The punctuation in the translation is incorrect and detracts from the reading experience. In my opinion, the author captured a look at the 60s consistently and believably. The descriptions of Iceland and abroad were well done. The ending is abrupt even though it wraps up one of the story lines. There are 4 story lines captured in the novel and easily deciphered. It was an okay read but the translation could have been better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to read and review. Opinions expressed in the review are my own.

A glance into the past with an eye on the future. "Miss Iceland" is for those writers seeking to make a way while finding their own meaning in the creative world.

I loved the story and idea behind this text, but it was a bit hard to read. I do not know how much of that is due to translation issues or not, but it jumped around so much and was hard to keep track of where the plot was.

This was definitely a different book than I originally expected and it took me a little while to get into it. One major problem that prevented me from loving this book was the story skipped around so much I didn’t know what was happening. The dialogue was too much and I felt like, by the end, I knew a lot about the narrator but also knew nothing. Something I loved though was the take on LGBTQ relationships during that time. It was a serious issue to tackle and I thought the author did a great job with it!

I enjoyed this story but maybe through translation I had some issues. The e-copy was a bit tough to read. It took me a bit when the story skipped ahead bc I had to keep reading on to figure it out.

This was a pretty good book, however it was kind of confusing... overall I did enjoy reading about the times and the setting. Very different than the norm.

Once I figured out how the book was laid out in the advanced ebook version, I found it really enjoyable. The fact that each section had its own heading was not clear at first.

I appreciated the tone of the book—resigned and kind of quiet—very much. Some parts of the story made me want to cry—Jon John’s entire life circumstance, for example—and some made me laugh. I liked the dichotomy between the main character and her married friend’s lives, but the similarity in their need to write. I almost felt like something bigger was going to happen throughout the book, but liked that things kind of just kept chugging along, because isn’t that sometimes just how life is?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early. I will post this review on my Instagram—@hopsandhardcovers—closer to the publication date.

I received this ARC in exchange for my review. The format in which I received this ARC was difficult to read on my ereader. The story was confusing for me, the characters were likeable and the landscape was beautifully described.

This book was beautifully written and I really enjoyed the language and prose the author used. However, I had a little trouble keeping up with the time-line of events as the book tended to skip ahead at times without clear mentions of it. I also had a hard time relating to Hekla and at times found her friends unlikeable. I did really enjoy all the talk of volcanoes and the formation of Surtsey.

"Miss Iceland" was a great way to start delving into the Icelandic literature world!
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In this book we meet Hekla, a young woman who was perfectly named after a Volcano - she is fearless and her words are like lava flowing out of her. In a time when women didn't have much of a voice, we follow her journey towards becoming a novelist in a world dominated by men. Virginia Woolf once said that "For most of history, 'Anonymous' was a woman." and, with this novel, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir was able to vividly describe what if felt like to be anonymous.
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This story is also about choices and bravery; about love in its several nuances; about what it feels like to be a writer and put yourself out into the world and about being a writer and "cutting off your wings" to conform to the boundaries society imposes.
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An excellent read I recommend to anyone who likes stories about the craft of writing and about the fight for equality.

So, this book was not what I was expecting to be honest. That said, there were parts of it I did enjoy reading. I liked the main character, Hekla as she came across as strong minded and determined.
The narrative is very character dialogue heavy which I don't normally like, however, it gave a great sense of realness and gives a good feel of the characters personalities and lives.
I particularly liked the friendship and unconventional relationship between Hekla and Jon John.
There were parts that seemed to have little relevance to the actual story, unless I was just missing the point in places, and the ending, for me, was a bit confusing. However, I may have overlooked something significant in the story that resulted in this.
I am glad I read this book as it is not one I would normally have chosen, and even though on finishing it I wasn't sure what to make of it, it does still keep popping into my thoughts, which I think is the sign of a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for allowing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Two stars, largely due to general confusion throughout. I feel like I have to think more about this one and see if things come to make sense… or if this is just a confusing jumble.

Recommended: not really
Stay away if you want a point to the story, if you want clear reactions and reasons for things, if you want more than rambling conversations. Take it on if you have a group of people to discuss it with, maybe with one who’s from Iceland, or if you want to have a kind of literary puzzle to decipher.

Thoughts:
I went into this with and entirely different expectation of what I would find, which jarred me a bit in the first few pages. Going through this, my overall impression is that the writing itself is beautiful despite being quite sparse, and I felt like it really reflected the mood and reality of Iceland. (I went to Iceland, and specifically Reykjavik, last December, so I was able to link places and issues they were talking about with my experience.) That more than anything is what kept me going through it: it was just somehow lovely in the words themselves. This is getting two stars because I feel that a critical aspect of this is just out of reach from what I read, but perhaps with discussion around it, that remaining piece would fall into place. I could see this being a favorite book for others, particularly perhaps with a book club or buddy reads.

As a story though? I’m totally lost. It was told primarily through conversations, sometimes in lengths of speaking that were so long I forgot who was talking or why. One technical difficulty with that were issues with punctuation that sometimes obscured who was actually speaking or what they were saying versus thinking – hopefully that’s just an ARC issue, but when it interferes with my understanding of the book, I feel the need to call it out.

The characters’ stories all felt unconnected to each other. Hekla was the only constant link, and it felt more like each individual talking about themselves, through the medium of Hekla to the reader. Strange moments were sprinkled in as well, such as when Hekla and Jon John are talking about his difficulties with men and women, and in the middle there’s a rare line of description: “Two dogs start fighting in the alley.” I feel like it should mean something, it should matter that there’s this uncommon moment of description, but I have no idea what it would mean. They were not fighting; they were in agreement. If you figure it out, let me know

This is one of those stories where it’s about the characters and their mindsets, rather than about a particular plot or conflict. In fact, I have a hard time pointing out a conflict. I even have a hard time pointing out the ending, besides that it was the last few pages. Why was that the last few pages – I have no idea. I read between the lines and flipped back to review the scene details, thought if it was referencing something earlier in the story, but I can’t even piece the bare bones of what happened, let alone the significance. I really wish I had someone to discuss this book with, as I feel that would help me coalesce some meaning from it, some significance. I feel like it’s there, but I’m just missing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't what I expected. I chose it because I am not familiar with Iceland and wanted to learn something about it. I did learn of some famous Icelanic authors, but the story didn't hold my attention. The tale meanders from Helka's childhood, to her friend who is a young mother, to a gay friend and then to her lover. It seems aimless as do the characters. Helka is a female writer whose goal is to have a novel published, yet her friend seems more passionate about writing than she does. I kept hoping that the storylines would come together in some way, but they don't and the story just ends. I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘Miss Iceland’ is a novel that reads almost like poetry. The story is, in many ways, fragmented… providing little caveats and side stories that inform the greater narrative. I found this style to be mostly successful in creating fleeting glimpses into the protagonist’s mind and heart.

Set in Iceland in the early 1960s, 'Miss Iceland' follows Hekla, a burgeoning novelist, who has moved to Reykjavik in order to write and be published. She has to battle sexism and harassment as she tries to work to support herself. Hekla’s childhood friend, Jon John, struggles with finding a place for himself in society as a gay man. As Hekla’s and Jon John’s stories intertwine, the reader gets a window into this specific time and place, and gain insight into what it feels like to not “fit in.”

First off, I found this novel’s descriptions of Icelandic life and culture to be fascinating. I also appreciated Audur Ava Olafsdottir’s rich characters, all who have their own strengths and struggles. Her juxtaposition of Hekla and Jon John as characters who defy the norms of the day is especially poignant and profound. I also found Isey’s story to be another interesting counterpoint to Hekla’s. And, without spoiling any plot points, I found the ending to be as impactful as it was abrupt. It's perhaps not the most satisfying ending, but perhaps is the only ending that makes sense.

In all, this is a short, yet deeply meditative, read that really makes you think.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

A good read although animal lovers might be upset by one passage. Fascinating to learn about Iceland in the 1960s, newly independent but expecting conformity from its population.

My full review on my blog:

https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2019/11/28/book-review-audur-ava-olafsdottir-miss-iceland/

Raves for this novel.Set in Iceland in the sixties a group of characters that draw you i to their lives.A novel involving friendship books authors poetry. An excellent read one of this year’s favorites for me hope to read more by this author.#netgalley#groveatlantic

Ólafsdóttir's "Miss Iceland" is an incredibly well-written novel, with both a vibrant writing style and poignant themes; feminism, reading, writing, travel, homosexuality and especially minorities facing a society that is sorely lacking in openness.

Don't let the cover of this book fool you. It makes it look like this is going to be a cute, quirky chick-lit story instead of a thoughtful commentary on the way society treats women and minorities. This book is so much more than what I thought I signed up for. Because of the juxtaposition of where I thought the book was going and where it actually went, it took me a little bit to get into it. I wasn't sure if I was going to even like it at first. However, I found it to be an interesting peek at Icelandic culture, World War II Iceland, and societal commentary.

As I said, I thought this book was going to be something else. That said, I am not mad at all with where it went. I thought at some point the main character was actually going to become Miss Iceland and use it as a platform for gender equality or get a book deal. That’s not at all where it went. I thought it might have some cute romantic elements and overall be more fluffy than it actually was. This is a classic case of why you should not judge a book by its cover. It was none of these things. I really enjoyed it after I got over my preconceptions. I originally wanted to read it to learn more about Iceland and it fulfilled that requirement quite nicely.

I found the peek into Icelandic culture absolutely fascinating. I knew that current day Iceland is a book lovers paradise. One in ten Icelanders publish a book in their lifetime, which I find absolutely amazing. I wish the ability to publish the more traditional route was more widely available. In the book, kids skip school to pretend at becoming a poet. They dream of becoming poets and authors. When I was young, kids skipped school for non-literary purposes and did things that I find less appealing than pretending to be an author. Almost all of the characters have some sort of literary aspirations at some point in this book and they heavily reminded me of my friend group in University.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They reminded me of my own friend group in University because they all have such high literary aspirations or are very supportive of each other. Jón John is everything pure and good in the world. He is by far my favorite character in this novel. He is the right mix of sarcastic, serious, dramatic, and dreamer. I loved all the scenes with him in it and wish there were actually more. I enjoyed Hekla too. She’s determined, knows what she wants, and no man is going to get in her way. The whole cast is quirky, unique, and yet relatable. I can see friends and family members in these characters.

Overall, I would recommend this if you like determined women who are not satisfied with the status quo. Those interested in Icelandic culture and history will probably find this interesting as well. It would be an excellent read for a book club with all of the different layers in the story. If you’re looking for a short chick-lit book, like the cover suggests, you will be disappointed. I don’t subscribe to the idea that a book is chick-lit because it is written by a woman or about a woman. This book has a more serious message at it’s heart and I think readers should sit up and listen.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for providing an e-ARC for my reading pleasure. The thoughts and opinions in the review are my own. Also, sorry that this review is a little earlier than the "sweet spot," I just couldn't wait to read it.

Where to start on this amazing story. Ísey, Hekla, Jón John, and Starkadur are four young people living in Iceland during the early sixties all coming to terms with their futures with considerable angst.
The interaction between the group is the main story only soon you realise there much more at play here with subtle moments concerning the foibles and successes of life woven into the story.
I love this style where you feel you know and care for the characters leaving one wishing to follow the next stage in their lives
I have given an independent review for NetGalley and Grove Atlantic.

A fantastic novel. Olafsdottir really brings the Icelandic culture and atmosphere to the page. We follow the writer Hekla, who has to navigate her life in Reykjavik as a writer and a waitress, dealing with overt sexism and harassment in her everyday life during the 1940s. It also looks at how literature plays an important part in almost every aspect of her life. Her relationship with her friend, Jon John was one of the most interesting parts of the book. I would definitely read more from this author and I highly recommend this both as a personal read and a book club read.