A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson
I could not make myself finish this audiobook mainly because none of the characters seemed to be likable or even sympathetic. I got through the father’s section but I think it was primarily because I am a huge fan of Richard Armitage who narrated that part. Then when I started the daughter’s section and found her to be at least as hard to like as the dad, I just couldn’t go on. Maybe I could finish at a later date but not right now.

A great look behind the different views of a family in a criminal crisis. Each member's story is told from their point f view, showing how everyone views the same experience differently. While the story centers around a murder, the real story is about the interactions and views of each family member. Their change in perspectives for the same events is eye-opening in the context of how we view and interact with people every day.
The story is well written, and just when you think you know it all, you don't!

I thought this story was really interesting, I enjoyed the way it was broken up into the different perspectives in the family and how it used that structure to reveal different aspects of the story as it unfolded. It felt very true to life hearing different characters perspectives on the same moment. I thought there was a lot of great perspective on male female power dynamics and relationship politics also.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. So this is described as a legal thriller. I do not agree. Very little time is spent in the courtroom, just the last quarter of the book or so, and it is much more of a slow burn than a true thriller. It is reminiscent of Defending Jacob but instead of a teenaged boy being arrested for murder, it is a teenaged girl. This book is told in three parts, from the father’s perspective, the daughter’s and then the mother’s. Stella is eighteen and looking forward to leaving home as soon as she can. She has dreams of traveling to Asia and is working to save money for her trip. She and her best friend, Amenia, are living it up their last summer together, going out drinking and hooking up with men. One man in particular, Chris, is in his 30’s, older than they usually attract. It is his brutal murder in the park near his home that is the focus of the book. The story begins with her father’s narrative. He is a pastor who adores his little girl and wonders why they aren’t as close as they once were. He is equally distraught that his daughter is arrested and clueless about how she has been living her life. He bumbles around, conducting his own quasi investigation, uncovering an ex girlfriend of Chris’ who has a motive and haranguing witnesses into telling him what they told the police. He also stalks Amina, suspecting that she isn’t telling everything that she knows. Finally, he decides to lie to provide Stella with an alibi. Next up is Stella’s version of events. She is in no way as creepy as the murderer in Defending Jacob but she does have an edge about her and a quick temper. She loses faith in her parents when she is raped by a camp counselor and they decide not to go to the police. Sure she flirted with the guy and decided to have sex with him in order to punish her dad but in the end she decided against it but he did it anyway, forcing himself on her. All she wants to do now is get away but she allows herself a summer fling with Chris. But she starts to pull back when Chris’ ex tells her how controlling he is and how he will eventually cut he off from everyone she loves. Never intending to get serious, Stella decides to break up with him. The final bit is from her mother’s perspective. She is a lawyer and it is clear that, unbeknownst to anyone, she has been pulling the strings behind the scenes, controlling how everything plays out. She leapt into motion as soon as she learned that Stella was arrested and ensured a successful outcome for both girls. Because Amina was also in a relationship with Chris, albeit after Stella broke up with him, but he was too forceful and she got scared and ran. The next thing, Chris is dead. So who really killed him? Stella, Amina or his ex girlfriend? Everything is revealed in the epilogue but I have to admit that I wasn’t surprised. An interesting story about a dysfunctional family embroiled in a murder investigation but not a legal thriller, in my opinion.

A Nearly Normal family was a solid 3.5 read for me. I enjoyed the narrators and that it was told in the perspectives of both the mom, dad and daughter. I do wish there had been at least a short chapter written from the perspective of the friend. To round it out a bit more. This is a super slow burner but it does keep you interested in finding out what really happened the night that a man was killed in a park.

Stella just turned eighteen. She is stubborn, defiant, passionate, impulsive. You either love her or hate her. One night, she comes home late covered in blood. The next day, she is arrested, accused of murdering a thirty-three year old man. Her father Adam, who is a pastor, lies to the police about what time she arrived home. But she remains in custody. This story is about family and the lengths you will go through to protect them.

Told in three parts- you begin with Adam, Stella's father, who is a pastor. The next part is told by Stella herself. And the third by Ulrika, Stella's mother, who is a defense attorney.

So, this was ok. Mostly predictable. I enjoyed Adam's part the most, and Ulrika's the least, so I just got antsy as the story progressed, progressively losing interest. I just wanted it to end so I could see if I was right.

All of the characters, except for maybe Adam, are pretty unlikeable. That is normally fine, but when a book feels like it is dragging, it just adds to my frustration.

The audiobook has a different narrator for each part. Emily Watson, Georgia Maguire, and Richard Armitage each narrate. No complaints about any of them.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

While I enjoyed listening to this dramatized audiobook, the story didn’t quite resonate with me. So, I’m giving this read 3.5 stars.

To be honest, at first I thought this story would be a high star rating for me, but as I fit further into it, and the narrator changed, I didn’t realize that a lot of my love fore the story early on was due to Richard Armitage’s wonderful reading as the father. That being said, I am glad to have experienced this books as a dramatized audiobook, split between three narrators, as I think it will have been the most engaging way for myself to absorb this story. We’ll done to the audiobook narrators.

This legal thriller follows Adam, the father and a pastor convinced of his daughters innocence, Ulrika, a work-focused defense attorney struggling to connect with her own daughter, and Stella, the daughter on trial for murder of and older man. I enjoyed how this story follows three members of a family and how the book is split into three parts sharing each of their perspectives on the plot. I found it a interesting capture of how each person involved in a moment can relate experience and perceive the moment so differently. This story did a great job dissecting how our personal thoughts and experiences can alter how we see the world and those around us.

While I did like this story overall, I had a hard time connecting with the characters on a personal level. While the story spent a lot of time trying to explain the characters varying perceptions of an event, it didn’t give any time to endear the reader to their characters, in my opinion. So, I found it hard to connect and care for the characters. And lastly, I did find the ending to be quite predictable and unsatisfying. Though, that may be due to my reading of others reviews of the ending being a serious twist before I had started reading this, so my expectations were preset.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this story.

I really thought this was gonna be very good but I had a hard time with this so much. it's a long audiobook and it has a lot of religious talk which I don't really like and most of the story just dragged on. I couldn't help but to DNF this one.

good family who stands accused of killing a man 15 years older than she is. Stella has had problems with anger and substance abuse in the past but her father, a pastor, and her mother, a criminal defense attorney, support their daughter 100%. Still, as the facts of the case come to light, their faith in her, each other and their own beliefs are seriously tested.

I sometimes struggle to keep my attention on a story when I'm listening to an audiobook, but I didn't have any problems with this one! Talk about twists and turns - I had no idea what or who to believe and changed my mind about what might have happened constantly as the story developed. I already love Scandi Crime so I had a feeling I would enjoy this but it was actually one of the most unique stories in this genre I have read. Really unusual and I loved the split narrative, hearing the same story from different perspectives. Also, I absolutely loved Richard Armitage doing the narration for Michael's parts of the story.

such a great read! this is a clear reminder that things aren't always what they seem and that even the people you think are perfect and squeaky clean have a dark side and things to hide. this was just up my alley.

Had I not gotten past the first section of this book, I would have given a very different review. This is written in three parts: the first from the father's perspective, the second from the daughter's, and the third from the mother's.

We begin with the father. A priest, he seems to believe himself morally superior just because he has outgrown (groan) his atheism. We find out about the murder and his daughter's initial arrest through his eyes. His unreliable, self-righteous, overzealous, religious eyes. I found myself wanting to skim through large portions of his narrative and just figure out what was going on. It was awkward and I though that might be because of the translation, but the awkwardness diminished a great deal in later parts. The father seemed to have absolutely no idea what was going on at any time. At least, that is the impression he wanted others, and us, to have as we read. He made terrible decisions and had to ask about legal terms even I could figure out and I know 0 about the Swedish legal system.

Next we get to the daughter's perspective. She becomes a little more understandable. A little disturbed and trouble, and also unreliable as a narrator in this section, we see the other side to some of the interactions with her father and the stories behind some of what we learn about her. She still often behaved like an entitled brat, but other actions become much more clear and understandable. We feel for this 17 year old who thought it was a good idea to get into a relationship with a man almost twice her age.

Finally, we get to the mother's story. Mom helps bring it all together. She tells us what she saw between her husband and daughter from the outside. But we know that she, too, is hiding something from us. At least she is honest about it. We don't really know the whole story until the Epilogue. By then we start to make some guesses.

Overall, translation issues aside, this was an interesting look into the legal system in Sweden and what seems to be a worldwide mistreatment and misunderstanding of our young women. Every woman or girl in this novel is trying to either live up to or shatter the expectations of her. And everyone around her, including other women, are constantly judging her and trying to push her back into her little box. The result is a lot of pain and not a lot of support or real help. There is some, especially in the end, but it takes desperate times before that happens.

I think Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm gonna read at the end of the world.

4.5/5 stars rounded up

“It takes a long time to build a life, but only an instant for it to crumble.”

I first read this one on 2019! I saw the audiobook was available so figured I’d check that out too and give it a re-read.

I usually don’t recall books soon as I finish them because I’m on the the next one but several years later I still absolutely remember this one. The ethical and moral dilemma get deep into your head and will have you asking yourself…honestly what would you do in the same circumstance!? This is a book that won’t soon leave your mind.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. Reading the plot summary, I thought this would be right up my alley. I was proven wrong quickly. This story has multiple points of view, but the order in which they were presented made no sense.

This was a bore and found myself dreading listening to this. Hard pass.

I loved this one - it's a bit of a courtroom drama because 18-year old Stella, daughter of a pastor and lawyer, is charged with murder. The story unfolds how Stella is connected to the dead 30 year old business man and how the family will survive the taint on their reputation and jobs.

The story is broken up into three parts, told by the perspective of the father, daughter Stella, and the mother. The father was a bit annoying but I loved Stella's story. There are subtle twists and turns that keep you continually trying to piece together what is happening and be one step ahead of the characters. The story makes you call into question and reflect on how far you would truly go to protect the ones you love.

The audiobook of A Nearly Normal Family has a perfect cast for a Swedish family that begins to unravel when faced with legal turmoil: Georgia Maguire as 18-year-old Stella, accused of murdering an older man; Richard Armitage as her pastor father facing a crisis of confidence and faith; and Emily Watson as her criminal defense attorney mother, Ulrika, who wants to protect her child and the family reputation. The majority of the story is told from Adam’s perspective, but the narrative shifts and twists with the inclusion of Stella’s and Ulrika’s stories. Fans of psychological thrillers will appreciate the measured unveiling of the truth.

The story opens with a father about to testify at a murder trial where his daughter is the defendant. Eighteen year old Stella is on trial for the murder of a man in his 30’s. She is the only child of a pastor and a lawyer who are well respected in the community and live in an upscale neighborhood. The story is told from three POVs. The father, the mother and the daughter. With each POV I found my perspective changing as more of the family’s secrets are revealed.

POV 1: The father. Religious, privileged and judgmental. Right from the start we know he is okay with lying as long as he can justify it. Richard Armitage narrates his part beautifully.

POV 2: The daughter. Intelligent, funny and angry. She’s been accused of murder, yet for some reason she is reluctant to try to save herself. Georgia Maguire as the narrator for Stella’s part was perfect.

POV 3: The mother. Ambitious, pretentious and distraught. As she’s telling her story, it’s clear she knows more than she’s letting on to her husband and the police. Emily Watson is also terrific in her narration of Ulrika.

The story is a testament to just how far we may go to protect our loved ones. Defending them no matter how right or wrong we think they may be. A Nearly Normal family is an excellent dissection of a family in crisis that I highly recommend if you enjoy a legal thriller and a family drama. A 2019 Book of the Month selection. Also, it looks like A Nearly Normal Family is going to be a limited series on Netflix in 2023. Thank you to NetGalley for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! A big 5 stars to that one.
I think that's the fastest I've ever read a book... three days... especially for one that long.
I truly enjoyed this book, especially in the three part perspectives in which this story was told. I hate to say that I definitely pinned Stella to be the murderer at first, but as pages progressed forward, I stood corrected and in awe of a family who saw no limit to how far they would go to protect their daughter.

I don't know if I live in a family where I would fight to the end of the earth to keep them safe from the law, especially if there was enough evidence to convict them. You aren't responsible for every terrible thing your family members do... Everyone has the right to live their own life and make their own decisions. I know a lot of people, my Fiancée included, struggle with Not so Normal family interactions, and if we go about our lives blaming and burdening ourselves of the actions made by a family member, there is no happiness, but yet, I'm under the assumption that if the tables were turned, there still would be no happiness, just a life of overwhelming sorrow and numbness.

End Rant

Anyway, I LOVED the book and I'm so glad it's the July Book for my Book Club. I can't wait to see what the rest of my bookworms think of this novel!