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Quicksand  By  cover art

Quicksand

By: Malin Persson Giolito
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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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

What listeners say about Quicksand

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Incredibly boring

What would have made Quicksand better?

The monotone delivery of a self absorbed teenager...how could it be made better?

Has Quicksand turned you off from other books in this genre?

First person novels absolutely depend upon the voice, not the story or other characters or any other element. This one fails utterly.

How could the performance have been better?

Perhaps delivered by a live narrator?

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Mainly boring

I chose this book because the description led me to think that delving into the main characters life would be a fascinating insight into a killer.

However, Maja's teenage life is very boring. It became quite a grind to finish this book. The court room scenes were mildly interesting.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I wanted to love this story BUT pacing was slow.

I wanted to love this story BUT the pacing was incredibly slow. The entire story was split into BEFORE and AFTER which if done right, can make a great story. But it broke this one.

Each time transition BEFORE or AFTER the main event would start as a chaotic, rambling mess. The detail would finally die down and you'd see how it tied into DURING the main event for the barest glimpse before another awkward and distracting transition filled with repetitive details that didn't add to the story.


I wanted desperately to see how it all ended but after 6 hours in I had to stop. There is a diamond in the rough here if you can stomach the repetitive teenage angst and toxic behavior among peers. The narrator is a 10 and I'll definitely be checking out her other work.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

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

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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