Cover Image: A Question Mark Is Half a Heart

A Question Mark Is Half a Heart

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Member Reviews

Couldn't connect with this one before it turned into some sort of poverty-porn about the hard life Elin lived as a child. I felt like I hardly got to know Elin and most importantly, why I should care for her as a character/the heroine before we were dumped right into the dire life she lived as a youngster (too much too fast, and way too soon!) And the little we do get to see of Elin at the start does not at all make her endearing or even someone I'd want to care about, so this already lost me right from the minute it jumped to 1979

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A Question Mark is Half a Heart is an emotional read.
This is a beautiful story with flawless prose and touching that pulls at your heartstrings.

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Thank you to Netgalley for the advance read of this book. My apologies for taking so long to read it and get a review in.

This was a nice read. It takes place in the late 70's-early 80's as well as present day. Two time periods always grab my attention. We learn about what makes Elin the modern-day Elin and the impact the past has had on her present.

I like that it depicts real life, with real-life problems and reactions. While I find Elin's daughter to be a hard character to apply this to, the rest of the story is well done. It goes at a good pace as well.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about other locations, real-life issues, and stories set in two different time periods.

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While this was not a bad book by any means, the major story line was built on lack of communication which is a pet peeve of mine in books. If the characters would have just talked and been honest with each other, this book would have never happened.

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Elin, a successful photographer living in NYC, has the perfect life with her husband Sam and seventeen year old daughter Alice but something has always been missing.

After Elin receives a letter from an old childhood friend Fredrick, who lives on the Swedish island Gotland, dark secrets and memories she has tried to keep buried for decades come flooding back.

Battling with the past and the present will her secrets come back to ruin everything she’s worked for and cause Elin to lose her family?

This story is told to us through Elin’s narration, contrasting between stories from the past and her present life.
Sofia lundberg tells a beautiful, heartfelt story of how poverty and dysfunction in a childs life can ultimately cause decades of pain. The story being told from past and present gives the reader an insight into the characters development and how, against the odds, Elin survived her own battles to build this successful life for herself. The portrayal of the characters in this story were well scripted. I couldn’t help feel frustration by how Elins character almost self destructs the wonderful life she’s built for herself, while also admiring how she uses her passion for photography to mask the pain and hurt she’s carried for all those years. The more that was revealed through the book, the more each character and their actions became relatable.
The ending was exactly how I wanted it to be, it wasn’t rushed but carefully detailed and tied up the story beautifully. A truly enjoyable read

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I enjoyed this book and the unraveling of Elin’s secret past. I wish they would have delved more into her relationship with Sam and why she got so involved in work, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

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I am so happy the audio book for this book was short, because wow I was not pleased. I never got to liking Elin, I found her so awful for the way she was treating her family. I get that her upbringing was awful too, but I don’t think her professed reasons for lying were that good or even well explained.

Really just not a fan of this story, but I do want to admit that the ending was sweet and hopeful in a way I did not expect from the rest of the book.

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I started this book thinking it would be for me but as I progressed I found myself having trouble keeping interested or at least concerned for the characters. The book deals with heavy issues, normally this would make me sympathetic to the character/s that have to deal or are dealing with those issues, in this case, I wasn't. I disliked Elin's attitude all throughout. The way she deflects situations, and neglects to take into account the feelings of those around her. Some side characters in the story weren't so bad but their personalities really weren't distinct for me that I wasn't able to feel a connection with them. The writing was quick and easy so much so that the conversations felt rushed and unrealistic. Since I disliked or was indifferent to the characters, I found it hard to connect to the plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

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A Question Mark Is Half A Heart by Sofia Lundberg

This book is divided between the past and the future. It is confusing at times because you are not sure which time you are bin. A very depressing read in the past. Many characters to remember. I wasn’t overly impressed with this book.

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Secrets and guilt. This was a well written, emotional story told from two timelines. I was pulled in at the beginning and enjoyed the journey.
Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

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The book is divided into Now and then chapters which as the 'Then' progresses one understands the 'Now' behaviors. Elin has a major secret which she has kept from her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Alice. the secret is slowly unveiled as the tale is told. Elin's past eventually catches up with her present. How she acts and reacts is the story. A well-written book -- read it.

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I am a big fan of Sofia Lundberg, so when I saw this book on Net Galley I had to request it. Luckily I received it!

Main character (Elin) is one very busy woman. Unfortunately, her great success as a photographer means that she does not seem to have enough time to spend with her family members. Her family abandons her because of this, and at this point, she starts thinking about her life and the past, and what she has done wrong and right. Her family truly does not know all of her secrets (do they ever?) and she has to decide what she will do going forward.

The parts telling her life in the past and comparing it to her sad but busy life now makes you think. Of course, it is always good to see the development of characters in a book. Sofia Lundberg has another hit on her hands! Definitely recommended!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher and author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This was an enjoyable read about how childhood experiences can, at times, influence the rest of our lives. It took me quite a while to become invested in the book but once I did I hungrily read to the end in just two days. This novel is written using a dual timeline, switching from the 1970's to 2017, from Sweden to New York and back again. It was fascinating learning how events of the past can so influence your future. We meet Elin Boals, and it is her past and that is examined as well as its influence on her present. While contemplating the past rifts appear in her present- in her marriage and in her life in general. In search of answers and also closure she returns to her hometown with her daughter. Through this novel we see Elin face and struggle to come to terms with her childhood trauma. This has negative consequences for her. They mould her dealings with all she encounters. I found this novel fascinating in part but a little slow at times. It was a very worthwhile read.

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A Question Mark is Half a Heart by Sofia Lundberg is a slow burn, taking a long time to get started, but once it gets going, it's hard to put down. The novel is told with a dual timeline, we see Elin as a young child, living in an impoverished family on a Swedish island. Her father is in prison, her mother is depressed and Elin takes care of her younger brothers. She spends her time with her best friend Fredrik. We switch back and forth from young Elin to Elin of today...a married 50 year old with a 17 year old daughter. She is a famous Manhattan photographer, but she is haunted by a secret from her past.

I almost put this novel down a few times, I'm so glad that I didn't. Although the conversations were stilted (was this translated from Swedish?) I found it to be a strong, interesting story. Thank you to the author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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A story of Elin told in a dual timeline. The past Elin where she lived a poor and difficult life with her mother and 2 siblings and then her current life where she is a successful photographer that she dedicates so much of her life to that she has alienated her husband and daughter.
As a child Elin struggled to understand why her mother wouldn’t have her father back after he was imprisoned and why her best friends father was spending so much time at their house.
After a horrible accident occurs Elin flees her home town and moves to her dads. There she begins her new life and never talks about it again. Not until she receives something in the mail that triggers long buried memories.
After pushing and prodding from her daughter Elin starts to open up about her past and what happened. She also returns to her home town and there the truth comes out and it’s not what Elin had always believed.
I struggled to connect with present day Elin as she appeared to be a self absorbed workaholic with past secrets that she was not willing to share. However as the story progressed she became more likeable. Her husband Sam tried his hardest to to connect with Elin as does her daughter but she always was too busy and distracted by work.
I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed but in saying that there was closure to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I enjoyed the flashbacks to a childhood in Sweden and liked most of the characters. It was nice to see a woman in her late 40s as the main character, so often books taking place in middle age are just about men, and women are relegated to being either young or elderly. I was very curious to find out what made her leave Sweden but when we found out, it seemed surprising. I don't think there were enough "clues" to get us there as a reader. I don't need things spelt out but this really seemed a little out of left field. A little tightening up and this could have been a real favorite.

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I tried to read this, but couldn't get through and did not finish at about 30%. This was not for me. I'm sure others will enjoy the story, but I couldn't get into it.

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Elin Boals has gone through a lot of trouble to hide her past. Elin has lived last 30-some years knowing she murdered her entire family, and trying to hide it, so people don't see her for the monster she is.

That is, until she gets a star gifted to her. After she is gifted the star, she is more aloof than normal and her family has had enough. She has had to really dig deep and actually share some of her past with her daughter. Her daughter handled it perfectly and gets Elin to her home country to deal with what has happened. There, they are both in for a ride and learn that Elin may not be the monster she has always feared.

Definitely read this book, it ends up being hard to put down and you can't get enough.

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I'll admit this book was a bit of a slow burn for me. It took a while for me to become invested in the storyline and characters. However, near the end I was very emotionally connected and this book pulled at my heartstrings. This story covers two timelines of the same woman (Elin). In the past it discusses what it is like to live with virtually nothing and to struggle. In the present it focuses on her role as a wife. I thought the author's use of multiple timelines proved to be very effective and insightful and I would recommend this book to other readers.

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Wonderful

I was very intrigued by the title of this novel. I loved the idea of it and I think about it often. Can't believe I never realised it before!

The novel started brilliantly, and gripped me, but then I began to lose interest and wasn't as motivated to continue reading as I was at the start.

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