Community Reviews
Closer to a 4.75 rating, but I've had this book on my shelf for over ten years. I don't know why it took me so long to read this considering it has everything I love in a good thriller/mystery. I never watched the movie and refrained from reading any reviews until after I finished it so I went into this without any expectations or biases.
I loved everything about this book, but I lean towards darker and sinister material so I can definitely see how it might be too much or too dark for some readers. Spoiler alert: there's rape, sadism, religious/satanic animal sacrifices, serial killer(s), financial crimes - just to name a few. In my opinion, the sections containing these aspects weren't too grotesque in description (if you're a fan of Karin Slaughter, this'll be right up your alley), but provided enough details to set the tone and leave you with the hairs on the back of your neck standing up while also being totally revolted.
I've seen numerous negative reviews that say there's too much going on with the plot, it's like a story within a story or that it's like reading two separate stories. I do agree that there's a lot going on, however, I also think this mirrors reality. Nothing happens in a vacuum and so what you think is going to be the story ends up being just one piece in a larger, overarching plot. Without giving away too much detail, there are certain things in Mikael's story/life that couldn't have happened without other parts of the story falling into place and coming together. This creates a complicated and semi-drawn out plot, but it's one of the better books I've read that does this and is still able to achieve a common theme.
Lastly, I've also seen some reviews that paint the book in a negative light for how the women in the story are treated. I'll simply say this: this is a fictional story and was published almost 20 years ago, the storyline wouldn't be what it is without the mistreatment of women. It's a common theme and how our main characters become sort of anti-heroes, but I think there's just as much feminism present as there is mistreatment. If you pay attention to some of the female background characters, they are incredibly powerful and doing things that I think show how capable women are.
So, all in all, if you've been on the fence about this book, I think it's worth reading and forming your own opinion.
I loved everything about this book, but I lean towards darker and sinister material so I can definitely see how it might be too much or too dark for some readers. Spoiler alert: there's rape, sadism, religious/satanic animal sacrifices, serial killer(s), financial crimes - just to name a few. In my opinion, the sections containing these aspects weren't too grotesque in description (if you're a fan of Karin Slaughter, this'll be right up your alley), but provided enough details to set the tone and leave you with the hairs on the back of your neck standing up while also being totally revolted.
I've seen numerous negative reviews that say there's too much going on with the plot, it's like a story within a story or that it's like reading two separate stories. I do agree that there's a lot going on, however, I also think this mirrors reality. Nothing happens in a vacuum and so what you think is going to be the story ends up being just one piece in a larger, overarching plot. Without giving away too much detail, there are certain things in Mikael's story/life that couldn't have happened without other parts of the story falling into place and coming together. This creates a complicated and semi-drawn out plot, but it's one of the better books I've read that does this and is still able to achieve a common theme.
Lastly, I've also seen some reviews that paint the book in a negative light for how the women in the story are treated. I'll simply say this: this is a fictional story and was published almost 20 years ago, the storyline wouldn't be what it is without the mistreatment of women. It's a common theme and how our main characters become sort of anti-heroes, but I think there's just as much feminism present as there is mistreatment. If you pay attention to some of the female background characters, they are incredibly powerful and doing things that I think show how capable women are.
So, all in all, if you've been on the fence about this book, I think it's worth reading and forming your own opinion.
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Took a bit to get into it but once I was I could barely put it down. Very interesting thread running through about the influence of Nazism in Sweden. Very suspenseful.
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