When We Were Vikings - Andrew David MacDonald

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⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

Zelda has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is living with her brother after both of their parents die and they escape from an abusive uncle. Zelda is also obsessed with Vikings, and decides she needs to become a legendary Viking herself. Life gets complicated when her beloved brother starts doing things an honourable Viking shouldn't.

It's always a gamble when a neurotypical person writes in the first-person as someone with a developmental disability. I thought this was done well, but I don't really have anything to back that up. I thought Zelda was a great protagonist - brave, loving, and funny. The people in her tribe are all good people in tough situations making some bad decisions. There are tough things that happen (gun violence, rape attempt...), and some scenes are really heavy. This book made me cry actual tears, and that does not happen often or easily, but more because of strong emotion than sadness. Sibling relationships always hit me hard.

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