interesting tale of communal living and growth that definitely fels cool. the ant colony vibe is one that works out fairly well, too! 4 stars, tysm for the arc.

The novel follows Emelie, a woman burnt out by the relentless pace and demands of city life. Her arrival in the countryside feels like a breath of fresh air—both for her and the reader. The descriptions of the verdant hills and quiet riverside create a strong sense of place, offering a stark contrast to the chaos Emelie has left behind. When she stumbles upon the group of seven, it feels like she has entered a hidden world where time moves differently. The boundaries of conventional life have been intentionally discarded.

Each commune member is vividly drawn, carrying stories of pain, alienation, and an almost desperate desire to live outside society’s confines. The charismatic Sara emerges as both a guiding force and an unsettling presence, her authority within the group raising unspoken questions about freedom, power, and belonging. The novel’s strength lies in its nuanced portrayal of this alternative lifestyle—not as utopian or dystopian, but as something far more complex. Are the roles assigned to these individuals a path to healing or a trap?

Emelie’s presence as an outsider brings tension and momentum to the story. At first, drawn to the group’s apparent simplicity and shared purpose, she soon challenges the commune’s fragile harmony. Through her perspective, the novel explores how appealing it is to step outside societal norms and how difficult it is to abandon one’s sense of self and autonomy entirely.

This beautifully written and thought-provoking novel raises questions about the meaning of belonging and the limits of escape. It’s a compelling study of human connection and the fine line between finding freedom and losing oneself.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Colony was a peculiar, quiet and at times odd read.

What I liked:
The characters were incredibly well drawn, I had a great sense of each of them and could always tell them apart.
After a slower start I felt a great sense of tension as we reached the climax.
I love books that look at alternative ways of living and this one was very approachable and believable.

What didn’t quite work:
This book could be 100-150’pages shorter, maybe some part of this is the translation, but there is far too much filler.
The ending was so lacklustre and an easy way out I was expecting so much more after everything that was transpiring.

3.75 hopefully gets a good edit before pub day.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC copy.

Sadly this was a DNF for me, at around 40%. I found this super slow and kind of all over the place, it was really difficult to follow and subsequently I had no interest in it or desire to pick it up and keep reading.

Three stars for this, but, honestly, I’m only saying that because that was my note when I finished it. It was only a few weeks ago but I can’t seem to remember much about this book which can’t be a good sign.

Emilie is burned out from her exhausting job and busy life and decides to spend a few days in the country. Once there she visits a river where she comes across seven people who appear to be led by a woman named Sara. She eventually makes contact with them and learns the stories of how they all ended up together, living life differently.

It’s coming back to me now. This translated Swedish novel was apparently very popular in that country and I’ve always found stories of communal living interesting, so I did enjoy this., The characters are fascinating (some more than others, naturally) and one can see how things just…happen. If it sounds like something you might like, you probably won’t be disappointed.

I wanted to love this book—the idea of a remote island community and the tension between isolation and connection is such fertile ground for a great story. But while the premise intrigued me, the execution fell flat.

The narrative follows Lina as she retreats to a secluded Swedish island after a personal crisis, weaving in themes of identity and nostalgia. While the character exploration is thoughtful, the pacing is uneven and the writing sometimes feels disjointed, which made it hard to stay invested.

It’s not without merit—there are moments of insight and beauty—but overall, it felt like a missed opportunity. If you enjoy slow, introspective reads, this might still work for you, but it didn’t quite click for me.

Very slow and meditative. Appealing premise (burnout leads to going off into the woods and discovering a “colony” of people who have similarly found modern life too stressful). Didnt quite land with me but I imagine some will love this book.

<b>PUB DATE 4/25/25!</b>

If Convenience Store Woman had a gritty & silver-tongued older sister, it would be The Colony. This. Is. Phenomenal.
Annika Norlin's ability to write with such dignity - while not emitting a sense of superiority - has left an impression I know will be long lasting.
The synopsis does a great job of telling you anything else you need to know without giving much away, so I'll leave that to them.

There's so much more I want to say, but I think going in fairly blind to this novel is your best bet. Maybe I'll share more after everyone has had a solid chance to read for themselves

Come pub day, The Colony is what I will be recommending to anyone still willing to hear me out after they hear the # of pages. (For the record, once I was fully emmersed (35%ish, ngl. but worth it!!), I started flying thru it.) Especially if you enjoyed, as said earlier, Convenience Store Woman (& are okay w/ a much longer, more thorough novel), and dare I say <i>even</i> anyone who enjoys the reality tv show Survivor or tv series Nine Perfect Strangers. How each narrative compounds on another reminded me a lot of Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte as well - COMPLETELY different vibe, just throwing it out there for fellow mood readers.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Annika Norlin, Alice Olsson and Europa Editions for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

I found this too slow and was constantly finding myself disengaged from it. I find if it’s feeling like a chore then it’s time to let it go and pick something else to read.

Annika Norlin, award-winning Swedish journalist, singer, and songwriter, turns her artistic gift to fiction with her debut novel, ”The Colony” (trans. Alice E. Olsson). The result is a moving success.

As a 20 year+ resident of Sweden, I can attest to it being a remarkable place, especially the North, where Norlin is from and “The Colony” is based. It is stunningly beautiful, bucolic, invigorating, haunting, and mystical. Norlin captures all these qualities and much more in “The Colony".

Characters are fully fleshed out with separate chapters that present chunks of backstory that eventually fit into the mosaic of the whole. Environmentalism is at the core, taking center stage for people who have tired of late stage capitalism. The natural world dominates.

Everyone finds their own way to the Colony. Each is unable to survive or thrive in the “real world”. Each finds a role in this improbable alternative space. They experience joy and sadness. They grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually. “The Colony” is full of insight, deeply transgressive at its core.

“The Colony” is already the winner of multiple awards in Sweden. There is every reason to hope that this translation, published by the always wonderful Europa Editions, will be as successful. It should only be a matter of time before there is a mini-series or film treatment. It will be beautiful, dramatic, and moving.

Thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for the eARC.

This novel had an interesting premise -- a sort of lost soul, exhausted from a demanding job and exhausting city life, goes looking for peace and rejuvenation, so she decides to go camp in the Swedish wilderness to get some clarity. She stumbles upon a strange mix of seven people -- three men, three women, and a teenage boy -- who are different in every way, but they have managed to create a sort of commune where each has specific tasks and they co-exist in what at first appears to be a mutually beneficial existence. Emelie, the lost soul, thinks this is just what she needs, but as she gets to know them, she discovers this bunch of misfits may be as lost as she is.

So, I lived in Finland for two years (my husband had a job assignment there), and I have been to Sweden many times, so I really was interested in this book, and the accolades it has received in Sweden. The Finns, especially, can be stand-offish at first but welcoming when they get to know you (especially after many beers), and I wasn't surprised by the eccentricities exhibited by Norlin's characters.

I can't say I loved this book, but I did find it readable and different from a lot of fiction I read.

This was such a good story and I could definitely see why his book has won so many awards. It is so interesting and looks into the way things, people, cultures all adapt and colonize. It was eye opening and also creepy at parts. I loved it and can’t wait to see the movie or TV production of his story


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This was such a great concept for the genre and really enjoyed getting to read this novel. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the humor within the universe. Annika Norlin has a great writing style and I could see why this was a best-seller.

Annika Norlin is a Swedish pop song writer, artist, journalist, as well as a novelist.
“The Colony”, (Europa Editions), is her debut novel….
….which won the Vi Literature award and Swedish Radio’s Novel Prize — two of Sweden biggest literary awards.
A TV adaptation is underway.
“The Colony” is mega best selling hit in Sweden; I was very excited to begin reading it.

The summary:
“We meet Emilie, a city-dweller who is burnt out from her job. She goes to the woods to get away from the noise and demands of the city. There she encounters a group of seven people, each with their own story of pain, alienation, and a desire to live differently. The group is led by the charismatic Sara, and the members have a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and personalities. Emelie begins to try and understand the diverse group while to reevaluating her own life”.

So… as I said … I was happily excited… anticipating “The Colony” to be a fantastic novel. I usually love Swedish and Scandinavian literature.
I enjoy books that explore communes, retreats, and a variety of different characters
living in a community setting.
However …
I found the writing disjointed and irritating. I could have read a couple of good novels in the time it took me to wade through it.

For starters, it’s way too long.
Also, it didn’t give us any profound insights about humans being social creatures within a community.

I hate leaving a low review….especially with a debut. It’s especially i
disconcerting when reading an early novel.
But I couldn’t stay sincerely interested. At times I felt as though the author was still learning how to construct sentences — or maybe it was a translation problem, but my enthusiasm for the story and characters took a nose dive.

I do love the book cover - and I did appreciate the symbolism of the ‘ant’.

Here’s a couple of excerpts that I liked….
“Sagne crossed her eyes to catch the mosquito with her gaze. She empathized with it, relating its yearning for blood to her own morning hunger. Her body was probably covered in bites but they no longer itched; the Colony had been immune to mosquitoes—everyone except Zakaria for some reason; it was as if his body had never fully adapted; he crumbled and scratched in the night”.

“Ants were running every which way as I set my feet down, and I wondered who they were. I pictured my maths teacher. He had died of prostate cancer. He used to look just like a confused ant, when he walked around the school canteen to get more coffee—I think because he got up and forgot what he was doing. We made fun of him, but after my burnout, I understood him better—I never know what I’ve got up to do”.

2 stars.

"The Colony" by Annika Norlin is set in a remote location and follows a group of individuals as they navigate their pasts and relationships with one another.

The story centers on Lina, who moves to a secluded island in Sweden in search of escape and a fresh start after experiencing a personal crisis. As the narrative unfolds, she grapples with feelings of isolation and connection while exploring themes of identity, nostalgia, and regret.

The writing is characterized by detailed observations and a focus on character development. However, some readers may find the pacing challenging, which could affect their engagement with the story and its characters as it did for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Europa Editions.