Breakdown of The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

ONE Sentence summary:  The Adventures of Lisbeth Salander continue, only this time she has unlimited money and she’s wanted for three murders.

TWO Things I would have done differently: I would have made some scenes more clear with how the different officers just “know” things; seemed a little plot convenient. I also would have chosen simpler names because it got a little confusing.

THREE Titles that if you liked...you will like this:
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (Read it, loved it)
Out by Natsuo Kirino Where I Found It
Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg Where I Found It

FOUR Reasons to care:
1.) This novel tackles some interesting aspects of organized crime.
2.) Focuses on corruption and how people become corrupted.
3.) Still on the bestseller list…still a conversation starter.
4.) Female protagonists are always worth reading.

FIVE Facts about the author:
See previous post Breakdown of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

SIX Emotions I felt while reading:
Disbelief, confusion, relief, amusement, scared, anxious

SEVEN Thoughts:
1.) How do people get into abusive relationships?
2.) Why don’t twins always turn out to be friends?
3.) Why have kids if you know you won’t love them?
4.) What would make the foster care system better?
5.) Who can be trusted when it comes to the authorities?
6.) When is it okay to stop fighting for your life?
7.) Why not communicate feelings?

EIGHT Buzzwords:
Mob, crime, murder, hacking, violence, life, death, strength

NINE Plot device/writing techniques/tools/tricks:
1.) Delayed release of information.
2.) Flashbacks, memories, thought processes
3.) In medius res. Starting the story in the middle of things.
4.) Third person limited point of view
5.) Suspense
6.) Flexibility with time tags
7.) Rotating other points of view
8.) Gradual development as a means to an end
9.) Media headlines as plot device

TEN Point plot summary:
1.) Lisbeth Salander has been out of the country for several months avoiding Mikael Blomkvist and her life back home.
2.) She had been island-hopping but her hotel was about to be hit by a hurricane. Meanwhile, Blomkvist was hard at work about to edit and publish another novel, this one about sex trafficking.
3.) When Salander finally came home, she bought a very expensive classy second apartment that no one knew the address of, not even her most recent lover, Mimmi.  Blomkvist was still hard at work editing the novel and looking up sources for the novel.
4.) Mimmi buys Salander’s old apartment for a dollar, and lives there rent-free. Blomkvist gets deeper into the content of the novel.
5.) Salander learns that her old guardian woke up from his coma and she visits him, plays chess and pays for his intensive care.
6.) Salander gets attacked by a mysterious man, and Blomkvist is a witness to the attack, but is unable to help her.
7.) Salander visits the apartment of the author of the novel and his fiance. Shortly after her visit, they are found dead. Shortly after that, Salander’s current guardian was also found dead. The same weapon was used for all three murders, and is found at the scene of the crime of the writer and the fiance- with Salander’s fingerprints on the weapon.
8.) Salander goes deep into hibernation mode to avoid the police or anyone who would want to turn her in.  Salander does incredible detective work to find out the real killer.
9.) Salander finds the real killer and where he lives (much more complicated than this if you have ever read the books before) and pays him a visit.
10.) Find out if she survives the encounter!