Quicksand

By: Malin Persson Giolito

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Now a Netflix original series

Named an NPR "Best Book of 2017"

Named the Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year by the Swedish Crime Writers Academy

An incisive courtroom thriller and a drama that raises questions about the nature of love, the disastrous side effects of guilt, and the function of justice.

A mass shooting has taken place at a prep school in Stockholm’s wealthiest suburb. Eighteen-year-old Maja Norberg is charged for her involvement in the massacre that left her boyfriend and her best friend dead. She has spent nine months in jail awaiting trial.

Now the time has come for her to enter the courtroom. How did Maja — popular, privileged, and a top student — become a cold-blooded killer in the eyes of the public? What did Maja do? Or is it what she failed to do that brought her here?

Malin Persson Giolito has written a perceptive portrayal of a teenage girl and a blistering indictment of a society that is coming apart. A work of great literary sensibility, Quicksand touches on wealth, class, immigration, and the games children play among themselves when parents are no longer attuned to their struggles.

©2017 Malin Persson Giolito (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Starts off really intriguing

Then it lost me somewhere in the middle. I managed to finish it, but I never got exited again. It is interesting to be inside the head of someone who is on charge for a serious crime though.

School Shooting Swedish Style

Did you ever wonder what it was like inside the mind of an alleged school shooter? One of those kids caught up in a teenage drama with killer overtonesis the heroin in this novel.

A little slow but worth it

I enjoyed this book. Although it isn't a super suspenseful thriller it's still a very interesting listen. If you don't fall in love with the story at the beginning then you probably won't like the book. It also is probably best suited for a younger audience.

Engaging at every turn

It’s amazing that a novel that is at least 50% courtroom arguments is so interesting and intriguing and emotional. This book has you caring for everyone involved. Every character is flawed and yet inspires empathy even when they are they have done terrible things. So, so good.

Long

Can't believe I stuck with this whole story. It was not particularly exciting but it was well narrated and that's probably what kept my attention. No huge surprises so be prepared to coast along till the end.

Good at times, but not Amazing

Would you listen to Quicksand again? Why?

I'm drawn to school shooting fiction and was really excited about this book. It started slow but picked, but there were some areas where there was backtracking. I would not listen to it again because it was really long and was repetitive in some areas.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Maybe a change or perspective, or at a faster pace.

Have you listened to any of Saskia Maarleveld’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, the narrator was really good though.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but it was enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

It was a good book, kept my interest, but did not blow my mind.

Maybe More Teen-Age Romantic Angst Than Mystery

Thin plot line. Focused on ill-fated teen-age romance of the ultra-rich, Repetitive and grows ever more tiresome. Anti-novel.

If you like Tana French

You may also enjoy this Author... Maybe Gillian Flynn - But not as dark.

On the positive side. The story had a lot of promise and came together fairly well at the end. The narrator definitely made this book possible for me to finish. I don't think I would have with a different narrator but I may have if I was reading it.

On the negative side. The story was definitely longer than it needed to be, filled with some storylines that just took up space in the book. The back-and-forth was a little annoying - Going from past to present.

I also didn't like the author telling me what I was thinking or how I interpreted her story... You'll know when you get there.

I guess I would recommend it. Just be ready for a lot of story.

J

Great book

love how this book puts you in the mind of someone accused. Readers love seemed to fit character.

Excellent Story

Well written, well read , interesting story a teenage girl's dark turn into the life of her mentally disturbed boyfriend's world and the repercussions that followed.