Well Now That Was Different - When We Were Vikings Review

TITLE: When We Were Vikings
AUTHOR: Andrew David MacDonald
PUBLISHER: Scout Press
PUBLISHING DATE: January 28, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 

Sometimes life isn’t as simple as heroes and villains. 

For Zelda, a twenty-one-year-old Viking enthusiast who lives with her older brother, Gert, life is best lived with some basic rules: 

1. A smile means “thank you for doing something small that I liked.” 
2. Fist bumps and dabs = respect. 
3. Strange people are not appreciated in her home. 
4. Tomatoes must go in the middle of the sandwich and not get the bread wet. 
5. Sometimes the most important things don’t fit on lists. 

But when Zelda finds out that Gert has resorted to some questionable—and dangerous—methods to make enough money to keep them afloat, Zelda decides to launch her own quest. Her mission: to be legendary. It isn’t long before Zelda finds herself in a battle that tests the reach of her heroism, her love for her brother, and the depth of her Viking strength. 

When We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own, because after all... 

We are all legends of our own making. 

MY THOUGHTS: I'm pretty much going to come out and say it - for me this book was a contemporary disguised as a fantasy book.  And let me clarify - that's completely my fault because apparently I didn't read the synopsis very well.  I mean you see it.  It's pretty clear right?  Either way, I have to admit that I really enjoyed this book and I can understand why I've been seeing it around in a few places.

The book opens on Zelda's 21st birthday.  Her brother Gert has hired a viking warrior for her, who is actually a stripper, and the guests include Gert's ex-girfriend Annie, whom Zelda calls AK47, and Zelda's boyfriend Marxy.  Zelda's mother died of cancer when Zelda was young and even though she and Gert lived with Uncle Richard for a while, Gert has always looked after Zelda.  Zelda suffers from Fetal Alchohol Syndrome and throughout the course of the book, it becomes clear she is definitely the most level-headed adult in her family.

Zelda is obsessed with Vikings and has patterned much of her life around Viking rules and Viking lore.  You see,  rules are important to Zelda - they help he survive.  But Gert starts breaking the rules and the family is soon in trouble and it might just be up to Zelda to save everyone this time around.

So this is probably one of the more diverse books I've read in a while.  And I hate to use that word because I think some people get hung up on it.  Zelda does have a disability and while she realizes it may limit her is some fashion, throughout the book the reader sees just how limitless it really is.  In fact, I often found myself envious of Zelda and her simplistic way of looking at things.  Zelda also starts work in a library and manages to prove just how valuable she is there while inspiring some of her friends to branch out and try working as well.  Just one more example of how Zelda is an inspiration to many.

 AK47 is another great character.  It's clear she loves both Gert and Zelda, but Gert has made some decisions which have pushed her away and the two may never overcome their issues.  You'll just have to read the book to find out the outcome.  And I will warn you, the ending of this book may just grab you in a way you can't describe because it did just that to me.

So I will warn those who care that this book does contain trigger warnings for gang violence, physical assault and sexual assault.  There is also some sexual content as Zelda and her boyfriend Marxy are preparing to have sex for the first time and many people are actually involved in the preparation - Marxy's mom, Zelda's therapist, Gert and AK47.  I actually found those to be some of the best chapters and I applaud the author for taking a hard look at how something so many people jump into lightly is such a big deal for someone who has a disability.

When We Were Vikings was a read which was outside of my reading box - which says a lot because I am a pretty eclectic reader.  It most definitely was not a fantasy but does implore some fantastical elements.  If any of what I've written interests you in the slightest, then I highly recommend you check out this book.

RATING: 4 PAWS