Review | The Undesired by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Ódinn is struggling to raise his 11-year-old daughter, Rún, after his ex-wife died in an accident. He’s investigating the Krókur care home for delinquent boys for possible cases of abuse in the 1970s. Two boys died in that house, but was it an accident? In 1974, the true story is seen through the eyes of Aldís, a young cleaner at the house. What happened in the past is soon linked to the present in a shocking revelation.

Who had done this to them? Who? Ódinn could hear himself giggling but there were tears sliding down his cheeks.

The Undesired is a slow burn mystery about intertwining stories of the past and present. Ódinn is adjusting to a new life as a single father after the death of his ex-wife, now having to raise his daughter alone. He also has a new job where he is tasked to investigate care homes in the 1970s and decide whether there is a compensation owed by the state. One of these places is the Krókur care home for delinquent boys, where two children died in a supposed accident. But the more Ódinn looks into the home, the more he is sure that there was something sinister happening at that house. Meanwhile, he begins experiencing strange events, like noises in his apartment and strange images at his workplace.

Besides Ódinn, there is Aldís’s story at the Krókur care home in 1974. We get to see the real situation at the house, from the cruel managers to the lost, misguided boys. I find the past story more interesting! I feel sorry for the boys, I’m angry at the house owners. Aldís wants to leave but she gets caught up in the drama of the place. Her situation is desperate enough that while she makes mistakes, I understand why she resorted to her actions.

The present story is less interesting to me because I find Ódinn to be a bland protagonist. He was an irresponsible father so he tries to make up for it now but he’s so passive. He thinks he’s losing his mind yet he doesn’t do anything about it! I never warmed up to him, though I liked his relationship with his daughter, Rún. And there are some creepy scenes in both present and past which I really enjoyed.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the ending ties everything together. The book brings up the question of whether a person is born evil, and looks at intergenerational behaviours. The Undesired is a mystery that takes its time with its story but ends with a punch. It’s my first time reading the author and I would definitely read more of her books!

About the author: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Photo by Jasper Graetsch