Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around two titles I’ve been looking forward to pick up for a while now. Sadly, The Glass Hotel somehow didn’t work for me at all, but I had a great time with the first Tuva Moodyson book.
Title: The Glass Hotel
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary
First published: March 24th 2020
Publisher: Knopf
Finished reading: July 29th 2020
Pages: 302
“Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives.”
So… I’m still not sure what happened here, but I guess it is unpopular opinion time again? I loved Station Eleven back when I read it in 2018, and I fully expected to have a repeat experience in The Glass Hotel. It was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and I still can’t wrap my head around my negative reaction to the writing and story itself. It might just be that I’m not in the right mindset for this story right now, but the fact is… I REALLY didn’t enjoy my time with The Glass Hotel. I wasn’t able to connect to the writing at all, the plot and POV switches felt all over the place and I struggled to keep everyone apart as well as to try and keep track of what part of the plot puzzle fitted where. I loved her writing in Station Eleven, so I’m a bit shocked to be honest to feel this way about her newest story, but it is what it is I guess. The fact that I started skimreading about a third into the story and had almost no motivation whatsoever to continue is a huge warning sign on its own… I’m so sad and disappointed I feel this way about such a highly anticipated story; especially since I seem to be the only one with such a negative reaction so far. Definitely don’t give up on this story on my account, as you probably won’t have that pesky unpopular opinion curse sticking to your back like I do… I might give The Glass Hotel a second chance in the future though to see if it just wasn’t the right time for this story at the moment, or if the story simply isn’t for me.
Title: Dark Pines
(Tuva Moodyson Mystery #1)
Author: Will Dean
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: December 7th 2017
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Finished reading: August 2nd 2020
Pages: 323
“Details are important, they can have consequences.”
I’ve rediscovered my love for the Nordic noir genre in recent years, and I’ve been meaning to meet up with Tuva Moodyson for quite some time now. I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy my time with this series, and my instincts hit the nail on the head. Dark Pines turned out to be an excellent start of a series I will be continuing very soon! I’ve followed the author on Twitter for a while now, and I love how he uses his experience living in Sweden to give us a thorough and realistic description of the Swedish setting. It really made the small town of Gavrik come alive for me, and set the right atmosphere for this Nordic noir gem. The writing drew me right in, and Tuva makes for a fascinating main character. The fact that she is deaf (although she can hear with hearing aids) is something you don’t see every day, and I really liked the journalism angle of the story. Dark Pines is part cold case and part active murder investigation set in the middle of the Swedish forrest. Through Tuva, we get to know the different characters and possible suspects in play, and it is without doubt an interesting cast. The plot has its twists and turns, and while there was some repetition and I saw some twists coming, overall Dark Pines was a solid start of a series I can’t wait to continue.
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So sorry about The Glass Hotel. I can tell that you really wanted to like it. Glad Dark Pines was a great read though. Fab reviews!
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I’m still surprised I wasn’t able to enjoy The Glass Hotel better, especially since I loved her writing in Station Eleven… Dark Pines made up for it though. xx
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Fab reviews! i don’t think you’re the only one who didn’t enjoy The Glass Hotel as I’m sure I’ve seen mixed reviews for it on Instagram. xx
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Oh that’s interesting! I’ve been bad at reading other blogs and social media lately, but it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one. xx
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I haven’t read The Glass Hotel or Station 11 yet. I’m sorry you didn’t love this novel you expected so much of. Dark Pines was ok for me but I didn’t love it. I did love the setting and Tuva, like you, but the plot didn’t excite me so much. I think I’d love it more if he wrote like a romance story with that setting or a contemporary novel. Great reviews as always Yvonne!
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Oh I do get that about Dark Pines! The plot itself wasn’t as fast-paced as I would have expected either… I’m really curious to see how the series evolves though. xx
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It’s a shame about The Glass Hotel but I’m pleased you loved Dark Pines – I still need to get to that one.
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I hope you will enjoy Dark Pines too! xx
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I’m really sorry The Glass Hotel was a disappointing read for you, Yvonne. It’s perhaps doubly frustrating when we dislike a book that everyone else seems to love. Great reviews 🙂
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It’s not the first time that the unpopular opinion curse hits and it’s always a shame when it happens… It does make me feel better that most people do seem to enjoy it better. xx
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Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy The Glass Hotel! But Dark Pines looks pretty great. I’ve been itching to read a good nordic noir book so I may read this one!
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If you are in the mood for nordic noir, Dark Pines is a great option! The descriptions really make the setting come alive. xx
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I love your short reviews Yvonne. I had The Glass Hotel on my tablet ready to go a couple of weeks ago and read some unfavourable reviews and returned it to the library. I see you felt the same way as many others I follow. I keep saying I am going to try some Nordic Noir and this one sounds good, I will see if my library has Dark Pines.
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