The Girl.... (Steig Larsson)

All three books.  All three thrilling, brutal, time-sucking, can't-put-'em-down books.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played With Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

These books kept me turning the page until they were done.....because I had no choice.  They didn't suck me in immediately, though, because they were WORK at the beginning.  For me, anyway.  I had to kind of skim the names, locations, business and such because 1) I couldn't pronounce half of them or 2) they all seemed so similar that I was just going to get confused about them later regardless of the time I spent "learning" them at the beginning.

I read these book with my step-mom.  The third we literally were racing to finish together.  We weren't racing each other, we were just anxious to get it DONE so that we could move on with life!  They kept us on our toes to the very end....and then the real end....and then finally THE END END.  The third book seemed to have a lot of loose ends that needed to get tied-up before it ended so it just kinda went on and on.....but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Just an exhausting thing.

So, how do I REALLY feel about these crazy books?  I wasn't quite sure about the first one.  I thought it was so brutal and....well....frankly, nasty.  I loved the mystery and the main characters, Lisbeth and Mikael.  I loved the sound of the location and all the players in the story.  I hated the horrible treatment of women.  (Ah HA - I know.  The book is originally translated as "Men Who Hate Women.")  But I seriously still can't say I disliked the book.  And as I read the second?  I grew to like #1 even better.  The third and final book really had me loving the whole entire trilogy.  So much so that I plan on reading them all again.....someday.....after I rest and read some no-brainers. ;-)

I would recommend this book to a certain select group of people.  It's not for the romancy, touchy-feely book lovers.  It's not for the faint of heart, either.  Nor for the ones who love a funny, light, simple plot.  But those that are okay with reading about the brutality that some women face by men/family/others and are fine with some serious swearing.....then read this deeply woven mystery.

* * * * *
(five stars from me!)