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megexpress's review
3.0
I'm still not sure how I felt about the book. It entertained me, but I guess it felt a little anti-climatic? It is not a book that I saw having more in a series. It could be a stand alone novel. I think I would have preferred it being its own book rather than the first in a series because now I feel compelled to read the rest just to see how the stories play out. Perhaps if I find the rest of the books for cheap at a bookstore I may get them but, other than that, I don't know if the book was good enough for me to continue the series. The flip-flop of the chapters, going from one character's perspective to another, took a while to get used too but, after a while, it became easier. I guess I don't like how one story would get ahead of another so I can piece together what happens. For example, Nina hears a gunshot at one point and if you connect it to the section before, you can kinda assume what happened. I don't like that. I would have preferred all of the stories to lead up to one moment and then stay with one character throughout.
cathiedalziel's review against another edition
5.0
Well, that wasn't what I expected at all. I've had this sitting on my shelf for over a year and didn't get to it because I thought it was another holocaust story??!! Why, I thought that I don't know; maybe similar title to another I read?
This is a very well done contemporary crime mystery tale that had me engrossed in it every page. I would recommend this book to anyone who can leave reality at the door (some things are far-fetched but that only adds to the excitement and chills.)
This is a very well done contemporary crime mystery tale that had me engrossed in it every page. I would recommend this book to anyone who can leave reality at the door (some things are far-fetched but that only adds to the excitement and chills.)
latabernaderol's review
2.0
Trama
Una mujer en sus cuarentas —casada y con dos hijos— se ve envuelta en un caso de tráfico de blancas. Concretamente hablando, se encuentra a un bebé de tres años dentro de un maletín en el casillero de un aeropuerto.
Esto no fue azar, ella fue mandada ahí porque una amiga suya creía que podría ayudar. Y, bueno, supongo que tuvo razón. Nina Borg, la protagonista, de alguna forma logra lo que se propone, sólo que de las peores formas posibles, trayendo dolor a sí misma y a toda persona que le rodea en el proceso. Es una mujer inmadura que escapa de sus responsabilidades como esposa y como madre en pro de ayudar a desconocidos con problemas injustos que enfrentan. Es enfermera y ha atendido a gente en necesidad, tanto en guerras como en desastres naturales, pero nunca le había sucedido algo tan personal como esto.
Técnicas y métodos
La novela es un desastre inexorable. No llega ni a las 100,000 palabras de longitud; pero no hace falta, en menos de 5,000 ya había encontrado la forma de ser desagradable, innecesaria y de mal gusto.
Soy fan de las historias contadas desde múltiples perspectivas, siempre y cuando se ejecuten bien. Este no es el caso. Es una historia que se cuenta en un total de seis perspectivas a lo largo del libro, aunque técnicamente siete. ¿Problema? Sólo tres importan: la de Nina, la de la madre del bebé robado y la del engendro infernal que lo robó. ¿Segundo problema? Nina, la protagonista, es el cuarto personaje en tener su presentación; antes de ella vinieron el señor que pagó por el niño, quien lo robó, y finalmente la madre del desafortunado. De no ser porque yo de antemano sabía que esta novela era la primera en la saga de Nina Borg, me habría enterado hasta casi el final que se supone que ella es la protagonista.
Un método que emplean estas dos autoras es el sexo descarado. ¿Necesitas una apología social? Sexo. ¿Necesitas una comparación para denotar el grado de violencia de una pelea? Sexo. ¿Necesitas meter drama? Sexo. ¿Necesitas un insulto ad hominem? Sexo. ¿Necesitas un traductor? Págale a una prostituta cuya lengua natal es la que necesitas (no estoy bromeando). ¿Quieres superar las 200 páginas? ¡Sexo!
Ni una de las más de diez escenas relacionadas al sexo en esta novela son necesarias. Podrías extirpar cada mención de sexo, senos, caderas y falos y la novela se entendería perfectamente igual. Lo que es peor, se hace énfasis lascivo y envidioso en los enormes senos de la hija de Nina, de apenas trece años, la cual no tiene ni un maldito diálogo en la novela; ¡y lo tratan como si fuera lo más normal del mundo!
Dato alarmante: Tanto Lene Kaaberbøl como Agnete Friis son escritoras de libros infantiles. Supongo que este libro fue su desahogo.
Por si no fuera poco, hay una mención muy gratuita al 9/11 y dos menciones totalmente innecesarias del régimen nazi.
Conclusiones
De este calibre de novela estamos hablando. Sí, esta es la calidad de una autora nacida en 1960 con más de cuarenta novelas publicadas y ampliamente traducidas. Desconozco cómo puede ser que los editores hayan visto este despropósito arrítmico —este desfile de depravación naturalizada y violencia hacia la mujer— como si fuera plenamente aceptable. No hay moraleja, no hay gracia ni sutiliza. Simplemente vomitaron sus perversiones en papel.
Una mujer en sus cuarentas —casada y con dos hijos— se ve envuelta en un caso de tráfico de blancas. Concretamente hablando, se encuentra a un bebé de tres años dentro de un maletín en el casillero de un aeropuerto.
Esto no fue azar, ella fue mandada ahí porque una amiga suya creía que podría ayudar. Y, bueno, supongo que tuvo razón. Nina Borg, la protagonista, de alguna forma logra lo que se propone, sólo que de las peores formas posibles, trayendo dolor a sí misma y a toda persona que le rodea en el proceso. Es una mujer inmadura que escapa de sus responsabilidades como esposa y como madre en pro de ayudar a desconocidos con problemas injustos que enfrentan. Es enfermera y ha atendido a gente en necesidad, tanto en guerras como en desastres naturales, pero nunca le había sucedido algo tan personal como esto.
Técnicas y métodos
La novela es un desastre inexorable. No llega ni a las 100,000 palabras de longitud; pero no hace falta, en menos de 5,000 ya había encontrado la forma de ser desagradable, innecesaria y de mal gusto.
Soy fan de las historias contadas desde múltiples perspectivas, siempre y cuando se ejecuten bien. Este no es el caso. Es una historia que se cuenta en un total de seis perspectivas a lo largo del libro, aunque técnicamente siete. ¿Problema? Sólo tres importan: la de Nina, la de la madre del bebé robado y la del engendro infernal que lo robó. ¿Segundo problema? Nina, la protagonista, es el cuarto personaje en tener su presentación; antes de ella vinieron el señor que pagó por el niño, quien lo robó, y finalmente la madre del desafortunado. De no ser porque yo de antemano sabía que esta novela era la primera en la saga de Nina Borg, me habría enterado hasta casi el final que se supone que ella es la protagonista.
Un método que emplean estas dos autoras es el sexo descarado. ¿Necesitas una apología social? Sexo. ¿Necesitas una comparación para denotar el grado de violencia de una pelea? Sexo. ¿Necesitas meter drama? Sexo. ¿Necesitas un insulto ad hominem? Sexo. ¿Necesitas un traductor? Págale a una prostituta cuya lengua natal es la que necesitas (no estoy bromeando). ¿Quieres superar las 200 páginas? ¡Sexo!
Ni una de las más de diez escenas relacionadas al sexo en esta novela son necesarias. Podrías extirpar cada mención de sexo, senos, caderas y falos y la novela se entendería perfectamente igual. Lo que es peor, se hace énfasis lascivo y envidioso en los enormes senos de la hija de Nina, de apenas trece años, la cual no tiene ni un maldito diálogo en la novela; ¡y lo tratan como si fuera lo más normal del mundo!
Dato alarmante: Tanto Lene Kaaberbøl como Agnete Friis son escritoras de libros infantiles. Supongo que este libro fue su desahogo.
Por si no fuera poco, hay una mención muy gratuita al 9/11 y dos menciones totalmente innecesarias del régimen nazi.
Conclusiones
De este calibre de novela estamos hablando. Sí, esta es la calidad de una autora nacida en 1960 con más de cuarenta novelas publicadas y ampliamente traducidas. Desconozco cómo puede ser que los editores hayan visto este despropósito arrítmico —este desfile de depravación naturalizada y violencia hacia la mujer— como si fuera plenamente aceptable. No hay moraleja, no hay gracia ni sutiliza. Simplemente vomitaron sus perversiones en papel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Trafficking
meshuggeknitter's review
1.0
While the premise of the book was interesting, I just couldn't get into the story. Another did not finish.
barbaraskalberg's review
4.0
This one has been on my virtual shelf for years. I think I kept passing it over b/c something about the cover didn't appeal to me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this "Scandinavian Thriller"(not sure why "Scandinavian" was an important distinction on the cover). I particularly liked the way the author slowly reveals the motivation/background behind several of the key characters that explains their decisions and actions.
sducharme's review
3.0
Not as morbid as it sounds! Another example of a Scandi crime novel with a compelling motive. Although there's not a detective, the woman who finds the boy takes charge and seems to be the main character in the narrative.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
4.0
My full review:
http://wp.me/p18lIL-Hh
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-Hh
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
marleah_a's review
5.0
Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down -- until the guys came to work on my hot water heater. I picked it up every time they stopped asking me questions about faucets and hoses.
There are several plotlines that came together quickly. I thought that Nina, the main character, was actually one of the less compelling characters in the book, but there were enough stronger characters to keep me interested. The story, while describing a (hopefully) uncommon situation, is believable and well-paced.
There are several plotlines that came together quickly. I thought that Nina, the main character, was actually one of the less compelling characters in the book, but there were enough stronger characters to keep me interested. The story, while describing a (hopefully) uncommon situation, is believable and well-paced.
jinny89's review
5.0
This is the June book of the bookclub my friends and I participate in. It was published into English not too long ago, and seeing how it was quite popular in its own country (I think it was originally a Danish book?) I wanted to give it a go. The only other Scandinavian crime thriller novel I’ve read is, of course, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I love, so I wanted to read more books like it.
The story is about — you guessed it — a boy in a suitcase. Nina is a bit OCD when it comes to people needing help — and her good friend Karin from when they were back in nursing school together, needs her help. Karin’s boss has asked Karin to pick up a suitcase from the train station, but Karin has enlisted the help of Nina instead. Nina goes to pick it up, only to find a naked, drugged, but alive, 3 year old boy inside! Believing her friend must have had a reason for not already calling the police, Nina decides to take the boy to Karin. However, Karin’s dead and Nina’s afraid the killer is going to come after her next. In the meantime, we also have the boy’s mother, Sigita, frantically trying to find out who has taken her little boy, and why anybody would want to kidnap him in the first place.
Right from the get-go, this book was an amazing, addictive read. I had no troubles at all staying engrossed in the plot, and I stayed up way too late trying to finish it (I think it was 4AM when I did!) It’s definitely a bit of a mystery novel, although you are not trying to find out who did what. As the reader, you are already quite aware of who’s who, and even the bit about Karin dying, well, they make it quite plain as to who committed that crime. The mystery element of it is not who the boy is either — that’s very obvious too. No, the mystery part is why one of the characters wants to kidnap that specific boy, and in finding that out, you have to piece together how everyone is related to one another. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle when you already have all the pieces; you want to find out what the big picture is. And it is quite a believable story! I mean, the chances of it actually happening might be a bit rare, but it could happen. I love that realism aspect to it.
I thought the characters were very brilliantly well done, especially Nina. You have to give a reason as to why any sensible person would not call the police when they find a drugged, naked boy in a suitcase, and would actually continue the favor they set out to do even when the friend dies! Nina can’t say no when someone needs help, so much that it’s actually almost like a psychological disorder and it completely cripples her family. I thought that was a good kind of “twist” to her character. She wants to be a hero, she gets ideas in her head of people praising her and telling her how appreciative and in her debt they are to her, so she grits her teeth and continues what she’s doing even if it may lead to a very dangerous, life-threatening situation. To do what she did, you need a character who’s not sensible, and Nina and her problem was perfect for it.
The writing was really great too, it was very easy to read. There was never too much of anything, like descriptions or characters mulling in their thoughts, which can be quite tedious to read if over done, but I thought this book did a great job balancing what needs to be said. Reading this book was like watching a movie in my head, and I loved every moment. Definitely recommend this book!
The story is about — you guessed it — a boy in a suitcase. Nina is a bit OCD when it comes to people needing help — and her good friend Karin from when they were back in nursing school together, needs her help. Karin’s boss has asked Karin to pick up a suitcase from the train station, but Karin has enlisted the help of Nina instead. Nina goes to pick it up, only to find a naked, drugged, but alive, 3 year old boy inside! Believing her friend must have had a reason for not already calling the police, Nina decides to take the boy to Karin. However, Karin’s dead and Nina’s afraid the killer is going to come after her next. In the meantime, we also have the boy’s mother, Sigita, frantically trying to find out who has taken her little boy, and why anybody would want to kidnap him in the first place.
Right from the get-go, this book was an amazing, addictive read. I had no troubles at all staying engrossed in the plot, and I stayed up way too late trying to finish it (I think it was 4AM when I did!) It’s definitely a bit of a mystery novel, although you are not trying to find out who did what. As the reader, you are already quite aware of who’s who, and even the bit about Karin dying, well, they make it quite plain as to who committed that crime. The mystery element of it is not who the boy is either — that’s very obvious too. No, the mystery part is why one of the characters wants to kidnap that specific boy, and in finding that out, you have to piece together how everyone is related to one another. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle when you already have all the pieces; you want to find out what the big picture is. And it is quite a believable story! I mean, the chances of it actually happening might be a bit rare, but it could happen. I love that realism aspect to it.
I thought the characters were very brilliantly well done, especially Nina. You have to give a reason as to why any sensible person would not call the police when they find a drugged, naked boy in a suitcase, and would actually continue the favor they set out to do even when the friend dies! Nina can’t say no when someone needs help, so much that it’s actually almost like a psychological disorder and it completely cripples her family. I thought that was a good kind of “twist” to her character. She wants to be a hero, she gets ideas in her head of people praising her and telling her how appreciative and in her debt they are to her, so she grits her teeth and continues what she’s doing even if it may lead to a very dangerous, life-threatening situation. To do what she did, you need a character who’s not sensible, and Nina and her problem was perfect for it.
The writing was really great too, it was very easy to read. There was never too much of anything, like descriptions or characters mulling in their thoughts, which can be quite tedious to read if over done, but I thought this book did a great job balancing what needs to be said. Reading this book was like watching a movie in my head, and I loved every moment. Definitely recommend this book!