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Book Review of The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millenium, Bk 2)

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millenium, Bk 2)
skywriter319 avatar reviewed on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Unlike the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE sucked me in right from the start, and relentlessly demanded my attention until the bitter and exhausting end. Whereas I felt ambivalent about recommending the series after having just read the first book, this one nudges the series firmly into my like column.

Lisbeth Salander is, without a doubt, a remarkable character. Misunderstood and abused at a young age, this precocious but reticent woman goes about her life in a quietly defiant way, usurping expectations and social norms, that I am honestly in awe of. You dont exactly what to be her, per semore like, if you were like her, had her issues, then you would want to BE her. Does that make sense? Probably not. But thats the best I can explain it.

The majority of the book centers around the happenings of a tight very few days. Its almost incredible to think how 600 pages of a book could be devoted to, like, one week in these characters lives. However, Larsson is painfully meticulous about his details. Sifting through all the descriptions feels like you are a detective of a huge case, trying to determine which facts are relevant and which are just red herrings. His writing style, then, is rather appropriate considering the genre, and so I didnt mind the overwrittenness.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE ends on such a nervewracking cliffhanger that you should be sure to have the third and final book by your side. This is very good, very engrossing escapist fiction. If, like me, you were skeptical about continuing on with the series after the end of the first book, dont worry. This will totally blow your mind and have you cancelling appointments left and right, just so you can stay in Lisbeths world.