JOHAN 🐚

By Lola Akinmade Åkerström.

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Johan is a bold and captivating coming of age book that explores privilege, longing and the complicated paths of love and self discovery. Lola Akinmade Åkerström takes readers deep into the mind and heart of Johan von Lundin, heir to the powerful von Lundin empire, who longs not for attention or sympathy but for something much simpler, understanding.

From his days as one of “The Sweet Swedes” alongside his best friend Ragnar at an elite British boarding school, to the messy, passionate and heart wrenching love he feels for Maya Daniels, Johan’s story spans three decades of privilege, mistakes and yearning.

He is a golden boy both admired and dismissed, constantly caught between the expectations of his family and his desperate search for a place to belong.

What makes this book so compelling is Johan himself. He is deeply flawed, often frustrating, and yet entirely human. I found this book completely absorbing. Johan is such a fascinating character to follow, he will irritate you one moment and move you the next, grounding his choices in vulnerability and a fierce desire to be seen.

His relationship with Ragnar is wild and complicated, his obsession with Maya both tender and destructive, and his path through life a blend of privilege and pain that keeps the reader invested. He makes mistakes, he frustrates you with his choices, and yet you still want him to find peace and happiness. I loved the dynamic between Johan and Ragnar, which felt full of energy and chaos, and I thought the relationship with Maya was both heartbreaking and beautiful in its intensity.

For me, the strength of this book lies in its psychological depth. Johan is flawed, fragile and human, and that made him all the more compelling. I also really enjoyed the contrast between the glittering world of privilege and the vulnerability hidden beneath it.

The writing is elegant and full of emotion, capturing both the charm and the chaos of Johan’s life in a way that felt vivid and real. Johan is a powerful and thought provoking book that lingers long after the final page. It is a sweeping story about love, privilege and identity, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading it.

The book is out now and available to purchase!

Buy the book here.

Buy the Kindle book here.