Review: I Remember You

3 stars. I really treasure Scandinavian noir - especially mysteries/thrillers set in Iceland. I've been twice and - at the risk of offending any locals - feel very at home there. And yes, it really does present a perfect backdrop to explore the dark side of humanity. Unfortunately, this one didn't really capture me the way I was hoping it would - I'll get into why, but it doesn't mean I don't recommend it - it's obviously a successful contribution to the genre. 

I Remember You weaves together two tales: 1) that of a married couple who travel to an isolated village with their widowed friend to fix up an old house, and 2) that of a psychiatrist investigating the vandalism of a school that is seemingly connected to the disappearance of his young son. The main players in both stories have disturbing supernatural experiences that unravel clues and push revelations with devastating consequences for everyone involved.

Pros: the setting - omg - I just love it. Such a unique type of remoteness out there in Iceland, especially in winter. Some of the spooky moments are very well done, invoking imagery just begging for adaptation. The ending, as well, really took things to a place I admire. That final page almost had me forgiving some of the things I didn't enjoy.

Cons: predictable. Unlikeable characters - and not the crunchy, interesting kind - the bland, annoying kind. Perhaps one too many narrative elements/connections, many of which had me sort of scratching my head trying to piece things together. I practically skimmed a lot of it... I just wasn't hooked. I couldn't concentrate on it.

I would recommend this as a bridge between Scandi noir/crime thrillers and horror. It's gateway scary - maybe a little amateurish. But that doesn't mean it's bad; only that I'm maybe not the right audience. Still, I found myself wishing for a lot more here. 

I Remember You on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads