Bloody Awful In Different Ways is a poignant and tender account of Andrev Walden’s life, growing up with seven different fathers in seven years. When Andrev is seven in 1983, he is informed by his mother that the man he thought was his father is in fact not. This information sparks a new fascination, pondering whom his real father may be as he, his mother and half-siblings move to different homes, living with many different men who are drawn to his mother over the coming years.
It makes for a fascinating, insightful look into the chaos of everyday life for a young boy in a grownup world. Despite the fiction categorisation, the level of detail reads much like a true story, highlighting the power of friendship and the importance of adapting behaviour to different relationships. Written with humour and emotion, it’s clear that Walden’s journalistic background offers a distinctive voice.
A domestic sensation, having won the annual Swedish August Prize in 2023, the story has been translated to the English language by Ian Giles. Important to note that the title is not a true reflection of the novel: indeed, I’d attest that Andrev Walden’s story is actually bloody brilliant in different ways.