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Un castello di bugie
Á köldu októbersíðdegi sigla Júlía og Gíó, maður hennar, saman út í hinn sögufræga Geirshólma í Hvalfirði vegna verkefnis sem Júlía hefur tekið að sér. Hún snýr hins vegar þaðan aftur ein síns liðs. Hvað gerðist í kjölfar þess að hún yfirgaf manninn sinn á þessu eyðiskeri? Og svo virðist maðurinn horfinn af yfirborði jarðar.
Hvernig getur staðið á því að hann er ekki lengur á eyjunni þegar hún vitjar hans aftur? Og hvernig á hún að skýra það fyrir yfirvöldum að maðurinn virðist horfinn.
Eitt satt orð er fyrsta spennusaga Snæbjörns Arngrímssonar. Áður hefur hann skrifað þrjár skáldsögur fyrir börn auk þess að hafa hlotið þýðingarverðlaun og verið mikilvirkur bókaútgefandi bæði heima og erlendis.
Hvernig getur staðið á því að hann er ekki lengur á eyjunni þegar hún vitjar hans aftur? Og hvernig á hún að skýra það fyrir yfirvöldum að maðurinn virðist horfinn.
Eitt satt orð er fyrsta spennusaga Snæbjörns Arngrímssonar. Áður hefur hann skrifað þrjár skáldsögur fyrir börn auk þess að hafa hlotið þýðingarverðlaun og verið mikilvirkur bókaútgefandi bæði heima og erlendis.
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First published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 26, 2025
It’s all in the mind…
Júlía wakes in the morning to the memory of what she did the day before. It had been a trying day. She wanted to visit a small, bare uninhabited islet in Hvalfjörður as research for a writing project she was working on. She admits to herself that she more or less forced her husband, Gíó – partner, really, but she calls him her husband – to go with her. He was grumpy and critical all the way there, complaining that her project wasn’t worth the effort and that she really needed to learn to fend for herself. He continued to be annoying even when they arrive on the islet in the little motorised rubber dinghy they had borrowed. So, in a fit of pique, she jumped back in the dinghy and drove away, leaving him on the islet with no food or phone, on a cold November day. To be fair, she had repented of her action later and gone back, only to find the islet empty. Had Gíó attempted to swim ashore? Had he drowned? Or was he alive somewhere, perhaps angry…
And what should she do now? She’s unsure of the law – if he drowned, would she be held responsible, perhaps for manslaughter, and end up in jail? But she can’t do nothing. Eventually it will be noticed that he’s missing, by his work colleagues if no one else. So she decides she has to report him missing, but lies – he walked out after an argument, she says. It’s a while before the police will take any action, since it’s not illegal for someone to just walk away from their marriage. But then his coat is found, neatly folded, at a harbour on the fjord...
Well, this is a strange one! It very quickly becomes clear that Júlía is so far beyond unreliable that she may have entered the realms of outright insanity. But did that come before she deserted Gíó or is it as a result of her anxiety afterwards? As the police begin their investigations, Júlía lies more and more, contradicting herself and changing her story. Are the police suspicious that she killed Gíó or is she paranoid along with all her other instabilities? There are all sorts of tiny clues as to Gíó’s fate dropped in, but how much can the reader depend on their veracity? Is Júlía lying to us too – in fact, is she lying to herself? Does she have much grasp on reality at all?
All these question marks are deliberate to try to give you some idea of the confusion Júlía creates in the reader’s mind. The ambiguity is the point – while the mystery of what happened to Gíó is central and stays in focus at all times, really the book is a fascinating study of Júlía’s mental state. Gíó remains largely unknowable since we only have Júlía’s word to go on, and she is increasingly conflicted about him herself. She tells us they loved each other entirely, but then we get hints that he may have been controlling and jealous. If her account of the day on the islet is true, then he was certainly condescending and rude, even if those things don’t normally merit being left stranded in the middle of a fjord. We also soon learn – from Júlía, remember – that she had found a notebook, which sometimes she claims was in his handwriting but sometimes doesn’t seem so sure, detailing sexual liaisons he had had with a variety of women. Does the notebook exist? Or is her mind trying to belatedly justify her actions?
This is a new publication in translation but has been out for a while in the original Icelandic. It has pretty low ratings on Goodreads, which as far as I can gather, is largely because people found the ambiguities frustrating. You might gather from that that everything is not all wrapped up neatly at the end. My immediate reaction, too, on turning the last page was to think – wait, what? But what about…? And what about…? But even as I was running through my list of unanswered questions, I was realising how utterly wrong it would have been if Júlía had suddenly displayed a sanity and ability to tell a plain truth after everything we’d come to believe about her state of mind. I doubted she knew the difference between truth and lie, so how could she tell us? The question in the end is not so much what happened to Gíó but what has happened to Júlía’s mind? The whole point is that we cannot assume that Júlía has told us one true word.
Unexpectedly, I loved it. I found Júlía fascinating and still haven’t decided if she deserves my sympathy or not. In an odd way, it kept making me think of Edgar Allan Poe’s madmen, telling their stories from the asylum – less horror, but that same sense of off-kilter unreality. There’s actually quite a lot of humour in it – this is a book that is meant to entertain. And for me it succeeded in that, and while it left me baffled, it was a pleasing kind of bafflement that I felt I was meant to feel. Well written, quirky, original, entertaining – if you feel you can cope with not have everything tied up neatly without it driving you as insane as Júlía, then my one true word is – recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Pushkin Vertigo.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Júlía wakes in the morning to the memory of what she did the day before. It had been a trying day. She wanted to visit a small, bare uninhabited islet in Hvalfjörður as research for a writing project she was working on. She admits to herself that she more or less forced her husband, Gíó – partner, really, but she calls him her husband – to go with her. He was grumpy and critical all the way there, complaining that her project wasn’t worth the effort and that she really needed to learn to fend for herself. He continued to be annoying even when they arrive on the islet in the little motorised rubber dinghy they had borrowed. So, in a fit of pique, she jumped back in the dinghy and drove away, leaving him on the islet with no food or phone, on a cold November day. To be fair, she had repented of her action later and gone back, only to find the islet empty. Had Gíó attempted to swim ashore? Had he drowned? Or was he alive somewhere, perhaps angry…
And what should she do now? She’s unsure of the law – if he drowned, would she be held responsible, perhaps for manslaughter, and end up in jail? But she can’t do nothing. Eventually it will be noticed that he’s missing, by his work colleagues if no one else. So she decides she has to report him missing, but lies – he walked out after an argument, she says. It’s a while before the police will take any action, since it’s not illegal for someone to just walk away from their marriage. But then his coat is found, neatly folded, at a harbour on the fjord...
Well, this is a strange one! It very quickly becomes clear that Júlía is so far beyond unreliable that she may have entered the realms of outright insanity. But did that come before she deserted Gíó or is it as a result of her anxiety afterwards? As the police begin their investigations, Júlía lies more and more, contradicting herself and changing her story. Are the police suspicious that she killed Gíó or is she paranoid along with all her other instabilities? There are all sorts of tiny clues as to Gíó’s fate dropped in, but how much can the reader depend on their veracity? Is Júlía lying to us too – in fact, is she lying to herself? Does she have much grasp on reality at all?
All these question marks are deliberate to try to give you some idea of the confusion Júlía creates in the reader’s mind. The ambiguity is the point – while the mystery of what happened to Gíó is central and stays in focus at all times, really the book is a fascinating study of Júlía’s mental state. Gíó remains largely unknowable since we only have Júlía’s word to go on, and she is increasingly conflicted about him herself. She tells us they loved each other entirely, but then we get hints that he may have been controlling and jealous. If her account of the day on the islet is true, then he was certainly condescending and rude, even if those things don’t normally merit being left stranded in the middle of a fjord. We also soon learn – from Júlía, remember – that she had found a notebook, which sometimes she claims was in his handwriting but sometimes doesn’t seem so sure, detailing sexual liaisons he had had with a variety of women. Does the notebook exist? Or is her mind trying to belatedly justify her actions?
This is a new publication in translation but has been out for a while in the original Icelandic. It has pretty low ratings on Goodreads, which as far as I can gather, is largely because people found the ambiguities frustrating. You might gather from that that everything is not all wrapped up neatly at the end. My immediate reaction, too, on turning the last page was to think – wait, what? But what about…? And what about…? But even as I was running through my list of unanswered questions, I was realising how utterly wrong it would have been if Júlía had suddenly displayed a sanity and ability to tell a plain truth after everything we’d come to believe about her state of mind. I doubted she knew the difference between truth and lie, so how could she tell us? The question in the end is not so much what happened to Gíó but what has happened to Júlía’s mind? The whole point is that we cannot assume that Júlía has told us one true word.
Unexpectedly, I loved it. I found Júlía fascinating and still haven’t decided if she deserves my sympathy or not. In an odd way, it kept making me think of Edgar Allan Poe’s madmen, telling their stories from the asylum – less horror, but that same sense of off-kilter unreality. There’s actually quite a lot of humour in it – this is a book that is meant to entertain. And for me it succeeded in that, and while it left me baffled, it was a pleasing kind of bafflement that I felt I was meant to feel. Well written, quirky, original, entertaining – if you feel you can cope with not have everything tied up neatly without it driving you as insane as Júlía, then my one true word is – recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Pushkin Vertigo.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 9, 2025
2.5
During a trip to an island with husband Gió, Júlia loses her temper and leaves him stranded. As her anger abates she begins to feel sorry for her actions and goes back the following day but there is no sign of Gió.
Júlia knows she has to report him missing and her childhood skill at lying comes to the fore as she spins a story for the Police, her neighbours and family about what happened. But will her lies unravel and where is Gió?
This book is possibly one of the strangest Scandi-noir I've ever read. It is almost Kafkaesque as Júlia has to continually change the narrative to avoid the blame for Gió's disappearance.
There are also some very peculiar characters - not least Júlia herself. There is a writer of erotic fiction whose appearances seem beyond random, a Police officer who is efficiently inefficient and Júlia's paranoia almost becomes a character in its own right.
If you like circuitous novels that draw the strings tighter with each chapter rather than unravel then you'll enjoy One True Word. It wasn't for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
During a trip to an island with husband Gió, Júlia loses her temper and leaves him stranded. As her anger abates she begins to feel sorry for her actions and goes back the following day but there is no sign of Gió.
Júlia knows she has to report him missing and her childhood skill at lying comes to the fore as she spins a story for the Police, her neighbours and family about what happened. But will her lies unravel and where is Gió?
This book is possibly one of the strangest Scandi-noir I've ever read. It is almost Kafkaesque as Júlia has to continually change the narrative to avoid the blame for Gió's disappearance.
There are also some very peculiar characters - not least Júlia herself. There is a writer of erotic fiction whose appearances seem beyond random, a Police officer who is efficiently inefficient and Júlia's paranoia almost becomes a character in its own right.
If you like circuitous novels that draw the strings tighter with each chapter rather than unravel then you'll enjoy One True Word. It wasn't for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
February 26, 2025
I really enjoyed the first two thirds of One True Word. I liked the scenario and the setup, and it was interesting to get to know the background of the relationship between the two characters that led to the marooning. Their history kept the reader on the fence as to who was really at fault in the relationship and whether Júlia's suspicions about Gíó were true or not. However, as the story approached the end, my enthusiasm waned and I wasn't thrilled by the way it concluded, which felt to me both sudden and somewhat anticlimactic after all that had gone before, and full of potential plot holes that had me questioning whether it was even workable. As such, I am giving this book 3.5 stars. It started strongly, but the ending was a bit of a let down.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2023
Ef ég gæti gefið núll stjörnur væri það mín einkunn. Byrjaði vel og var vongóð að þetta væri geggjuð spennusaga og ákvað því að gefa henni séns. Svo bara var endalaust rúnk um allt og ekkert! Aðalpersónan er greinilega lygasjúk og er eiginlega ekkert annað en óþolandi. Alltof mikið af lausum endum í lok bókarinnar, maður veit ekkert hvað er í gangi og ég varð bara pirruð þegar ég kláraði því ég eyddi því miður tíma í að lesa næstum 400 bls. bók sem var svona glötuð!
September 4, 2025
It was a strange story. It started out well, then meandered for most of the book. I’m not sure what the point of it was.
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November 4, 2022Grípandi framan af en fannst of sagan svo of langdregin og mér fór að leiðast. Síðan var bara skellt í sögulok à núll einni. Svo efnileg saga en það er eins og vanti eitthvað smà upp á til að hún sé stórfengleg. Aðalpersónan er einstök sköpun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2022
Frumleg, spennandi, vel skrifuð flétta alvöru og lúmskrar fyndni. Aðalpersónan heillar en finna má að smáatriðum varðandi td vissar aukapersónur. Lesið endilega.
October 11, 2025
I was so excited when I got approved for this ARC, and it truly did not disappoint! One True Word is such an interesting and unique story, a clever mix of mystery, humor, and relationships.
The writing style feels a bit weird at first; it doesn’t always flow perfectly, but that might be due to the translation. The pacing in the first few chapters also felt a little odd, but as I kept reading, I realized it was intentional. You gradually get used to the rhythm of the story, and it ends up working really well with the story.
There are lots of Icelandic references throughout, which can be a little hard to follow if you’re not familiar with them, but they really help set the scene and the setting was one of the main reasons I wanted to pick up this book in the first place.
The author’s dry humor in the middle of serious moments reminded me so much of Fredrik Backman — fans of his would absolutely eat this up! The unreliable narrator adds another fun layer, keeping you on your toes the whole time.
Around the 40–50% mark, the story slows down as we go back in time to explore the main couple’s relationship and their connections with others. It’s still interesting but not as fast-paced, with a few absurd (and entertaining) tangents that again felt very Backman-esque.
I really enjoyed the balance between the mystery and the character work. The back and forth between conversations and the main character’s little “adventures” while searching for her husband kept me hooked and I didn’t want to put it down! The double-layered mystery is so clever and makes for a really engaging read.
I do wish there had been just a bit more closure at the end, but overall, I was very satisfied. This was a strong 4-star read for me. It was funny, smart, and completely absorbing. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this ARC, because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise, and I ended up devouring it!
The writing style feels a bit weird at first; it doesn’t always flow perfectly, but that might be due to the translation. The pacing in the first few chapters also felt a little odd, but as I kept reading, I realized it was intentional. You gradually get used to the rhythm of the story, and it ends up working really well with the story.
There are lots of Icelandic references throughout, which can be a little hard to follow if you’re not familiar with them, but they really help set the scene and the setting was one of the main reasons I wanted to pick up this book in the first place.
The author’s dry humor in the middle of serious moments reminded me so much of Fredrik Backman — fans of his would absolutely eat this up! The unreliable narrator adds another fun layer, keeping you on your toes the whole time.
Around the 40–50% mark, the story slows down as we go back in time to explore the main couple’s relationship and their connections with others. It’s still interesting but not as fast-paced, with a few absurd (and entertaining) tangents that again felt very Backman-esque.
I really enjoyed the balance between the mystery and the character work. The back and forth between conversations and the main character’s little “adventures” while searching for her husband kept me hooked and I didn’t want to put it down! The double-layered mystery is so clever and makes for a really engaging read.
I do wish there had been just a bit more closure at the end, but overall, I was very satisfied. This was a strong 4-star read for me. It was funny, smart, and completely absorbing. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this ARC, because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise, and I ended up devouring it!
March 3, 2024
Sinossi editoriale
Reykjavík. In un freddo pomeriggio di ottobre, la scrittrice Júlía e suo marito Gíó raggiungono in macchina il fiordo del Hvalfjörður e su un gommone preso in prestito si imbarcano per Geirshólmi, un isolotto deserto a pochi chilometri dalla costa. Júlía è in cerca di ispirazione per scrivere un testo su un’eroina delle saghe islandesi che proprio da quell’isolotto aveva portato in salvo a nuoto se stessa e i propri figli. Durante la gita, però, i due hanno una lite, e Júlía riparte sul gommone, lasciando suo marito su quel lembo di terra sperduto in mezzo al mare. Una volta in città, spinta dal rimorso, torna a Geirshólmi… ma di Gíó non c’è più traccia. Sapendo a malapena nuotare, è impossibile che sia riuscito a mettersi in salvo attraverso le acque gelide, ed è improbabile che qualcuno l’abbia soccorso. Eppure diversi indizi fanno pensare che Gíó sia ancora vivo, e che si diverta a perseguitarla…Sullo sfondo della remota Islanda, un thriller psicologico ad altissima tensione che, tra flashback e dettagli inquietanti, costruisce una fitta rete in cui verità e menzogna si succedono e si intrecciano, fino a confondersi del tutto.
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Alla fine della fiera sono andata a rileggermi "L'avversario" di Emmanuel Carrère. Ebbene, quanto a capacità menzognera questa Júlía, rispetto a Jean-Claude Romand, è una dilettante ;-)
Reykjavík. In un freddo pomeriggio di ottobre, la scrittrice Júlía e suo marito Gíó raggiungono in macchina il fiordo del Hvalfjörður e su un gommone preso in prestito si imbarcano per Geirshólmi, un isolotto deserto a pochi chilometri dalla costa. Júlía è in cerca di ispirazione per scrivere un testo su un’eroina delle saghe islandesi che proprio da quell’isolotto aveva portato in salvo a nuoto se stessa e i propri figli. Durante la gita, però, i due hanno una lite, e Júlía riparte sul gommone, lasciando suo marito su quel lembo di terra sperduto in mezzo al mare. Una volta in città, spinta dal rimorso, torna a Geirshólmi… ma di Gíó non c’è più traccia. Sapendo a malapena nuotare, è impossibile che sia riuscito a mettersi in salvo attraverso le acque gelide, ed è improbabile che qualcuno l’abbia soccorso. Eppure diversi indizi fanno pensare che Gíó sia ancora vivo, e che si diverta a perseguitarla…Sullo sfondo della remota Islanda, un thriller psicologico ad altissima tensione che, tra flashback e dettagli inquietanti, costruisce una fitta rete in cui verità e menzogna si succedono e si intrecciano, fino a confondersi del tutto.
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Alla fine della fiera sono andata a rileggermi "L'avversario" di Emmanuel Carrère. Ebbene, quanto a capacità menzognera questa Júlía, rispetto a Jean-Claude Romand, è una dilettante ;-)
October 26, 2025
Set in ruggedly beautiful Iceland, aptly entitled One True Word surprised me in surprising ways. The premise of a wife deserting her husband on an isolated uninhabited island pulled me in. The scenarios are endless!
Júlia and Gíó bickered and irritated each other. On a short journey, Júlia decided she had had enough and drove away from an island, leaving her husband to fend for himself with only his self reliance. No one else was around and it was cold. The only way he could survive was to swim a great distance or somehow find someone happening to be boating by.
After a cool-off time, Júlia returned to the island but Gíó wasn't there. She began to string together a long thread of lies which she told the police after staging a disappearance. But things didn't ring true so police suspected her. The story describes her ease of lying and web of deceit. The chapters are punctuated by journal entries which add interest, although disturbing.
The first few chapters were beautifully original and ramped up my excitement. But that unfortunately changed fairly quickly. The graphic details were unnecessary and didn't add value to the story. I no longer felt invested or engaged. Cliffhangers are my wheelhouse but this ending felt incomplete. This book wasn't for me but it may be perfect for others!
Júlia and Gíó bickered and irritated each other. On a short journey, Júlia decided she had had enough and drove away from an island, leaving her husband to fend for himself with only his self reliance. No one else was around and it was cold. The only way he could survive was to swim a great distance or somehow find someone happening to be boating by.
After a cool-off time, Júlia returned to the island but Gíó wasn't there. She began to string together a long thread of lies which she told the police after staging a disappearance. But things didn't ring true so police suspected her. The story describes her ease of lying and web of deceit. The chapters are punctuated by journal entries which add interest, although disturbing.
The first few chapters were beautifully original and ramped up my excitement. But that unfortunately changed fairly quickly. The graphic details were unnecessary and didn't add value to the story. I no longer felt invested or engaged. Cliffhangers are my wheelhouse but this ending felt incomplete. This book wasn't for me but it may be perfect for others!
November 16, 2025
Just not for me. It sounded intriguing, but we know so little about the characters when she leaves her husband on the island, that it’s hard to care much for either person. After that, there’s precious little investigation - she veers between lying to the police and her sister (even framing her sister as having an affair with her husband) and paranoia, haring off after vague leads the police mention, where she talks to various random people, and spends the rest paranoid or existentially wondering. At the end… well as others have said, I’m not sure there really is an end.
I want to try and think of some positives, but sadly this is a rare total miss for me. The one good thing is it ticks off Iceland for my read around the world challenge, but I have others I could have used.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
I want to try and think of some positives, but sadly this is a rare total miss for me. The one good thing is it ticks off Iceland for my read around the world challenge, but I have others I could have used.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
October 19, 2025
This one kept me guessing and slightly off-balance from the start. The first page grabbed my attention and I thought I knew what I was getting into but then the main character made a series of unlikely decisions which gradually revealed her as an extremely unreliable narrator. An unusual book which stopped, rather than ended, leaving a lot, if not everything, unexplained.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication here.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication here.
November 16, 2025
I liked the way that Snæbjörn Arngrímsson took all her Icelandic ways to Italy and then to Iceland. She never felt anything like when she was in Italy and I shows up in her treatment of Gíó when the got to Iceland. The love fizzled. It took all she had to realize that Gíó would like to be the egg seller in Italy. Without any argument he would be tempted into being that guy.
November 24, 2024
Ég vildi að mér hefði líkað við þessa bók. Það sem gerði það erfitt fyrir mig var nafnið á manninum hennar Júlíu, Gíó (Guðjón) og hvað það var erfitt að fylgjast með Júlíu reyna að blekkja og ljúga sig frá því að hafa eitthvað með hverfið að gera.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 28, 2025En mørk og urolig psykologisk thriller der ingenting er til å stole på. Julia er en fascinerende, upålitelig forteller, og jeg satt hele tiden og lurte på hva som egentlig var sant. En uforutsigbar, nordisk og småforvirrende historie - på den gode måten.
February 2, 2023
Ekkert svo slæm.
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February 8, 2023Vissulega óvenjuleg atburðarás og óvænt endalok. Helst til of löng. Hélt mér samt og síðustu 50 blaðsíðurnar stóðu augun á stilkum.
February 21, 2023
Persónan kallaði fram tilfinningar hjá mér, ég lét hana fara í taugarnar á mér. En hún krafðist þess jafnframt að ef héldi áfram og kláraði bókina.
Góð bók.
Góð bók.
August 21, 2023
Vel heppnuð hugmynd sem hefði alveg mátt vinna meira með.
October 9, 2023
Þetta var mjög skrítin. Í fyrsta lagi skil ég ekki af hverju konan gerði það sem hún gerði. Í öðru lagi skildi ég ekki af hverju hún laug og laug og í þriðja lagi skil ég ekki endi sögunnar.
December 28, 2023
"Strano quanto si resta sconcertati quando accade l'inatteso".
February 26, 2025
portato a termine solo perché non abbandono mai.
November 3, 2025
interesting and unique thriller with some good vibes, though at points it tends to meander. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.
October 11, 2025
Rounding up to 3 ⭐
I'm not sure if something was lost in translation, or this just wasn't the book for me.
I could not get my head around the character of Julia at all.
I quite like an unreliable narrator usually, but not this time.
Added to some of the back stories being a bit dull, I didn't love it.
There was a feeling of frustration from me towards the end, yet I enjoyed it enough to keep going.
Thanks to netgalley for the free advance copy of the book.
I'm not sure if something was lost in translation, or this just wasn't the book for me.
I could not get my head around the character of Julia at all.
I quite like an unreliable narrator usually, but not this time.
Added to some of the back stories being a bit dull, I didn't love it.
There was a feeling of frustration from me towards the end, yet I enjoyed it enough to keep going.
Thanks to netgalley for the free advance copy of the book.
October 12, 2025
A quick jaunt to a lonely island turns peculiarly bad and it is left to the reader to decide why. A bleak and unsatisfying, perhaps atmospheric missing person novel with an interesting main character.
October 10, 2025
The start of this book had me hooked, I was intrigued by Julia's mind and it had me questioning everything I was reading. Can we trust ourselves? The ending was a little disappointing for me i felt like the book wasn't summed up enough
November 15, 2022
Frumleg, spennandi, vel skrifuð flétta alvöru og lúmskrar fyndni. Má finna að smáatriðum varðandi td vissar aukapersónur. Lesið endilega.
February 12, 2024
Un thriller un po' strano, raccontato in prima persona dalla protagonista, Julia, rea di aver abbandonato il marito in un'isoletta a breve distanza dalla costa islandese dopo un litigio. Il pregio più grande di questa storia è che mi ha tenuto attaccato ad essa fino al termine, spinto dalla curiosità crescente di sapere come va a finire. Insomma, la missione del libro è stata pienamente raggiunta. Manca però forse qualcosa: la tensione cresce, ci sono momenti di inquietudine ma non succede mai qualcosa di forte, mentre si è lì ad aspettarlo. Si poteva osare molto di più, invece la storia resta ancorata a una totale verosimilità, ovvero potrebbe essere tranquillamente una vicenda realmente accaduta, visto che non accade nulla di particolarmente forte.
Nel finale si osa un po' di più ma non abbastanza; un po' mi ha deluso. Il voto resta comunque alto perché il libro è lineare e scorre veramente molto bene.
Nel finale si osa un po' di più ma non abbastanza; un po' mi ha deluso. Il voto resta comunque alto perché il libro è lineare e scorre veramente molto bene.
December 26, 2023
Inusuale, un nordico fuori dagli schemi (finalmente). Un thriller che parla di vendetta e senso di colpa, con personaggi ben costruiti.
March 1, 2025
This book really got me hooked. The finale was unexpected, and a bit disappointing.
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