All I can say is it's a good thing this was on audio or I'd never have been able to get thru it. It didn't start getting interesting until about halfway thru it. So much of the beginning was a ton of financial discussion back and forth, a ridiculously detailed family history of the many Vanger family members. Add that to what felt like random details of things (eg: Salander's computers listed the entire technical specs) with most not making a whole lot of sense until later, but ultimately weren't that vital. It felt more like a research project or a police report than a mystery/thriller for all that. The book also kept jumping, seemingly arbitrarily, between the main characters Blomkvist and Salander in such small segments it often took me a minute to figure out what was happening, then realized I was on the other character until I got used to the pattern. The very ending of the Epilogue was really bizarre too.

The mystery part that it did have after halfway thru was pretty interesting, albeit extremely disturbing. Ultimately it took so long to get there, I couldn't really recommend the book honestly.

The Girl Who Escaped Auschwitz, a novel based on the true story of Mala Zimetbaum, was definitely a compelling story. It added a great layer to the stories of Auschwitz-Birkenau and told of the sacrifice, tenacity and hope of the prisoners in the camps.

The only drawback for me in the book is I felt it was a little wordy and a more work than it needed to be. The author often weaved decent-sized sections of backstories or the characters’ reminiscing right in between the dialogue in a conversation, but then jump right back into the other side of the conversation. It was so much off-topic by then that I often had to go back and read again what the characters were talking about in the first place because it side tracked so much. It felt a little more complicated than it needed to be and made the story drag on a bit for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

It was an interesting setting being in Norway (briefly) and Shetland Islands during WW2. It was an interesting story and the writing was engaging even tho predictable.

While I liked the change in scenery from the typical France, Britain or other European country or city, I did not care for Bill’s character. He felt whiney and self-focused. I liked Hedda but towards the end she felt inconsistent and out of character at times rather than progressively growing.

Also, the mail thing bothered me at the end. Most soldiers couldn’t share the location once deployed which is why they had military postal boxes like APOs and GPOs. So it didn’t make sense why she couldn’t have written simply because she didn’t know where he was. It most likely wouldn’t have been mailed directly to him anyways.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

1.5⭐️s rounded up. Not to be sexist, but I knew it was going to be a bit of a risk reading this when the MC is a woman written by a man. I’ve just seen it done poorly more often than successfully. When I realized it was 1st person my chances coming out on the plus side went down even further. To where they crashed and burned.

I don’t know whether the author just didn’t actually ask any females what their inner dialogue is like or spent very little time around them as a whole, but this was so bizarre I don’t even know what to say other than it was written as if Sloan was a man - definitely missed the mark on being a realistic or believable female character. (Also what woman has ever called HERSELF “dollface”?!)

Add to that, Sloan was a diver who just happened to get a badge/gun when the police division hired her cuz it was cheaper. She wasn’t actually a cop in anything other than a label - her dad called her out for it. Yet she went thru the whole story like she was a full out detective with all the skill, training and authority of a police investigator. It was just so far fetched and unbelievable I found myself repeatedly rolling my eyes.

There was very little character development and depth either. It was mostly either action or diving the entire time and that’s it. It made me feel completely uninvested in any of the characters.

So many practical and insightful gems in this book. It was a terrific follow up to The Choice. Dr Eger takes you thru 12 key steps with practical examples and lessons to apply, many of which she touched on with The Choice. I’ll be listening to this a second time I think it was so good and helpful.

I’ve never heard of Operation Paperclip before this but man, what a complicated situation, bringing German Scientists - so many potential and confirmed former Nazi’s - for the sake of scientific advancement. Such ethical and moral blurring.

Ms Rimmer did an excellent job portraying how complicated things were for Germans in the Rhodes’ position - how one compromise led to another and eventually snowballed until you were trapped. And the price they paid from doing so.

It also displayed how easy it is to allow discrimination and hatred to take root without considering what someone else went thru or what remorse they felt from their mistakes.

Very well written - you empathized with both Lizzie and Sophie thru the whole book.

Fascinating story inspired by the real life Martha Ballard. The writing was excellent and the focus of many women, along with many injustices they faced was easy to identify with and hard to put down. A little murder mystery doesn’t hurt either.

I loved the relationship and trust Martha and Ephraim had, and how the devoted themselves to integrity and their community even when they didn’t agree or even like the individuals. The kinship and devotion Martha had as a midwife to the other women was also inspiring. That opinions and feelings could be put aside to do what needed to be done.

Such an interesting look at how small towns in colonial times went. So much gossip and judgement and often injustices especially as a woman. While there was so much sadness, helplessness and incredible injustice on the subject of rape and struggle to make the evil men accountable, it was conveyed in a way that made you empathetic and want to stand alongside the women fighting for their dignity and protection. And love the men who tried to protect them as best they could in the environment.

Loved it and really well done.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.