The Last Snow is an atmospheric, tense and chilling read. Vidar, Liv and Simon live together in a rather ramshackle house in a tiny village. Vidar rules with an iron fist, refusing to spend so much a penny unless absolutely essential. He is always watching and nothing goes unnoticed in the house or within the neighbourhood. He has strong opinions and it’s very much his way or the highway! Liv, his daughter, swore she would leave Ödesmark and never look back yet still lives there with her son and father. Simon, is getting older and becoming a young man. He has never known his father and has observed the often difficult relationship between his mum and grandfather. Vidar is an odd character – he is rumoured to be incredibly wealthy partly due to his meanness with his money but also because of shrewd, or perhaps underhand, business dealings. He has known great sadness in his life having been widowed and these feelings burst out on occasions. The locals are wary of him and avoid having more to do with him than required.
As well as the Björnlund family, we also meet and get to know Liam and Gabriel Lilja. The brothers are known the community for petty crime and drug dealing but Liam is determined that he can and will do better. I thought that he was a really well written character. The scenes with his daughter are lovely and it is clear that he wants to do as best as he can for her but his own childhood has been difficult and as a young man, his choices feel limited and small. In many ways it is one step forward then two back for him.
Choosing a small town in a remote location to set The Last Snow really adds to the chilling atmosphere. This is a story with a lot of sadness but within there are people trying to do the best they can despite their pasts and current circumstances. Hope definitely glimmers even if it feels elusive at times. As I read I so desperately wanted to jump in and try to help some of the characters to get out of the difficulties they found themselves in. It is an immersive read which doesn’t shy away from difficult scenes but is never gratuitous or over the top. A perfect read for the end of winter!
As well as the Björnlund family, we also meet and get to know Liam and Gabriel Lilja. The brothers are known the community for petty crime and drug dealing but Liam is determined that he can and will do better. I thought that he was a really well written character. The scenes with his daughter are lovely and it is clear that he wants to do as best as he can for her but his own childhood has been difficult and as a young man, his choices feel limited and small. In many ways it is one step forward then two back for him.
Choosing a small town in a remote location to set The Last Snow really adds to the chilling atmosphere. This is a story with a lot of sadness but within there are people trying to do the best they can despite their pasts and current circumstances. Hope definitely glimmers even if it feels elusive at times. As I read I so desperately wanted to jump in and try to help some of the characters to get out of the difficulties they found themselves in. It is an immersive read which doesn’t shy away from difficult scenes but is never gratuitous or over the top. A perfect read for the end of winter!