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amstratton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
gkelch's review against another edition
3.0
Emotional story with a heartwarming protagonist. I really liked reading the story in Zelda's voice and watching events unfold through her perspective. I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
martha_imani's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
naznin4nelson's review against another edition
4.0
I'd really like to give 3.5 stars, but will round to 4 based on the fact that we rarely get to hear the narrative come from someone with a fetal alcohol syndrome perspective. I enjoyed her literal translation of the world and recognizing her struggle when things aren't so black and white. I just felt the whole story line was a bit cliche...selling drugs to make money for a broken family, gang bangers being rapists and manipulators. For having such a unique personality as the main character, the rest were just a pack of stereotypes. I feel like I'm being harsh. I was pumped in the beginning because I enjoy Norse mythology as well, but by 3/4 through I just wanted to speed through to the end.
kangaruthie's review against another edition
3.0
This book follows the story of Zelda, a young adult woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome who is obsessed with Viking culture and trying to make her way in life and protect her loved ones. I really appreciated the narration of what the world looked like from her perspective. The characters were convincingly compelling and flawed. Many important themes were explored in this book about what it’s like to have a cognitive disability, including the barriers Zelda faces, the independence she negotiates for, and the way the word sees her. However, maybe around halfway through the book, things started to get pretty dark. There were a couple scenes that were incredibly cringey, and towards the end some were filled with trauma that felt like a lot to swallow. I was also left wanting more at the end, which left some characters’ development feeling a bit unresolved.
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
Note: I received an advance copy of this audiobook from Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm in exchange for my honest review.
Listening to When We Were Vikings turned out to be a very surprising experience for me. This is the story of 21-year old Zelda, born with fetal alcohol syndrome and some resulting mental deficits, but generally high functioning. She’s obsessed with all things Vikings and lives by a strict Viking code of conduct. At first, I found all the Viking talk tedious. Surprisingly, at about the two hour mark, I realized I didn’t anymore. It was part of Zelda and by then I’d come to appreciate her quirky charms.
Zelda’s world centers around her tribe which includes her older brother Gert, his ex-girl friend AK-47, and Zelda’s more mentally handicapped boyfriend, Marksie. Zelda and Gert’s mother died when she was young. Gert has always done his best to care for Zelda, often at his own expense. When Zelda comes to understand that Gert is involved with shady figures, she embarks on a quest, using the Viking code, to become a legend and save her tribe. This may sound like a silly premise, but similarly to that in Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (my review), it works. Zelda sees the world much differently than you or I would, but her heart is always in the right place and her journey was both uplifting and inspiring. At times the story felt a little YA, because of Zelda’s differences, but even that quickly faded away for me. I look forward to reading more from Andrew David MacDonald. Grade: B+
Narration: Phoebe Strole is a new narrator for me and one I’ll look forward to listening to again. Zelda tells her own story, so the narrator truly needed to embody the character and Strole did that perfectly. Her expressive reading brought Zelda and When We Were Vikings to life. Grade: A-
Listening to When We Were Vikings turned out to be a very surprising experience for me. This is the story of 21-year old Zelda, born with fetal alcohol syndrome and some resulting mental deficits, but generally high functioning. She’s obsessed with all things Vikings and lives by a strict Viking code of conduct. At first, I found all the Viking talk tedious. Surprisingly, at about the two hour mark, I realized I didn’t anymore. It was part of Zelda and by then I’d come to appreciate her quirky charms.
Zelda’s world centers around her tribe which includes her older brother Gert, his ex-girl friend AK-47, and Zelda’s more mentally handicapped boyfriend, Marksie. Zelda and Gert’s mother died when she was young. Gert has always done his best to care for Zelda, often at his own expense. When Zelda comes to understand that Gert is involved with shady figures, she embarks on a quest, using the Viking code, to become a legend and save her tribe. This may sound like a silly premise, but similarly to that in Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (my review), it works. Zelda sees the world much differently than you or I would, but her heart is always in the right place and her journey was both uplifting and inspiring. At times the story felt a little YA, because of Zelda’s differences, but even that quickly faded away for me. I look forward to reading more from Andrew David MacDonald. Grade: B+
Narration: Phoebe Strole is a new narrator for me and one I’ll look forward to listening to again. Zelda tells her own story, so the narrator truly needed to embody the character and Strole did that perfectly. Her expressive reading brought Zelda and When We Were Vikings to life. Grade: A-
katel1970's review against another edition
3.0
When I first read a review of this book, I thought, "This book is not for me. I'd be on edge throughout the entire book." Then I kept reading great review after great review, so I decided to give it a try. I was on edge throughout the entire book. There were aspects of the book that I loved, like the character of Zelda. But it took me forever to finish because I would get so anxious reading it that I would have to put the book down for days at a time. I'm still not sure how I feel about the story, it was a real mix for me.
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
5.0
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald is the story of a young woman with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) that is on a journey to live her own Viking legend, where she becomes the hero. Along the way, she learns that there are different ways to protect and care for her tribe, that villains and heroes can sometimes switch roles surprisingly quickly, and that small steps can add up to big accomplishments.
This novel is a piece of literary fiction that has put me on a quest to search out more like it. It is difficult to believe that this really is MacDonald's debut novel because it is so masterfully done. While I was reading, I continued to wonder how someone that is not affected by this himself could write the character of such an idiosyncratic person and yet make it so believable. But after reading some author interviews with the author, it now makes more sense. Seldom have I found myself so engrossed in a character's narration and rooted for them as much as I did with Zelda. I am excited to see a new Canadian author get as much attention as MacDonald has been because it is well deserved. I look forward to reading more from him.
Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @gallerybooks for sending me an egalley in exchange for an honest review. I am glad to have been able to read this novel.
This novel is a piece of literary fiction that has put me on a quest to search out more like it. It is difficult to believe that this really is MacDonald's debut novel because it is so masterfully done. While I was reading, I continued to wonder how someone that is not affected by this himself could write the character of such an idiosyncratic person and yet make it so believable. But after reading some author interviews with the author, it now makes more sense. Seldom have I found myself so engrossed in a character's narration and rooted for them as much as I did with Zelda. I am excited to see a new Canadian author get as much attention as MacDonald has been because it is well deserved. I look forward to reading more from him.
Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @gallerybooks for sending me an egalley in exchange for an honest review. I am glad to have been able to read this novel.
linda_kathleen's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint: the attempted rape scene. Absolutely no need.