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lauraborkpower's review
3.0
This is a solid police procedural and a good start to a series. Ohlsson has an interesting story and her characters are flawed but likeable (although it takes her detectives longer than it should to figure out the reason the women/children are being targeted).
Ohlsson, though, seems to have a fascination with unfaithful husbands; they're all over the place, and each is dealt with in a different way, which is interesting if done as a character study, but there's not enough detail in each relationship, so they're just sort of...there. It's also a book that deals with child murder and infanticide, so be warned if you're squeamish about such things.
A note on the narrator, Justine Eyre: she does a mostly good job. She's the narrator for Lauren Beukes's Zoo City (which I loved) and Eyre's Swedish accent for Unwanted sounds very much like the South African accent she does for Zoo City. I didn't mind that -- I actually enjoyed it because I like the sound of her voice in that accent -- but there were a handful of times that she drops the accent altogether for a line or two before getting back into it. It was a noticeable and odd quirk of the production.
Ohlsson, though, seems to have a fascination with unfaithful husbands; they're all over the place, and each is dealt with in a different way, which is interesting if done as a character study, but there's not enough detail in each relationship, so they're just sort of...there. It's also a book that deals with child murder and infanticide, so be warned if you're squeamish about such things.
A note on the narrator, Justine Eyre: she does a mostly good job. She's the narrator for Lauren Beukes's Zoo City (which I loved) and Eyre's Swedish accent for Unwanted sounds very much like the South African accent she does for Zoo City. I didn't mind that -- I actually enjoyed it because I like the sound of her voice in that accent -- but there were a handful of times that she drops the accent altogether for a line or two before getting back into it. It was a noticeable and odd quirk of the production.
lizzyzzil's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The end, I felt, was somewhat anti-climactic and predictable, but this is her first book. I am a huge fan of her writing style, though, and look forward to reading more of her stuff when it comes out next year.
gracefullypunk's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a good pace and features interesting characters that you just know will be developed well as the series continues. However, it's almost impossible to understand how the investigators can't grasp what the meaning of "Unwanted", written on the victim's forehead, is in reference to. The amount of time it takes for them to realize its meaning makes me unable to give this more than three stars.
janina__reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
joankelleher's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
4.0
Good, really good. The only reason "Unwanted" doesn't get five stars it that I figured it out long before I should have. You've got to realize that I don't read mysteries to try to unravel them--in fact, I don't really care. I read them for the actions and reactions of the characters, the plot development and the roll out of the crime. In these aspects this book is terrific. I was actually hopeful that Kristina Ohlsson had some more novels but this seems to be a first.
Warning to readers--the victims in this novel are children, which really rachets up the stakes.
--Greedy Reader
Warning to readers--the victims in this novel are children, which really rachets up the stakes.
--Greedy Reader
sevenacross's review against another edition
I thought this was a great first novel! It read like watching a movie - I did not want to put it down.
moi_stephanie's review against another edition
4.0
Thrilling, like watching an episode of CSI (and I mean that as a compliment). You start thinking you're going to read just a few pages and when you look, you've already done 50 or more because it's so intriguing.
tt569's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
teklagyorgy's review against another edition
3.0
A blogon: http://teklakonyvei.blogspot.hu/2016/11/kristina-ohlsson-mostohak.html
Ttöbb olyan szál is van a könyvben, ami gyanakvásra adhat okot, például Ellen, az elemző szeretője, vagy Fredrika szeretője (és ha hozzácsapjuk Peder Rydh-t, akkor gyorsan kiderül, hogy itt nem kávéznak, hanem szexelnek nyomozás helyett), és nem tudom, hogy miért, de folyamatosan a gyilkost kerestem a sztoriban, ami rám nem igazán jellemző. Én inkább sodródom az árral, és majd kiderül, de itt mindenképpen tippelgetni akartam, de nem jött össze. Józan paraszti ésszel nézve nem is sikerülhetett volna, hiszen a gyilkost csak úgy előrántotta az írónő a végén, amit mondjuk nem annyira szoktam szeretni.
Ttöbb olyan szál is van a könyvben, ami gyanakvásra adhat okot, például Ellen, az elemző szeretője, vagy Fredrika szeretője (és ha hozzácsapjuk Peder Rydh-t, akkor gyorsan kiderül, hogy itt nem kávéznak, hanem szexelnek nyomozás helyett), és nem tudom, hogy miért, de folyamatosan a gyilkost kerestem a sztoriban, ami rám nem igazán jellemző. Én inkább sodródom az árral, és majd kiderül, de itt mindenképpen tippelgetni akartam, de nem jött össze. Józan paraszti ésszel nézve nem is sikerülhetett volna, hiszen a gyilkost csak úgy előrántotta az írónő a végén, amit mondjuk nem annyira szoktam szeretni.