This is a debut novel from this author. It is being compared to 'The Silver Linings Playbook' and 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time', but it also reminded me of the books by Fredrick Backman. Zelda, the 21 year old narrator, was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and struggles some with day to day life. She lives with her older brother who has his own issues. Zelda is obsessed with Vikings and tries to live by the Viking Code. When she discovers her brother has been getting involved with dangerous people she tries to use this 'code' to fix things. This was both ans entertaining and thought provoking read.

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I guarantee that you need to make space in your heart for Zelda and her tribe.

Zelda is a twenty-one year old who lives with her older brother, Gert. Their dead mother drank while pregnant with both of them. Gert was okay, but Zelda has symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome. Gert does his best to look after both of them. However, to get them away from their evil Uncle Richard, he had to borrow money from a gang leader. He’s supposed to be going to college, but is now in deep trouble with the gang.

Zelda is obsessed with Vikings. From them she finds her role models. She is determined to live her life according to those ancient Norse warriors. Protecting her tribe is integral to their principles. When she realizes that Gert needs to pay off their debt to the gang, she manages to get a part time job in the library to help out. Her further attempts to rescue him take her into dangerous territory.

Luckily Zelda has some phenomenal people supporting her. There’s Annie, (AK47) Gert's ex girlfriend; Zelda's therapist, Dr. Laird; the people at the community centre; and Carol, her boss at the library.

I loved all the supportive adults in this novel, but especially AK47 who understands how to explain things to Zelda. There is some straight talking here that goes into great detail about sex. Zelda has a boyfriend, Marxy, who she is planning on having sex with. Unfortunately, he has a somewhat overbearing mother. This whole section is brilliant and to be honest, I wish I'd had someone like AK47 to mentor me when I was younger.

Zelda narrates this story. Her voice is pure joy. Even when she isn’t fully aware of what’s happening, readers can infer the (often terrifying) realities of her situation. There is humour - some aspects were laugh out loud hilarious. At other times I wept. By the end I was a sobbing mess.

This is a beautifully written debut novel. My favourite quote in the entire book is, "Sometimes the most important things don't fit on lists."

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When We Were Vikings follows Zelda, a 21-year-old who has fetal alcohol syndrome, as she discovers what her brother is currently up to and her reaction to it. Zelda’s relationship with her brother is one of the best things in this book that the reader gets to experience. It was great seeing the world from Zelda’s perspective and her growth to independence, however it was difficult to keep reading about the physical changes fetal alcohol syndrome can cause and having it pointed out that she didn’t suffer from any of them. Throughout the book she has a superior attitude towards others with disabilities which was very off-putting.

With everything that was going on the writing felt choppy at parts, and that there was too much focus on some things while not enough on others. I wanted to see more of the relationship dynamics between Zelda and her brother, and Zelda and her friends. It could be just because of the perspective it’s written from but for the most part I felt I was just skimming the surface and was missing important details.

Something that wasn’t apparent when reading the synopsis or starting the book is the focus on Zelda’s sex life. I feel like the book should come with a content warning so that the reader knows what they are getting themselves into. There was a lot of focus put on her losing her virginity to her boyfriend, which not only felt unnecessary to the progression of the plot, but also pulled my attention out of the story. There was something about that whole part that has left me unsettled, even now.

Overall I would have a really difficult time recommending this book. There are some great parts, but there was too much focus on the parts that left me uneasy.

I was given an advanced reading copy of When We Were Vikings By Simon and Schuster. This is a wonderful story of a young woman given a life filled with all sorts of battles. Zelda is up for the fight. She has a fascination with the Vikings, in fact, she believes she is a Viking. As a Viking, she has to accomplish various quests in order to create her own legend
Gert is Zelda’s brother, he too has many battles to fight. Having to care for his sister on his is own, he finds it tempting to resort to unsavoury means of making a living. Taking care of Zelda is not easy. Even though she is no longer a child, she needs several support systems in place to help her function in society. Lists are essential, as is counting backwards when she is anxious, especially when the “Grendels” skulk about.
I really loved this book. It is wonderfully written from Zelda’s point of view. Her quirks and fascinations and sense of humour make her story an interesting one to read.
This is a novel that is all about having the courage to create your own story and have it legendary.

When We Were Vikings is a sort of coming of age story about 21-year-old, Zelda. Living in a world of rules and lists, and taking her ideas from the Vikings that she loves so much, and the quests that they go on, Zelda maps out the steps needed to launch her own quest. In the end, she has a much fuller sense of independence and inspires those around her to do better for themselves. This book had me hooked right from the beginning and I laughed and cried right along with the characters. I loved this story and highly recommend it!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald is told from the unique perspective of Zelda, a twenty-one year old Viking enthusiast who is on the fetal alcohol spectrum. This is a story of courage, resilience, loyalty, and love, and a young woman's determination to make the very most of the cards she has been dealt.

Zelda is living under the guardianship of her brother, Gert, following a stint with an abusive uncle. When Gert resorts to questionable activities to keep them afloat, Zelda knows that she must undertake a quest of her own to contribute all she can to her small tribe.

This is, at times, a heartbreaking read, but an ultimately uplifting one that provides a refreshing take on the world through the eyes of an engaging and remarkable heroine.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC.

When We Were Vikings is a story of a brother and sister who strive for independence in the ups and downs of life. Zelda, the sister, is learning about life while staying true to her understanding of Viking lifestyle. #netgalley

This was a lovely book. The characters were endearing and felt whole and real. The loving relationship between the two main characters, both struggling with serious difficulties, was central to the good and bad decisions each made.

Zelda is a young woman obsessed with Vikings. As we get to know her we learn that she struggles with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and her brother Gert is her guardian and protector. The others in Zelda's 'tribe' are caring adults providing her a safe environment to flourish. (Some of the struggles with developmental progress felt very real for people supporting adults with limitations.)

Some troubles arise in the lives of Gert and Zelda. Gert's struggles to manage the challenges and dangers, while protecting Zelda, become too much for him to cope with. That is when Zelda the 'Viking Warrior' takes matters into her own hands. The dangers felt real and the ending did not magically gloss over that.

This book is unique in itself but some will be reminded of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' (Haddon) or 'House Rules' (Picoult) In a good way, of course!

"Deeds and actions are what make a person great and legendary."

"..there are people around the poker table of life whose hands aren't perfect and they see what they have and fold right away."

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Simon&SchusterCanada for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, this is a simple book of strength, love, sacrifice and family. Twenty-one year old Zelda was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. After a rough start to life, we meet her living with her brother Gert and she is wonderfully obsessed with Vikings. Gert is having trouble supporting the two of them which causes trouble for him and everyone around him. Zelda takes it upon herself to follow her journey to become a Viking hero which leads to a heartwarming ending.

Things I loved about this book:
1. Everyone supports Zelda in her Norse interests.
2. As a Norse enthusiast myself, the details of the sagas and culture were nicely covered.
3. The language, although harsh at times, is realistic.
4. The characters are varied, real and consistent.
5. It's a readable story full of details, beautiful moments and tension.

I highly recommend this.

The characters in When We Were Vikings are really likeable and believable. Zelda, the Viking heroine, educates us about some of the aspects of living on the fetal alcohol spectrum. She has a great love of all things Viking which runs parallel with the story. She faces trials and tribulation with her brother and minder Gert. He is in an impossible situation and like all heroines, Zelda is out to save him, or at least protect him. Gert's ex girlfriend proves to be a role model and helps Zelda with this quest. This book is humorous, informative and entertaining. Zelda is a heroine and a protagonist not soon forgotten..

This was such a touching story of the deep and caring bond between two siblings, Gert and Zelda, and the courage and resilience of Zelda, a young woman with special needs as a result of fetal alcohol syndrome. Zelda has a love of everything related to Vikings and the story opens on her 21st birthday when Gert "hires a Viking" to appear at Zelda's birthday party. The story really kicks into gear when Gert is accepted into college, but soon seems to be falling into his old ways of alcohol and drug addiction. Realizing their world is threatened, Zelda decides that she wants to create her own legend and become a Viking warrior protecting those she loves from harm. With her quirky take on life and her charming, fearless voice she sets out to destroy those who would harm her brother. What follows is a rocky and perilous quest that has Zelda calling on all her strength to survive.
An inspiring tale with an original take on the lives of those we deem "different" or "special". A great read for those who loved "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time"

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book.I hope to read more books by this author.

When We Were Vikings is an amazing book centred around a young woman, Zelda who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She lives with her brother Gert who is her soul guardian after their mother died from cancer. They lived with their Uncle for a while but when Gert realized the their Uncle was an awful abusive man, Gert fought for Zelda, literally, and the two of them went to live on their own. What follows is the story of the smart, brave and faithful Zelda who is fascinated by Vikings, thus comparing her life and friends to all things Viking related. Zelda is such a wonderful character who is much smarter than others give her credit for. She faces each new challenge just as a Viking would face a new battle and you will be cheering her own quickly. The topic of intellectual challenged adults having sex is brought up and dealt with in a manner that educates all of us. Zelda’s life is full of so many sad and scary things yet she faces each with determination and doesn’t quit. We feel everything that she is feeling as the story is told through her own words. I won’t give away many details of the book but there are several wonderful characters that you will love and I felt as if I knew them. The author has done an extraordinary job of creating this story and Zelda. I laughed with her and cried with her and you will too. This is a must read book that will leave you smiling when you are done. Thank you Net Galley, Andrew David MacDonald and Simon & Schuster Canada for their amazing opportunity.

What a fine - A VERY FINE!- story Andrew David MacDonald has brought us in <u>When We Were Vikings</u>. That ending was just beautiful. I'm still leaking tears as I write this review. At the end of this epic tale, this courageous author did not leave any loose ends untied: we certainly have a lot to learn from Viking lore. "...For [Zelda] the world is a place where courage and being part of a tribe means more than anything else—where we are all Vikings paddling together, to the beat of the same drum."

Zelda was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, due to her mother's heavy drinking. Their biker father died in prison. Their mother died shortly after, leaving them to the mercy of their abusive Uncle Richard. But , somehow, both Zelda and Gert defy the odds and escape the stereotypical outcome for two young people who were caught in the vice of poverty and abuse.

Gert is encouraged by one of his girlfriends to apply for a hardship scholarship to the state college. He is awarded a scholarship, due mostly to the moving essay he submitted - which he won't let Zelda read - and life improves for the better for this hapless pair. But Gert's alcohol and drug addictions, and his self-defeating attitude to life cause him to mess up time and again, threatening their fragile world. As he himself admits: "there are people around the poker table of life whose hands aren’t perfect and they see what they have and fold right away. They don’t even bother playing." Unfortunately, Gert is well on the way to becoming one of those "folders", unless Zelda can marshal every ounce of courage in her tiny body and set out to save her brother from all the evil forces that are threatening to destroy her precious tribe.

During Zelda's perilous - and often horrifying - quest, I was spellbound as Zelda learned to become more self-reliant and confident in her abilities.: she made me see ability, not disability. You might well be thinking that this tale is all "Forrest Gump gets inducted to the Sons of Anarchy biker gang" - and for a while there I thought that this was exactly where we were headed. But I am pleased to report that this story has so many levels to it, very few of which could be labeled predictable. These characters were real and precious to me. I wanted to cover brave, tiny Zelda in a suit of armour. Her trust is continually abused, she suffers a major crisis of faith and the reality of stark, ugly death almost destroys her completely. What a legendary journey, indeed!
I rate this a 10 out of 5 star read: I could barely catch my breath when I finished the last sentence. This truly impressive novel should be read by everyone.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review. An open honest heartwarming story of love, disabilities, and life seen through the eyes of a viking enthusiast. One of the strongest most honest tellings of living as and with someone with fetal alcohol syndrome. Educational and scary, a view of life from a fascinating perspective.