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The Undesired
Undesired
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
246 people are currently reading
1739 people want to read
About the author
Yrsa Sigurdardottir
45 books2,886 followersAKA: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is an Icelandic writer, of both crime-novels and children's fiction. She has been writing since 1998.
Her début crime-novel "Last Rituals" published in the US in 2007, and the UK in January 2008 was translated into English by Bernard Scudder, and is book 1 of the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series.
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir graduated from high-school in 1983, finished a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Iceland in 1988 and M.Sc in the same field from Concordia University in Montreal in 1997.
Yrsa now works as a civil engineer for the company Fjarhitun, as well as being a writer.
In 2000 the Icelandic department of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) awarded Yrsa for her book Við viljum jólin í júlí (We Want Christmas in July).
Yrsa lives in the Reykjavík suburb of Seltjarnarnes. She is married with two children.
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is an Icelandic writer, of both crime-novels and children's fiction. She has been writing since 1998.
Her début crime-novel "Last Rituals" published in the US in 2007, and the UK in January 2008 was translated into English by Bernard Scudder, and is book 1 of the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series.
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir graduated from high-school in 1983, finished a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Iceland in 1988 and M.Sc in the same field from Concordia University in Montreal in 1997.
Yrsa now works as a civil engineer for the company Fjarhitun, as well as being a writer.
In 2000 the Icelandic department of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) awarded Yrsa for her book Við viljum jólin í júlí (We Want Christmas in July).
Yrsa lives in the Reykjavík suburb of Seltjarnarnes. She is married with two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
October 23, 2025
4,5 Unul dinte cele mai bune thriller pe care le-am citit, surprinzător finalul și neașteptat, nu l-aș fi ghicit niciodată. O poveste despre cât de naivi putem fi ca adulți atunci când iubim pe cineva necondiționat, cât de orbi suntem și cât de crudă e realitatea.
February 16, 2017
Find my full review at: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/2...
This book is everything I hoped for and MUCH more. Atmospheric, spine-tinging suspense in the form of a slow-burning mystery. Absolutely loved it!!
This book is everything I hoped for and MUCH more. Atmospheric, spine-tinging suspense in the form of a slow-burning mystery. Absolutely loved it!!
November 18, 2015
This novel is a standalone story, not related to the author's Thóra Guðmundsdóttir series. If you read the blurb for this English translation, the plot is outlined in a manner that heavily suggests it has a horror slant; in this it appears more similar to another standalone book of the author's, I Remember You, than her crime novels. In fact, it has nowhere near as much horror in it as I Remember You, and is nowhere near as scary, but it's also much tighter and more coherent.
There are two strands to the plot. One takes place in the present day, and follows Ódinn, a single dad, as he grapples with the challenge of caring for his daughter Rún and, at work (the State Supervisory Agency, only vaguely described) investigates the events at Krókur, a care home for delinquent boys which shut down in the 1970s. He's inherited the case from a colleague who died, and uncovers increasingly strange and tantalising details as he digs through her files. Plot strand no.2 is set in 1974, at Krókur itself, and follows Aldís, a young cleaner who gets unwisely involved with one of the boys living there. But there's also the mystery of her employers and that rumour about their baby...
It's hard to get a handle on what I liked so much about The Undesired - I think it was simply exactly what I needed at the time I chose to read it. It flows effortlessly, and isn't hampered by the inconsistent characterisation and/or excess of detail that stopped me from loving the author's other books even though I found parts of them excellent. It has proper mystery elements (what went down at Krókur? Was the 'accidental' death of Ódinn's ex-wife actually something more sinister?) and supernatural traces which are helped along by the atmospheric setting of Krókur - miles from anywhere, snowbound, with things that go bump in the night. It all kept me turning the pages, and at the end I wished there were more books featuring Ódinn's investigations . That's another thing I liked - the dark and surprising ending.
The Undesired is eerie rather than frightening, and all the more effective for it. My favourite Yrsa Sigurðardóttir book yet.
There are two strands to the plot. One takes place in the present day, and follows Ódinn, a single dad, as he grapples with the challenge of caring for his daughter Rún and, at work (the State Supervisory Agency, only vaguely described) investigates the events at Krókur, a care home for delinquent boys which shut down in the 1970s. He's inherited the case from a colleague who died, and uncovers increasingly strange and tantalising details as he digs through her files. Plot strand no.2 is set in 1974, at Krókur itself, and follows Aldís, a young cleaner who gets unwisely involved with one of the boys living there. But there's also the mystery of her employers and that rumour about their baby...
It's hard to get a handle on what I liked so much about The Undesired - I think it was simply exactly what I needed at the time I chose to read it. It flows effortlessly, and isn't hampered by the inconsistent characterisation and/or excess of detail that stopped me from loving the author's other books even though I found parts of them excellent. It has proper mystery elements (what went down at Krókur? Was the 'accidental' death of Ódinn's ex-wife actually something more sinister?) and supernatural traces which are helped along by the atmospheric setting of Krókur - miles from anywhere, snowbound, with things that go bump in the night. It all kept me turning the pages, and at the end I wished there were more books featuring Ódinn's investigations . That's another thing I liked - the dark and surprising ending.
The Undesired is eerie rather than frightening, and all the more effective for it. My favourite Yrsa Sigurðardóttir book yet.
February 21, 2017
The Undesired begins with Odinn and his daughter trapped in a running automobile slowly being overcome with the fumes leaving a reader to wonder just who this pair is and what brought them to that moment. Going back to find out those answers we learn that Odinn had lost his wife and has been left to raise his young daughter alone.
At that point Odinn takes a new job to look into a former residential home for boys to see if there had possibly been any kind of abuse. As Odinn is looking into the past of the home and the allegations the story alternates even farther back into the past with Aldis, a young woman who was working at the home in the 70s and had befriended one of the boys in question.
The Undesired by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir for me was simply a case of this one being way too much of a slow building read for my taste. I'm sure some people will enjoy the story but I found myself very quick to losing interest as the story was being built switching timelines and points of view. We know that things happened in the past simply from the investigation so as things were slowly being explained I just wanted to hurry to the answers.
In the end even though this wasn't a favorite of mine I would still urge others to give it a try if it sounded like something they might enjoy as the writing was fine just a bit too slow for my taste in a thriller type read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
At that point Odinn takes a new job to look into a former residential home for boys to see if there had possibly been any kind of abuse. As Odinn is looking into the past of the home and the allegations the story alternates even farther back into the past with Aldis, a young woman who was working at the home in the 70s and had befriended one of the boys in question.
The Undesired by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir for me was simply a case of this one being way too much of a slow building read for my taste. I'm sure some people will enjoy the story but I found myself very quick to losing interest as the story was being built switching timelines and points of view. We know that things happened in the past simply from the investigation so as things were slowly being explained I just wanted to hurry to the answers.
In the end even though this wasn't a favorite of mine I would still urge others to give it a try if it sounded like something they might enjoy as the writing was fine just a bit too slow for my taste in a thriller type read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
May 31, 2023
I have enjoyed reading Nordic authors for many years but this is the first I have read by Yrsa Sirgurdardottir. I know that I will read more.
The story takes place in the 1970’s and several decades later. You will learn the connection late in the story and the ending is surprising! Aldis is a worker in a juvenile detention center in Iceland and is treated very badly by the couple who run the home. When she realizes what she needs to do to leave, she is witness to a terrible crime which she carries with her through her life.
Much later a man is researching the detention home, and you will not believe what he discovers.
I liked this book a lot and would recommend to any mystery lover.
Good story, well told.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
The story takes place in the 1970’s and several decades later. You will learn the connection late in the story and the ending is surprising! Aldis is a worker in a juvenile detention center in Iceland and is treated very badly by the couple who run the home. When she realizes what she needs to do to leave, she is witness to a terrible crime which she carries with her through her life.
Much later a man is researching the detention home, and you will not believe what he discovers.
I liked this book a lot and would recommend to any mystery lover.
Good story, well told.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
July 21, 2020
A while back I watched the movie based on the author’s book I Remember You. It was very good. I remembered it. So it was very exciting indeed when our library got the author’s entire digital catalog. This book was the first to become available, all the more awesome because my preference is always given to standalones over series. And this isn’t just a weird method of coping with the practically boiling weather, either, I’m genuinely fascinated with Iceland and haven’t read enough from and about the place. In fact, can’t quite remember if I’ve read another Icelandic author before, I’ve read books set in Iceland, but they might have been by authors from other places…anyway…This didn’t disappoint. In fact, this was pretty excellent. It’s a thriller, like all of author’s books seem to be, but unlike I Remember You, it has no supernatural elements. Then again The Undesired is so dark and atmospheric and eerie in its own way, that it does have a certain haunting/haunted quality to it. It starts off with a man coming to in a car beside his 11 year old daughter, carbon monoxide’s all around, involuntary laughter gives way to terror, before the memory of how he got there descends…Now, that’s how you start a thriller. From there on the readers are taken back in time in two separate related timelines. In the recent present time one, the man from the car named Odinn transforms from an easy going workaholic bachelor and weekend dad to a FT father/desk jockey following a sudden death of his ex. Odinn essentially and suddenly has to change his entire lifestyle to accommodate a young daughter who comes to live with him, but the kid adores him and the desk job turns out to not be quite so tedious after all when Odinn gets a case to investigate any possible improprieties and abuses that might have gone on in a boys’ detention center in the 1970s. This is the case he inherits from a coworker who passes away. Odinn, in fact, inherits a lot of things from the dead and apparently that can be quite deadly in its own way. The other timeline is set in 1974 and told through Aldis, a young woman working as a cleaner in that very same boy’s detention center. Eventually, of course, the two plots will converge and the collision will be quite tragic. It’s a pretty tragic story all around with all too many victims of circumstances and cruelty. Some aspects of the story are easy to figure out, but the plot twist is a gut punch, it really is, and then it twists again and kicks once more just to really make sure it lands. And it is, in fact, very effective. I liked the writing very much too, it has the traditional Scandinavian economy of words and a certain sort of matter of factness, but it’s never lacking in any way. All things, from characters to descriptions, are done just right, you’re presented with sufficient amount of information, there’s never any overwriting or tangential indulgences. I should really take a page from that book as it were. So anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book, I found it thoroughly immersive, well done and thrillingly entertaining. So much so, in fact, that, though I normally don’t care for series, I’m actually interested in the author’s series, she seems to have two, just to revisit Iceland again with her as the morbid twisted tour guide. Dark, dark as night, psychological suspense fans should highly desire to check this out. Recommended.
May 10, 2022
5*
Wow, ce carte! Initial, nu prea intelegi despre ce e vorba, dar incet incet totul e explicat si finalul e creepy de tot.
Actiunea treve din anul 1074 in prezent, povestea tineri Aldis este una trista, dar descoperirile lui Oddin, ginerele lui Aldis, sunt incalcite. Doar in ultimele 3 pagini intriga se descalceste.
Superb scrisa!
Wow, ce carte! Initial, nu prea intelegi despre ce e vorba, dar incet incet totul e explicat si finalul e creepy de tot.
Actiunea treve din anul 1074 in prezent, povestea tineri Aldis este una trista, dar descoperirile lui Oddin, ginerele lui Aldis, sunt incalcite. Doar in ultimele 3 pagini intriga se descalceste.
Superb scrisa!
September 4, 2020
Sigurdardóttir nos narra la novela en dos tiempos distintos. Por un lado el de Aldis trabajando en el internado; y por otro, el de Odín con sus problemas familiares y su investigación sobre posibles abusos.
Estas historias, claro está, acabarán siendo una sola cuyo desenlace, es muy perturbador y angustioso y que me dejó boquiabierta.
Los indeseados es un thriller hiriente y enérgico que aúna misterio, investigación y una ambientación amenazadora desde la primera hasta la última página. La islandesa consigue la dosis justa de tensión y miedo con la que el lector siente y padece la ansiedad de los protagonistas, su inquietud y desazón. Es muy buena generando esas emociones gracias a la gran ambientación.
Es una novela intensa que puede alterar tus nervios en muchas ocasiones en las que te dan ganas de dejar de leer por miedo a lo que te puedas encontrar en las siguientes páginas, pero que, no obstante, devorarás. El terror y el misterio bien llevados y escritos tienen esos efectos.
Una historia bien narrada, con un estilo cuidado que se lee de forma compulsiva.
Estas historias, claro está, acabarán siendo una sola cuyo desenlace, es muy perturbador y angustioso y que me dejó boquiabierta.
Los indeseados es un thriller hiriente y enérgico que aúna misterio, investigación y una ambientación amenazadora desde la primera hasta la última página. La islandesa consigue la dosis justa de tensión y miedo con la que el lector siente y padece la ansiedad de los protagonistas, su inquietud y desazón. Es muy buena generando esas emociones gracias a la gran ambientación.
Es una novela intensa que puede alterar tus nervios en muchas ocasiones en las que te dan ganas de dejar de leer por miedo a lo que te puedas encontrar en las siguientes páginas, pero que, no obstante, devorarás. El terror y el misterio bien llevados y escritos tienen esos efectos.
Una historia bien narrada, con un estilo cuidado que se lee de forma compulsiva.
July 4, 2025
El final es brutal pero tiene mucho relleno.
October 29, 2015
This is an incredible story about historic child abuse that is suspected and an official report is commissioned to investigate. By establishing the known facts the authorities would see if any survivors were due compensation.
This plot outline then is established in the author,Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and she writes a multi-faceted horror story; so well paced and intriguing with unexplained circumstances, unease and foreboding it is hard to unravel the mystery and see reality rather than the supernatural.
The investigative report stalls when the officier responsible dies suddenly. Odinn is pleased to finally have an important role at the firm to take up the enquiry into abuse at the home.
The author uses a parallel narrative to run alongside his investigation by introducing an eyewitness account of a cleaning girl working at the detention centre where the boys have been placed for unspecified misdemeanors. Aldis is as much a prisoner as the boys at the home in rural Iceland as she has run away from home.
This is superb writing; well paced and a gentle disclosure into what went on so many years ago. The past seems to reach out across the years and influence the modern day enquiry. We fear for Odinn right from the start feeling his life is threatened in a manner that two boys lost their lives shortly before the centre was forced to close in a tragic 'accident'.
Packed with superstition; threats that seem both apparitions; unexplained smells and noises both in the past and haunting Odinn and his daughter's home and dreams. The reader struggles to believe events could have been influenced by ghostly disturbances; but what rational link could explain the present sense of danger with a perpetrator who must be of pensionable age continuing to bring terror and guilt from the past into silencing anyone who tries to shine a light on the past.
The book never allows one to make sense of the dangers real or imagined in Aldis' time or the consequences being played out in the modern account. Great characterisation; lots of spooky events in dark spaces and the dead of night the story hooks you from the start and never easily gives up its secrets.
At its heart it speaks about crime and punishment; guilt and innocence with death seemingly unbiased in those taken but needing to be satisfied if the grime reaper calls. Sometimes the burden is greater on those who are spared but witness its effects at close hand. I love these notions shared in this considered piece of fiction that tells about broken families. How life is hard and a struggle; that consequences from historic events can pass down the generations.
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is above all else a wonderful storyteller any discerning reader will enjoy this tale. Pity the librarians who have to classify where it sits on the shelf. The bookshop has an easier task "best seller".
This plot outline then is established in the author,Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and she writes a multi-faceted horror story; so well paced and intriguing with unexplained circumstances, unease and foreboding it is hard to unravel the mystery and see reality rather than the supernatural.
The investigative report stalls when the officier responsible dies suddenly. Odinn is pleased to finally have an important role at the firm to take up the enquiry into abuse at the home.
The author uses a parallel narrative to run alongside his investigation by introducing an eyewitness account of a cleaning girl working at the detention centre where the boys have been placed for unspecified misdemeanors. Aldis is as much a prisoner as the boys at the home in rural Iceland as she has run away from home.
This is superb writing; well paced and a gentle disclosure into what went on so many years ago. The past seems to reach out across the years and influence the modern day enquiry. We fear for Odinn right from the start feeling his life is threatened in a manner that two boys lost their lives shortly before the centre was forced to close in a tragic 'accident'.
Packed with superstition; threats that seem both apparitions; unexplained smells and noises both in the past and haunting Odinn and his daughter's home and dreams. The reader struggles to believe events could have been influenced by ghostly disturbances; but what rational link could explain the present sense of danger with a perpetrator who must be of pensionable age continuing to bring terror and guilt from the past into silencing anyone who tries to shine a light on the past.
The book never allows one to make sense of the dangers real or imagined in Aldis' time or the consequences being played out in the modern account. Great characterisation; lots of spooky events in dark spaces and the dead of night the story hooks you from the start and never easily gives up its secrets.
At its heart it speaks about crime and punishment; guilt and innocence with death seemingly unbiased in those taken but needing to be satisfied if the grime reaper calls. Sometimes the burden is greater on those who are spared but witness its effects at close hand. I love these notions shared in this considered piece of fiction that tells about broken families. How life is hard and a struggle; that consequences from historic events can pass down the generations.
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is above all else a wonderful storyteller any discerning reader will enjoy this tale. Pity the librarians who have to classify where it sits on the shelf. The bookshop has an easier task "best seller".
February 18, 2018
An investigation into alleged abuses that took place in a juvenile detention center in rural Iceland during the 1970s hint at possible deadly repercussions in the present for the single father tasked with looking into the matter...ones that may have already struck close to home.
Sigurdardottir expertly alternates this current investigation with the story of a young woman working in the detention center when these abuses took place, a tale of mysterious goings-on that hint at a supernatural source.
Chillingly atmospheric, this one kept me guessing right up to the last page.
Highly recommended.
Sigurdardottir expertly alternates this current investigation with the story of a young woman working in the detention center when these abuses took place, a tale of mysterious goings-on that hint at a supernatural source.
Chillingly atmospheric, this one kept me guessing right up to the last page.
Highly recommended.
January 3, 2020
It's no secret that I love Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's books - she really is the Icelandic queen of spooky mysteries. I thought I had read all her stand-alone books until I went to Iceland on holidays and realised that I hadn't heard of this one. What a better time to read it than whilst in Iceland!
THE UNDESIRED has some of the hallmarks that made my other reads by this author so enjoyable. I felt however that this was one of her earlier books, and she has since really perfected the art. The story is unusual in the way it slowly unravels without an actual crime having taken place. Odinn, a government employee, has been tasked to finish the case of a colleague who has suddenly passed away from a heart attack, to investigate claims of possible maltreatment of boys in state correctional facilities in the 1970's. He also has a lot of personal baggage. His estranged wife has recently died from a tragic accident, and he now has full custody of his daughter, who is still traumatised from the event.
In a parallel timeline from the 1970's, we hear from Aldis, who is a cleaner at the facility Odinn is investigating. It is particularly in this timeline that the bleak character of the Icelandic landscape comes to the fore, which really made for an atmospheric read.
Personally, I found Aldis' timeline a lot less engaging than Odinn's, which slowed the story down a bit for me. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book that the tension ratcheted up for me, just as I have become accustomed to from this author. Overall, it was a bleak and somewhat sinister tale that used the cold and remote Icelandic landscape to build tension and introduce just a slight hint of otherworldliness that skirted on the borders of horror and the paranormal. If you enjoy a bleak, atmospheric setting, then this one might just be the perfect read for you.
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THE UNDESIRED has some of the hallmarks that made my other reads by this author so enjoyable. I felt however that this was one of her earlier books, and she has since really perfected the art. The story is unusual in the way it slowly unravels without an actual crime having taken place. Odinn, a government employee, has been tasked to finish the case of a colleague who has suddenly passed away from a heart attack, to investigate claims of possible maltreatment of boys in state correctional facilities in the 1970's. He also has a lot of personal baggage. His estranged wife has recently died from a tragic accident, and he now has full custody of his daughter, who is still traumatised from the event.
In a parallel timeline from the 1970's, we hear from Aldis, who is a cleaner at the facility Odinn is investigating. It is particularly in this timeline that the bleak character of the Icelandic landscape comes to the fore, which really made for an atmospheric read.
Personally, I found Aldis' timeline a lot less engaging than Odinn's, which slowed the story down a bit for me. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book that the tension ratcheted up for me, just as I have become accustomed to from this author. Overall, it was a bleak and somewhat sinister tale that used the cold and remote Icelandic landscape to build tension and introduce just a slight hint of otherworldliness that skirted on the borders of horror and the paranormal. If you enjoy a bleak, atmospheric setting, then this one might just be the perfect read for you.
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February 6, 2022
This was a decent crime novel but very drawn out. There were minor scenes that went on and on. I have read other Icelandic crime novels and this wasn't a feature so perhaps it is this writer. A detective is reopening an old investigation of a residential home for juvenile delinquents. At the same time, a story line plays out that is placed in this home that occurred at the time period being investigated.
Three stars for a decent mystery.
Three stars for a decent mystery.
January 8, 2022
I'm not fond of ghost stories, but if Yrsa weaves one, I'll try it. And what a joy it turned out to be! Cleverly plotted, with a tension-building dual narrative moving between 1974 and the present day, and more twists and turns and surprises (and unexplained detail) than your average suspense novel, this story builds lung capacity in the final third as gasp is followed by gasp. I would still advise readers to start with Last rituals, and to look forward to The silence of the sea as her best book to date, but The undesired is a worthy addition to an excellent oeuvre.
Ek is nie gaande oor spookstories nie, maar ek sal haas enigiets lees wat Yrsa neerpen. Sy het my meermale totaal verras, sodat ek bly is ek het wel besluit om die boek te lees. Die hoogtepunt in Yrsa se vertaalde oeuvre tot op hede is The silence of the sea, waarin sy ook 'n tweespoor-narratief aanwend, selfs nog meesterliker en verrassender as in The undesired. Tog is laasgenoemde 'n waardige toevoeging tot haar publikasielys - al sien ek sterk uit na die volgende avontuur van Thóra!
Ek is nie gaande oor spookstories nie, maar ek sal haas enigiets lees wat Yrsa neerpen. Sy het my meermale totaal verras, sodat ek bly is ek het wel besluit om die boek te lees. Die hoogtepunt in Yrsa se vertaalde oeuvre tot op hede is The silence of the sea, waarin sy ook 'n tweespoor-narratief aanwend, selfs nog meesterliker en verrassender as in The undesired. Tog is laasgenoemde 'n waardige toevoeging tot haar publikasielys - al sien ek sterk uit na die volgende avontuur van Thóra!
September 10, 2017
An Icelandic tale with a touch of paranormal about the suspicious death of two children in a care home in the desolate wasteland of Iceland. When 40 odd years later there is an new investigation in the care homes that took in juvenile delinquents after a series of scandals. At first the main protagonist is asked to look in the case of one particular care home because the previous investigator had died before finishing.
It is a bleak story with little or no moments of true excitement of darkness. The story never really pulls you into itself. Even if the writer does know how to tell a story this book must not be her better work otherwise I am somewhat flabbergasted by her popularity.
Anyhow it passes the time and perhaps I will look into another book of this writer, but this book is not the best advertisement for her writing skills. Like Iceland in the winter this book felt empty and cold.
It is a bleak story with little or no moments of true excitement of darkness. The story never really pulls you into itself. Even if the writer does know how to tell a story this book must not be her better work otherwise I am somewhat flabbergasted by her popularity.
Anyhow it passes the time and perhaps I will look into another book of this writer, but this book is not the best advertisement for her writing skills. Like Iceland in the winter this book felt empty and cold.
November 28, 2015
3 1/2 stars
My View:
A very topical theme – the historic abuse of children in care – mixed with a little mystery/superstition/ hint of the paranormal/horror but in the end this intriguing narrative delivers a very powerful, of this world evil, that you just won’t see coming!
The beginning has a very seductive but sad emotional hook – we are privy to the end of Odin and his daughter’s life (no spoilers here), then we are introduced via flashbacks and various view points to a lives in a children’s home; grim, grey and almost without hope – for the residents and the workers alike. Chapters relating to past and present time zones evoke a feeling of dread and the potential of horror and things that go bump in the night…
The end is powerful and hints that this story may not be over!
My View:
A very topical theme – the historic abuse of children in care – mixed with a little mystery/superstition/ hint of the paranormal/horror but in the end this intriguing narrative delivers a very powerful, of this world evil, that you just won’t see coming!
The beginning has a very seductive but sad emotional hook – we are privy to the end of Odin and his daughter’s life (no spoilers here), then we are introduced via flashbacks and various view points to a lives in a children’s home; grim, grey and almost without hope – for the residents and the workers alike. Chapters relating to past and present time zones evoke a feeling of dread and the potential of horror and things that go bump in the night…
The end is powerful and hints that this story may not be over!
April 15, 2019
This was interesting but for me, ultimately unsatisfactory. The writer is very skillful at creating atmosphere. The story moves quite slowly, but I thought it very realistic in presenting a protagonist who makes a complicated, halting muddle of errors and mistaken assumptions when faced with overwhelming problems. And there's always a sense of impending disaster that kept me reading.
The resolution, on the other hand, struck me as a cheap trick. Even aside from the fact that I strongly dislike We know some people exhibit patterns of behavior that we can describe as psychopathic. We know very little about what causes psychopathy.
I would probably pick up another book by this author if I come across one to give another try, but I won't be seeking them out.
The resolution, on the other hand, struck me as a cheap trick. Even aside from the fact that I strongly dislike We know some people exhibit patterns of behavior that we can describe as psychopathic. We know very little about what causes psychopathy.
I would probably pick up another book by this author if I come across one to give another try, but I won't be seeking them out.
April 7, 2017
Loved it! Review to come soon
October 22, 2024
Very clever! I would've given it 5⭐️ had it been less... slowburning. It has so many details about the characters, especially about Odinn's relationship with his daughter Rún and I just did not care😫 I understand why the author chose to write the story like this, everything was so intentional and so well planned, so this is merely a personal preference.
June 5, 2025
Yrsa proved me one more time she's a great atmosphere writer. She slowly sets the right tone of this book, choosing the proper setting and scenery, and the right circumstances in which we find the characters. As the story develops we get to know and care for them.
She's also done great to connect the two stories.
So, the four stars are because of the ending.
She's also done great to connect the two stories.
So, the four stars are because of the ending.
December 9, 2015
Falling between two stools...
As the book begins, a man and his young daughter are in the last stages of asphyxiation in his car. How did they get there? Who has done this to them? The story takes the reader back into the past to answer these questions. Odinn's life was turned upside down a few months previously when his ex-wife fell from a window and died, leaving him with the responsibility for his young daughter, Rún. Until then he had been a weekend father, fond of his daughter but leading the life of a single man. As part of his readjustment, he has taken a new job in the State Supervisory Agency, office-based and with regular hours. He has been given the task of preparing a report on a former residential home for boys to check whether there are likely to be any claims from former residents for compensation for abuse or ill-treatment. The book is split between his investigation and the story of what led to the home's closure, following the death of two of the boys.
This is being billed as a horror novel and does have some aspects of horror, but in reality it's more of a crime novel with psychological aspects. The horror consists of some unexplained shadows and the occasional bit of spooky giggling, and rarely sent any shivers down my spine. And it really doesn't add anything to the basic story, leaving me to wonder why it's in there at all.
The crime aspect is better. Back in the '70s, the story is seen through the eyes of Aldis, a young girl employed at the home who develops a relationship with one of the older boys. The owners of the home have their own secrets and don't treat either the boys or the staff well, though thankfully this isn't yet another child abuse tale. Again, the reader knows from Odinn's investigation in the present day that two of the boys die, so this part of the story, like the present day one, is more about finding out what led to their deaths. Sometimes knowing what's going to happen works, but in this case I found that all this foreknowledge led to a serious lack of tension. There is still a mystery, which I won't detail for fear of spoilers, and I was surprised by the ending, but for most of the book it feels like a fairly long plod to get to a destination we already know.
Usually I love Sigurdardottir's books, so my disappointment with this one is partly to do with my high expectations. Although it didn't quite meet those, there's still plenty in it to enjoy. The characterisation is good, especially of Aldis, and the part about the home is well done, giving a good feeling of authenticity. Sigurdardottir's writing is always readable and the translation, by Victoria Cribb, is excellent. The plot is intriguing despite the ending being known, and although it crosses the credibility line it held my interest for the most part.
I think the book is trying to do two things at the same time – have a realistic plot and be a spooky horror story – and as a result neither works as well as it would have alone. It also makes the book overlong. Had the spooky aspects been cut, the whole thing would have been much tighter and would, I feel, actually have achieved a higher level of tension. I'm sure that Sigurdardottir fans like myself will find enough in it to make it a worthwhile read, but it wouldn't be one that I would necessarily recommend to newcomers to her work. Much better to start with her Thora Gudmundsdottir series. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton.
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As the book begins, a man and his young daughter are in the last stages of asphyxiation in his car. How did they get there? Who has done this to them? The story takes the reader back into the past to answer these questions. Odinn's life was turned upside down a few months previously when his ex-wife fell from a window and died, leaving him with the responsibility for his young daughter, Rún. Until then he had been a weekend father, fond of his daughter but leading the life of a single man. As part of his readjustment, he has taken a new job in the State Supervisory Agency, office-based and with regular hours. He has been given the task of preparing a report on a former residential home for boys to check whether there are likely to be any claims from former residents for compensation for abuse or ill-treatment. The book is split between his investigation and the story of what led to the home's closure, following the death of two of the boys.
This is being billed as a horror novel and does have some aspects of horror, but in reality it's more of a crime novel with psychological aspects. The horror consists of some unexplained shadows and the occasional bit of spooky giggling, and rarely sent any shivers down my spine. And it really doesn't add anything to the basic story, leaving me to wonder why it's in there at all.
The crime aspect is better. Back in the '70s, the story is seen through the eyes of Aldis, a young girl employed at the home who develops a relationship with one of the older boys. The owners of the home have their own secrets and don't treat either the boys or the staff well, though thankfully this isn't yet another child abuse tale. Again, the reader knows from Odinn's investigation in the present day that two of the boys die, so this part of the story, like the present day one, is more about finding out what led to their deaths. Sometimes knowing what's going to happen works, but in this case I found that all this foreknowledge led to a serious lack of tension. There is still a mystery, which I won't detail for fear of spoilers, and I was surprised by the ending, but for most of the book it feels like a fairly long plod to get to a destination we already know.
Usually I love Sigurdardottir's books, so my disappointment with this one is partly to do with my high expectations. Although it didn't quite meet those, there's still plenty in it to enjoy. The characterisation is good, especially of Aldis, and the part about the home is well done, giving a good feeling of authenticity. Sigurdardottir's writing is always readable and the translation, by Victoria Cribb, is excellent. The plot is intriguing despite the ending being known, and although it crosses the credibility line it held my interest for the most part.
I think the book is trying to do two things at the same time – have a realistic plot and be a spooky horror story – and as a result neither works as well as it would have alone. It also makes the book overlong. Had the spooky aspects been cut, the whole thing would have been much tighter and would, I feel, actually have achieved a higher level of tension. I'm sure that Sigurdardottir fans like myself will find enough in it to make it a worthwhile read, but it wouldn't be one that I would necessarily recommend to newcomers to her work. Much better to start with her Thora Gudmundsdottir series. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
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February 7, 2017Deliciously creepy standalone by one of my favorite authors! With hints of paranormal activity and the stark Icelandic setting, this mystery/thriller was impossible to put down so I read it cover to cover in a single sitting. It's dark, chilling and twisted and I really liked the story.
The opening of the novel sets the stage for the backstory -- a man and his 11-year-old daughter are slowly asphyxiating in a car in a garage. Who has done this to them, and why? Odinn and Run (accents missing) had reconnected and she was living with him after his ex-wife's tragic fall and death. Was this connected to the case he was working on?
Odinn had quit his previous job when Run came to live with him and was now working for an agency tasked with investigating possible abuse in an old delinquent boys' home -- the Krokur care home. As an engineer, they counted on his rational approach to discovering if anything untoward had happened on that isolated farm in the 1970s. The previous investigator had died suddenly, and Odinn was looking through her files and notes to catch up and finish the report. The narrative then shifts to another point of view -- that of Aldis, a young woman who worked at the care home as a cleaner and aide to the owners. Lilja and Veigar are rigid and lack compassion for their charges and the hired help.
The pacing is smooth and the shifts between present day Odinn and 1974 Aldis are flawless as the story develops and builds tension as the reader begins to understand what might have happened there at the care home and how Odinn might be connected. Add in some seriously messed up characters and an atmosphere of gloom and a dose of weird bumps and noises and you have the sense that things are going to go wrong in a big way. No spoilers, but there are quite a few surprises at the climax and conclusion of this noir tale.
I can't wait to read more by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and though I've adored her Thora novels, I will read anything she writes. I recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to review. I really loved the name pronunciation guide at the start!
The opening of the novel sets the stage for the backstory -- a man and his 11-year-old daughter are slowly asphyxiating in a car in a garage. Who has done this to them, and why? Odinn and Run (accents missing) had reconnected and she was living with him after his ex-wife's tragic fall and death. Was this connected to the case he was working on?
Odinn had quit his previous job when Run came to live with him and was now working for an agency tasked with investigating possible abuse in an old delinquent boys' home -- the Krokur care home. As an engineer, they counted on his rational approach to discovering if anything untoward had happened on that isolated farm in the 1970s. The previous investigator had died suddenly, and Odinn was looking through her files and notes to catch up and finish the report. The narrative then shifts to another point of view -- that of Aldis, a young woman who worked at the care home as a cleaner and aide to the owners. Lilja and Veigar are rigid and lack compassion for their charges and the hired help.
The pacing is smooth and the shifts between present day Odinn and 1974 Aldis are flawless as the story develops and builds tension as the reader begins to understand what might have happened there at the care home and how Odinn might be connected. Add in some seriously messed up characters and an atmosphere of gloom and a dose of weird bumps and noises and you have the sense that things are going to go wrong in a big way. No spoilers, but there are quite a few surprises at the climax and conclusion of this noir tale.
I can't wait to read more by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and though I've adored her Thora novels, I will read anything she writes. I recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to review. I really loved the name pronunciation guide at the start!
August 4, 2018
Trigger warnings: death, asphyxiation, death of a spouse, death of an infant, seriously there's a lot of death.
3.5 stars.
I've read quite a few of Yrsa Sigurdardottir's books now, and they always seem to straddle the line between thriller and paranormal/horror stories. They're generally compelling and fast paced, and this one was no exception. It alternated between the 1970s and the present day, and there were plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
That said, there were times when this felt repetitive because the 1970s story is being investigated in the present and so it felt like there were times when I was being told things twice because I'd see it happen in the 1970s and then the next chapter would feature the people in the present finding out the same information blah blah blah.
Still, it was surprisingly creepy a lot of the time and the final resolution was one I did NOT see coming.
3.5 stars.
I've read quite a few of Yrsa Sigurdardottir's books now, and they always seem to straddle the line between thriller and paranormal/horror stories. They're generally compelling and fast paced, and this one was no exception. It alternated between the 1970s and the present day, and there were plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
That said, there were times when this felt repetitive because the 1970s story is being investigated in the present and so it felt like there were times when I was being told things twice because I'd see it happen in the 1970s and then the next chapter would feature the people in the present finding out the same information blah blah blah.
Still, it was surprisingly creepy a lot of the time and the final resolution was one I did NOT see coming.
May 4, 2016
There is a point in this book when you HAVE to keep reading to finish it. This author is a master in keeping chills running up the reader's spine in each chapter, beginning with placing the end of the story at the beginning. The reader is immediately engaged to find out what led to this situation. The reader knows that the two stories set in different time periods will lead to the resolution, and the author weaves the stories together most effectively.
The two main characters appear to be quite unremarkable for the most part, the real main character not emerging until the end.
This book had me wanting to run out and buy another book by this author. I shall keep this book as I met the author at Wordfest and she signed it, so select friends can borrow it.
The two main characters appear to be quite unremarkable for the most part, the real main character not emerging until the end.
This book had me wanting to run out and buy another book by this author. I shall keep this book as I met the author at Wordfest and she signed it, so select friends can borrow it.
March 2, 2018
This was slow going but I stuck with it. It never really picked up, I just got used to the pace. It was pretty clever and the reveal was a complete surprise. I liked the Icelandic setting and all the Icelandic names. A strong 3 star book.
August 27, 2017
Thought that this was a really dark book, don't particularly like this kind of story. It seemed to take on an other dimension as we got into the book. The girl is evil itself.
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August 20, 2022Eerie, chilling, suspenseful, and a total page turner - The perfect winter read. I cannot wait to read more by this author!!!
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January 12, 2025No rating. DNF
I got nearly to half way and this is too morose and just not a premise I can go farther with for these many pages. Not at all a bad author, and most of the former I have read I mostly enjoyed. But this orphanage series in such a stark and downward trudging place- I just can't. I won't be taking any more from the orphan series.
I got nearly to half way and this is too morose and just not a premise I can go farther with for these many pages. Not at all a bad author, and most of the former I have read I mostly enjoyed. But this orphanage series in such a stark and downward trudging place- I just can't. I won't be taking any more from the orphan series.
December 18, 2023
Yas queen. Gott plottwist, bjóst ekki við þessu! Aðeins meira dark en venjulega hjá Yrsu finnst mer, sem ég elska of course.
August 3, 2021
Nu prea rezonez cu descrierile lungi, oricat de multa autenticitate ar adăuga poveștii. Nu au fost chiaar lungi, dar sunt cateva. Le-am supravietuit cu brio.
Povestea este extraordinar de bine construita, desi alambicata. Personajele mi s-au părut excelent conturate, le voi simti lipsi. 😅 Te tine cu sufletul la gura! Ultimele 100 de pagini au fost citite pe nerăsuflate.
Finalul este wow! A fost printre primele carti la care m-am straduit sa depistez criminalul si... nimic! Nu mai zic ca am mai stat si cu lumina aprinsa azi-noapte, pe la 12, cand am terminat-o!
O carte asa cum ar trebui sa fie toate scrise, o carte completa, complexa.
Povestea este extraordinar de bine construita, desi alambicata. Personajele mi s-au părut excelent conturate, le voi simti lipsi. 😅 Te tine cu sufletul la gura! Ultimele 100 de pagini au fost citite pe nerăsuflate.
Finalul este wow! A fost printre primele carti la care m-am straduit sa depistez criminalul si... nimic! Nu mai zic ca am mai stat si cu lumina aprinsa azi-noapte, pe la 12, cand am terminat-o!
O carte asa cum ar trebui sa fie toate scrise, o carte completa, complexa.
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