Book Review: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (Millennium #3), by Stieg Larsson

Genre: Crime Thriller
Date Published: May 2007
Publisher: Knopf
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 563 pages/20 hours 20 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's internationally best-selling trilogy.
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 Rating:

 ★★★★★

.....For being a fantastic feminist read!

My Thoughts:

What a great conclusion to a fantastic trilogy! If the first book was more of a mystery, and the second more of a thriller, then this one was more of a political court procedural.

I loved the whole political intrigue and scandal part of the story. Reading about Erika Berger's own personal forays into a male dominant newspaper also made for interesting reading. Plus, the whole courtroom proceeding at the end of the novel was brilliantly done! I don't want to spoil anything, but it was definitely my favorite part of the entire novel.

As a whole, this was a great trilogy. It's such a shame that Stieg Larsson never got to see how popular his writing was, nor how widespread they would become. The fact that they are so celebrated just goes to show that they carry all the elements that make a novel or a series good: good writing style, engaging plot, well-developed characters that you want to root for, and thought-provoking ideas. It's the type of book that can draw you in and keep you captivated for days.

I said it in my reviews for the previous two books and I'll say it again: these novels carry a very strong feminist theme, and the woman characters in this novel are genuinely strong, independent female characters. These novels also accurately depict the inequality issues that women frequently face in the workplace, as well as the horrors of domestic abuse and instances of rape that women have endured time and again. As a feminist, I find it extremely gratifying that a man was able to definitively see a woman's point of view and depict it in such a realistic way in his writing. Stieg Larsson has certainly earned my respect several times over. Well done, sir. Well done indeed.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a decent mystery, or for a good book that has a strong leading female character. Trust me, this series deserved the hype it's gotten, and it's definitely a worth a read.