Book Review: The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson

This was…odd. It has a very Gothic feel and is dark as I’ve come to expect from Scandinavian stories, but not in the usual way. This is a ghost story through and through – but there’s more to it than that. It just takes a long time to get there…

Jónasson does a fantastic job setting the scene here – his descriptions of the end of the world in Iceland are magnificent and very evocative. The story goes up and down in pacing and engagement though, and that’s where I struggled. I never considered not finishing but there were times when it was a bit more of a slog than I wanted it to be. I found the big reveal and the ending both dramatic and anti-climactic at the same time. Still, on the whole, it was an easy enough read and engaging for all that.

This was not my favorite of his writings, but he is without a doubt a talented writer and I will continue to eagerly look for his books as they appear…

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.