Great story and characters.  I loved the unique voice and point of view. I would've loved to have heard the story behind why Annie was called AK47 :)

I thought I was going to really like When We WereVikings, but unfortunately it was a miss for me. I didn't like Zelda. I know, I am a horrible person, and terribly un pc. I have no experience with fetal alcohol syndrome, and very little with cognitive/developmental issues or those with an intellectual disability, which may color my reactions. I just couldn't understand or justify some of her choices, even knowing she didn't have the same cognitive process that I do. And her "tribe" really should have nipped some things in the bud.  If she was allowed some degree of independence things like personal safety and what to do in an emergency needed to have been clearly addressed, particularly when those in trusted power positions knew that Viking culture was her frame of reference. Because of all that I found this book very frustrating.

When We Were Vikings has been likened to The Curious Incident of the Barking Dog and Eleanor Oliphant is Just Fine, but I found the only similarity to be that the main characters are “on the spectrum” and yet, bravely persevere.

Zelda is a Viking enthusiast.  She also suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.  While she takes all inputs quite literally, it is obvious that she is high functioning given her interactions with her peers at the community center where she spends much of her day.  She uses Viking lore to create her rules/boundaries and her life trajectory.

She and her brother, Gert, muddle through life together.  Gert is an incredibly kind older brother, but his lack of options lead to desperate, bad choices.  My heart went out to Gert; at a very young age, he has taken on the role of caregiver to his sister.  Regardless of misguided choices, his heart is full of love for Zelda and his intentions are always for the benefit of his sister.

Some of the controversial issues covered in the book will create excellent book group discussion.  Mr. MacDonald respectfully presents the various sensitive topics.  The story is filled with quirky characters and despicable caricatures (the antagonists).  The plot of When We Were Vikings is straightforward and well-paced.  I did find some of the plot points to be highly unbelievable.  I loved the message about Zelda being charge of her own life as well as her lovely view of her “tribe”.  I found When We Were Vikings to be mildly amusing and at times heart-warming story of family and community.

This book was very hard to get into. The main character suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome - she is also the narrator. I felt like one particular scene ( rape) just wasn't needed to the story. 

Overall not the book for me.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  Zelda is a 21-year-old with fetal alcohol syndrome living with her brother, Gert.  When Zelda was younger Gert gave her a book about Vikings and since then she has been living by the rules of Vikings.  First and foremost a Viking must protect her tribe.  When Gert finds himself in trouble due to some problematic choices, Zelda decides she must go on her own quest to help her tribe and assist in the collection of the hoard.  When We Were Vikings follows Zelda on her quest to become a legend.

I liked this book and I found it a really easy read.  I did find this book problematic with its use of the "r" word.  The author tried to justify its use at times by having Zelda use it with the mind-frame that since she has a mental handicap it is okay that she used it.  It personally rubbed me the wrong way.  The author also had other individuals use that word towards Zelda.  I personally don't like that word and don't think it needed to be used to further any part of this story.  If you look outside of the use of that word the book is even better; however, the word is included in the text of the novel, multiple times too, so I feel like it needs to be taken into account. I've tried to look up Andrew David MacDonald to see if there may be rational behind his inclusion of this word but I haven't been able to find a lot on him.  When We Were Vikings is a debut novel and I look forward to seeing what Mr. MacDonald writes in the future but I hope he can be conscientious of the words he uses in the future when talking about a group of individuals with or without disabilities.

Knowing that words will scarcely describe how this sweet and simple book touched me in such a lasting way, I'm going to try anyway. Because that's what Zelda would do.

To boil it down to three words, this book is <em>surprising, original,</em> and <em>endearing</em>.

I loved that <em>When We Were Vikings</em> is told from Zelda's viewpoint. She's a wonderfully unique and resilient protagonist. Instead of the story being told <em>about</em> her, which might elicit pity instead of understanding, Zelda reframes her disabilities by telling her own story. We're able to see her strengths and limitations through her own eyes.

The cast of characters is very diverse (races, sexual orientations, ages, family situations, mental abilities) but it doesn't feel forced. This charming and quirky bunch of characters brings such candor and breathes life into the pages. They're awkward and uncomfortable, often failing miserably and are shockingly offensive, but they always try again.

Having some family members with mental disabilities, this book really touched my heart. Not because it merely talks about similar people who struggle with the same life choices, but because it portrays them so compassionately...And with awkward humor for their unflinching comfort with things that make many others flinch. Like sex. Oh my, the conversations about sex that Zelda and her boyfriend have with their family is amazing and so perfectly honest.

Give this book a try, I can't imagine you'll be disappointed. There's laughs, tears, and smiles to be had! I can guarantee that you will fall in love with Zelda, and you might even decide to become your own Viking hero!

Trigger Warnings for sexual abuse and violence / Content Warnings for language and sexual discussions
<em>Thank you to Scout Press for a complimentary copy of this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I voluntarily reviewed this book, and all opinions expressed are my own.</em>

Gritty lifestyle meets plucky, unconventional heroine might be the summary of this tale that veers between uplifting and grim.  It’s difficult to say whether all of the violence is justified;  perhaps it is a reflection of current interests in fiction.  These aren’t just two hard luck siblings living on the edge, they also must experience the requisite physical damage needed to make the story edgy.  The overarching theme of Viking bravery is wonderful, though.  This is almost a young adult book, for the right readers.  I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

When We Were Vikings is a difficult book to categorize.  It’s a coming of age story.  It’s uplifting and heartwarming.  It’s tragic and it has moments of despair.  There is humor and overwhelming obstacles.  But, in the end, it’s a story of a family that is trying its best to survive, even though the family consists of only two siblings.  Gert, the older brother, feels the weight of the world as he tries to provide for and protect his younger sister, Zelda, who is “different”.  Born to an alcoholic mother, she has fetal alcohol syndrome and struggles to fit in and succeed on her own.  

Zelda is fascinated with all things Viking, constantly referring to a particular book called “Kepple’s Guide to the Vikings” where she learns that there are six things every legend must do to fulfill their quest.  Zelda, at the age of 21, is determined to become a legend by protecting her tribe and fulfilling her quest. Along the way she has support and comfort from a wide variety of people. 

Mr MacDonald’s writing is truly original as he tells the story from Zelda’s point of view.  However, this might not be a book that will suit every reader. The language is a bit raw and some descriptions and discussions might be too graphic for some. But, there are also elements in this book that will make the reader pause and think about the fact that we are all capable of being “legends”.  We just have to realize what we are capable of and what is important.  One of my favorite quotes seems to sum up the feeling I had after finishing this book:  

The most important parts of life, the parts really worth cherishing, are the things we don’t expect.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

So many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this phenomenal book! “When We Were Vikings” by Andrew David MacDonald is the quirky coming of age story of a young woman named Zelda who has fetal alcohol syndrome. Zelda, who lives with her older brother Gert, fancies herself a modern-day female Viking warrior and is on a mission to fulfill her own legend. Zelda is definitely an unlikely hero, but a hero she is. 

Zelda is one of the most compelling literally characters I have encountered in quite some time. She is brave and real and imperfect. She loves hard and makes the difficult choices she needs to protect those she loves.  In her quest to be legendary, Zelda will inspire readers to be legendary as well.  

This book is so well-written and developed that it is difficult to believe it is the author’s debut novel. I absolutely loved it. This book made me feel all the feels; it was laugh out loud funny and also heartwarmingly poignant.  Though this book does contain some sexual content as well as harsh language, but this in no way detracts from the beauty of the story and makes Zelda more relatable and believable as an imperfect person in an imperfect world. I adored everything about this book and look forward to more from this author.   “When We Were Vikings” is definitely a don’t-miss read for 2020!

Originally I grabbed at this title for the main character, Zelda, who seemed to structure her life around some simple rules and seemed to be trying to live her own life with her older brother Gert being her own family.  This looked like a story that would have some interesting points, particularly as one of her ‘life points’ was to understand that the most important stuff can’t always fit on them.  And that was intriguing.  And then the story started and Zelda was much more than a simple character – she’s got Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and that has her working to learn basic life skills, has a disabled boyfriend, is quirky and obsessed with sex, sees a therapist regularly, and for much of her life it’s been her and her brother against the world. But Gert is doing all sorts of things, legal and illegal – and it’s up to Zelda to navigate the tricky waters of the world to make things work out and get him out of jail.  

So far, so good – and the story was quick reading and flowed well. But there were issues – some felt forced, some just felt outright ‘icky’, and there was a strong sense of Zelda not being as “together” as she wanted to appear, and unable to see the contradictions in her world view versus her situation.  She’s a bit of a snob – going to great lengths to tell us she’s ‘different from many with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and she’s quite vain – she enjoys the attention of men (even without the sex) but isn’t quite advanced enough to understand ‘good versus bad’ interactions with them.  The obsession with sex is something that is easy to understand – and it does make her feel much younger – but she’s also not random with that desire – there’s a sure plan that she’s trying to work on with her boyfriend – who is also disabled. 

Then we have the “Viking” tie in – I get it – really I do. There’s a certain level of ‘self-motivation’ behind the calling herself a Valkyrie that would appear attractive to someone who, at the root, feels different and perhaps a bit helpless.  But we are so frequently reminded of that – and the other ‘quirky’ traits of the other characters that just once I was hoping to find someone without any – maybe even a bit boring and wallflower-like.  Perhaps most disturbing for me was not the disabilities in themselves – I thought the author did a solid job trying to bring different characters with different issues in, but  there were moments where offhanded comments and attitudes felt dismissive and degrading, and left me with an overall bad taste in my mouth.  That being said – the author had some unique ideas and character portrayals, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. 

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. 

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aBa /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

A book where the main character is obsessed with Vikings? 
 

Not normally the kind of book that I would jump all over. I actually have no clue what made me want to read this book but whatever/whoever it was...thank you!!

Zelda is a character that is different. Zelda is a character that I wish the world had more of. She is honest, outspoken for her tribe and knows what she wants. In this story we get to go with her on her quest for a bit.

Zelda lives with her big brother Gert. She goes to the community center during most days and reads her Viking handbook to study exactly how to live as a warrior. Zelda grows as a character before the reader's eyes in this story. She wants to support her tribe as in her brother Gert...who is making some questionable choices, Gert's ex AK47 who Zelda completely believes should get back in love with Gert, some villains aka 'fuck dicks' who want to disturb the peace of Zelda's tribe....
 

and Zelda's "fair maiden" Marxy...who she is in love with and will have the sex with.
 

Life never works out as we plan it though and Zelda's quest becomes more than she ever imagines it. Including her love for Marxy.
I have to burn a picture of him to show the gods how angry I am with him. Are there any other ways to make it clear to the gods that we are no longer together anymore? Also, are there any special Viking ways to curse their union?

To say I LOVE this book is an understatement. Do I recommend it? Yes, to the people with open minds who want to see Zelda be legendary.
To the ones that are sticks in the mud and are going to be offended by it. (Fuck-dicks)
 

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

I feel like the description for this book was entirely misleading, as it was not anywhere near that of The Silver Linings Playbook. This book reminded me much more of Brynn Greenwood's writing and had a dark humorous undertone. I'm wondering if I would've liked it more had it not been misrepresented.

I needed a book like this desperately. First of all, it has a main character, Zelda,  you can unreservedly root for and she has surrounded herself with a tribe that gives her needed help, support, and love.  She is a 21 year old who has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is struggling to establish her independence. Her older brother, Gert, is not ready to let go and he still wants to protect her (who doesn't?)
  Luckily she has the support of Gert's girlfriend, AK47, her doctor and the Community Center she attends daily. She falls in love and wants to experience sex, she finds a job and wants a place of her own and she wants to make her own rules. Who doesn't?
  She helps Gert with some messes he has made and then strikes out on her own. She follows her Viking code that sustains her. In the end when we finally get to read to read the essay that got Gert into college, it is so wonderful that I cried my eyes out (but happily). This is a beautiful book and I thank Net Galley and the author so much for a copy of this in exchange for a fair review. I am a better person for having read this.

I really thought this would be a favorite but it was quite different than I expected it to be. Zelda is a Viking enthusiast and it is part of her heritage that she takes quite seriously, but the story doesn't involve actual real Vikings.

The story was quite funny at times but this just left me with an ok feeling about it because I thought it was going to be a real Viking story. Still a book I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

perfect for those of you looking for a follow-up to #EleanorOliphant or #HowNotToDieAlone; about a quirky young woman who lives her life by the Viking code of conduct and must use her “skill set” to protect the brother who raised her when he finds himself in too deep with the local gang. It’s sweet and funny and a perfect read for those of you looking for a quick palette cleanser from some of the heavier books out right now

With the publication of When We Were Vikings, debut novelist Andrew David MacDonald has created a legend! 

This humorous, frustrating, maddening, disgusting, heart-breaking, heart-warming, inspiring, empathetic, and triumphant account of a twenty-one-year-old woman challenged by fetal alcohol syndrome but determined to create her own legend as a Viking hero will win readers’ hearts as Zelda strives to battle her Grendels, imagined, metaphorical, and all too real.   She uses lists to organize and manage life:  apartment rules, steps necessary to become a Viking hero, techniques for using a Viking sword, and more.  She depends on her loving, but sociologically-damaged older brother Gert for food and housing, her developmental psychologist Dr. Laird for stress management and gradual self-confidence, the community center’s Big Todd for helping her find a job, and the author of Kepple’s Guide to the Vikings, the book that has inspired her to create her own legend, for answering her emailed questions although for the longest time he does not.

Compared to Silver Linings Playbook, The Rosie Project, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Andrew David MacDonald’s unforgettable When We Were Vikings gifts us with two of the most touching characters in modern literature, not only Zelda, but also Gert. 
 
Thanks to Simon and Schuster’s Scout Press and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this outstanding novel. I will watch for future work by Andrew David MacDonald.

This is the story of Zelda who lives by the Viking code of conduct. Zelda, living with FAS, grew to independence with the help from her tribe. She checked off all the boxes to live her own legend and becoming a hero.

I had high hopes for this book because the blurb sounded amazing! A girl with an extreme enthusiasm for Vikings and maybe has to use her knowledge to help her brother get out of trouble? Let me read it ASAP! But shortly into the first chapter, I realized that it was completely different to what I’d thought it would be. It was a surprise at first, but I got used to reading in Zelda’s POV.

The two high points I had with this book were the two female characters, Zelda and AK47/Annie. As annoying as it was that Annie was called AK47 by Zelda for almost the entire book, except for one or two times, I loved how strong Annie was as a character. She was like this glue that was sticking Gert and Zelda together. It was sweet how much Annie cared for Zelda and Gert, enough that she stuck around for some time to help them both, and how Annie acted as someone that Zelda could call for help, advice, or anything else.

I also loved Zelda’s job at the library and was so happy for her when she got the job and did her work with Carol. Didn’t care for her relationship with Marxy, which went on for way longer than it should have. Zelda developed amazingly as a character, but Gert not so much.

I couldn’t stand Gert. He was one of the low points of the book. I liked him at the very beginning. I thought he was just an older brother, a tough guy who softens up by the end and loves his family (Zelda). But even though this did describe Gert somewhat, he just had nothing going for him.

Gert’s moments of violence (punching walls, very short temper, willingness to get into fights, destroying objects, and even throwing Zelda’s phone) had me concerned that he’d hurt Zelda. He wasn’t a character I could support at all, and there were times when, even though he cared about Zelda, I was afraid for Zelda that her own older brother would hurt her, especially since Zelda described him as a big guy who used to be a football player. Gert was an insufferable character but was in the book a lot, being Zelda’s brother. He was very lucky that Annie and Zelda put up with him as much as they did.

The book’s plot was essentially Gert vs. Toucan, another low point since it was so uninteresting to read about, but the lowest point in this book was the attempted rape scene. There was no warning beforehand for it, and I hated that the author included this scene. The attempted rape was by Toucan to Zelda, and by that point we already knew that Toucan was a bad guy whenever he showed up. We didn’t need an attempted rape to show us just how much of a bad guy he was.

The ending, I have mixed feelings about. While it did wrap things up nicely in terms of Toucan, Gert, and Zelda, it felt anticlimactic and like there was something missing from the book, or it should’ve been a little longer. The future was left uncertain for Gert, Zelda, and even Annie, and I didn’t like that.

When We Were Vikings overall was hard to get through and finish. The plot never had me interested. Although Andrew David MacDonald had a writing style (used mostly for Zelda’s POV) that was simple and not at all complicated, I got so tired of Zelda’s POV and her constant swearing and use of the word “legendary.”

Can’t recommend this book, but it was a unique read that I enjoyed here and there!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scout Press for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS, which will be available in just a little over two weeks on January 28, is a story told to us in first-person narration from the perspective of Zelda, a 21-year-old young woman who is on the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum. Her story has the feel of a coming-of-age narrative as throughout Zelda is working toward achieving independence and living her own “legend” as she refers to it considering her love for Viking lore and the parallels she draws in her own life to Viking mythology. Zelda lives with her brother, Gert, who readers discover is living a life of danger that threatens not only him but those around him whom he loves, which is central to the plot of this novel. Over and over again, readers learn that what defines Zelda isn’t FAS but her fierce and courageous love that she has for her family and friends: she will go to any lengths to save those around her, even if it means that she sometimes must break the rules that she likes to follow and that help her order her life. Zelda is truly an inspirational character in her determination, doggedness, and willingness to persevere even when she’s scared. 

I have to confess, I’ve struggled with how to rate this novel. The last quarter of the novel gripped me and pulled on my heartstrings to the point that I was tearing up, but the novel took a long time to get there, at least for me. The novel felt slow paced initially, and there were many times that I wanted to abandon it altogether; with that said, I’m so glad I didn’t, because the story that comes about at the end is very much worth the wait. 

Probably the primary reason that I’ve lowered the rating of this novel to three stars is the strong language that is used throughout. While I try not to hold this against a book that is depicting very real situations in which this type of language is the norm, I still have to confess I struggled with it. Maybe if MacDonald had scaled back the frequency of how many times this language appeared, it would have helped me to remain in the reading experience while still staying true to his characters’ realities. The amount of strong language used caught me off guard and wasn’t something I expected, and had this not been an ARC given to me in which I felt obligated to provide a review of, I might have actually put it down and not finished it at all. For those that are bothered by this issue, I would definitely not recommend WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS. 

So, while I have conflicting feelings about this narrative, what I can say is that I loved all the main characters by the end of the novel, especially considering their complexity. I loved the inspirational message of how it’s one of the most courageous things you can do to continue loving your family and friends—what Zelda calls your “tribe”—even when it hurts and is painful. And finally I loved the fact that the narrative highlights that as much as we want life to play by our rules, sometimes (and maybe even most of the time) it doesn’t work that way, and that’s really okay, which is highlighted in a heartwarming quote from the novel: “sometimes life finds us, and when it does we have to rise to the occasion and have courage. And we make lists, rules, and try to order things, trying to control them, when actually the most important parts of life, the parts really worth cherishing, are the things that we don’t expect.” Three stars overall for a memorable, emotional, bittersweet read.

Zelda and her older brother, Gert, have been a team for years. Since their mother died from cancer, Gert's done all he can to keep his sister, a young disabled woman, with him. Their abusive uncle was not good enough. Zelda (fetal alcohol syndrome) is charming and follows Gert's rules. There is no smoking in the house. People must take their shoes off when they enter. Smiles mean thank you and fist bumps are a sign that you've earned Zelda's respect.



Her fascination with all things Viking helps with Zelda's strength and courage. When she comes to realize that Gert may be in over his head. She's determined to come to his rescue, even if he doesn't realize he needs her help.



When We Were Vikings is such an enjoyable read. Zelda's charming and witty. Her brother is a little more naive, but I get why he makes some of the choices he does. I just wish he'd thought it through a little better. I loved their support system of Gert's girlfriend, Zelda's counselors and friends, and people they meet along the way. 



While Zelda can seem innocent, there's also that part of her that longs to be an adult and do adult things. This can be a little odd to read about, but it's honest. That honesty is part of what kept me hooked.