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Ah this had such a great premise! I liked the Norse mythology and the family history,I found that really interesting. I appreciated the strong female characters. I loved the atmospheric setting in a cabin by the woods in rural Norway. The story had some really creepy moments,whete you could feel the isolation, and the threat. But that was about it.. Part ghost story, part Nordic mystery – a creepy and chilling tale steeped in Norse myth, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Michelle Paver’s DARK MATTER. The use of the Norwegian language. The way that it became natural in the story to have so many mentions of words and phrases was so well written. I actually feel like I learned something!
The mythology. For me this is one of the aspects of this story that made it stand out to me. I really enjoyed once we got into the actual mythology and the way the story was intertwined with it I felt like the story really took off and came into its own. The way of intertwining the mythology with the ghost story aspect makes this book stand out.The writing style- This is linked to both of the above points. The way that the author pulls all of this together is done in such a natural way that it really draws you in
But when Martha arrives, she is devastated to discover her grandmother is dead and a strange boy has taken up residence in her cabin. Oh yeah and there's some big scary creature on the loose and it seems Martha is the key to putting everything right again. Trapped in the money cottage as the snow begins to fall, Martha must face her fears and save the day. Or rather the world. On a negative note, I think that this book could have been more engaging. It was a little hard to get into, and I only actually finished this on my second attempt. These issues did diminish as the book went on, but it was a slow beginning for such a short book. I was also disappointed that right at the very end, we're talking 95% in, some plot twists were thrown in and weren't resolved by the end, with no sequel being confirmed. It felt unnecessary and inconsistent. I was SO impressed this was a debut and that when I chatted with the author on TheBookTrail, she told me she’s never been to Norway! How to get the tone and setting this right without going is genius. Imagine where she will take us next!This is catogorised as a "Teens and Young Adult" book so I'm certainly not part of the intended demographic but nevertheless as someone who enjoys a well written spooky tale I must admit that I found this a most enjoyable read. Combining such diverse themes as romance, disability, Nordic mythology, ghosts, monsters and broken families the story ultimately is about redemption and coming to terms with the past and who you are. The descriptions of the cabin were amazing, I felt like I was actually there with Martha and Stig and the wind howling outside. I loved the romance aspect and was really rooting for them to get together. I bought this book after seeing the cover on my Facebook feed. I'm a big book cover fanatic and I just love abstract covers. This one is so beautiful and I'm so delighted to be able to say that the story matched it perfectly. This spooky, grim, story is dark and twisted with just the right amount of angst for a YA novel.
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