I didn't jive with this one as much as I hoped. The description was everything I wanted in a book; a novella, a fragmentary writing style, a story about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, but the execution was really lacking. I never felt connected to the main character, even with the first person narrative style, and I honestly never understood why she was trapped in the relationship. Her partner was so obviously awful; she has nothing good to say about him, and none of her motives made sense to me. As a book which purports to show the psyche of women who can't leave, this just didn't show me anything. Everything is so flatly stated and told rather than shown, and yet I found the protagonist impenetrable. The translation also felt a bit flat.

I did like the short chapter style, but this one is a real missed opportunity to me.

“Love is a spectrum. It is as painful as it is wonderful.”

2.5 stars, rounded up. Trigger warnings listed below contain spoilers.

This is a very short, powerful, and DARK novel, written as a series of diary or journal entries by a 20 year old girl who is having the life sucked out of her by this meritless, abusive man that she’s unbelievably in love with.

It’s uncomfortable to read, and I can’t truthfully say I enjoyed it. But who listens to or reads someone recount the details of their toxic relationship with an emotionally, mentally, physically, and sexually abusive man and says, that was beautifully articulated, I liked that. You know what, I’m gonna recommend my friend hear that terribly awful story too.

It IS well translated, and the cadence and style of the writing is pretty. But, fortunately, I have no experience with self-harm, abusive, controlling men, or feeling trapped in a relationship. It is fiction, but written in a memoir style so that makes me a little uncomfortable to pass judgment on it.

It’s tough, because the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and you don’t know what lies ahead for the protagonist. I don’t know if the character has a happy ending or more misery waiting for her.

So, did I like reading it? Not particularly.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Honestly, no.
Is it worth reading? Well, maybe.

I have no frame of reference, but I imagine this is a very realistic portrayal of what a toxic relationship looks like. There is no blatant physical domestic violence, but there is enough mental and emotional torture inflicted on the narrator that she was suicidal. She was isolated from friends and family. It’s all there. And yet this twenty year old girl feels like she can’t leave her boyfriend who she doesn’t even call her boyfriend.

The cultural differences must also be noted. This takes place in Iceland and I think their adolescents must gain independence faster than most Americans. I really can’t imagine my mother seeing that I’m harming myself in college and not forcing me to come back home to live with her. I mean, you don’t have a lot to your name at age 20 here in the States.

I feel weird giving this scarily honest and graphic book a lower rating because, who am I to judge the subject matter of this book? Two stars for beautiful writing and literary style. 1/2 star for being compelling, fast paced, and easy to read in one sitting. Plus, the cover is just gorgeous. But I think the cover and synopsis understate just how intense, graphic, dark, and depressing this book really is to read.

There is, no doubt, an audience for this genre, this type of literature. I just don’t think it’s really for me.

Keep in mind trigger warnings for self-harm/abuse in this book.

But holy cow. This was so beautiful. Hjörleifsdóttir so clearly captured the desolate and relentless riptide of abuse. This wasn’t a comforting read, but it was necessary — thank you to the author for writing a story like Magma, and for dedicating it to survivors who have spoken out themselves. I am grateful. Lilja’s story was heart wrenching but it also gave me hope.


Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for early access to this in exchange for my honest review.

In short chapters reminiscent of journal entries, Magma follows twenty year old Lilja as she descends into a thoroughly miserable relationship and depression.

It's a very short read, and what glimpses of the relationship at its core we're shown are entirely from Lilja's own rather compromised perspective, leaving the reader to often wonder what on earth she sees in the man she's with. Despite its short length, the novella manages to deliver a sinister look at some very commonplace forms of intimate partner violence, made all the more harrowing in its realism.

All in all, I found this well written and translated very naturally from the original Icelandic. It is a difficult book to read, especially given how very dark things get (see the trigger warnings below, but beware of spoilers) and ends fairly abruptly in a way that some will certainly find hopeful, but doesn't sit very well with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: abusive relationship (gaslighting, sexual assault, psychological abuse, etc.), sexual content, bodily fluids, body shaming, mental illness (depression, self harm, suicide attempt), recounted rape, past child abuse, vomit

* I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review *

CW: BASICALLY EVERYTHING: S*xual abuse, physical abuse, non-consensual sex, psychological abuse, s*xual coercion, gaslighting, domestic violence, and more.

Whew. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me just tell you clearly: THIS BOOK IS A ROUGH RIDE. IT IS NOT A FUN READ MOST OF THE TIME. Know what your limits are before jumping into this book, ***ESPECIALLY*** (I cannot stress this enough) if you have experienced domestic violence or intimate partner abuse.

That said, the style in which it's written makes it easier to read because most of the chapters are more like vignettes, so you can easily put it down when you tap out (and if you're like me, you probably will, at least a couple times.)

The cover art is gorgeous, and it's what initially drew me into the book. The description (Lookin' at YOU, publisher) downplays the subject matter of the book and that's not really cool with a book like this. No bait-and-switch.

It's a hard book to read, whether you've experienced a relationship like this (because it takes you back into it) or whether you haven't (because it's way too easy to judge if you haven't survived it.) However hard a read is was, I have to say it's one of the few books I've read that is an accurate depiction of how a person who wants to be loved is vulnerable to this kind of abuser, because it shows the slow, gradual escalation of behavior, so when you're outside looking in -- or have hindsight after escaping -- you see how violence seems like the inescapable outcome. And this book shows how when you're inside that relationship, gaslit and isolated, that all the erosions of boundaries seem reasonable.

It reads somewhere between Go Ask Alice, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, and other confessional, diary-like books.

I was glad I finished it, but it's safe to say I won't need to revisit it. Five stars for writing a great book about a terrible subject with compassion and honesty.

Magma. There could hardly be a better title for this incandescent book. Barely the length of a novella, it can be read in an hour or two. Yet, this account of an abusive relationship hits home and hits hard.

Lilya, a 20-year old university student, falls in love with a young man who seems to have all the attributes of a perfect partner – he is good-looking and intelligent and exudes a relaxed sophistication with his Derrida quotes, Latin studies and committed vegetarianism. Lilya moves in with him, and gradually but increasingly perceptibly, is sucked into a daily pattern of abuse and cruelty – sexual, verbal, emotional – which breaks down Lilya’s boundaries of consent and ultimately, her sanity.

By having Lilya as her narrator, Hjörleifsdóttir puts us in her protagonist’s skin. She makes us feel Lilya’s pain and that sense of insecurity and eagerness to please which is exploited by her so-called lover for his ends. In a brilliant use of the “unreliable narrator” narrative, the author makes us realise the toxicity of the relationship even before Lilja does.

This is not a comfortable read. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted, especially those who are disturbed by depiction of abuse. Despite its subject however, there is a cool beauty to the prose, ably conveyed in Meg Matich’s translation, which seems to contrast with the subject matter. Magma is Hjörleifsdóttir’s debut novel, but she has published three poetry collections with her poetry collective Imposter Poets. It shows in the restrained style she adopts – brief chapters with no word wasted, sudden eruptions of striking imagery.

This is a remarkable book and if it serves, as mentioned in the opening author’s note, to break the silence in which “shame and isolation thrive”, it will have an impact beyond the literary.

Magma is a short but powerful read. You get to be almost like a friend to the narrator who slowly falls into the clutches of an abusive relationship. It’s like the best kind of story that is gripping and engaging and leaves you on the edge of your seat, literally, since the ending of this book leaves you hanging a bit but not necessarily in a bad way. I enjoyed this author a lot!

I was excited about this title due to its description. Unfortunately, when I started reading it, it was just too graphic with taboo topics.

I should have read the description of this book more carefully; this was clearly NOT my type of book. More than just not my demographic. That said, I think the blurb was somewhat misleading. Note: "... the commonplace undercurrents of violence that so often go undetected in romantic relationships. She [author] deftly illustrates the failings of our culture in recognizing symptoms of cruelty, and in powerful, poetic prose depicts the unspooling of a tender-hearted woman desperate to love well." Not so much "...his acts of nearly imperceptible abuse continue to mount as their relationship develops." Did I not see this?!

And, I was enticed by the positive reviews I'd read and the fact that it was set in Iceland.

The most positive: IT WAS SHORT. Absolutely not for me. The writing? Ok. Translated but not sure it would have made a difference.

DARK. ABUSIVE. DEPRESSING.

After some time in Denmark and a long trip to South America, Lilja returns to her home town Reykjavik where she falls for a well-read student. She only works in a café and thus always feels a bit inferior to the intelligent young man. Nevertheless, she quickly moves in with him, knowing that she is not really his girlfriend but rather the person he shares the bed with. She calls him very private as he does not invite her to his family or friends and accepts his conditions in return for his love. Yet, this toxic relationship leaves its scars on her - figuratively on her soul, feeling not good enough for him and therefore accepting other women besides her, and very visibly on her skin when she discovers that cutting can release some stress.

Told by a first person narrator, the reader is quite close to Lilja and her thoughts. At first, she seems to be quite some tough and modern young woman who lives her life according to her own ideals and standards. Gradually, however, the downwards spiral is set in motion turning her into a vulnerable and dependent woman who is caught in the negative view of herself. Thora Hjorleifsdottir’s novel “Magma” tackles a complex and difficult issue but makes it easy to understand how some women end up in unhealthy relationships and do not find – or even want - a way out.

Lilja, on the one hand, can clearly name how she is being treated. How recklessly he chats with other women online while she is in the same room or even meets them the same day they have a date. She falls for him and accepts being treated like some second rate being, listens to him praising his ex-girlfriends in front of her and even gives in when he asks for things which clearly transgress her boundaries.

She believes she deserves being treated like this, she is not pretty enough, not good enough, not clever enough, too sensitive, behaving horribly - simply crazy, a failure. If only she could be the girl he expects her to be, then he could also love her. The narrator does not sound foolish or naive at all, even though it is obvious that this thinking isn’t healthy, we all know these kinds of toxic thoughts which are hard to get rid of even if you are standing with both feet on the ground and having a healthy self-image.

At the end of the day, it is simply how women end up being abused and ill-treated by men they believe - despite everything they go through - love them. It starts with small signs until the chain of events once set in motion cannot be stopped anymore and ultimately heads towards a complete disaster.

Wonderfully written in a reduced, direct style which makes it easy to follow the line of thoughts and go down with the narrator. More than once, you want to shout at her or take her in your arms, so heart-wrenching it is to see what’s happening without any possibility of interfering.

Dark, engaging and page-turning novel; "Magma" delves, through powerful and poetic prose, into the theme of emotionally abusive relationships and of empowerment in a delicate and painfully sincere manner.

Magma by Thora Hjorleifsdottir is an Icelandic translated contemporary novel centred around Lilja, a young university student who navigates the ups and downs of first love.

Told in first person narrative through vignettes Lilja explores key moments in her relationship with who we only know as “he/him”, including first times meeting family and friends, moving in together, dealing with exes, and first I love you’s interwoven with instances of verbal & emotional abuse including repeated gaslighting, cheating, graphic & rough sex, self harm, and continual slut shaming.

He/Him, also in university believes he’s far superior to everyone around him, stating that anyone who doesn’t attend or do well in university is not smart. He continually has sexual encounters with other women which he brags about to Lilja to prove other’s sexual desire toward him & his ability to easily replace her.

Lilja has a very low image of her self worth, often citing herself as the problem in their relationship, insisting that if she’s better at love and sex, were smarter or pretty like his ex, he would love her back & only want to be with her. She struggles to find a coping mechanism to deal with his continual dismissive and abusive behaviours and turns to self harming. Of course, he shames her for this as well which in turn makes her more self conscious.

I think the author choosing to not name the antagonist is a smart choice. Ultimately, this terrible dumpster fire human could be anyone & the lengths Lilja goes to please him to be in a “loving” relationship is both a plausible & realistic example of how easy it is to fall into & feel stuck in a destructive relationship.

Overall, I think Magma is an interesting & well told story though it will not be for everyone. Less of a coming of age tale & more of a cautionary warning of the dangers of letting the wrong people into your life (& heart), it is quite an intense & frustrating story. There is no happy or satisfying ending here to this story & it comes with a multitude of trigger warnings on top of what’s already been mentioned above, including mentions of sexual assault & rape, graphic & detailed sexual encounters, and one instance of a homophobic remark (this may have been the translation, it just felt icky to me how it was written).

If you like contemporary novels that examine the complexities of relationships & you don’t mind reading stories with horrible dislikable characters, this novel will definitely be for you. 3.5⭐️

📖 Thank you to Grove Atlantic & NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy for review.

A harrowing tale of domestic abuse told through an intimate lens. This book is unlike any other. It’s honest it’s suffocates and constricts until you feel just as trapped as the characters. I highly recommend this well told story

DNF @ 35%

The concept of this book sounded so interesting to me, but I have to admit, the plot sounded better in theory than in execution. The writing was very disjointed. A little too on the nose for me. Not enough intrigue. The main character was highly annoying and unrealistic. I can only imagine how this book ended. She's one of the those characters that act like they have men all figured out, and don't even realize what a pushover they are. Insulting to read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the digital ARC.

A novella comprising a series of statements, like journal entries, made by a young Icelandic woman, Lilja, describing a short period of her life. She has supportive parents who she loves but her life and most of her waking thoughts are dominated by a good looking young university student she has a sexual relationship with. Though she eventually moves in with him she still can’t find the confidence to call him her boyfriend. She’d love it to be so, but doubts that that’s how he sees the relationship.

The man’s appetite for sex is prodigious and she’s keen to do everything she can to make him happy, no matter how much she dislikes some of the acts she’s asked to perform. Her account is often uncomfortable to read and it’s clear throughout this period her lover continues to meet and have sexual relations with other women, including an ex-girlfriend. Lilja is painfully aware of this and is tortured by his actions. His wider social skills are limited and he’s likely to pull out a book and retreat into himself when faced with a family gathering.

It’s an account of selfishness, cruelty and mental torture. And how does Lilja deal with it? Well, badly as it turns out. But maybe there’s just a hint of hope as the story closes out. It’s a hard book to enjoy, but it does capture an often hidden, ugly side of life. I admired the writing even if I was glad when the story finished.

This book was gut-wrenching on so many levels.

I absolutely couldn't put it down once I've started it, even though it's incredibly intense and gave me a ton of mixed feelings. Don't be fooled by how short it is!

I felt sorry for Lilja, I wanted to punch the man and I wish I could do something to help her. It breaks my heart to know how relatable her feelings are.

I absolutely loved the ending - it gave me some sort of Sally Rooney vibes, but with more triggering situations involved.

Thora Hjorleifsdottir's debut novella MAGMA is undeniably addictive; it just begs to be read in one sitting. And yet, it loses some potency in its brevity, particularly at the conclusion. The rushed storytelling detracts from Hjorleifsdottir's demonstrated lyrical prose and raw voice. I wanted to sit in Lilja's decline a bit longer to fully connect the dots of her descent and further, buy her big realization in the novella's last pages.

For fans of Melissa Broder, Carmen Maria Machado and Hanya Yanagihara, MAGMA is punishingly dark. Not since reading A LITTLE LIFE did I have such a visceral and physical reaction to what was on the page. The depiction of self-harm is hauntingly specific, something I found to be quite effecting. But the level of detail is not for every reader. One image in particular- the way Lilja discovers how to embody the women who seemingly stands between her and her partner is absolutely chilling. Hjorleifsdottir really goes there and goes there quick- she doesn't give herself much time to build the circumstances suffocating Lilja, but instead, simply thrusts the reader into her darkness. The impact does find success in its shock-value, but I couldn't help thinking that if there was more context to support Lilja's actions, this would have an absolute knockout.

Having the opportunity to read something translated from Icelandic feels like a rare treat. They say to "leave them wanting more," and boy was that the case with MAGMA. Hjorleifsdottir shows great promise in the genre of grotesque women's fiction (among heavy-hitters like Broder, Machado, Raven Leilani, Kristen Arnett) that I absolutely adore, and I'm anxious to see a more full length novel from her!

Thank you so much to Grove Atlantic, Grove Press and Black Cat for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of MAGMA!!

Dark compelling story, kind of creepy, some weird characters and a great plot. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to Thora Hjorleifsdottir, NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book

Thora Hjorleifsdottir‘s novella left me shaken and unsettled in the very best way. It tells the story of Lilja, a young women in her twenties, who meets a man who she deems to be Mr. Perfect. Even though we already learn on the first pages, that he clearly is not. He is very non-committal but manages to always manipulate her, so she won’t leave him. He makes her believe it is all her fault. That she wants to make him love her. That she wants to be better. And of course she is never good enough. Her self esteem begins to falter. For him she begins to let go of her own beliefs, of her boundaries. Shaken by his gaslighting, she starts to question herself down to the very core of her being - and soon it all begins to spiral out of hand with harrowing consequences.
All this is written very fast-paced. I flew through the pages but feel this story will stick with me for a long time.
It questions our society by showing how deeply ingrained these patriarchal thoughts still are in young Western women today. Thinking you are not valid on your own. That you have to be liked. That you want to please.
The strength of this novella is, that Lilija is your average girl and his manipulation starts with very small pokes and comments most women will be able to relate to. You understand, that this could have been your own story - which makes it very powerful! Important reading!

I have just submitted a review to amazon (still processing) and goodreads. I will also add a review on my Instagram account after the release date. Thank you for the ARC!

This is a brutal novel about a woman falling deeper and deeper into a toxic relationship with a man. The story is told in short bursts, as journal entries and suffers a bit from the form. The author sticks with the format, but the character arc and narrative might have been more developed in another narrative structure.