The Girl Who Lived Twice By David Lagercrantz

My mom bought me The Girl Who Lived Twice for my birthday back in December. I actually opened it early because I couldn’t wait! The book took me a while to read even though it’s a normal-sized book. It was partly because of the Holidays but also because I wasn’t ready for the series to end.

This is the final book in the Millennium Series. I was a little nervous going in because I wasn’t sure how they were going to end it. I actually thought the series had been slowly going downhill after the first book. My hopes weren’t super high but I was hoping for the best.

Book Stats

• Title: The Girl Who Lived Twice
• Author: David Lagercrantz
• Translator: George Goulding
• Series: Millennium #6
• Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 347
• Est. Reading Time: 9 hours
• My Rating: 4/5 stars
• Buy Now: Amazon or BAM!

Larsson vs Lagercrantz

The original trilogy was written by Stieg Larsson and the second trilogy was written by David Lagercrantz after Larsson’s death in 2004. I prefer Larsson’s trilogy over Lagercrantz. Their writing styles are completely different.  It could have been the translation but Larsson’s is much more of a slow burn and Lagercrantz is faster paced. Lagercrantz was much easier to read since he doesn’t juggle as many characters or subplots as Larrson. But I like all the intricacies of Larsson’s more.

I will say this was my favorite of Lagercrantz’s trilogy because it reminded me the most of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I liked that it followed Lisbeth and her life problems while Blomkvist was following a news story and they intertwined the two like in the first book. Also, I thought Lagercrantz’s other two books had too much action and gave off a more thriller vibe than mystery.

Plot Summary of The Girl Who Lived Twice

Blomkvist is trying to unravel the mysterious death of a homeless man who had his phone number in his pocket at the time of his death. This man seemed to know damaging information about some of the most powerful people in Sweden. Meanwhile, Lisbeth wants to confront her evil twin, Camilla, once and for all. Blomkvist and Lisbeth need each other’s help and the intertwining of their stories result in a final showdown between the two sisters.

My Thoughts

Lisbeth Salander is one of my all-time favorite literary characters. She is a very unique character. She has a photographic memory and is a genius, especially with computers. With her being so smart and abused as a child, it makes it hard for her to relate to people so many see her as peculiar. The first book came out in 2005 in Sweden and Lisbeth really pushed the boundaries for female protagonists. You can read more of my thoughts about her and the first book here.

Larsson’s plan was to write 10 books in the Millennium series. I would have been okay if the books stopped after his original trilogy. I didn’t mind that Lagercrantz picked up where Larsson left off because it was interesting to see what the characters would do next. Again, their writing styles are so different, she actually felt like a different character or from a completely different set of books. There were a few things that she did that I felt like she wouldn’t have done. I wouldn’t say he ruined her character so I can’t complain too much. I am happy I got to see things play out and the way they ended.

Favorite Quotes

Not too many quotes caught my eye in this book but here are a couple.

“The dignity of a society is defined by the way it looks after its weakest members.”

– David Lagercrantz, The Girl Who Lived Twice

I normally wouldn’t have thought much about this quote but living in LA the past few years it really hits close to home. Seeing how so many homeless people are treated or how many people are living below the poverty line speaks volumes about our society. It’s so much easier just to look the other way and think not my problem. I also find it interesting that it’s happening all over the world not just in big cities in the US.

“A prince in beggar’s clothing. That would be something. But real life is never the way it is in fairy tales.”

– David Lagercantz, The Girl Who Lived Twice

I like that these books don’t sugar coat things. They tell the cold, hard, ugly truth. Life is not perfect and it is not a happy beautiful fairy tale no matter how much you want it to be.

Final Feelings on The Girl Who Lived Twice

Overall, I am satisfied with the ending of Lagercrantz’s trilogy and the way the Millennium series ended as a whole. It’s nice to get that closure. I give The Girl Who Lived Twice 4 stars. Mostly due to the fact that it is the end of the series. I liked that it was the most similar to the first book with more of a mystery feel and we get to see what finally happens with her sister. Get the book from Amazon or BAM!

I also have The Man Who Played with Fire on Kindle. It’s about Stieg Larrson’s life and I am excited to read it!

Have you read any of the The Millennium Series? Or know of any characters similar to Lisbeth Salander?