Dark and absorbing Norwegian literary mystery thriller told from multiple perspectives across dual timelines.

Liv is watching TV in the living room of her shared house when she first becomes consumed with the desire to own a pet snake. Liv is mesmerised by his strength and beauty and the snake then becomes one of the narrators in the story, witnessing events but also with it's own agenda.

Mariam's daughter has gone missing. She is the wife of a politician but there is something about her that gets under the skin of the police detective who takes an instant dislike to her, in sharp contrast with his usual professional demeanour. He has his own secrets and has waited too long to let this opportunity for answers slip through his hands.

Really good and unusual read.

Spanning multiple points of view and two timelines, this is a mystery/thriller that almost feels like literary fiction. It's beautifully written, in juxtaposition with a lot of the dark subject matter.

The 'reptile memoir' sections, written from the point of view of a python, were interesting and unexpected.

I enjoyed the story and the way the threads wove together throughout, although there were some sections that made for uncomfortable reading. The final few chapters wrapped everything up neatly but abruptly.

Overall, this was a solid read and I'll be looking out for more of the author's work.

It’s a disturbing read which is hard to take in some parts but overall it was enjoyable. Nero was a key player in what happened and I loved that Ulstein made an animal such a key part on the narrative. Liv and Ingvar were my favourites. The two timelines were often confusing but it’s a disturbing read which is hard to take in place once you get further in it becomes easier to follow

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I have mixed feelings about Reptile Memoirs. It is very original and and although I loved the premise, I felt it meandered a bit in the middle. It is dark but almost not dark enough. Hard to describe, but I felt it somehow lacked something.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers, Atlantic Press for this ARC.

This book takes oringality a step to far... There were aspects of this book that were just so strange, they seemed completely unnecessary and unbelievable. At it's core, is a brilliantly woven web of plot and characters - but this is undermined by dialogue that is almost robotic, characters who feel 2-dimensional and unlikeable and bizarreness that did not advance the plot.

I would read more from this author and I have spoken about the book to others - it has a similar vibe to 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. It was a fairly enjoyable read, it had plenty of twists and turns, it just took things a little too far into the bizarre for more than a 3 star.

Creepy translated thriller. If you like snakes great. If you don’t. Avoid! I really liked this. Different and compelling and translated well.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started to read this book, as some reviews I’d read were very mixed. I was expecting an ‘odd’ slant - ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ alternating narrative from the viewpoints of several characters, including a snake!
But it’s really not quite as bonkers as I was expecting. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was completely gripped from start to finish. The pacing was spot on. About half-way through the book, I thought I’d figured out the twist. But apart from being right with one particular gruesome twist, I was outwitted at every turn!
Really fantastic. Definitely an author I will be keeping an eye on.

It's time to tidy up my shelf and I have tried several times to read this book but, sadly, I am just not feeling it. Not every book works for every reader and I guess this is not one for me.
Thank you for the chance anyway.
3 Stars as picking the middle one!

I chose this book as it sounded unlike anything I have read before. I can honestly say, I think The Reptile Memoirs is the strangest book I have ever read.
Some of the chapters are narrated by a most unusual narrator, and it features a highly unusual relationship, which I found squirm inducing.

We have dual timelines. In 2005, we have Liv, a very unsettled character, with a clearly troubled childhood, that has left it’s mark into adulthood. In 2017, we have Mariam, who also seems to be troubled, a mother to Iben, an 11 year old who has disappeared. Roe is the lead investigator on Iben’s case, he is yet another deeply troubled individual.
Ironically, I felt far more comfortable in 2017, in the timeline when Iben disappears, rather than in the 2004 storyline.

The plot is intricately woven, and drawn together beautifully at the end, so that everything makes perfect sense. Everyone’s ‘why’ becomes apparent. If you are a squeamish reader, I would think twice about reading this book. Very few books have ever made me feel this way, but there were a few paragraphs of the story, that I glossed over. I knew what was about to happen, and didn’t want to have it described to me in minute detail. This is a very dark read, with graphic descriptions of very unsettling situations, some of which will be lodged in my memory for quite a while.
If you are looking to read something completely different, then this could well be the book for you. If you suffer with Ophidiophobia, I would definitely steer clear. I’m not a fan of snakes, and this certainly hasn’t helped alleviate that situation. Having said that, Silje Ulstein is an extremely talented author, the story is so well crafted, so many small strands being pulled together. 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to revie this book I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more by this author

DNF, could not get into the style of writing and struggled to understand where the story was going. I thought it was poorly written and didn't grab my attention so I decided not to keep reading.

This is dark, and confusing. I got to the end, but I can't truly say I enjoyed the journey...the plot line alternates between two timelines, which just seemed to add to the confusion. Several chapters were narrated from the pov of a snake...ingenious, I'm not sure? Just too confused for me.. Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk for the opportunity to re iew this ARC.

Nursing student Liv is young woman damaged by a family life with an absent mother and an abusive brother. When she moves into a basement apartment with friends Egil and Ingvar she seems to find some respite amidst acts of camaraderie, laughter, parties, drugs and beer. Deep inside she always feels lonely but when the trio decide to get baby python Nero, the latter seems to be the only creature she truly connects to. Gradually, she starts, exploring affinities, listening and talking to it and even sleeping with it under the blanket. But the bigger Nero grows, the harder it becomes to feed.

Fast forward 12 years and Mariam, the young wife of a prominent politician, is at the shopping center with her daughter Iben. When Mariam refuses to buy her a zombie girl magazine, the young girl runs away. Mariam’s conviction that she has run away to spite her and gone back home proves false as she reaches the house several hours later, as Iben has disappeared. The lead investigator is Roe, a man whose life is characterised by loss and past regrets.

This pacy,well plotted thriller unravels what the two stories have in common through the multiple perspectives of the characters (including Nero, hence the title Reptile Memoirs), who are unlikeable and flawed but also convincing. We are in the Norwegian province between Alesund and Kristiansund, a world of clean neighbourhoods and homes that do not show “the slightest trace of decline”, but where on the inside every family we encounter seems to be “rotting away” amidst indifference, neglect, coldness and abuse: every parent seems distant, regretful and ever distracted and every child ends up bearing the brunt. This type of backdrop may not seem something new or innovative, yet the storyline is quite original and develops in well motivated twists and turns, which makes this suspenseful read hard to put down.

At the same time, this is also a very graphic read that made me uncomfortable at times. The writing is frank and unafraid but it also relies a bit too much on the shock value of morbid, disturbing content. I am not easily perturbed, but more subtlety would have worked better for my literary taste (I was drawn to this as it was marketed as literary fiction but I don’t think the label applies). There is also something baffling about the conclusion: this might as well go with the spirit of the genre and the way justice rarely triumphs.

All in all, this talented author is certainly one to watch and, with the due cws, Dark, disturbing and addictive. Reptile Memoirs makes a remarkable debut and an interesting noir novel. Not for everyone.
3.5
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wasn't sure what to make of this book and had to go back to re-read a few chapters. Possibly not the book for me at this time.

When Mariam Linds daughter goes missing she almost looks like a prime suspect, I really enjoyed how as this dark and disturbing plot unfolds with some good twists and turns along the way and then everything somehow connects and ties together at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb about the book sounded interesting if rather off the wall. I have nothing against snakes- just wouldn't want to share a room with one. I might have got into the story of the missing child but I'm afraid a certain description of the snake's dinner decided me that I'd had enough!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me try & read & review this book.

Switching time frames and characters forward and back confused me and a certain amount of over writing about an engaging snake connection... all the brutality of scandi noir writing is here.. disappearance of a young g irl, damaged police officer .. I was drawn in,..albeit resistng

A psychological thriller crossed with a police procedural, with Scandinavian undertones. There's a shock factor, somewhat specific to Scandinavian crime, that permeates the pages of this novel. Some pages where a bit hard to stomach, disturbing even, despite being written in a rather nonchalant way.
On the surface the story covers a child disappearance/abduction/ murder? and it's in this parts that the police procedural comes to life. But there's another side to the story and that's where the psychological thriller comes into play. What is the connection between Mariam and the police detective Roe? Is Mariam the bad guy or is it Joe? The cat and mouse play between this two characters is fascinating, in particular the constant interchangeability of the two, leaving the reader guessing and almost unable to take sides.

But then there's yet another layer: Liv & the snake, that at times takes too much of a centre stage for me to enjoy the book overall. The scene of Liv's life/experiences is too brutal to warm am to, full of disquiet and frankly disturbing. I really didn't care much about this side of the story and it felt we got too much of it, especially in the beginning. I left me in doubt about the enjoyability of the novel. Therefore my rating comes as no surprise: 2 start for Liv bits and 4 for the rest, but all in all an interesting debut, and I would not hesitate to try another of Ulstein's novels.

My thanks to Atlantic Books Grove Press UK for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Reptile Memoirs’ by Silje Ulstein in exchange for an honest review.

This unusual crime thriller was originally published in Norway in 2020 where it became a bestseller. It was translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough.

The narrative unfolds in dual time periods: 2003-2005 and 2017 from various perspectives including the memoirs of Nero, a Burmese python!

In 2003 nursing student Liv shares an apartment with two friends in Ålesund. She sees a python on a tv nature programme and becomes obsessed with the idea of having a snake as a pet. Soon they welcome Nero, a baby Burmese python, as the apartment's fourth roommate. Liv bonds quite intensely with Nero, becoming fiercely protective of him.

Moving forward to 2017 in the nearby town of Kristiansund, Mariam Lind is on a shopping trip with her eleven-year-old daughter, Iben. They have an argument over a zombie comic and Iben flaunts off. Mariam gives her time to cool off but then is unable to locate her. She decides that Iben will make her own way home and drives off. Of course, Iben doesn’t - she’s only eleven!

Reclusive Detective Roe Olsvik, new to the Kristiansund police department, is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance. However, the case also awakens memories of his own tragic past.

No further details to avoid spoilers but I certainly was impressed with how this Nordic police procedural unfolded. I will add the caution that given the feeding habits of pythons, there are some quite upsetting scenes.

(Note: I am a fan of reptiles though had to surrender my own young boa constrictor to a specialist reptile zoo when he became older and was in need of larger meals.)

Overall, I found ‘Reptile Memoirs’ highly engaging and well paced. It certainly proved dark and disturbing though Nero’s memoirs added something unique in the form of the reptilian view of the novel’s events. I look forward to news of Silje Ulstein’s future projects following this impressive debut.