Guest Review: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson

Alright readers, it's that time. For those of you who missed the post, we here at the Blue Bookcase are looking to expand our horizons and add a new writer! (Or more than one, perhaps) This begins our session of "test-runs" for writers who look promising, so let's give a warm welcome to guest reviewer/aspiring BB writer, Kara! Be sure to comment and tell us what you think! (And for other interested writers, it's not too late to apply! Check out this post for more details)

Hey! My name is Kara and reading is necessary for life. I am a RN that looks forward to reading books that have little or nothing to do with human anatomy. I am recently married, and love learning how to be someone's wife and am striving to become the person I am meant to be.

Published: Originally published in Swedish in 2005, translated in 2008

It’s about: Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is convicted of libel and his reputation is in serious question. The head of a well-known corporation then hires Mikael to investigate the disappearance of his niece, an event that occurred over forty years ago. Mikael somewhat reluctantly agrees to try to find the answers to this mystery. With Lisbeth Salander by his side, in all her tattooed, punked-out glory, they dig into a world of unimaginable corruption and crime. 

I thought: This book had the perfect amount of action and suspense. It kept me guessing right up until the end. The Vanger family, with all its characters and surprising twists, was fascinating to dig into. You begin to suspect every person in the book of having a dark and twisted secret, and you will not be disappointed. Lisbeth Salander is amazingly complex, and even though she is not your standard heroine, you find yourself rooting for her. Larsson also gives you compelling data about the life of women and their perception in Sweden. I could not wait to get the next book in the trilogy. I became an addict; I had to find out what was going to happen.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf. (And if you are like me, you will force all your friends/family to read it too.)

Reading Recommendations: It takes a bit of time to get into this book, so don’t shut it after one chapter if you don’t love it. Find out who the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is. Give it its due; being the first book in a trilogy it takes time to set the stage. Trust me, it is worth it.

Warnings: This is an R-rated book. So if you don’t like sex, violence (or sexual violence), foul language and the like, don’t attempt this.

Favorite excerpts:

“It came to her that she really was not angry with him. He was just the person on whom she had vented her anger when what she wanted most of all was to murder somebody, several people. Being angry with him was pointless.

She felt strangely ambivalent towards him.

…He did not mess with her. He did not try to tell her how to live her life.

So why did she feel as if she wanted to kick him in the face?”