When Stieg Larsson passed away, I mourned not only the loss of a great writer but also the loss of Lisbeth Salander. So, I didn't pay much attention to the news when it was announced that David Lagercrantz would be continuing the Millennium series. Honestly, I just thought it was impossible to change the creative team. A friend finally talked me into reading it, saying, "Don't worry about who did or didn't write it, just read it." And so I did...Almost from the very first paragraph, the transiti...

3.5 starsGoing into *The Girl in the Spider's Web*, I had pretty low expectations, especially since it wasn't written by Stieg Larsson, the author of the original trilogy. Taking over a beloved series like this is a huge undertaking, trying to replicate someone else’s voice. While it definitely has some flaws, it's a decent thriller and not some terrible piece of fan fiction.I enjoyed revisiting Blomkvist and Salander's world, although the first half really bogs down by jumping around between wa...

The Millennium Series Book 5 just dropped this month, which means I finally powered through Book 4... which has been sitting on my shelf since 2015. I started and stopped a couple of times, because it's not a book that immediately hooks you. But once it gets going, it's a full-speed, fast-spinning ride. Lisbeth, the inscrutable hacker girl, is scheming and operating on her own timetable, chasing a web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world. Blomkvist just happens to be doing ...

The story behind the creation and release of *The Girl in the Spider's Web* is honestly a bit of a mess. Stieg Larsson, the series' creator, tragically died of a heart attack in 2004, just a year before the first novel in the Millennium trilogy was published. In the years that followed, the books became incredibly successful, and Larsson's characters developed a devoted fan base. Unfortunately for readers, the series was supposed to end after the third and final novel. Or so we thought…Despite w...

"It’s always the wrong people who have the guilty conscience. Those who are really responsible for suffering in the world couldn’t care less. It’s the ones fighting for good who are consumed by remorse.”David Lagercrantz, a novelist and journalist, was asked to assume responsibility for the continuation of a trilogy of novels that frankly took the publishing industry by storm. The books left readers stunned with the marvelous insanity of the writing. More importantly Stieg Larsson created a char...

Despite my reservations about whether Stieg Larsson's wishes were being respected with the publication of this book (especially after reading "There Are Things I Want You to Know" about Stieg Larsson and Me), I decided to give "The Girl in the Spider's Web" a shot. I absolutely loved Lisbeth Salander's character and thought if the book was well-written, it might be worth it. You just don't find many characters like her these days.Unfortunately, I was massively disappointed, so much so that I can...

Re/Read on Audio! MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading ListI thought this book was wonderful! I have missed Lisbeth and Blomkvist for so long. I think David Lagercrantz did a great job carrying on Stieg Larsson's series. Lisbeth is one of the coolest women out there. I love her character, I love how smart she is, oh if I could be as smart as her. I do hate her past, but I am glad that she is a character that was written to rise above all of the horrible things that happened to her. In this new book...

Just as die-hard Deadheads don't appreciate Trey Anastasio playing Jerry Garcia's lead guitar or singing his songs, David Lagercrantz isn't Stieg Larsson. He has a different writing style, but Lisbeth Salander remains one of the most innovative and iconic characters in modern fiction: an antisocial goth female hacker, fighting with all her substantial might against injustice, whether perceived or actual. *The Girl in the Spider's Web* gets off to a rather slow start, with a Swedish professor aba...

Update: read in August 2015 but decided to update in January 2016 I devoured The Millennium Trilogy in breathless anticipation of The Girl in the Spider's Web. As soon as it dropped, I dove in, buzzing with excitement but also a little nervous that the new author wouldn't measure up to the writing chops of the late, great Stieg Larsson.Well, let's be clear: David Lagercrantz is no Stieg Larsson, and everything I adored about The Millennium Trilogy felt like it was missing here. The plot dragged,...

Look, I respect the effort, but... man! This isn't the Lisbeth we know. It's a watered-down version of her. *Very* watered down. She's basically just a babysitter for August, some bratty hacker kid who's hacking the American government. But I still enjoyed reading it. I'll always read Lisbeth's stories no matter what. I love her, and I'll always support the effort! :D It's like David Lagercrantz recreated his own Lisbeth. There's not much left of the Lisbeth we know, other than those sca...