The Home by Mats Strandberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!! It releases on the 06/08/2020.
“The tiniest loose end could unravel the whole world. The tiniest crack could grow into a chasm.”
Joel’s mother, Monika, has developed dementia, and must be admitted to Pineshade, an aged care facility for dementia sufferers. When she arrives, it becomes clear to Joel and Nina, his one time best friend, who works there, that something isn’t right, and perhaps there is something more to Monika’s illness… something unnatural.
The Home by Mats Strandberg was a very enjoyable and hard hitting read. There is not much I can say without spoiling it, so I am going to discuss characters and themes briefly. There were some predictable aspects for me, but all in all, I don’t have anything negative to say.
Let’s begin with characters. We have Joel, Nina, and Monika as the main characters, and each of them is easy to empathise with in their own ways. Joel is trying to put a mistake filled past behind him while adjusting to his mother’s deteriorating health. Nina cares deeply about those in her care at Pineshade, even if she’s not sure of the rest of her life. And Monika, of course, must adapt to her dementia and new living situation, when she is lucid enough at least.
The setting of the majority of the story is Pineshade, an aged care facility for dementia sufferers. If you’ve ever visited a nursing home, then it will look familiar to you. It is typically sterile and elderly friendly. Perhaps even depressing. I worked in a nursing home for a short time when I was younger, and felt intimately familiar with Pineshade and the goings on therein. This setting perfectly amplifies the stress, sadness, and helplessness portrayed in the story.
I feel like it would be important to mention now that the depiction of dementia and all its different effects and symptoms is quite realistic. So, if this is something that may upset you, perhaps step lightly here. This was honestly the most difficult aspect of The Home for me, given that dementia is one of my greatest fears.
On difficult subjects that may upset some readers, I will also mention that there is the depiction of drug and alcohol use and abuse, both on the page and implied.
There was some gay representation in The Home which was nice to see, though for the most part these characters aren’t open about their sexuality. This provided an interesting glimpse into the life and societal expectations of a small Swedish town.
I also liked that there was some criticism within the book about the aged care industry, and how the elderly are sometimes treated. This provides another layer of realism to an already intense story.
I wish I could say more, but spoiling this story would truly be a shame. All I have left to say now is that if you enjoy hard hitting, mature stories where everything is not what it seems, give The Home a read when it releases!
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Rebecka O'Malley 
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