Paulie wins a spot on a reality show Sverige och Mig, a Swedish television show where Americans compete to win a reunion with their Swedish relatives.
I don't have a lot to say about this book. I wanted fun and funny but I was very disappointed. I just couldn't connect with the main character.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Paulie Johansson is 35-years old, lives with her long-term boyfriend (and relative snooze-fest Declan), and isn't doing a whole lot with her life. She tutors spoiled rich kids on how to get into Ivy League colleges most of them aren't interested in attending and pines for the day she can stick to an idea long enough to see it through. But after a drunken submission to the Swedish television show Sverige och Mig presents her with the opportunity to explore her grandmother's homeland, and maybe find some new family along the way, Paul jumps at the chance despite Declan's misgivings.

Weird and wonderful, BIG IS SWEDEN tackles the idea of found family and what it means to belong. Paulie is an... interesting main character. Akin to a newborn foal bumbling around, but able to drink alcohol and make bad decisions, she's certainly not going to be liked by all who encounter her. She's angry, selfish, and hypocritical-- but so is every other character in this book. They're all messy, multifaceted, and childish; and each embody their own special American stereotype. However, there were plenty of tender moments of growth and hilarious sections (most of them bordering on the side of ridiculous, but in a believable that's-reality-television way). The book, overall, read like a pointillism painting-- up close it's a mess, but once you step back to look at the big picture it's really lovely.

Franson brought a lot of interesting debates to the table, and also provided the readers with some beautiful ideas on identity and family through Paulie's journey. There was a lot of hate on America, but there was also an equal amount of criticism for Sweden-- topics included immigration, white supremacy, the impacts of resource mining (including the environmental and social impacts on communities), indigenous peoples' historic and current treatment by the government, female reproductive rights, gay rights, evangelicalism, and education.

I have no doubt that BIG IN SWEDEN is a book that will be different each time you read it, the story is so layered and full of amazing insights, but I can also see how the causal writing style and characters could be polarizing for some readers.

Big in Sweden....you're doing too much! Shorten the story, make the main character stronger and more likable, and don't waste our time with "meaningless" hookups.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

The idea of the book was interesting however I just found Paulie to be unlikable and overdramatic. I DNF @ 27%. What got me was she tried out for this Swedish reality show on a drunken whim and didn't really seem to want it but as soon as she got it she was all about Sweden and connecting with her family all of a sudden was her life long dream. When she breaks down at her great grandparents house after reading the letter felt so fake. It just felt it went from "I don't really care" to "OMG my family" in two seconds.

It also seems as though Paulie has a thing for the production guy after him essentially being polite to her and now it seems she is trying to fall in love. Maybe my issues would have been resolved if I had kept reading but I just was not particular interested in how her story ended.

I love Sweden and really wanted a cute story featuring some places I knew! I had a hard time liking the main character but liked the book overall. The ending was great and worth the read!

I don’t really get this book. I wanted to like it and thought the concept was cute/different/quirky but I didn’t find any of the characters likable and the whole thing felt somewhat bland. I didn’t think the reading experience was great either. The chapters are so long and there wasn’t enough happening in them to keep me interested. I think this book would appeal to the small subset of people who may have seen the show the author was on, but as someone who doesn’t really…care? It was pretty boring.

Pauline is in a relationship that’s run its course. She decides to go on a reality tv show to reconnect with her ancestors. I tried to give this book a shot but I just couldn’t get into it. I have to admit I quit reading without finishing it. I definitely recommend checking it out and seeing if it works for you.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner books for the E-ARC! (in exchange for my honest review)

OK, I so SO badly wanted to love this book. I am half Norwegian myself, and the thought of a reality competition show Scandinavian style? SIGN ME UP. But, I can conclude I give it a solid 2,5 (rounded up to 3 stars)- and that is solely based on the first two chapters and the last 1/4 of the book in my opinion.

The first two chapters hooked me in. But after that, it quickly felt like the characters were trying to outdo each other as far as complete demoralization goes. Even Paulie, whom I liked at the get-go, turned way too angry, hypocritical , and self righteous for my liking. I found her very hard to root for, both as a character in the overall story and in the competition. And, I completely acknowledge that this was possibly to highlight the behavior present in such a reality TV show environment, but I believe it might have been taken too far.
Also, the romance with Lars to me felt very, very flat and without chemistry. I guess if we were highlighting all of the things Lars was to Declan's "wasn't", then Lars/Paulie courtship could have been a little more vivacious or light or full of life....if that makes sense.

Also a side note- I felt the chapters were a little long. But it could just be my preference.

BUT, after about Chapter 10 I was back "in" again. All of the characters went back to feeling like layered, well-intentioned humans. There were some gorgeous moments between characters, to the point where I was smiling again.

Overall, the book was partially enjoyable. I might even give it a re-read just to see if the jagged edges of the competition portion of the book felt less abrasive. I also feel that the author was packing a lot into the story, thematically. There was a lot of commentary about the world and current issues shoved in there along with each characters self development journey.

This was such a fun read for the genre, it had everything that I was looking for in this type of book. I enjoyed that we got to read an American going to a Swedish reality show. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall feel of them. The plot of the book worked with what I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall story going on. Sally Franson has a great writing style and glad it was so well done.

i had such a great time reading this book!! it was so fun. the characters were amazing and sweet and wonderful. it was just such a pure joy and i'm so very thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

I enjoyed the first chapter and half then it became a stereotype of predictable behavior. DNF mid chapter 3.

******************I received an arc, for my honest opinion from NetGalley*******

This book is a lot of fun but ultimately it wasn't my favorite. I felt like some parts of the competition were a little bit confusing with the characters. It definitely grappled with some serious and big issues (suicide, abortion, gay rights etc.) I thought it was fun to get into Swedish culture and the country. Paulie is definitely a gal worth rooting for but I wish the book was a little bit shorter and clearer on the competition aspect and I didn't love the romance aspect! Totally a fun read even if it wasn't an all time fave!

**thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book**

rated 3.5 stars rounding up to 4

really enjoyed the beginning that kind of created this world of the main character pauline along with her small group of friends/acquaintances

middle really dragged, so much exposition in the middle of what is supposed to be a reality tv game show type thing (only shown in sweden but so much education about sweden to those who assumably already should know this) i did find the interactions with the special guests interesting but there could probably be a lot of filler removed to make the story flow without all the huge chunks of textbook descriptions

the ending really brought it all together for me, pauline was kind of insufferable throughout the book but i think she was meant to be. this is how real life people can be; no one is a perfect caricature of any one stereotype which we also get to see evolve in the other contestants on the journey. by the end i was seriously rooting for the last two to win and it made me kick my feet on the flight that i read this book during.

I enjoyed this book! On a journey to find her family, Paulie ends up discovering herself in Sweden. I read a few other books about reality TV show contestants, so I hoped I would enjoy this book. This was my favorite book of the genre! Instead of focusing on romance, "Big in Sweden" focused on getting to know yourself, learning to love those around you, and learning to participate in your own life.

The characters drove the book. I found the main character, Paulie, to be loud and joyful, sometimes annoying and selfish, but also lovable and oh-so relatable. I appreciated the character growth and change throughout the book, while Franson still kept Paulie true to herself. Overall, I felt this character was so empowering, both to the joyful mess we can make and to giving readers grace to grow in themselves. I also really liked the supporting characters, supportive girl boss Jemma, the sweetly out-of-touch Declan, and the zany cast of the reality TV show.

I also enjoyed learning a little bit about Sweden! The reality TV show challenges were a fun mix of Great British Bake Off, Renaissance festivals, and ABBA tributes, with a dash of kitch over it all. The descriptions of Sweden and the museums, canals, restaurants, and gardens made me eager to visit. I could not put this book down, and I'm happy to recommend it to all cozy, slice-of-life readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so much fun to read, and I loved the invented reality TV show with all it's wacky contests. The cast of characters is varied and interesting, and the main characters journey toward finding common ground with them was really well done. As a personal preference, I found the main character to be a little too chaotic and hard to root for, but I'm sure she will resonate with others.

Whirlwind of a book!

It was all about self discovery and acceptance. Pauline went through a lot to finally figure out who she was and what she wanted out of life.

It was funny at times but I did have trouble connecting with Paulie because she was scatterbrained. If you like reading about self discovery, this book is for you!

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. At first, I had a really difficult time deciphering what the author wanted to convey in this novel. Is it a light and funny story about a girl on a reality show? Is it supposed to highlight a long list of current political issues? Is it a twenty something navigating serious family trauma? For me the author was trying to hit on too many themes without really developing any of them and it felt chaotic. I found the main character Paulie a bit intolerable most of the time, but she did grow on me in some of her more heartwarming moments.

That said, I enjoyed the premise of the book and appreciated the witty writing. Stockholm is one of my favorite cities and it was fun to read literature set in Sweden!

I liked the premise and there are some universal themes here that I could relate to (like strength in the face of loss, self-acceptance and finding your identity, and breaking away from generational/family trauma). I also liked the concept of a genealogy-based reality TV show! But, I had a hard time warming up to the fmc and I didn't find her very likeable. I didn't connect well with the story and struggled to finish it, I think maybe I was just not the right audience to appreciate this book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and description of this book made me ready for a laugh out loud experience while maybe picking up some Swedish tidbits through out the story. What I did not expect was the dabbling into Swedish language, political topics such as being gay in the Catholic church, abortion, native rights, refugees, and more.

The story of Pauline is likable, easy to read and connect to the other contestants on “Crying Americans” - I did find myself skimming through some of the detailed pages of history in this book as it felt at times I was reading two different novels. One a lighthearted story about a women finding herself and her family and one about political opinions and social climates across countries.

I enjoyed this book honestly, and its ending, but how much I wanted to like it felt overshadowed by the random tidbits thrown in by the author. For that reason, my reason my review is only 3.5 stars but I would pick up another book by this author. I also personally connected to the book and its Swedish ties as my husband comes from a family that immigrated from Sweden to the US. I think if I didn’t have that backstone I wouldn’t have connected to it quite so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

My final opinion of this book is that it was a very heartwarming story about what family means and how we build connections with all the people we interact with. Not only is no man an island, we are an interconnected web of fungi, dependent on each other in a beautiful human way. That is my opinion upon finishing it, I was not as kind while I was reading.
Unfortunately for me but possibly fortunately for those who don’t want to see a negative review, I didn’t take notes while I was reading and the negative things have kind of fallen from my mind.
For a lot of the time I didn’t understand or particularly like the voice of the main character. Eventually she grew on me, I’m not sure if it got better towards the end or if I got softer to her.
She summarized a lot of things that I would have liked to see play out.
I liked the moments of action when the characters clashes and interacted.

My favorite part and when I decided I had softened to the book and I could leave a generally positive review was when she was walking alone with her camera. I think it was a beautifully written section and summarized the thesis of the book.
Becki was the best character, best written in my opinion.
There were many moments where I didn’t understand why characters did the things they did, I didn’t understand their motivations and they didn’t seem inline with what their characters would do, like their actions were taken more out of convenience for the author. That was mostly toward the middle of the book.

Overall I really enjoyed it. It was nice reading a generally light book that wasn’t a romance. Although I felt like I couldn’t get a grasp on the character for a while I did grow to like her. I loved that she had two genuinely paranormal experiences lol that’s always fun for me.

Anyway it was a nice book and I can see a wide audience that would love the story and journey it takes us on.

Oh my god I almost forgot the last 15% felt like I was reading for 35 years. I kept reading because I just wanted to be done but the ending KEPT GOING. the last 2% just kept going. It was a little bit painful for me because the climax was long gone and I wanted so bad to put the book down. The ending was actually nice and it tied everything up in a way that’s satisfying and positive and I liked knowing all the effects that came from everything, I can’t even say what I would cut if anything. It just felt so god damn long. That is probably fine for a lot of people who really love this kind of book, they want to hear about the small, human experiences. For me it was a slough. I was both appreciating the writing and humanity of the characters and situations and hoping to god it would end soon.
Overall I hope the people who can really enjoy this book find it because there is so much good that I know a lot of people will appreciate immensely.