Karoline

4.5 stars

To be honest I was a little disappointed with this one.. I think maybe it was because I was half expecting this shock twist at the end, but I felt like it never came. I guessed the outcome rather early on (though I had other possible explanations as well), and there wasn't really anything shocking about it.

That being said I did like it. I found the beginning to be a little slow paced, but I didn't really mind, and it picks up towards the end of the book. I didn't really like any of the characters much, though I did find it hard not to sympathize with Rachel. She makes a lot of mistakes, but I can understand why she makes them.

The concept is interesting. Sitting on a train twice a day looking out of the window. Watching houses and people as they blur by. Daydreaming about what their lives must be like. And then one day see something that puts a dent in that picture.

Hawkins also takes on a couple of subjects that are hard to deal with, and that I think might benefit from more exposure. Alcoholism is life destroying, and seeing this story from Rachel's point of view, when this is clearly something she struggles with, is an eye opener. All the pity and anger that is directed towards her because of it. All the bad things she has done that she struggles to recall and therefore doesn't feel as bad about as she feels like she should.
I also feel that Rachel being unable to have a child, and how hard that hit her, was something that we don't talk about enough. How do one cope with that? A lot of women struggles with this, and I do think that part of the problem is that having children in expected of us. Although I do think it would be hard to deal with anyway (whether you want a child or not). Having the chose ripped out of your hands must be devastating.

All in all I liked it. 3 out of 5 starts. I'd say there are definitely mystery books out there that I have liked more, but it wasn't bad. It just wasn't great either.

3.25 Stars

To be honest I was a little disappointed in this book. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I had heard such great things about it. My mother and her boyfriend loved it, so I thought I would too. But to me it was just slightly above average.
It was funny here and there, but I was expecting it to be hilarious, so it fell a little short. I do think I would have found the humor enough if I hadn't been expecting so much though. Because it is funny (at times).
The setting and scenario is a little ridiculous, as are some of the characters. I was expecting that, so I didn't mind much, but you should be aware of it.
All in all I liked it, but I was expecting more (though that's not the books fault). I would recommend it, but it's not the best book I've read this year.

(I read this book in Norwegian)

4.5 Stars“You have to understand that when one is just standing there looking, then just for a second one is ready to jump. If one does it, one dares to do it. But if one waits, it'll never happen.”Warning: This book made me cry. I really liked this book. So far it's my favorite this year (it's only February, but still). If you've read [b:A Man Called Ove 18774964 A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg 21619954] then you kind of know what you are getting. I found this book to be rather similar. It's gender-flipped and a different plot, but very similar non the less. “One morning you wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it's happened.”I can imagine that I wouldn't like Britt-Marie much if I ever were to meet her. But reading this book from her point of view was to me very emotional. She has more or less completely lost herself to her husband. To the point were she cannot remember whether she doesn't like something because she doesn't like it, or because he doesn't. Her entire identity is connected to the life she had with him. To being a housewife. Most of her life has been about taking care of other people (her mother, her husband, his children). It's gotten to the point were she doesn't know what to do with herself if she isn't needed by anyone. “All marriages have their bad sides, because people have weaknesses. If you live with another human being you learn to handle these weaknesses in a variety of ways. For instance, you might take the view that weaknesses are a bit like heavy pieces of furniture, and based on this you must learn to clean around them. To maintain the illusion.”“Of course the dust is building up unseen, but you learn to repress this for as long as it goes unnoticed by guests. And then one day someone moves a piece of furniture without your say-so, and everything comes into plain view. Dirt and scratch marks. Permanent damage to the parquet floor. By then it's too late.”I liked most of the characters, and I could really see a lot of development in the mc. They all felt very real to me. I know Britt-Marie is a character from [b:My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry 23604559 My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry Fredrik Backman https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461904020s/23604559.jpg 25003015]. I haven't read that one yet, so you can by all means read this one first if you'd like. (I'll come back with a recommended reading order after I've read it.)(I read this book in Norwegian)

2.5 Stars

I found this book to be rather slow. It didn't really pick up until the ending, so there were several times while I read this that I considered to dnf it (this probably had something to do with the mood I was in though. I don't necessarily dislike a book just because it is a little slow).
I think that if I had read this some years ago I would have probably enjoyed it more. But now it is just another book in a rather exhausted genre. There is nothing really special about it, but I did like it enough. I am planning on giving the second one a try. Hopefully that will have more of the feel and pace that the ending had.