Ida is a woman in her early 40s who is a bit unmoored and unsure what she wants from her life, leading her to try and freeze her eggs in case she wants children. She's unpredictable, wilder than her strait-laced sister, and craves the attention of her family even if it's for the wrong reasons.

Marthe is her sister, the one who seems to have it more together. Ida joins Marthe, her husband, and Marthe's a bright young step-daughter at their family's cabin for their mother's 65th birthday where tensions arise.

This is a short one but it packs a punch. It explores dysfunctional family dynamics through these different layers of family, especially when there's someone like Ida who's often willing to light the match. It looks at the pressures around having children and the expected course of womanhood, especially now where women are meant to have it all. It also shows how secrets wind their way around family life in seemingly innocuous ways until the right thing comes along to bring them to the surface.

I didn't feel quite like the target audience for this but I think for the right person, it'll really speak to them. Whether you're an Ida or a Marthe or something in between.

Grown Ups reminded me of Anna Hope’s ‘Expectations’ as it explores themes of comparison, jealousy and the goals you should have accomplished once you reach a certain age. It’s a book about the complex relationship between two sisters, which isn’t talked about enough. The narrator’s younger sister has a loving partner and is expecting a baby, and it makes the narrator feel like she’s failed at life. The Scandinavian setting was the icing on the cake, it was the perfect escapism!

I don’t often read translation fiction (if ever) and this really surprised me. A short jam packed storyline shining a spotlight on a slightly dysfunctional family. It is set in a wonderful setting. Would have enjoyed more of it and to see the rest of their stories.

Grown Ups by Marie Aubert is a short novel about sisters, family dynamics, childlessness. The main character is deeply flawed but refreshingly real.

A short and entertaining read about sisterhood, having children and what it’s like to grow up.

Not my favourite, but definitely an easy way to pass the time and get some insight into summer life in Scandinavia.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is a slice of life book. A family with adult children, Mother and Mothers partner plus step grandchildren, spend a weekend celebrating the mother’s birthday in the families holiday cabin.

No one in the family I found particularly likeable however I think that was because it was narrated through one family members point of view. Alcohol flows, emotions rise arguments are had. Honest moments are shared.