THE GIRL WHO DIED

SYNOPSIS

Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father's sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.

So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.

But once she arrives, Una quickly realises nothing in city life has prepared her for this. The villagers are unfriendly. The weather is bleak. And, from the creaky attic bedroom of the old house where she's living, she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.

Una worries that she's losing her mind.

And then, just before midwinter, a young girl from the village is found dead. Now there are only nine villagers left - and Una fears that one of them has blood on their hands.

Title: The girl who died

Author: Ragnar Jónasson

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication date: June 3, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Teacher wanted at the edge of the world"

What an appealing advertisement, right? It is for Una who, unhappy with her life in Reykjavík decides to take the position as teacher of the two only kids in the village (with a population of ten, two kids is not a bad ratio 😅). And I won't say more about it cause I think it's best to go in blind.

This was not your typical fast paced thriller full of twists and turns but it managed to grab me more than most twisty stories. Some readers might think that nothing much happens, but I found myself turning pages compulsively. Jónasson is a master at creating oppressive and cloying atmospheres. The isolation of the place coupled with the fact that the story is set in the 80s, hence no technology available, managed to create a really unsettling and eerie feeling all throughout the novel. 

I really felt sympathy for Una and her not very warm welcome from the townspeople. Their weird behaviour made me think she might have stepped into some kind of cult or something. Add some supernatural elements and you will also start doubting your own mind. I loved the balance with the paranormal elements and how the story did not relied completely on those.

In my opinion the two POVs were equally interesting and I could not think how they would tie at the end, but once everything was explained I thought it quite satisfying.

Once again the Icelandic landscape turns into another character of the story. The bleak winter and the hostile village contribute to the suffocating and claustrophobic atmosphere. This is one of the reasons I love Icelandic Nordic Noir so much. How may times can you feel claustrophobic when out in the open?

I don't know about you but, once some "normal" life is restored, Iceland is at the top of my bucket list of places to visit and all thanks to Ragnar Jónasson books. If you're a fan of the genre I'm sure this one will appeal to you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.