I have read and liked several of Yrsa's other books. I pre-ordered this one and read reviews while I waited for it to arrive. I did not heed the warnings to read this during the day (or at least, not right before going to bed) and consequently had to sleep with the lights on 3 nights in a row. However, it did not begin to frighten me until chapter 9 or 10. As others have said, the scary bits are short and come primarily in the last few sentences of each chapter, serving as mini cliffhangers. The structure of the tale, in this way, is brilliant, and would easily translate onto the big screen. Just why the scary bits are so scary is partly because they suddenly pop up and partly because of something I can't articulate. As someone else mentioned, it's ala Blair Witch, more mind over matter, yet extremely visceral. Before the scary bits got going, I was rather bored, however. I wasn't particularly interested in the characters and in fact I found the 3 who interact the most with the ghosts to be annoying, immature, illogical, stupid, and hard to accept as real people. I suppose it's typical for horror genre that people have to do dumb things but I had hoped Yrsa would play things differently. Also, as others have said, while the storylines come rapidly together at the end, and you see why all the boring bits earlier had to be said, there are quite a few loose ends and questions you are left with at the end, some that leave open the possibility for a sequel and some that seem merely part of the illogical stupidity that permeates many of the characters. I found myself wondering, second-guessing, and reviewing what I had read to try to tie up the loose ends or answer the questions (which is good when a book makes you think). I felt a little cheated with the fates of the 3 characters who had the most interaction with the ghosts. When the most serious and frightening things occur, they happen "off camera" as it were. We don't see or hear it. Part compelling Scandinavian crime thriller, part creepy-as-hell ghost story. I flat-out adored this novel. At first, it feels like you're reading two completely separate story lines. The first follows a group of three friends who travel to the isolated town of Hesteyri to renovate an old house. Problem is, the house seems to be haunted. The second follows Freyr, a psychologist, who is brought into a compelling mystery that somehow connects with the disappearance of his son three years ago. But as the book progresses, the two plot lines begin to converge until they are inextricably woven together at the very end.Even though this novel isn't considered pure horror, it's still one of the creepiest ghost stories I've ever read. The buildup of suspense is done very gradually (odd odors, wet footprints, creaking floors), but holy cow, it is effective. One night when I was in the middle of reading the book, I had to consciously force myself to turn the lights off because I was afraid of what was waiting just around the door frame. It's been awhile since I've been spooked like that after reading a horror novel. And no gore. These are honest-to-God scares.The chapters alternate between the haunted house story and the police investigation, and a lot of the chapters end on heart-stopping cliffhangers. This means you have to read through the next chapter to find out what happens in Story Line #1, but just as you end THAT chapter, you have to keep reading to find out what happens in Story Line #2. It's effective as hell, and I spent several nights reading past my bedtime before forcing the book away from my bleary eyes.I don't always care for Nordic fiction (Stieg Larsson and John Ajvide Lindqvist didn't do it for me), but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, like with Jo Nesbo and with this novel. If you're like me and on the fence about whether you should read it, I say give it a try. You're likely to be pleasantly surprised and/or terrified.
What do You think about Jeg Vet Hvem Du Er (2010)?
This book kept my interest, but took too long to read. Overall I wasn't too thrilled with the end.
—Bri
Slow going and very creepy. A true ghost story if there ever was one. I shivered as I read it.
—Dans
