Zelda is very interested in Vikings. She reads books and websites about them. Zelda is also on the fetal alcohol spectrum and loves having rules and lists for everything. She has a list of Things Legends Need and has already checked off two items. Zelda’s mother is dead and her dad is missing. She is turning twenty-one and lives with her older brother, Gert. Gert is in college but makes his living selling drugs. Some of the people he deals with are not nice. This is a story of how Zelda built her legend while protecting her tribe. Because that is what Vikings do and how Legends are made When We Were Vikings.

You can’t help but love Zelda for her love of life regardless of others’ perceptions of her. Her brother, Gert, tries to protect and watch out for her in his own unusual way. When they both get into trouble, they, along with Gert’s on-again-off-again girlfriend nicknamed AK47 by Zelda, find a road to legendary status. The problems these people face are real. However, the best part of this book for me was all the Viking lore. For example, I didn’t know anything about the Valkyries (other than the opera connection mentioned by Zelda in the book). I also liked the gentle humor throughout the story. An example was right at the beginning when Gert invites a male stripper dressed as Link to come to Zelda’s birthday seeking Zelda, of course. Instead of stripping, he made balloon dragons that looked “more like a snake that had tried to tie itself like shoelaces.”

When We Were Vikings seemed almost like a young adult read except it had a lot of talking about sex—both consensual and not. Zelda has a boyfriend named Marxy. They are curious about sex—and somewhat confused about it too. So this book may be a bit much for young teens to read. It is a heartwarming tale of how anyone can be legendary—if they have enough heart and gumption to succeed. 4 stars!

Thanks to Scout Press, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut novel?! MacDonald just entered the literary world with a bang.

We meet Zelda, a 21-year-old woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, who is in the throws of making sense of herself and the world around her. Socioeconomic struggles, as well as prejudiced views, affect her and her tribe deeply but Zelda tackles them with such heart and brilliance you can’t help but root for her every step of the way. She is a relatable and incredibly likable character. Her love for Vikings is contagious. The plotline is interesting but almost secondary in this unique coming-of-age novel.

There are a few features I enjoyed tremendously in this book. Zelda is unique and her inner monologue is captivating. Her brother, Gert, is incredibly complex. At times I wanted to hug him and tell him what a wonderful person he is. He has a big heart coupled with a profound sense of responsibility and ambition. At other times, I wanted to shake him and yell “what in the world were you thinking?”. While I haven’t had the same struggles as Gert I could acutely relate to this character. We have all been that age where our actions constantly switch between those of a responsible adult and a very lost teenager. The difference is that most of us weren’t also the sole provider for a disabled sibling at the same time. AK47 doesn’t just have a badass name but is all around a badass female role model. Her astute and innate knowledge of what’s right and wrong is only made better by her perseverance and complete willingness to stand up for her beliefs. AK47 and Gert struggle with their own issues and as a reader, we get to explore those through the eyes of Zelda, which gives this complex “love story” a rare twist. Those issues are also in stark contrast to Zelda’s own relationship issues – they’re both valid but of completely different consequences which gave this YA novel a very mature adult-like quality.

I think this is a wonderful book for many more reasons than I have mentioned but at its core, it beautifully captures the human condition and makes the reader think. Yes, there are problems with the way MacDonald presents an individual with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome at times but that doesn’t take away that this book made me feel simultaneously light-hearted and gut-wrenchingly heavy. This novel is one that takes time to digest. It prompts us to re-evaluate what we think, how we react, and how we want to proceed forward. And honestly, isn’t that one of the most profound experiences literature is supposed to bring about in us?!

When We Were Vikings is told from the perspective of an adult with fetal alcohol syndrome. There was so much h fine right with this book! You couldn’t help but to fall in love with all the characters. The innocence is heart warming. There is also some darkness and major depth to the storyline as well. This was a great book that is sure to be on loads of to be read piles!!

A debut binge read by Andrew David MacDonald explores the mind and life of a young Vikings aficionado Zelda. This is a coming of age story of Zelda who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She lives with her brother Gert in a house and life governed by rules and routine. Zelda considers herself a Viking warrior and constantly seeks guidance from the old Viking tales.

Zelda is a brave girl. She does not let her disability come in the way of her living a ordinary life. She takes on the challenge of finding a job, exploring her sexuality and defending her tribe whenever needed. She is honest and blunt with her thoughts. I really appreciated how the author drew out Zelda, honest and blunt with her thoughts. There was no masking of violent or vulgar incidences.

Triggers of violence, vulgar language and attempted rape.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery / Scott Press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Review also posted on Goodreads and Instagram. See below for the links -

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3161545505

https://www.instagram.com/p/B78_X7hAMOj/?igshid=56jjqzm3oids

This book was extremely sweet. There was A LOT of detailed information about vikings as though one was reading an encyclopedia for a research paper. That aspect I found to be a bit boring each time it came up. Some instances were easier than others when you take into mind that the books perspective is coming from Zelda.

What an incredible debut from author, Andrew David MacDonald!
Told in the voice of his 21 year old, special needs, Viking obsessed protagonist, Zelda, the reader is taken into a modern day Viking Saga where Zelda strives to uphold the Viking standards to become a skjaldmaer, a woman warrior, a legend.
Up to this point, in the absence of parents, Gert, Zelda's brother and care-giver, has aimed to provide and protect his sister and surround her with a watchful "tribe". When, Gert finds some unseemly ways to pay the rent, Zelda springs into action and roles are reversed.
This is not a book to take lightly. It is a coming of age novel different from what you may have read. Adult issues come into play especially the difficulties special needs adults face in trying to come to terms with their emotions and sexuality.
I highly recommend this wonderful, very readable and heart warming novel and I look forward to reading more of MacDonald in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This sounded like a perfect book for me. Wrong. I appreciate the author taking on the task of bringing to light the trials of a young women who was mentally disabled. The book was hard to follow bouncing back and forth all over the place. I realized that the only one I liked in the book was the AK45. I did force myself to finish the book because I felt I owed it to the author who took the time to write the book. The ending was touching.

I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very interesting! I don't think this was EXACTLY what I thought it was going to be, which might have inhibited my enjoyment of it a little bit. It almost felt a little on the YA side, which I was not bothered by, again, I just wasn't necessarily expecting it. All of that being said, I'm really happy that I read it. It was a really unique experience, and I loved reading more from a Canadian author. All in all a positive reading experience!

I have been looking forward to this for a while and I was so excited to get an advanced copy! The premise sounded intriguing and the cover art is fantastic.

Tiny Synopsis: Zelda is 21 and she is the biggest Viking enthusiast and also on the alcohol fetal syndrome spectrum - She lives with her brother Gert who does his best to provide for her despite having to resort to shady business dealings in order to survive. His ex gf AK47 also is a strong member of their “tribe” or family. Zelda is looking to fulfill her own legends like in the stories she reads and to do what’s right even if it conflicts with her own rigid rules she has.

Thank you to @netgalley and Scout Press for the advanced copy for my honest review!

My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

This story is very different than what I normally read & being in the mind of Zelda is eye-opening. Her hardships of trying to get people to understand her and her methodology to decision-making really enlightens me to the struggles of those who are in anyway developmentally challenged. I love all the Viking details she incorporates into her daily life and how her version of a “fair maiden” can be a man (aka her bf). Many parts were so lighthearted and heartwarming, but then other parts I wanted to scream into the book about all the terrible decisions she makes because she thinks she is a viking. I do not doubt this book would make a powerful film one day - but I really struggled reading some parts because of how frustrating her character despite her challenges. Also the tone of the book shifted back and forth so much between light and fluffy to really dark - and I was surprised by that. The writing was great and Macdonald really created these complex people - I just wished I liked them more.

The book is out Jan 28, 2020!

This is a solid debut that makes me excited to see what world Andrew David MacDonald creates next time. Unfortunately, so much of the novel was focused on the main character's obsession with planning to have sex for the first time. I'm not a prude, but I don't understand the fixation on this when there are so many other stories for the writer to tell. It ultimately ruins the world MacDonald could have created.

Zelda has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which has left her with some cognitive issues that affect her outlook on life. She’s obsessed with Vikings and desperately wants to be a Viking herself. She lives with her older brother Gert, who is also her caretaker. He’s extremely protective of her – to a fault. During the day, she goes to a community center for people with intellectual disabilities and even has a boyfriend named Marxy who goes there too.

I love Zelda. She’s earnest, kind and even though she’s intellectually challenged, she can be very insightful. She can also be unintentionally funny but MacDonald writes her in a way that never makes fun of her. The Viking code she lives by could be useful for everyone. When her brother Gert gets into trouble, Zelda vows to help him. Gert is in over his head trying to take care of Zelda now that’s she’s an adult. His intentions are good but he doesn’t always makes the best choices regarding Zelda or his life in general. In addition to Gert, Zelda has a wonderful “tribe” of people that support her emotionally, including Gert’s on-again, off-again girlfriend and the people that work at the center. They are fabulous supporting characters.

I loved this book. I read it in one afternoon which is rare for me. There are some tense moments when Zelda is trying to secretly help Gert in his dealings with some extremely unsavory people. My stomach was in knots as a furiously read to see if Gert and Zelda were going to have a happy ending. Surprisingly, When We Were Vikings is MacDonald’s debut novel. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Highly recommended.

I wanted to like When We Were Vikings, because I enjoy Norse mythology and appreciate Viking history, however I was unable to connect with this story. Zelda is a high-functioning 21 year old woman born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She believes in her Viking roots and its tenets form a common line of thought as she navigates the imperfect world set before her. Her brother is normal and has potential, but he squanders that potential with poor choices. While the premise for the story and characters is interesting, the execution is where it crumbles for me.

Aside from her Viking heritage, Zelda's predominant thoughts are about sex or the possibility of it with her lower-functioning boyfriend down at the community center, which felt uninspired and somewhat exploitative. Much of the book features constantly recurring swearing, which grew old for me fairly quickly because most of the time it felt unnecessary. I felt like an instance of attempted rape in this story was inappropriate, didn't advance the characters, and simply didn't settle well with me. Bearing in mind that I enjoy books like The Nevernight Chronicle and TV shows like Game of Thrones, my criticism of these aspects of the book is not from discomfort but simply that the author did not sell me on the idea that our heroine needed to be preoccupied with lust, that the characters needed filthy mouths, or that sexual assault had a valid place in the narrative.

When We Were Vikings is, unfortunately, a promising premise that stumbles in execution. For me, it fails to deliver its implied promise of a modern day Valkyrie heroine, and I can't recommend it.

Zelda has fetal alcohol syndrome, because her mother drank while she was pregnant with her. She is high functioning, and besides being small, she looks "normal", so this is not immediately obvious to outsiders. She's a huge fan of the Vikings, and likes to live her life based on their code of honor as well as the book <i>Kepple's Guide to the Vikings</i>. She relies on her tribe, which includes her close family and friends, and rules to help her navigate the world. The problem is, Zelda doesn't feel different, and she doesn't want to be treated different either. This is where her brother Gert, who has raised her since her mother's passing of cancer, differ in opinions. She wants to have sex with her boyfriend, and Gert would rather not hear about it. While he tries his best to protect her, Zelda wants to become legendary and help her tribe. This book is her quest.

<i>When We Were Vikings</i> is not a book I would typically read, but I found myself devouring it. Zelda is an honest, and deceptively charming heroin of her own story. She never doubts herself, and always pushes herself to be better because her tribe needs her. She finds that the boundaries she has built for herself based off her rules, aren't necessary as she goes on her quest to become legendary.

"<b>Things Legends Need</b>
*A hero who is skilled in hand-to-hand combat
*A powerful weapon for the hero to use
*The hero must win the love of a fair maiden in danger
*Every hero needs a wise man
*Pillaging rival villages for treasure
*The hero must defeat a villain who threatens the tribe"

"My legend will show people that, even if you are not gargantuan, you can still be strong and brave and help others in your tribe."

Her brother Gert tries hard to be the person AK47, his ex-girlfriend, and Zelda need him to be, but has trouble believing in himself. Instead of going to college like he's supposed to be, he's getting himself, and ultimately his tribe, caught up in things he shouldn't be. Instead of protecting Zelda, Zelda ends up saving Gert.

I thought Zelda and this book were a bit quirky, which I loved, but also took on a lot of dark subject matters. I'm not sure that the dark parts were handled very well, and in some ways they were almost glossed over. Ultimately, I loved Zelda's pov, and she really was the saving grace of this story.

"Sometimes the most important things don't fit on lists," I said. "And sometimes those are things we don't expect."

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes from the book are subject to change.

This book was a hard one for me to rate. I loved much of it, the compelling inter-relationships, conversations and Zelda’s ‘incredible voice, her quirky Viking’ mentality and unique point of view, an impressively written debut and one unlike anything I've read.

So, what didn’t I like? Zelda and disabled friend Marxy are on the cusp of adulthood and are quite focused on a plan to ‘do it’ for the first time. It was hard getting through these pages - it was uncomfortable and a recurring focus.

*will post to online venues upon publication

Oh Zelda, sweet Zelda! She is strong, she is fierce, she lives by the Viking code! And wonderfully, so do those around her. My favorite part of this book were the supporting characters who were all willing to understand how Zelda needed to frame her world and to work within that structure. For me, they were the true heroes of the book! I really enjoyed reading how Zelda viewed her world and strived to be her own best and help those around her. Reading her deal with her boyfriend, her brother's troubles, and learn about herself was a heart warming and heart breaking experience all at the same time. This book did not get overly sappy but made sure to pull on the reader's emotions.

I received this as an ARC. Honestly, I’ve tried to read it about three times now and just can’t get into it. It may be because I’m a mood reader and I haven’t been in the mood for the last three month? Whatever the case, if you are used to to fast paced books this may not be for you.

When We Were Vikings is a unique story about a young girl and her quest to become a Viking legend. I love when I stumble upon a book that doesn’t check all the typical mainstream marks. Perfect, flawless characters can become so repetitive and boring - give me something off the beaten path.

Zelda is on the fetal alcohol spectrum, a result of her mother drinking heavily while pregnant. In her early twenties Zelda lives with her older brother Gert, both parents have passed and after escaping an asshole uncle they are now living on their own.

I liked a lot about this book, I enjoyed Zelda’s journey becoming more independent and all the bumps along the way. Some of the stuff with the villains or as Zelda would say ‘fuck-dicks’, was a bit unneeded, maybe… idk, I’m a bit torn on some of it. Anyway, all and all, this was an entertaining read for me.

I held off reading this book for a long time. For some reason, I thought this book might be a burden for me to read. Something I might have to slog through. I couldn’t have been more wrong. When We Were Vikings is fast paced with a heroine’s voice that grips a tender space in my heart and shines through the entire novel.

Zelda is different. She’s twenty-one, lives with her older brother, and loves Vikings. We know from the beginning, her cognitive reasoning and pathways differ than mainstream young adults her age. Why this is the case has everything to do with her mother’s abuse of alcohol. What I love about the writing is that Zelda is not a caricature. Her voice comes alive, we learn to understand Zelda and the decisions she makes. How she communicates and why. And she’s authentic. So authentic. I love Zelda.

We know she lives with her older brother, Gert. He does not have the same cognitive differences that Zelda has, and is responsible for her well-being. He’s currently in college on a scholarship, though he’s not taken a typical path to higher education. Gert and Zelda have experienced great trauma and as the story progresses, Gert’s choices are understood. How he was able to start college at the age of twenty-one, after winning a scholarship. And why he chooses to interact with shady characters in order to care for Zelda. At least in his mind, it allows him the ability to provide protection.

As we know, things go awry. Especially when we interact with shifty people and illegal dealings. And once Zelda realizes her brother is in trouble, she rises to the occasion, as any strong Viking would.

It’s a beautiful messy story of loyalty, deception, love, pain, trauma, and triumph. A story where both Zelda and Gert evolve, ushering the siblings into a new stage of their lives. I adored this book.

Zelda, a 21 year old living with a cognitive disability due to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, has sworn to live her life by the Viking codes. There are rules her tribe (or closest family and friends) must follow, and steps she must take in order to become legendary. But when her brother (and caretaker), Gert, becomes tangled up in relationships and behaviors that don’t follow these rules, Zelda learns that sometimes heroes and legends can be born out of the unexpected.

Let me start out by saying that I really enjoyed When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald. But I also feel like it has the potential to be polarizing. I loved seeing the story unfold from Zelda’s perspective and I absolutely adored her character. I also thought her relationship with Gert’s girlfriend, Annie (or AK47) was really sweet, and I found Zelda’s journey towards her own independence to be very inspiring.

This is not an easy-breezy, lighthearted read by any means. It tackles lots of heavy topics including substance abuse and assault (both physical and sexual). Also be aware that there is a lot of adult language in this one. The sibling loyalty and overall drama reminded me quite a bit of the show Shameless, for those who have watched it. This book made me feel allllllll the feelings, so that’s why I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! Look for this one January 28th!

Wow! I had heard some buzz about this book and was excited to get my hands on an ARC. This was an amazing look into Zelda’s life from her own perspective. It was really interesting to me to read from the perspective of someone on the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum, especially as an adult. I loved how Zelda persevered through her troubles and became her own hero! There were a few plot points that I thought could have been elaborated on a little more, but overall I found myself rooting for Zelda (and Annie) throughout! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!