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⛵🐋🌊👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏼

This was a cute YA story about an awkward non-social girl who spent the summer with her granddad, built a boat, kissed a girl and sorted out her feelings about her dad's new family.

There is a death in this book, and it surprised me, as I read it right when someone died in my family. I had to stop reading it for a moment to work out my feelings about something happening in real life and in a book. I'm usually good with triggers!

This book was translated into English, so I'm not sure if things got lost or not but some things were a bit repetitive but in the end, it made the story fit.

Thanks, Netgalley for the copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy!

Honestly this book was very confusing? I don’t know if it’s purely just because it wasn’t translated perfectly, but I kept getting confused with all the flashbacks, they seemed to happen suddenly and the writing didn’t help that.

Overall it was a cute story but the description made it seem like there was a lot more to it. I felt like Ruth and Vinga didn’t have much chemistry going on and so the romance that did happen seemed only to be there for plot convenience.

On netgalley this is apparently YA but then it won awards in Sweden for a children’s category? Which doesn’t seem right especially the themes in the book, in particular the ending. I did like the overall message of the book but it seemed a bit messy and sporadic.

I am confused because on NetGalley (Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) it says this is YA?
The amount of times they use the word "fucking" is insane and it's written like a children's book.

Let's start by saying, the vibes are there, the cute gay summer romance is giving and I definitely enjoyed some aspects of it. The pirate vibes i got were so cute and our main characters goals I agreed with.

Description: "Vinga dreams of the sea. She's going to be a sailor when she grows up, sailing to distant lands. At home, back in the city, Mum is sad and Dad has left for good. But here with Granddad on the island, all her problems feel far away. Summer goes on as usual, with porridge for breakfast, drinking rhubarb lemonade under the lilac tree and watching the sunset from 'her' cliff.
But things are different now too. The heat vibrates during the day, and a girl with a black hat has started appearing. Her name is Ruth. The only thing they seem to have in common is their age and that they are both on the island for the summer. But spending time together, their friendship soon turns out to be something much more."

But this was boring.

I understand the message and I liked the concept but it was written poorly often repeating phrases that I already understood/didn't need to hear a second time. The plot? Was there even one? It felt mindless, there wasn't a story to hold onto, to be invested in.

I'm also confused about our main pov, Vinga's, age. She acts like she's ten but she's kissing girls and every other page there is a reference to how everyone thinks she's too old for whatever she's doing in the moment and it's almost as if the writer couldn't decide what age she should be. Ruth just kept annoying me as they both seemed to clash and there wasn't much chemistry between them.

The ending was purely there for shock factor? And maybe I would write a trigger warnings list because there is Death of a grandparent, cheating, affairs and grief.

Overall, this one wasn't for me.

Vinga spends her summer with her Grandpa on the island - a place where she fits in, is understood, and doesn't have to think about what's going on at home. A boat to repair and a schedule to her days, all interrupted by Ruth. Her opposite in many ways - but an unlikely friendship (and maybe something more) starts to form. Maybe this summer won't be so predictable after all?
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This book is sweet and heart-wrenching. I loved Vinga and I felt her pain - being different, being friendless at that age was something I recognised and so simply, truthfully put. Her Grandpa, her struggles with her parents, her difficulty making friends and having conversations was all very real and it was very easy to slip into Vinga's world.

This is definitely a book for early teenage readers and "tweens", but I enjoyed it as an adult reader too. It's an emotional read (I cried at least twice) but a good one. Vinga is a character with a lot of depth and I think a lot of kids would relate to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hot Key Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vinga dreams of the sea. She's going to be a sailor when she grows up, sailing to distant lands. At home, back in the city, Mum is sad and Dad has left for good. But here with Granddad on the island, all her problems feel far away. Summer goes on as usual, with porridge for breakfast, drinking rhubarb lemonade under the lilac tree and watching the sunset from 'her' cliff. But things are different now too. The heat vibrates during the day, and a girl with a black hat has started appearing. Her name is Ruth. The only thing they seem to have in common is their age and that they are both on the island for the summer. But spending time together, their friendship soon turns out to be something much more.

Vinga seems to live for one thing: Summers on the island with her grandpa. Reserved and withdrawn from the world, he seems to be her only friend and the only person to truly understand her. They don’t have many similar interests but they seem to get along well and have a good relationship. She definitely looks up to him and relies on his input when her relationships with her mum and her dad become strained. I do think that I could have learned a lot more about Vinga but she felt rather one-dimensional to me. I wanted depth, more backstory - I want the nitty gritty of her character but unfortunately didn’t get it. She definitely has a lot of promise but I just didn’t relate to her very much.

The premise for this book is very good and the thought of getting a cute gay Summer romance is the whole reason I really wanted to read it. Unfortunately it just fell very flat for me. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s been translated from another language but, to me, it felt like there was no substance to the story. It seemed like most of the story was simply saying what was going on and that was that. There was no depth to the story which is really important to engage me. There was pretty much no romance in my opinion which is an incredibly shame because the promise of such a thing is what drew me in. Again, it all just felt very superficial. I do think this story is perhaps aimed at young YA readers (12-13 year olds perhaps) and they’d be more likely to enjoy it. The only think that makes it slightly older is the occasional use of foul language - though this is generally sparse until towards the end. The ending itself was nice and tied up the book nicely but it didn’t wow me. It’s definitely a quick read but I just needed a lot more in the story itself to sink my teeth into.

Overall, Rhubarb Lemonade is a book that unfortunately didn’t appeal to me.

⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hot Key Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

What a book! It was so full of life i loved it. Makes me miss the beaches by my grandparents home. I loved the main character and her grandpas story and i think the writing flowed pretty well. I think a book is always good when it leaves you wanting more (i understand this was the perfect length at the same time though). It could have been nice if there was a little more backstory into certain characters but I don't think it took away from the story regardless. I'll definitely reread it in the future.

"Rhubarb Lemonade" by Oskar Kroon is, the story of Vinga who spends her summer with her grandfather on a Sweden island who wants to do something for her grandfather.


I would give"Rhubarb Lemonade" by Oskar Kroon a 2-star review because, it was emotional read, I liked the setting and the emotion but the plot and everything I didn't get.

Absolutely ADORED this one.
Tender and atmospheric, heartfelt and so brilliantly written. Loved the unique style of writing - sometimes sparse, sometimes intense - at all time absorbing.
Going back to the beginning to soak it all in again,

Rhubarb Lemonade tells the story of little Vinga who spends the summer with her grandfather on a remote Swedish island. With the hot sun shining on her back, Vinga’s repairing an old sailing boat, hoping that she’ll be able to steer it like her grandfather one day. Her days are quite lonely—until she meets Ruth, a girl her age who likes to speak her mind, and the two form a new friendship.

Judging from the blurb, I thought this was a middle grade book, but it’s actually aimed at a teen audience. The characters swear freely and the story also deals with a few heavy topics (see trigger warnings below) which may not be appropriate for younger readers. It’s actually a very emotional read, and I can see why the book did so well in Sweden.

Would I recommend the novel to a younger audience? Hard to say. It depends on the individual readers and their interests. It probably would do well in an English class where the themes could be explored in more detail. It was great to see a unique girl as the heroine, though (how many young girls dream of becoming sailors after all?). Plus, Kroon does a fantastic job describing the island and its peculiarities.

4 stars

TW: divorce, death of a family member, depression

This book was more of a vibe book than a plot book, so if you're looking for something particularly gripping or driven, this probably isn't it. However, if you enjoy old boats, salt water, and sunburns, then you probably will enjoy Rhubarb Lemonade.
I'm not certain, but I feel like the main character is autistic which was really refreshing to read. It also offers a good look at non-traditional family structures not just through the parents but with the impact of the grandfather as well. I think this is a lovely YA book to relax with in the sun, though beware that it might be more emotional than you bargained for.

Rhubarb Lemonade by Oskar Kroon is a wonderful YA cute book. Its a short read that however nicely written does quite pack the punch. That is probably to heart and what it wants in regards to romance. Also i might of been spoilt with a lot of YA with older MC characters.

I would never rate it down due to my preference because there was still some really nice elements and plot settings that I enjoyed. The perspective was of Vonyas which I thought was wonderfully written. The flow was nicely done as well.

I would recommend for those wanting a short sweet story this is for you.

The book cover is absolutely stunning and innocent which works with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing this Arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Rhubarb Lemonade' by Oskar Kroon.

'Rhubarb Lemonade' was an interesting one for me. The way the book was laid out was something I enjoyed and I loved the concept of this whole story and the way Kroon wrote it. However, this book just didn't spark a big love inside me which was disappointing. Is that the authors fault? Of course not but it was a bit gutting.

I was so excited to read this book, it looked like a cute, feel-good, easy read lesbian romance; but instead, it felt very dramatic from the first page with the storm and the hospital, which is not what I was hoping for, so I was kind of let down there.
Overall though, the writing was great, and I can see this being super popular, it just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Rhubarb Lemonade was originally published in Swedish in 2019 but has recently been translated to English by A. A. Prime and is due for UK publication on the 8th of June 2023. This book follows Vonya who is spending the summer with her Grandfather on the small Swedish island where he lives. She plans on fixing an old boat and making it seaworthy with some help from her Grandfather, and then she meets Ruth, who’s her age and keeps appearing where she’s keeping the boat, but they don’t seem to have anything more in common. This is a contemporary book and I would probably say it’s more YA than Middle Grade due to some of the language used at certain points in the book.

Rhubarb Lemonade is written from Vonya’s perspective, so you hear all of her thoughts on things but it also helps as there are sometimes it moves around the timeline so it isn’t a massive jump or shock as it does in some other books.

This book is quite short and doesn’t have a massive cast of characters, Vonya features through the whole story as does her grandfather, the other two characters that regularly appear and have a key impact on the story are Ruth and Vonya’s mum. I quite liked the different characters in the book and it was easy to keep track of because there weren’t loads but when I do think about it, I feel like some of them could have possibly had a little bit more depth and they didn’t feel completely real to me, they could have possibly been built up a bit more. I also couldn’t relate to any of the characters well, but I could understand them.

I liked the setting of this book and most of the plot but I’m not the biggest fan of it overall, it was enjoyable but I didn’t find it to be anything powerful or super special for me. I think if it was longer, I might have found it a little bit more memorable but it was the right length for the plot at the same time.

I would definitely recommend this book even though it wasn’t completely for me and I think it definitely did have some similarities to The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan but there are no books that I would immediately compare it to. I would also probably recommend Rhubarb Lemonade for a younger YA audience, around 12-13 but I would also beware that there is some swearing throughout the book that may not be appropriate for some readers of that age. Overall 3.5 stars, a decent book with some good books but not ultimately the perfect book for me, which is fine.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for an e-arc in return for an honest review

Rhubarb Lemonade is a joyful and subtle LGBTIA+ children’s book.

First published in Sweden as ‘Waiting for Wind’ it is obvious as to why it won the August Prize for best Swedish children’s book in 2019, and amazing that we now have an English translation.

I could not put this book down and fell in love with all the characters. The storytelling around Vinga and Ruth; Grandad and Ylva; Mum and Dad makes you feel a part of the story.

A beautiful novel of a girl who just loves the sea, boats and her grandad and meets another girl who is the complete opposite. If you want to laugh at a seagull and cry at all the special moments you need to read this book.

5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to Net Galley, Oskar Kroon and Hot Key Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Rhubarb Lemonade (published June 2023)

What a heartwarming story for YA readers who seek books on LGBTQ+, especially during summer! I struggled to put this book down. I will definitely be adding this book to my LGBTQ+ section in my school library as soon as it is out. Such a sweet book!!

A beautiful coming of age story. The prose is whimsical, as is the main character. It was a delight to read about Vinga and see her blossom throughout this story. A very lovely story that I would recommend.