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leic01's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really good fast-paced psychological thriller. Recommended for readers that liked [b:The Silent Patient|40097951|The Silent Patient|Alex Michaelides|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582759969l/40097951._SX50_.jpg|59752778] and [a:Nicci French|183956|Nicci French|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] series about Frieda Klein as it revolves around psychotherapist, and in my opinion, is better than both works. Being in that profession I mostly cringe at some descriptions of mental illness or psychotherapeutic process in trillers, but the authors did a decent job in this book. The content is highly disturbing and there are scenes of sexual and physical abuse of children and incest that are not over-done, and explicit, and I would say an accurate description of the long-standing aftermath of abuse. This is not literary fiction nor classic but the characterization is decent compared to much more hyped books in the genre. Books follow several timelines and perspectives of different characters, all of them equally engaging. I also appreciate that the authors touched on a variety of topics such as the position of women in society and rights of children, discrimination toward the immigrants that are never seen as equally human as other citizens, class diversion and even the geopolitical situation of war in Siera Leone and, very scarcely, Bosnia. That is not usual, and not an easy task for authors of such high-tempo thriller. Quality wise I would compare it to [a:Patricia Cornwell|1025097|Patricia Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1608833403p2/1025097.jpg]'s writing, even though I haven't read Cornwell in years. This book gave me an old-school thriller feeling when you don't want to put the book down. The book ends with a cliffhanger so I was immediately onto the next book in the series. I've read this book in a day and already finished the second book and will start the third and final book of the series tonight.
Recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers for sure! (Even though I'm not sure there is English translation yet out there)
3.5
Recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers for sure! (Even though I'm not sure there is English translation yet out there)
3.5
gareindeedreads's review against another edition
4.0
This is one hefty Nordic Noir novel that I was pleased to have gotten through in two days...and it was NOT easy. Not only is this novel deeply disturbing, it is complex and claustrophobic. Our novel takes us on a wild and terrifying journey told through the perspectives of not only our three main leads, but gives us some insights into some other, dare I even say "smaller" characters who's perspectives and storylines give us a deeper look into I would say the darkest novel I have ever read in my life. The novel is mainly told from the characters of Jeanette (our fearless detective), Sofia (the brilliant psychologist assisting Jeanette), and Victoria (the deeply disturbed client of Sofia). While the perspectives are very well done, our authors do a fantastic job of getting into the psyche of the reader through these characters and really use them as a tool to give a heartbreaking look into the plot.
This novel is translated into English from a Swedish trilogy (explaining the length) and I really found this to be a rather interesting collection of these three tales. Our first part not only opens the plot really well, diving right into the violence and introducing us rather quickly to our three leads, but it also has a slower pace that is more or less a "first date" with the characters that we will need to get to the bottom of the heinous crimes committed in this intricate plot. Towards the end of part one, I was left with a shocking revelation that not only chilled me to the core, but made me question what was going to happen in the next 500+ pages.
Part two is not only my favorite part, but it gives us a deeper look into not only what our three main leads are dealing with as the plot continues, but it does a fantastic job of turning this novel from a crime fiction to also dipping its wounded toes into a psychological thriller as we also get to get a deeper look into what the villain(s) are dealing with as well. The tension really mounts in part two as the reader is given some insights that our characters aren't aware of and we find them all putting themselves in some rather dangerous positions...we are also introduced to the tip of the iceberg that is known as The Crow Girl.
Part three has the violence and the action really cranked up as we conclude this fascinating and complex plot...and complex it is. Throughout the novel, it took me a while to get used to some of the writing with this one as like most psychological crime novels, it's hard to get a grasp on what is reality and fantasy as our authors really waste no time getting into the gritty details as to what is really happening and the reader is literally taken on a journey around the world. I particularly loved how this played out like a tragic Nordic action/crime movie throughout the novel and part three was not only devastating, but ended on such a bittersweet note that I am still confused as to if I am feeling lighter after some of the darkness of this novel has gone away or if I'm just ultimately saddened with how it ended.
While the writing is fantastic, the characters are superbly written, and the plot is unlike anything I've ever read, by the end of the novel I was happy I got to the bottom of the story and had a good grasp as to what was going on, but I ultimately felt like there was going to be a lengthy epilogue to really wrap up everything. While I know with real life, that's not always the case, I just felt that I got the answers I was looking for, but I was expecting that big bow on the top to really tie everything in together and I was left somewhat confused by a lot of things. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this one to fans of Nordic Noir and crime fiction as it really gets into the underbelly of the crime world and how disturbing and disastrous it can be.
This novel is translated into English from a Swedish trilogy (explaining the length) and I really found this to be a rather interesting collection of these three tales. Our first part not only opens the plot really well, diving right into the violence and introducing us rather quickly to our three leads, but it also has a slower pace that is more or less a "first date" with the characters that we will need to get to the bottom of the heinous crimes committed in this intricate plot. Towards the end of part one, I was left with a shocking revelation that not only chilled me to the core, but made me question what was going to happen in the next 500+ pages.
Part two is not only my favorite part, but it gives us a deeper look into not only what our three main leads are dealing with as the plot continues, but it does a fantastic job of turning this novel from a crime fiction to also dipping its wounded toes into a psychological thriller as we also get to get a deeper look into what the villain(s) are dealing with as well. The tension really mounts in part two as the reader is given some insights that our characters aren't aware of and we find them all putting themselves in some rather dangerous positions...we are also introduced to the tip of the iceberg that is known as The Crow Girl.
Part three has the violence and the action really cranked up as we conclude this fascinating and complex plot...and complex it is. Throughout the novel, it took me a while to get used to some of the writing with this one as like most psychological crime novels, it's hard to get a grasp on what is reality and fantasy as our authors really waste no time getting into the gritty details as to what is really happening and the reader is literally taken on a journey around the world. I particularly loved how this played out like a tragic Nordic action/crime movie throughout the novel and part three was not only devastating, but ended on such a bittersweet note that I am still confused as to if I am feeling lighter after some of the darkness of this novel has gone away or if I'm just ultimately saddened with how it ended.
While the writing is fantastic, the characters are superbly written, and the plot is unlike anything I've ever read, by the end of the novel I was happy I got to the bottom of the story and had a good grasp as to what was going on, but I ultimately felt like there was going to be a lengthy epilogue to really wrap up everything. While I know with real life, that's not always the case, I just felt that I got the answers I was looking for, but I was expecting that big bow on the top to really tie everything in together and I was left somewhat confused by a lot of things. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this one to fans of Nordic Noir and crime fiction as it really gets into the underbelly of the crime world and how disturbing and disastrous it can be.
veelaughtland's review against another edition
3.0
I requested this book from Harvill Secker in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me this copy.
The Crow Girl is one of those books, much like A Little Life, that I have mixed feelings about. I enjoyed the reading experience for the most part: it was definitely a page turner, and I never felt the urge to put the book down. I was interested in the characters, and wanted to know how to story would resolve. However, there were a lot of issues that I had with this book, that really need to be taken into account.
The Crow Girl is a Swedish crime novel that focuses on a detective, Jeanette Kihlberg, who is trying to find the killer of numerous immigrant boys who have wound up dead around Sweden. Their bodies appear to have been mummified, and their genitals have been removed. To help her, she enlists the help of psychologist Sofia Zetterlund, to try and profile the killer.
This book has a fantastic premise that is right up my street. I love the whole Scandinavian-crime thing, with the surroundings and atmosphere being something that I love in a crime story. I also really liked the fact that this book was heavily focused on the psychological state of people, and how someone's past can affect their life in the future and their future actions. However, of course the portrayal of mental illness in this book was problematic in its portrayal.
Things I didn't like:
- Mental illness felt like a very black and white issue, which is misleading for those of us reading who may not have a full understanding of the conditions presented in this book. To me, with my limited knowledge of the subject, I still felt that the portrayal was too simplistic, and that we were being provided with a very negative view on those who suffer from the illness.
- The story was very disjointed. As far as I know, this was originally a trilogy, and it seems as though a great deal of content has been cut out from this particular translation, in an attempt to fit it into one volume. This was a massive mistake, as characters appear all over the place but don't feel like they have a real function, and plot points get thrown about without any real follow-through. It was both too long, and rushed. Three volume translation please.
- The characters were a little one-dimensional at times, and there was a great deal of repetition with the authors info-dumping information about the characters' feelings, rather than showing them.
I probably had more issues than this, but for a full review, please check out my video review on youtube at www.youtube.com/chboskyy
Overall, I'm glad I picked up this book, because there was a lot that I enjoyed about it. However, I can't ignore the fact that there were problems with it, and as this book was sent to me for review, I need to be honest in my review.
The Crow Girl is one of those books, much like A Little Life, that I have mixed feelings about. I enjoyed the reading experience for the most part: it was definitely a page turner, and I never felt the urge to put the book down. I was interested in the characters, and wanted to know how to story would resolve. However, there were a lot of issues that I had with this book, that really need to be taken into account.
The Crow Girl is a Swedish crime novel that focuses on a detective, Jeanette Kihlberg, who is trying to find the killer of numerous immigrant boys who have wound up dead around Sweden. Their bodies appear to have been mummified, and their genitals have been removed. To help her, she enlists the help of psychologist Sofia Zetterlund, to try and profile the killer.
This book has a fantastic premise that is right up my street. I love the whole Scandinavian-crime thing, with the surroundings and atmosphere being something that I love in a crime story. I also really liked the fact that this book was heavily focused on the psychological state of people, and how someone's past can affect their life in the future and their future actions. However, of course the portrayal of mental illness in this book was problematic in its portrayal.
Things I didn't like:
- Mental illness felt like a very black and white issue, which is misleading for those of us reading who may not have a full understanding of the conditions presented in this book. To me, with my limited knowledge of the subject, I still felt that the portrayal was too simplistic, and that we were being provided with a very negative view on those who suffer from the illness.
- The story was very disjointed. As far as I know, this was originally a trilogy, and it seems as though a great deal of content has been cut out from this particular translation, in an attempt to fit it into one volume. This was a massive mistake, as characters appear all over the place but don't feel like they have a real function, and plot points get thrown about without any real follow-through. It was both too long, and rushed. Three volume translation please.
- The characters were a little one-dimensional at times, and there was a great deal of repetition with the authors info-dumping information about the characters' feelings, rather than showing them.
I probably had more issues than this, but for a full review, please check out my video review on youtube at www.youtube.com/chboskyy
Overall, I'm glad I picked up this book, because there was a lot that I enjoyed about it. However, I can't ignore the fact that there were problems with it, and as this book was sent to me for review, I need to be honest in my review.
jenno's review against another edition
2.0
I am a weak person. I can't read things that scar me.
I can't read about children that are being raped and molested. It's just too much for my weak heart and at the beginning of this crime story there was a lot of that. I just couldn't.
I did read it until the end because something happens, no spoilers, that made me interested in reading again. It is well written in a way that you as a reader just keep turning pages and it's easy to get through. In hindsight I wonder if I should have finished it after all.
I'm not saying that this is a bad story, no not at all it's just a bit too much of a psycho thriller for my tasted. It just disturbed me on so many levels. I knew that this was a three part series and of course knew it would end with a cliffhanger for the next book. I will not read the other parts. Oh how bad that would be for my fragile mind.
If you have a stronger mind and are used to read thrillers like this one, I'm pretty sure you will like it. If you're like me, maybe stay off it.
I can't read about children that are being raped and molested. It's just too much for my weak heart and at the beginning of this crime story there was a lot of that. I just couldn't.
I did read it until the end because something happens, no spoilers, that made me interested in reading again. It is well written in a way that you as a reader just keep turning pages and it's easy to get through. In hindsight I wonder if I should have finished it after all.
I'm not saying that this is a bad story, no not at all it's just a bit too much of a psycho thriller for my tasted. It just disturbed me on so many levels. I knew that this was a three part series and of course knew it would end with a cliffhanger for the next book. I will not read the other parts. Oh how bad that would be for my fragile mind.
If you have a stronger mind and are used to read thrillers like this one, I'm pretty sure you will like it. If you're like me, maybe stay off it.
shells's review against another edition
3.0
If I'm to understand, The Crow Girl is in fact, three books in one. I began it as a quest to fulfill the "Nordic Noir" category for the 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge. I had no idea what I was getting into. According to Amazon the paperback is 880 pages. 880 pages!? No wonder I had to borrow it from the library (Overdrive App) 3 times before I finished it. I know my reading has slowed down with work and school, but this was insane.
It kept me engrossed. It was confusing at times. There's a very large cast of characters, not all of them flesh and blood living humans. Though I might feel differently if I had read the three books as a trilogy rather than the whole story as one, I feel like there was a lot of filler and fluff. It could have been edited for length and still been just as good. (I'm wondering if this is typical of these books, as I found the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson to be equally as long-winded.) So, those times when it was a slog, I just kept pushing. Because I was curious to know the answers. I'm glad I stuck with it. It was difficult subject matter, but a good mystery. The characters weren't all that likeable, even the "good guys." There was quite a bit of jumping through time, as well as points of view. Threads were unraveled that were never fully followed. (Kihlberg's son and what happened with Sofia on the ferris wheel??) I don't feel as though I've wasted my life reading it but, I probably won't seek out others like it.
I do know I will be filling three categories on the challenge since it was a trilogy!
It kept me engrossed. It was confusing at times. There's a very large cast of characters, not all of them flesh and blood living humans. Though I might feel differently if I had read the three books as a trilogy rather than the whole story as one, I feel like there was a lot of filler and fluff. It could have been edited for length and still been just as good. (I'm wondering if this is typical of these books, as I found the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson to be equally as long-winded.) So, those times when it was a slog, I just kept pushing. Because I was curious to know the answers. I'm glad I stuck with it. It was difficult subject matter, but a good mystery. The characters weren't all that likeable, even the "good guys." There was quite a bit of jumping through time, as well as points of view. Threads were unraveled that were never fully followed. (Kihlberg's son and what happened with Sofia on the ferris wheel??) I don't feel as though I've wasted my life reading it but, I probably won't seek out others like it.
I do know I will be filling three categories on the challenge since it was a trilogy!
stephniie's review against another edition
3.0
Read it in Dutch. Amazing story, very tantalizing. It starts off a bit slow but once you get a bit further into the plot, it sucks you in completely.
The translation though? Horrible. If I could, I would read it in its original language because OMG. It is just ridiculous. Very literal translations which just don't work, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
The translation though? Horrible. If I could, I would read it in its original language because OMG. It is just ridiculous. Very literal translations which just don't work, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
thegel's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
alusetti's review against another edition
3.0
This was Long with many questionable plot events. Multiple personalities and a sense of murderers getting off without justice being served left me feeling ambivalent about the story.
syren1532's review against another edition
3.0
This was originally published as three separate books. The story covers the murders of young boys and another group of people linked to sexual abuse and the police investigations into them. I really struggled with part one and had to put it to one side for a while before starting part two. I found part two and part three much easier to read and really enjoyed them so I would recommend you stick with it if you're struggling like I was. Would have given it four stars if I hadn't struggled so much to read part one.
amberdeexterous's review against another edition
4.0
I’d not thought it possible for a novel to sustain both a gripping plot and deft prose for over 800 pages, but this thriller does just that. Packed with palpable dread, The Crow Girl embarks on a descent into the recesses of the human psyche and a darkness that rivals some of the most nightmare-enduring genre work I’ve read (as a Clive Barker fan, believe me when I say “darkness”). As with all most novels concerning wholly human monsters, there’s much brutality enacted her: sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, graphic violence, and mental illness are all a part of the story. That said, I found a measured respect for survivors written into the text and an awareness of where the novel does not wholly cleave to reality. All in all, I found the world this tale unravels in to be a place of marrow-chilling wonderment, not without tenderness, and entirely, viscerally, human.