3.51 AVERAGE


It was like a poorly done satirical pastiche of a Lisbeth Salandar book. Too many disconnected plot threads, too much over the top, theatrical action, too little actual plot or character development. I kept reading these books because I loved the character and world of Lizbeth Salandar, but there's so little of the character left in these books that I'm glad this was the last one.

Honestly, this series has not disappointed me. There's nonstop action, complex storylines threaded together, and badass characters. Lisbeth Salander is not the sole focus of this novel, as with the other books, she shares the spotlight pretty equally with her friend, the famed journalist, Mikael Blomkvist. Lisbeth has been focused on taking out her family and ridding the world of their evil presence, she's located her sister in Russia and nothing is going to stop her from finally ending it all. Blomkvist on the other hand is wrapped up in a little mystery, that at first, doesn't even seem worth his time investigating. A homeless man found dead on the streets with no identity, the police can't identify him using dental fingerprints, or DA so Mikael is trying to reach Lisbeth to help him identify the man. The trouble is, when she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. Soon enough their separate "tasks" end up crossing wires and they are in each other's business whether or not they want to be. Intriguing and unique, although I could have gone with a more drawn out ending. It seemed to wrap up so quickly! I wonder what they'll get into next!

This might have been the best one since his takeover of the saga
dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5*
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No

You can tell it’s not like the original.. RIP Stieg Larson! But this author takes the characters from the first three Dragon Tattoo books and spins a good story. I was absolutely fascinated by the unfolding tale of a group of mountain climbers and their Sherpa who try to summit Mount Everest. I’ve never been fascinated about Everest before. I like my life at sea level too much. But I found myself googling Everest’s fascinating but morbid history. The deaths and injuries on Everest, the death zone, the camps, the routes, the crazy ladders you climb to get over deep and deadly crevasses. I even googled tours to Everest Base Camp for those who don’t have a death wish of ultimately climbing Everest. Then I found out about other crazy summits you can do in the Himalayas, K2 and Annapurna 1. Then I googled about the people that died there. This book took me down a rabbit hole of info. I think I’d like to read the book “Into Thin Air” now.

I feel like Stieg Larsson’s point of view is starting to get lost in this book. The books are getting shorter and shorter and unrealistic and not sticking to Lisbeth’s character. I feel this book and series should have a much darker plot with Lisbeth. Seriously, after this book, Lisbeth should by all accounts be dead. The final “battle” if you will was not keeping with Stieg.
That being said, I did really enjoy this book. I loved learning about Sherpas and the Rainbow Valley on Mt. Everest. I spent extra time outside of this book reading about it. Very intriguing. The subplots with Mikael are always exciting. I love all the research that goes into them.

3 ⭐

Another decent installment of the Lisbeth Salander books. It was a slow start and there wasn't much of Lisbeth in this book. The action didn't pick up until the last 50-60 pages. The main mystery plot in the book was intriguing but felt a bit too detached from our main characters. Entertaining but not my favorite in the series.

The Girl Who Lived Twice is a bit disjointed and Salander seems a bit muddled and muted as a character in this outing. She is supposed to be the most interesting part of the book but honestly I felt like the Sherpa story and what happened on the failed expedition was more riveting. I was able to read it pretty quickly and it kept me engaged but it wasn't as satisfying as previous novels. Here's to hoping the next one is better.