted. Although it is kind of funny to think of this "remote" spot being a 4 hour drive from the capital of Iceland. I would say don't read the forward by the author, as it gives some details of the place that …
Una is a 30ish substitute teacher in Reykjavik who decides to change things up and become a teacher "at the edge of the world", a small (less than 15 people) village on the eastern tip of Iceland. Battling loneliness and depression, she tries to make the best of things, despite the emotional coldness of most of the other inhabitants and the small matter of a ghost living in the attic with her. When a death happens, the townsfolk close ranks against her and she struggles to make sense of things.
Not too bad really. Una was an interesting character and her sense of foreboding and confusion is expertly charted. Although it is kind of funny to think of this "remote" spot being a 4 hour drive from the capital of Iceland. I would say don't read the forward by the author, as it gives some details of the place that should come after reading the book.
I also tire a bit of the "stupid policeman" trope, played twice in this book. And I mean monumentally dumb and even corrupt, just to make a plot point. And, to be honest, I didn't really see the point of the "italicized" other story. Sure, maybe it humanized and made Una's decisions even more gut wrenching but it didn't really add much for me. One fun fact I didn't know - "real" beer is illegal in Iceland. Much like some states in the US, only lite or 3.2 beer is allowed. Odd, because nothing else seems to be banned. Wonder why?
So a 3.5 read for me, but I'll round up in this case. I did have a hard time putting it down several times, but in the end a rather light read for "Icelandic noir" I thought.
