Published Date: January 5, 2016
Publishing Co.: Tor Teen
Pages: 416
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Perseverance. It’s worth the effort to trudge through the first one hundred pages of the convoluted mess that is the beginning. The introduction to the world is a little sloppy, but after awhile the characters crawl under your skin and things get more interesting and things are explained better.
The synopsis of this novel gives you a very good run down of the story line, so I won’t be repeating it. What I will do is talk about how refreshing it was to finally read about a solid female friendship. Sometimes, I feel like my best friend and I are the only ones in a sea of women who don’t constantly fight with their supposed BFFs. How we treat each other is always at the forefront of both of our minds, we constantly lift each other up and we never abandon each other for anyone else. (In fact, I told my now husband when we were dating that the stupidest thing he could ever do was try to become between her and I. We’ve been together 11 years now so he clearly listened.)
I don’t read YA that often anymore but I would consider this a good read and something I would definitely pass along to any teens I know. (Especially any girls so that they know what a healthy friendship looks like.) I enjoyed myself and will check out the next installment to the series.
cupcakesandmachetes 
I might give it another try. I downloaded the sample, and the beginning did not grab me at all. Agreed about the female friendships. I’m sick of the cliche that if you have two women they automatically hate each other, and of course the “I’m not like other girls” bullshit. No girl is like other girls, because we’re not a monolith! I’ve never watched it, but apparently the show Lost Girl is really good with female friendships. Granted…I’m guilty of writing the female hateship, but this was a decade ago, and I need to fix that story anyway.
That first 100 pages was really rough. I didn’t know if I was going to make it but I had heard such good things that I kept going. If it wasn’t for that I might not of. I’ve watched Lost Girl, it is definitely good about the female friendships. Last season wasn’t that great though and then it was canceled and kind of leaves you hanging. Otherwise I really enjoyed that show.
That’s how I felt about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The first 100 pages drag on (omg…) until the titular character is introduced. It’s all about this security company and you don’t understand their relevance until Lisbeth shows up, but the author could’ve cut all of that. I think I gave it more of a pass because I know that other countries do things a bit differently, and there were a lot of things I really loved. Like the way relationships worked was fantastic. The main journalist character and his boss are best friends and they have a relationship even though she’s married, but it’s an open marriage, and her husband knows about it, and no one has an issue! Like that’s not even a main part of the story. It’s just kind of a side note. Also he has no issue with women being taller and or stronger than he is in a relationship. He was just chill like that. Then (slight spoiler, but not really) he winds up having to go to jail for a time and it is NOTHING like American jail. He works on his writing, makes friends with the warden, and that’s that. I need to freaking read that series again…
I read the first and second book I think but it was so many years ago it’s hard to remember. I think I had the third book but my dad’s then girlfriend took off with it. Bitch on more than one level. I enjoy European books for all those reasons you just listed.
Damn, you don’t steal someone else’s books! WTF?
Yup! I like foreign movies for similar reasons. They have this whole different feel to them. It makes you take a look at your own culture, and American culture is hella prudish in so many ways.
Woo! We are total BFF goals, for sure! 😀 ❤
There definitely needs to be more awesome lady friendships explored in books and other media.
We are! It would be so awesome. Enough catty shit, it’s a dime a dozen.