Reviews

Now I have never criticized a book for "nothing happening in it" but this book is where I draw the line. I was annoyed by Siss all throughout and I really wanted something major to go down. Ngl when that Auntie took her out on a walk, I thought she'd do something crazy to Siss. Instead we get a bloody heart to heart. Again, when she was called out by the "Leader Girl", I was so excited. The mere thought that Unn's body would appear from the Ice Palace after Siss brought the entire class there in her attempt to reconnect with her old friends would've made it worth sitting through the previous 100 pages. The prose is stunning, the imagery is beautiful but what was the point of it all?

Or perhaps the point is just lost on me.

the_eggelstone's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful, simple and crystalline prose yet very symbolic and mysterious in its meaning.

karlswhy's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

echosong's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

laavelify's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

lottie1803's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the_sunken_library's review against another edition

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4.0

Bemusing yet beautiful. This book is more a work of art than narrative, poetry rather than a novel.

Focusing on the tentative, almost blossomed friendship of two young girls in a small, isolated Norwegian town, this is a strange little novella where much is hinted at yet never revealed. Told through the eyes and mind of a child, the young protagonist Siss attempts to evoke a fresh friendship with Unn, a young orphaned girl whose mysterious presence has enthralled all at the local school. However, tragedy strikes as the day after the initial alliance begins to bloom, Unn decides to skip school and explore the Ice Palace, a magnificent structure created by nature, made of frost and water. It calls to her, beckoning her further into its labyrinth where she disappears, leaving a whole in the community and Siss distressed beyond words.

This could easily be seen as a frustrating book but I find it wonderful. Siss, like all children, sees meaning where there is none and allows her imagination to over-write reality. An unspoken 'dangerous' secret from Unn (which is never revealed) becomes something she must guard with her life. It sees her cut herself off from everyone and become blind to a town rallying around her, gently trying to caress her back to the girl she was before the incident.

Simply a great book, I can see why it won so many prizes.

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