kellee's profile picture

kellee 's review for:

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
4.0

An early warning: the only issue that I have with this book is that there are so many characters! I actually took to writing them all down in my Notes on my iPhone. Here's my list for Millennium, with little blurbs:

Millennium, Gotgatan
Erika Berger, Saltsjobaden
Greger Beckman, her artist husband
Harriet & Henrik
David Goldman, board
Christer Malm, Erikssom
Emil Granden, 36, won Investigative Reporter of the Year
Sofie Melker
Andrei Zander, 26, a temp and freelancer, parents killed when he was 11

... and the list goes on for many other organizations: Lisbeth's friends, family, Sapo, NSA, The Spider Society, etc... It drives me nuts when authors reference an obscure character that they've mentioned before, but I can't remember exactly why they're important.. or are they? Spoiler: its not important than Emil Granden won the Investigative Reporter of the Year. Its just an interesting fact.

Okay, that spiel is over. Onto the actual review. :)

I think that David Lagercrantz did an admirable job, staying true to Stieg Larsson's voice in the original three books. The characters remain unchanged, and it reads well, packed nice and tight with facts, Swedish place names, and a little exposition. The mystery is a little different this time, with one Frans Balder and his AI technology, plus an 8-year-old boy with autism. I can't reveal too much, of course, because I liked the fact that I had no idea what to expect. Then, almost suddenly, the book reverses course, and we're back on familiar territory. More of Lisbeth's past is explored, and we're set up for another Girl mystery. Because that's all we want anyway.

A solid read. Recommended for teen readers, anyone who loves a kicka** female heroine, reporters who actually stand up for social justice, and has a soft spot for the nerds of the world.