Sissel-Jo Gazan

A really well written and easily read book.
What I imagine a story would feel like if you asked for 80'es Astrid Lindgren, but make it social realism in rural Denmark and add a pinch of revenge fantasy.
The narrator is 13 years old Jenny, who lives with her mother on an Island in Denmark. We experience the island and its inhabitants from her point of view, and when a string of dramatic deaths involving her nearest an dearest occur, her attempts at making sense of the world is very well written and true to her voice.
As the plot unrolls, we learn of a revenge conspiracy, trying to set right the mistreatment and abuse of children and youngsters in an unbelievable, yet very satisfying plot.… (more)

I’m really disappointed with this book. Maybe I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for all the raving reviews, such as it being the Danish crime novel of the decade. Having finished the book (out of a sheer persistence and hopefulness that it would eventually live up to its reviews), I am perplexed by why people enjoyed this. This book is trashed with unnecessary drama and detailed histories into the past lives of the characters. Supposedly, such was meant to give deeper context to the characters and the outcome, but unfortunately it only diminished whatever potentially interesting science and mystery of the story down to a null. The author wasted much time bringing many characters into this book and explaining their extensive boring histories, all of which had nothing to do with the evolution of the story. This is much less of a crime novel than a drama, some thing I did not sign up for. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, it is a complete waste of time.… (more)