I have officially surpassed by goal of reading 75 books this year! Now, if you follow me on Goodreads (which you should), you’ll notice that my reading goal is 77 books. I had 2 DNFs that I owed publishers ratings on, so I increased my goal accordingly. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest marks book 76 for the year.

The Story

Lisbeth Salander – the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels – lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge – against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

My Thoughts

Now, this is the final book in Stieg Larsson’s original trilogy. Another author picked up the story and has written an additional three books for the series. To this point, I can see how the series was somehow a bit nicely wrapped up. We reached resolution for Salander’s court case as well as her relationship with Blomkvist. However, it didn’t quite feel…satisfying.

Overall, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest was just a dash less upsetting than its predecessors. There wasn’t quite as much time writing about women’s bodies or sexuality, and it toned down a lot of the “aggressive” feelings towards powerful women.

I had started this third installment in the series many years ago. I don’t remember why I didn’t finish, but I think I had to return it to the university library before I got fined. That meant that approximately two-thirds of this book were brand new to me (which was nice). I found myself getting super hyped up and involved and invested in Salander’s court case. Thankfully, the majority of that chapter was written in dialogue, so I felt like I was in the room.

I’m curious to see what David Lagercrantz does with the next three books. These are also all new to me, so stay tuned! Be sure to catch up with my review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire.

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