Early Review - The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Size: 432 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 29, 2013
ISBN: 978-0062128027
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in a Trilogy
Source: ARC through Netgalley.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I got a copy of this book to review through Netgalley(dot)com. Thanks to Balzer and Bray and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This was an engaging and disturbing young adult retelling of the Island of Dr. Moreau.

Juliet Moreau is struggling to make a living as a maid; years ago her father disappeared and not long after that her mother died of cancer. Then Juliet hears rumors about a strange doctor staying in a nearby inn and sees copies of her father’s drawings. When she goes to investigate she finds the her father is not dead as thought, but merely on a deserted island continuing his questionable medical studies. She travels there with her childhood friend and Dr. Moreau’s assistant, Montgomery, and finds things more horrific than she could ever have imagined.

Excellent young adult retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story has a bit of a gothic/thriller type feel to it. The mystery unravels slowly. Those who are familiar with the Island of Dr. Moraeu won’t be surprised by what Juliet finds when she goes to her father’s island but you will be surprised as the mysteries surrounding Juliet herself are revealed.

The book is beautifully written and very well done. There is a bit of a love triangle here, which I am not a huge fan of. Still it was decently done.

Juliet is a strong character that is easy to admire and engage with. The other characters on the island are similarly interesting. You are constantly wondering why Montgomery continues to work for Dr. Moreau and what Edward’s mysterious background is. There is just a lot of mystery hidden within all of these characters.

The plot is very engaging and there are some huge twists in the story which caught me by surprise. There is also quite a bit of medical talk in the book since Juliet has been learning from all of the medical books her father left behind, I enjoyed this as well.

The book is definitely best for young adult and older. There is an attempted rape scene, torture, and rather gory maiming of animals...just a heads up to be ready for some disturbing gore.

Overall I found the book very hard to put down and very engaging. It was a fantastic read. The enjoyed the mystery and the twists and turns the story took. I also enjoyed Juliet, she is a strong female lead with some interesting aspects to her personality. I strongly recommend to fans gothic horror, who don’t mind a somewhat disturbing read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Debut Author Reading Challenge
- Young Adult Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - 14 by Peter Clines (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Science Fiction/Steampunk/Thriller
Size: 352 pages
Publisher: Permuted Press
Release Date: May 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-1618680525
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I have read a few of Peter Clines books (Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots) and enjoyed them. I was eager to see what this new book was about. This was a very well done mystery/thriller/sci-fi/paranormal read. It is completely engaging and really keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

I got a copy of this to listen to on audiobook. The audiobook was very, very well done. I enjoyed listening to this even more than I think I would have enjoyed reading it.

Nate has a bad job and no girlfriend and needs a new place to live after his roommates move out. One of his buddies from work tells him about this apartment that is a great deal. Nate calls and there just happens to be a unit available. It’s super cheap, clean, and utilities are included. It seems like a dream come true until Nate notices strange things...like the glowing green cockroaches, the kitchen light that turns every light bulb into a black light, and the padlocks on apartment 14. Nate is drying to unravel the mystery...but at what cost?

This was a very well done and creepy book about a strange apartment that has secrets within it that are centuries old. The mystery is built slowly over time and is absolutely engaging. The characters are just regular people...kind of. As Nate talks to his neighbors he starts finding out that everyone has a few strange things in their apartment.

I really enjoyed watching the characters investigate all of the strange things they found and enjoyed how they had to piece everything together. You just never knew what “strange” thing would pop up next. Then you were forced to try and figure out how the heck it fit in with all the other strange things.

The mystery is absolutely engrossing. It was so hard to stop reading this story.

The characters are all great too. In the beginning they all seem like just normal people with not a lot of money who are dependent on the low rent the apartment building offers. As the book continues you find out they all have special skill sets and these skill sets may be exactly what is needed to unravel all these secrets.

The book is well written and easy to read. It’s a blend of lot of different genres; thriller, paranormal, sci-fi, steampunk. I am not going to say a lot more about the plot because it would ruin the story.

Overall I absolutely loved this book. The mystery is so well done and makes it impossible to put the book down. The characters are just ordinary people put into an extraordinary scenario where they have to use the skills they are best at to solve this mystery. Really really loved this one. I am eager to see what Clines writes about next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Get Steampunk’d Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge

Early Review - Chomp by Carl Hiaasen (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fiction
Size: 304 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0375868429
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from publisher
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fourth of Hiaasen's middle grade/YA eco-themed books. I loved Hoot and Flush, haven't read Scat, yet. This was another fun read that tackles some interesting social and ecological issues. This book wasn't as much of a mystery as the previous books, it was more of a eco-thriller of sorts. I didn't like it quite as much as Hoot, but I liked it just as much as Flush.

Wahoo Cray lives with his father and mother and a ton of animals. His father is an animal wrangler and as such has numerous snakes, gators, etc living in his backyard. After being hit in the head by an iguana who fell off a tree Wahoo's dad has been having horrible headaches and trouble working. When Wahoo's mom takes a two month job in China to make ends meet, Wahoo is concerned about how he will manage his dad. Then his dad takes a job as an animal wrangler with a reality TC show called Expedition Survival! Now they have paying work, but when a girl named Tuna joins the team while fleeing her abusive father, things start to get a little crazy.

Like normal with this series of books there are some societal issues discussed: reality TV, cruelty to animals, alcoholism, and abuse. Also like normal all of these issues are meshed in with a story that is quirky and humorous at times.

The fake survivalist that Wahoo's dad is working for is an absolute hoot. He is so crazy and funny and quirky. Wahoo and Tuna are great characters as well; they are faced with some tough situations and do a bang up job of making it through everything fine.

With the crazy survivalist trying to do stranger and stranger survival stunts Wahoo's dad has his hands full keeping the guy alive. Add to this Tuna's drunk gun-slinging dad and you have a book that is more action and thriller than mystery. I did miss the mystery a little bit, but I also enjoyed all the action and zaniness throughout this book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it was an entertaining light read. If you have enjoyed Hiaasen's previous YA books (Hoot, Flush, and Scat) then I think you will also enjoy this latest story. It was just a lot of fun and full of crazy situations and quirky characters. A great read for any middle grade or older readers out there, a wonderful action-packed eco-thriller of sorts.

Early Review - After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E Wedel (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal
Size: 320 pages

Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: September 13, 2011
ISBN: 978-1599906812
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: ARC from BEA
Rating: 4/5 stars

I got an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher at Book Expo America.  I wasn't sure if I would like it or not given the premise on the back of the book which was a bit corny.  Ignore the premise (which includes the phrase "bye, bye boyfriend"), this was actually a very good book.  It is creepy but the mystery really drew me in.

The book is told from two alternating perspectives.  Aimee has prophetic dreams and healing powers; she also has a dark history.  Aimee's mother killed herself and now Aimee, her dad, bother, and grandpa all live together trying to move on.  Then Alan and his mother come to town to live with Aimee's best friend, Courtney.  Alan has strange powers of his own.  Courtney's dad was lost at sea and Courtney still expects him to come back.  When Courtney starts acting strangely and strange things happen in both Aimee's and Courtney's houses; Aimee and Alan team up to try to use their powers to figure out what is going on.  There are four stages of possession and it looks like Courtney might be the one possessed.

I had never read anything by Carrie Jones because her Need series just sounded like typical teen paranormal romance triangle and I've had enough of that.  I may have to reconsider though because this book was not typical anything and was actually very creative and interesting.

Both Aimee and Alan are wonderful and complex characters.  Their relationship is sweet and they both have a lot of baggage to deal with.  Their "magic" powers are subtle and interesting too.  Courtney is another wonderful character; she struggles so hard to fight possession but her need for her dad to be alive puts her in a vulnerable position.  I loved that both Aimee's and Alan's families are part of the story and become involved in the struggles that are taking place.

There is a lot of mystery in this book.  Lots of time is spent trying to solve the mystery behind the river deaths and the River Man.  This book is seriously creepy at times too; there was a knife spinning on the counter scene that seriously creeped me out.  Just the fact that Aimee and Alan are dealing with hauntings adds to the creepiness..not to mention the whole possession thing, which was really well done.  It is undeniably creepy though to have Courtney spouting craziness in evil voices.  That being said, I am a total wuss about scary books and this book never got too scary for me.  It was creepy and creative and interesting, without ever being super duper scary.

The different viewpoints of Aimee and Alan were done really well.  Each character's viewpoint has a distinct tone (maybe because of two authors writing this book).  The romance throughout the book is steamy but relatively chaste, the best kind in my opinion.  It is the kind of romance where you are desperately hoping the characters will make things work out somehow.

Overall a very well done novel.  Much better than I thought it was going to be.  The book does an excellent job of writing the story from two viewpoints; the viewpoints are distinct and yet flow together nicely.  I love the creepy mystery surrounding the hauntings in this book.  The book also did an excellent job dealing with possession, in fact one of the better books with this topic that I have read.  There is some teen high school drama in here, but not a ton; mostly the book is full of mystery, some creepy hauntings and possessions, some great action scenes, and an adorably sweet love story between the two main characters.  A great read for young adults and adults; both male and female.  Those who love ghost stories and paranormal creepiness will find a lot to love here.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Early Review - Fury by Elizabeth Miles (2/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal
Size:  384 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: August 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-1442422247
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone?
Source: ARC from BEA
Rating: 2/5 stars

 
I got an advanced reading copy of this book at Book Expo America.  I fell in love with the beautiful cover (I know shame on me).  The story is interesting, but not something I enjoyed much.  It spends too much time following around teenagers with no morals and pushing the blame of their actions off on the small amount of supernatural explanation in this book.

This story is told from the viewpoint of two teens.  The first is Emily; she is struggling with her attraction to her best friend's, Gabby's, boyfriend Zach.  When Gabby takes off for winter break Emily and Zach are left to their own naughty devices.  The second teen is Chase.  Chase is trailer trash struggling to fit in with the rich kids in his school, he is also the star quarterback.  When he runs into a beautiful girl named Ty his life starts spiraling out of control.  Little do Emily and Chase know that somehow bad choices they have made have sucked in supernatural forces not known to most people, and these forces are going to make sure that Emily and Chase pay for any previous mistakes they have made or will make.

The majority of this book focuses on all the naughty things that Emily and Chase end up doing over their winter break.  As such this is probably a book for older teens and is full of characters I would not recommend as role models for anyone.  There are little hints of supernatural forces throughout; the faces Emily sees at her window at night and the beautiful girls that seem to haunt Emily and Chase throughout their winter break.  They are only hints of magic...that is until the end of the book.  To be honest all of the stalking, window peeking, suicides, etc make this book seem more like a thriller/horror novel than a paranormal one.

Neither Emily or Chase are very good characters.  Emily cheats on her best friend's boyfriend for goodness sake and thinks all will be forgiven if she buys Gabby an expensive Christmas present.  Chase is more of a mystery; you can't figure out why someone is out to get Chase until the end of the book.  Delicate readers beware though.  Not only are social economics made fun of in this book (Chase is constantly ragged on for being poor and for being trailer trash), Chase is humiliated by having naked pictures of himself plastered around school, and cavorts nakedly with Ty during a room painting session...additionally there are suicides, ugly language, and scenes of sexual behavior between teens throughout.  Honestly the morality and looseness of this book reminded me a lot of Swoon by Nina Malkin (definitely one of my least favorite books of last year).

The only decent character in this book is the sweet JD, Emily's neighbor friend who obviously adores her.  JD is much more than Emily deserves and the only character in this book that I acutally cared about and found interesting, he had a great personality and some style to boot.

The book is easy to read and generally well-written.  The only thing that makes this story engaging is the car-wreck quality to it all.  As a reader I was confused by what all of this wanton teenage behavior was leading to and only kept reading out of sheer morbid curiousity.

In the end the mythology of the Furies is tied into the story, but it is really only at the very end of the book.  The way all of the mythology and theory behind the goings on throughout the story was shoved into the end of the story felt rushed and contrived.

SPOLIER ALERT-----------------------------
I have to admit the part where Emily binds the Furies to her is intriguing.  I wish this had happened at the beginning of the book. 
SPOILER END-------------------------------

Overall I didn't enjoy the story all that much.  It spends a lot of time dwelling on Emily's and Chase's naughty behavior at the beginning, this made the story slow and made me wonder what the whole point was.  It isn't until much later in the story that the supernatural elements come in to play.  This story is more of a thriller than paranormal, so those who don't like scary reads should look elsewhere. The characters are unlikable and the things they do un-excusable.  I so wanted to love this book, the idea of tying the mythology of the Furies into a story could be really cool.  I won't be reading any more books in this series, to be honest the best thing about this book is the beautiful cover.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- The Debut Author Challenge

 

Early Review - The Celler by A.J. Whitten (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: Graphia
Release Date: May 2, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-054723253
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Advanced Reading Copy fro NetGalley.com
Rating: 3/5 stars
 

 I got an advanced copy of this e-book through netgalley.com.  It sounded like an interesting premise; basically a Romeo and Juliet storyline with zombies.  It ended up being okay, but was mainly just a creepy teen horror story.
Meredith thinks the new next door neighbor guy, Adrien, is a real creep and it isn't until she sees some odd things around his house that she thinks maybe he is more than just creepy; maybe he is even serial killer like.  Her sister Heather has had a rough time of it since their father passed away but is suddenly so happy.  When Meredith finds out that Heather is dating Adrien she is concerned about Heather, but when everyone suddenly loves Adrien she finds herself alone in her suspicions of him.  What is really going on in Adrien's cellar and will Heather and everyone in Meredith's town be safe from his plans?

I want to state right now that this is a horror/thriller novel.  It is not a zombie uber-violence horror novel either, it is a suspenseful serial-killer torturing people in dark places type of horror novel.  Those who follow my reviews know that I am so not into those kind of horror books.  I love the zombies, the fighting, the violence, the mayhem...I do not love creepy guys torturing people in the basement.  So overall this book was a bit too freaky and scary for me and it gave me nightmares.  But if that kind of horror is your thing you will probably like this.

The horror aspects aside, everything about this book was mediocre.  The writing was okay but not anything special, the characters were okay but not ones that really made you care, chemistry between the girls and their boyfriends was kind of there but I wasn't drawn in enough to really be pulling for them.   The plot clipped along at a good pace but was pretty predictable.

Also this is not a retelling of Romeo and Juliet.  Heather and Adrien play Romeo and Juliet in a play and their relationship is a bit star-crossed but that is where the similarities end.  The story does wrap up well and provides a satisfying ending.

Overall this book was okay.  If you like creepy serial killer type horror you might like this book.  This book was less about zombies though than about creepiness; so if you are a big zombie book fan I would look somewhere else.  I would recommend The Reapers are the Angels, The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong, Generation Dead, Dreadnought, Night of the Living Trekkies, or Kill the Dead if you want a really good zombie book.  If you are looking for a really good serial killer suspense type book (similar in tone to this one) I would recommend the Blue is for Nightmares series or the Wake series; both of these are more interesting and creative.  I won't be reading any more books by A.J. Whitten in the future; this type of horror isn't my thing and it wasn't an outstanding book.

 

 

Review - Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand (5/5 stars)

I am a big Elizabeth Hand fan.  I read all of her (non Star Wars) books in high school and college.  It's been a few (10) years since I've read anything by her but when I saw that she had written this book I was eager to read it and to see if I still liked her writing style.  This is a dark book, but at the same time it is a beautiful book and I really, really enjoyed it.

Cass Neary made it big as a photographer in the 1970's.  She was part of the punk scene and specialized in photographing the dead; people who overdosed or died of other causes.  Almost thirty years later she is a has-been.  Constantly strung out on drugs or drunk she just barely ekes out a living slumming it in New York City and working at a used bookstore.  Then a buddy of hers gives her a call, he has a job for her...they requested her specifically.  Suddenly Cass is trekking out to rural Maine to interview a photographer whose work inspired Cass to start doing photography.  Only nothing is what it seems out in this isolated community and strange things are happening...cats ending up dead, humans going missing.  Cass finds that this isolated region holds secrets darker than she ever imagined, and for Cass that is saying something.

I loved this book.  It is in keeping with her previous works, although there is less supernatural/fantasy element in this book and more mystery/thriller to it.  This novel is a bit creepy, but very atmospheric.  Hand has a way of describing settings that really makes them come alive...you can smell them and see them.  She also has a way of making dark things beautiful.  First and foremost this a dark book.

The characters are interesting and full of depth.  Cass herself is definitely not someone to idolize (she spends the majority of the book either strung out or drunk) but she has a sort of wondrous naivete about her that is endearing.  You kind of understand why she does the things she does and Hand helps you to understand why Cass finds beauty in the destruction and darkness of the world.  So despite her amoral character and stupid decisions, somehow you end up kind of liking Cass.   The same can be said for the old photographer's son Gryffin; he is mysterious and dark yet somehow likable.

This book also talks a lot about photography so that is interesting; it touches on rural living and fishing as well as tourism.

It is, all in all, an excellent book.  Hand's writing style continues to awe me.  I am always impressed with how engaging her books are, how intelligent they sound, and how they pry into dark places and find beauty there.  Her description is amazing, as is the raw way she depicts her characters.  The plot was very well done and Hand creates an excellent mystery/thriller.

There is a lot of drug use, swearing, and casual talk about sex; so this book is definitely meant for a more mature audience.

Overall I enjoyed every single word of this book.  I couldn't put it down and was sad when it was over.  Next on my list to read by Hand is Mortal Love; which I own, it is the only Elizabeth Hand book I haven't read yet.  I also saw that she is coming out with another book later this year; a children's book called Illyria.  So I am eager to pick that up to read too.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - The Light (Morpheus Road, Book 1) by D.J. MacHale (3/5 stars)

I got this book through Traveling ARC Tours; thanks to them for letting me be on the tour.  This is the first book I have read by Hale, and though I am not normally a horror read, the premise sounded interesting and I loved the cover.  This is the first book in the Morpheus trilogy. 

Marshall Seaver is looking forward to a great summer, but then things start to go wrong.  His dad has to go out of town to Las Vegas and his best friend is being shipped off to the family cabin.  Then Seaver, in a fit of anger, breaks a golden ball that is a memento from his deceased mother and things start to get creepy.  Marshall is being haunted and he keeps running into the image of Gravedigger, a graphic novel character that he created.  He needs to figure out what is going on before people start dying.

This book is definitely more of a creepy psychological thriller than a gore fest.  I am a person who is easily scared and I found many parts of this book to be incredibly scary.  I know it is aimed at young adults, but if you have an active imagination I would read it when there are other people around and it is light outside.  Really it did freak me out.  There are some mystery elements to the story as well, Marshall's spends a lot of time trying to piece together various pieces of evidence as he searches for his best friend.  There are also some gross parts; the characters drowning in a boat shed full of blood comes to mind.  The book in general is very reminiscent of your typical teenage horror film.

The book takes a while to get going, it plods slowly ahead with a couple creepy scenes here and there.  Then in the last third of the book things really pick up.  When all was said and done I wish that Hale had gotten through the beginning of the story quicker and spent more time dealing with all the supernatural strangeness surrounding Gravedigger and the Morpheus Road.

I didn't like any of the characters all that much.  Marshall is okay, but I didn't find him particularly engaging.  Sydney is an ice-queen and, though her character thaws a bit as the novel progresses, I still never liked her all that much.

The supernatural surrounding this story is never really all that well defined.  You can't tell if Gravedigger is an anomaly or part of a more world-wide problem.  The story itself is summed up completely, but there are some story threads introduced at the end that promise to be interesting in future books.

Overall I thought the story was okay.  I am not a big horror fan though so it was a bit too scary for me.  The idea behind the Morpheus Road is intriguing but not very well detailed in this story.  The characters were so-so and the story starts out slow.  I am interested to see what the second book in the series brings, but I will probably wait to see what other people say about it before I commit to reading it.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- 1st in a Series Reading Challenge
- Thiller and Suspense Challenge

 

Review - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2.5/5 stars)

I had heard a ton of good things about this novel and I found the idea intriguing, so I decided to give it a read.  I am not a huge thriller reader, but I do like great books that have a thriller element to them.  I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was very well done.

Mikael Blomkvist watches his career as a journalist go down the tube when he takes on a major financial entity, who he believes is unlawful, and looses.  He is sentenced to a short jail sentence and his journalistic career is potentially in ruins.  Then he gets a strange call from old-school industrialist Henrik Vanger; Henrik wants Blomkvist to investigate the decades old disappearance of his niece Harriet.  He wants Blomkvist to do it under the pretense of writing a history of the Vanger family.  Entwining with this story is the story of Lisbeth Salander who is a crazy punk girl who has been declared mentally unfit.  In reality she is an incredibly smart person, with top notch computer hacking skills, and an excellent research ability.  She is hired to research Blomkvist before Vanger hires him.  We learn both about Lisbeth's struggles within the Swedish legal system and, we watch as she is drawn deep into the Harriet Vanger case with Blomkvist.

As I stated overall I don't read a ton of thrillers; so keep this in mind as you read my perspective on this book.  There were some things I liked about this book.  I liked how Larsson goes into the detail describing the characters actions.  I liked how the author fit many small pieces of evidence into a whole.  Larsson also did a good job keeping the multitude of characters organized and easy to recognize for the readers.  Overall Larsson did an excellent job on characterization too; both Salander and Blomkvist are believable and complex characters that are interesting to read about.

There were many things I didn't like about this book.  It takes forever to get to the actual thriller part of the book.  Almost half the book deals with setting up the Vanger family tree and I found this to be a tedious and boring to read.  I think this could have been done much more efficiently.  There were some things with Salader that I didn't understand; for example there is a particularly viscous sexual scene between Salander and her appointed guardian.  It is gone into in grisly detail.  I understand that this scene shows some things about Salander's character, but I think that this could have been depicted in a more efficient way without so much detail.

I also found it interesting that a good portion of the book is dedicated to who is sleeping with who, or who has slept with who.  The amount of time dedicated to casual sex in this book was odd.  I don't mind reading about sex; I've read a number of books with oodles of sex.  I just thought it was odd in context to the rest of the story.  I realize the story was about sexual violence; but that doesn't mean we needed to read about every single time Blomkvist decides to sleep with another woman..I just don't understand how it was relevant.

That brings me to another point...if you don't like to read about violence, torture, and sex skip this book.  The majority of this book focuses around torture, rape, sexual abuse, and serial killers.  Again, I don't mind some of that but reading about rape and torture of women is not something I am really all that into.  So just a heads up.

The biggest thing that bugged me about this book was how predictable it was.  After the first third or so of the book I had guessed what happened to Harriet, I also made some guesses about the torture/killings, and I was right.  So, I was very disappointed that I was able to correctly predict the outcome of this lengthy novel.  I was hoping for some surprises and all I got was a wandering and lengthy read.  The novel does tie up nicely, so you don't need to read the next book to get a fairly complete story.

Overall it was okay.  The mystery was fairly well put together, the characters were well done, and it was an interesting read; but I can't honestly say I really liked it.  The drawn out set-up, excessive sex/violence and predictability turned me off this series.  I won't be reading anymore of Larsson's books.  If you are big into thrillers and serial killer-type novels then this book may be a good match for you.  It just wasn't something I personally enjoyed.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- Thiller and Suspense Challenge