It was engaging and excellent use of the unreliable narrator trope, which kept me engrossed. Some characters are more likeable than others. The most interesting part of the novel is the unlikely Swedish justice system, for me. ( )

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from @CeladonBooks. I would first like to thank them for that opportunity.

This book is told in 3 parts - first from the father's point of view, then the daughter's and finally from the mother. The father, Adam, is a pastor and Ulrika is his wife (an attorney). They are the parents of Stella, who is 18 and accused of the murder of a man almost 15 years older than her.

All versions of the story cast doubt as to whether or not Stella actually committed the murder but it also shows how her parents ethics were tested while they struggle to understand how and why she was accused of a murder they feel she isn't capable of. This book asks the question "How far would you go to protect your child(ren)?"

Definitely an intriguing read and well-told story. I like the three-part structure of the story but was found that I was wanting more of each person's story before moving on to the next version. ( )

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Evardsson is a 2018 Celadon Books publication.

This book has been on and off my TBR list a few times over the years. I recently discovered there was a Netflix series based on the book and so I decided to add it back to my list- then maybe give the TV series a go.

A teenage girl is accused of murdering an older man she may have been involved with romantically. She has a bit of a troubled past and now her parents face a dilemma no parent could possibly prepare themselves for....

The story is naturally a bit of a whodunit- as we are not entirely sure the accused is the guilty party- it’s also sort of a legal 'thriller', but perhaps at its core it’s a family drama with some interesting character studies.

Each individual narrator provides a piece of the family puzzle- a father who is perhaps over involved in his daughter’s life, a man who is concerned about his reputation and appearances, in contrast with the mother, whose job requires long hours and prevents her from establishing the close relationship with her daughter that her husband seems to enjoy.

Decisions from the past also come back to haunt them and play a key role in the current situation they find themselves in. It is also a thought-provoking set up that begs anyone who is a parent to ask themselves to what length would they go to protect their child.

While the story can be absorbing at times, it is a bit of a slower burn- and in the end I didn’t feel the sense of satisfaction I was expecting. It’s a well thought out, well written saga- and I think it has merit-but overall, I’m afraid I was a bit underwhelmed by it. Again, for the second time in a row I’ve decided to pass on the media tie-in- at least for now- and I think I’ll avoid that sort of tie-in for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, 2024 seems to be off to a sluggish start. I hope it improves soon!

3 stars ( )

A Nearly Normal Family can be easily enjoyed by a wide audience because even if the scenario is not relatable exactly in the experience of being accused of a crime, the dilemma that the pastor, lawyer and wayward daughter go through most definitely are. There are so many twists and turns. The plot is captivating until THE LAST WORD! If you love mystery, suspense, crime, moral conflict, the legal system, etc..., then this is your book. I think the whole story is believable and could have been true, except for the camp counselor and what he did. Based on the counselor character's background, his former behaviors (was held in high esteem by his peers), and the fact that he had never done anything illegal that was portrayed prior, made that part of the story hard to accept. Also, he knew that he and others were being observed at the camp. Other than that head scratcher, I could imagine the harried parents trying to do everything in their power to save their daughter. I am passing this one on to my adult son. I like characters that are multi-faceted. Books can teach you that no one is perfect. No one can be called all good or all bad. This book did an excellent job of portraying that. ( )

I absolutely loved the structure of this book. Instead of your typical set up with a story told from multiple viewpoints alternating each chapter, this book is separated into 3 parts - one for each member of the family. The story unfolds through each person's eyes and we learn about their biases and faults from the rest of the family. Eventually we are left with three (in some aspects, conflicting) versions of what happened that is very realistic. ( )