Reviews

• “The story's strength is the confident plotting. It is obviously the work of an experienced crime author. It is suspenseful throughout … a true page-turner. /…/ An entertaining and cozy horror story.”

• “The suspenseful ambience tempts you to read the entire book in one go while simultaneously engaging with its psychologically credible portrait of Billie’s relationship to her mother and the two friends. /…/ The Glass Children is a both chill-inducing and enjoyable read.”

• “Skillfully, Kristina Ohlsson keeps the eerie atmosphere alive. The setting and mood is well-captured, the characters emerge clearly and we get close to Billie and her friends during this summer break between the fifth and the sixth grade. /…/ The suspense remains until the very end, an end that offers reasonable explanations but at the same time leaves elements of the mystery unsolved.”

• “With atmospheric depictions and charged dialogues Ohlsson describes Billie's attempts to settle in, and at the same time she emotionally ties historical events to the present. /…/ The book is suspenseful and there is a lot to identify with.”

• “A story that makes your stomach tingle…”

• “The Glass Children possesses all the elements of a thriller, and is filled with mystique and strange events /…/ it resembles old-fashioned mystery books like those by Enid Blyton in that the children themselves must unravel the mystique without adult support. /…/ Kristina Ohlsson’s children’s book debut whets the appetite. It is difficult to find good books suitable for children around ten, and for this age group The Glass Children is excellent. Just big enough doses of suspense, sharp characterization, and an unexpected conclusion.”

• “In Ohlsson's children's book debut the crime theme is exchanged for a classic ghost story spiced up with typical genre elements. It is suspenseful and truly, truly creepy. Ohlsson writes with nerve and presence… /…/ The relationship between Billie and her mother – unable to unite in their mourning – is well portrayed and wets the appetite. Because it is in the gap between what can be explained and the inexplicable that the real story takes place. The one about how to find your way back to life after a tragedy.”

• “…she maintains a balance between everyday life and creepiness in her children's fiction debut The Glass Children, a story that can be described as horror although it also has classic detective novel elements.”

• “…a story loaded with ghosts for kids. The story is suspenseful and little bit creepy. My inner eleven-year-old is very excited.”

• “…very well-written and suspenseful, a real pageturner. It is a bit embarrassing to admit it, I am usually not scared of the dark, but reading this actually freaked me out a bit.”

• “But most importantly I feel a strong intertextuality between the authors, a communion on a higher level, where [Maria] Gripe and Ohlsson wave a little to each other across the decades. /…/ And Kristina Ohlsson doesn’t do it from a superior perspective, but through an impeccably equal children’s novel, and in a language that flows calmly and unsentimentally across the pages. The story touches upon the truly frightening without being overdramatic. No wonder The Glass Children engages no matter the age of the reader.”

• “A titillating and creepy story. Ohlsson has a drive in her language that I appreciate and I hope for more books about Billie. Because on Sparrisvägen anything can happen.”

• “The scariest book of the year… I wouldn't have dared to read it if I had been home alone.”

• “This book will definitely be appreciated by all suspense-thirsting children and young adults! In addition it is well-written and leaves no loose ends, and as a bonus the end is quite titillating.”

• “A mix of crime, thriller, horror and supernatural. /…/ [Ohlsson] creates a summer warm, nice and enjoyable atmosphere. Just to – suddenly, now and then – let the horror in.”

• “To give someone the creeps is a skill /…/ and such books are rare. /…/ The Glass Children is a little gem. /…/ Kristina Ohlsson respects her young readers, she has confidence in them. She tells her story in short and clear words and creates an eerie atmosphere.”

• “The heroine of The Glass Children takes the readers away on a scary and realistic experience into the abyss of the human soul. This books is a good start for young readers of creepy stories.”