Book Review: The Unpredictability of Being Human by Linni Ingemundsen

Title: The Unpredictability of Being Human

Author: Linni Ingemundsen

Published: December 28th, 2017

Publisher: Usborne Publishing

Find the Author: Goodreads

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC from the Publisher in exchange for a review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

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Meet Malin, a fifteen-year-old who sees the world differently. Malin knows she couldn’t change much about her life, even if she got to play God. Her dad would still yell all the time – especially as Malin is still friends with Hanna, the girl she met shoplifting. Her mum would still say a glass of wine is good for her heart – and Mum needs it, with Malin’s brother, Sigve, getting into trouble all the time. And Malin would still be Malin. Because she can’t be anybody else.

In a voice bursting with immediacy and truth, Malin shares the absurdities of growing up and fitting in as her family struggles with the buried pain of mistakes made and secrets kept.

Profound, compassionate and as funny as it is dark, Malin’s story is an offbeat examination and celebration of the brutal, bizarre and beautiful unpredictability of being human.

If you love the freshness and honesty of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the emotional depth of John Green, and the irreverent wit of Little Miss Sunshine, push this to the top of your TBR pile.

First Thoughts…

The first thing that crossed my mind when The Unpredictability of Being Human appeared in my lap was that it had that certain je ne sais quoi. It reminded me of something John Green might write, but with a spirited twist. I was so eager to get into this but I was swarmed with TBR books around the holidays that I didn’t get a chance to read this until early February!

My Review…

Malin, straight away, is quite an unusual main character. Her point of view and inner monologue on the world is striking, bordering on painfully honest. She sounds much older than her age, fifteen, throughout her POV. Malin’s family are a huge part of her troubles and bigger picture on life. There’s the situation surrounding her Mom’s drinking, her Father’s temper and brother’s troublesome behaviour. These things make Malin overwhelmed by these trusting, innocent ways to cope with not being able to change what her life is.
What’s different about The Unpredictability of Being Human is that there is no solid plot. But in that way, it’s even more interesting, if that makes sense. It’s a crack into the universe inside Malin’s mind and a teenage life. And just a glimpse into her world is bittersweet, relateable and addictive. She’s to-the-point and there’s no messing about with her thoughts on everyday life, so there’s that same, definite maturity to her point of view that definitely made me feel like I was reading about someone a few years older (but not in a bad way).
Overall, I flew through the pages SO FAST. I think it was over three nights that I read this before bed and it was such a refreshing, slice-of-heaven that I think it’s one of those books I could pick up again in months time and re-read. The writing does take some time to get used to in Malin’s ways of talking to us as readers, but it’s honestly such a great read that I can’t think of anything that was negative about The Unpredictability of Being Human. If you love feel-good YA or similar to the John Green demographic, you’ll adore this book. Amazing read – four stars!