Much of the novel’s plot is dictated by things that, in fiction, tend not to seem “big enough” to provoke such developments. There are tears for seemingly no reason, insults left unspoken (“as if the courteous mood risked being punctuated by one ill-chosen word”) and break-ups that confuse the reader as much as they do Hedman’s characters (“suddenly we were strangers to each other”). In Hedman’s world, nothing is too minute to be fictionalized or…

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

I would be happy to re-review if a better file became available. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I was 'in' I found it utterly compelling, and while it can be compared to Sally Rooney's books in many ways I found this one intriguing and not irritating. I'm not sure if it was the more unusual setting or the three voices that drew me in but I found this a very visual read and felt that I was sitting on one of the trio's shoulders watching them.
I liked the ambiguity and once I'd got to the end of the book I did go back and read section one again as it felt like the right thing to do to complete the triangle.

I wanted to like it as there are parts of it that are absolutely beautifully written, but it just didn't grab me and that wasn't quite enough for me.
There was just too much dwelling and meandering for me, and I didn't feel invested enough. Like many other reviewers, it was just a bit too slow for me.
I can understand that there are those that will love it, but for me, I think I need to be more wary of anything described as "Sally Rooney-esque".

A tale of three young people in Stockholm. It was a slow and dul!.read and I could not engage with the narrative or the characters.

Compared to Sally Rooney, I was really excited to read this, however Johanna Hedman’s The Trio just didn’t do it for me, I found it quite bland and boring. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy.

I had really high hopes for this one that were sadly not met; Hedman's "The Trio" started off strong yet plateaued out really quickly.

Sally rooneyesque story about three friends in Stockholm. Confusing friendship dynamics, university life, growing up. A great summer read

I definitely struggled with this. The aloofness (at times) of the characters comes through too much. It feels like we are only seeing the side of them they show to each other and when the viewpoint switches over to their side, it does not really enlighten us anymore. There's certainly an interesting concept in here and bits are really good but even then, the introduction spends a lot of time setting up one family situation which is then ignored throughout the rest of the novel. A shame.

Thanks for the ARC but I really didn’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, and regrettably, I gave up at below 40%. Just didn’t get it - the story is bland and forgettable. There isn’t a compulsion to want to read more and therefore it’s not for me. I realise it’s quite well-written, however, in terms of the prose quality.

I loved this debut novel (I can't quite believe it's her first book!).

This novel centres around three lives: August, Thora and Hugo. It crosses countries and continents to follow their lives as they grow into adulthood. I enjoyed the descriptive nature and the intensity offered in the writing. Would recommend!

The Trio is moving story of three young people in Stockholm. It is often described as Swedish Normal people. The book explores different themes and has a sad hallow around it. This could be a great summer read for some.

I got through about a third of this book before giving up. It was far too rambling and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. Such a shame because the premise is a good one. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Hamish Hamilton for the opportunity to read and review it.

i dnf’ed this book around 30% in.

i received this is an advanced readers copy and the premise initially intrigued me but it was written so slowly, and with such little characterisation that i just could not engage with it. it was advertised as a coming of age novel focusing on three protagonists but, instead, read as a long lament with dull description and very little engaging content.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc.

I usually love books where not much really happens and the reader follows the mundane life of a group of characters. However, with this one I just had such a hard time connecting or even caring about the story or what was going to happen. I felt like it was trying to be like all the other literary fics which have been published in the post-Rooney Normal People hype era, but without the special way in which she writes, and the way she tells a story. It was fun though to read about life in Stockholm and to recognize a lot of the things and places mentioned in the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for sending me an advanced copy

I was drawn in by the cover, and then thoroughly enjoyed this skilfully conjured tale about the shifting intimacies between three people. Carefully drawn observations of everyday life allow the reader glimpses at those everyday intimacies- but the author never allows us to get to close- meaning I finished this book with a slight sense of dissatisfaction- but enjoyable nonetheless

I found myself lost in this book and read it over the course of one sunny weekend. It didn't blow me away but I thoroughly enjoyed the complicated heart wrenching threesome of Thora, August and Hugo. I really wanted more from the present day Hugo and time for Thora and August's daughter to explore her line of enquiry more. It felt unresolved but this is also very reflective of life itself and whilst reading it felt like I was only allowed to be privy to some of the story and there is so much more out there but I shall just have to use my imagination. Rich in character and observation. Enjoyable Summer's day read.

The Trio charts the relationships between three young adults living in Stockholm. Thora and August have been friends since childhood, but their on-off relationship is destabilised by Thora's parents' lodger Hugo, a student from Berlin. Hugo feels like an outsider in the privileged world of Thora's family, but is increasingly drawn to both Thora and August as his life becomes entwined with theirs. The majority of the novel unfolds over the course of a couple of years when they are students, but in the short introduction and conclusion, we see the effect that these events have on all three of them when they are older.

The novel explores interesting ideas relating to money, class, sex and power - perhaps most interestingly the way that someone might fall in love with a couple rather than just a single person. It is somewhat reminiscent of novels like 'Normal People' and perhaps also 'Call Me By Your Name' but this novel didn't have the same beauty or insight in its writing, nor did it particularly make me care about its characters. I found the plot quite meandering, which may be a realistic reflection of how such relationships might unfold in real life but didn't make for as compelling a read as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this novel to review.

I’ll keep this short. I found the whole thing a battle and I gave up less than a quarter of the way in. In some ways it’s a pity as I think the book started well, with enough mystery around the meeting of a man and a woman to draw me in. But then – for me at least - it deteriorated into tedium, as descriptions of mundane events and dull interactions started to make me ever more reluctant to read on. I tried several times to re-engage but I just couldn’t find anything to engage with. Sorry, but this one just didn’t float my boat.

I looked forward to reading this one but unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me. It was well written but a very uninteresting novel. It was difficult to determine what actually brought the three together, or why they were even friends, as they didn't ever seem to have anything in common, or enjoy each others company. Told from the perspectives of Thora and Hugo, who are both very uninteresting characters. The book is based on the relationship between Hugo, Thora and August, which is light at best and the book never quite takes off.