Book review by: Kelli Reichert
I first heard about “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” from my friend who said the book was one of her favorites in a long time, topping all seven of the Harry Potter books that she speaks about in such high regard that you’d think she was talking about the bible.
I was a little unsure at first what I would think after reading the back cover. Seeing the words “sexy” and “chilling” made me question what exactly I was about to read. But after doing so I believe these words describe the book perfectly.
The story takes place in Sweden, in a smaller town for the majority of it. A journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who has recently gone through an awful libel suit that put his career on hold has been hired to investigate a disappearance that happened nearly 40 years ago. Part way through what seems to be an impossible investigation he finds a break in the case and teams up with the most unpredictable partner, Lisbeth. She is covered in strange tattoos and is incredibly antisocial.
This book takes you through so many twists and turns. Some parts quite simply terrify in ways you can’t explain. What the characters in this book go through chills you to the bone, some of the things are difficult to shake when you are trying to sleep at night.
Although, there is a down side to this book. The first five chapters is very long and drawn out legal talk about the law suit, though it is, in a sense, necessary to the plot, it is very dry. The mystery of the disappearance takes too long to break, but it is entirely worth it. The twist at the end shook me so much that I forgot how long the beginning was.
Another point that needs to be brought up for anyone wanting to read this book is that it can get gruesome. Some of the chapters in the book depict very gross, intense scenes where acts of rape are committed. If you cannot stomach or ignore this, I strongly do not recommend this book for you.
So, if you are looking for a thrilling novel to read during SSR, then this will be a good read for you. If you want to go on this journey prepare for unpredicted twists and nerve-racking scenes. All I can say to you is good luck; you’ll never be able to see things the same way again.
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