Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

On his first attempt to write a novel of the Lisbeth Salander genre, I was tolerant of Mr. Lagercrantz's shortcomings. After all, what author in the world COULD step into Stieg Larsson's shoes without a stumble or two? But one would have hoped that David Lagercrantz would have learned from his first efforts. What should he have learned? 1. When stepping into a world with already developed and universally beloved characters, DON'T try to change the characters. Mr. Lagercrantz seems unable to resist writing the characters profoundly "against type." It doesn't work. 2. When trying to emulate the style of another writer, try harder. The meager attempt by Mr. Lagercrantz to write in the style of Mr. Larsson seems half-hearted at best. Perhaps Mr. Lagercrantz feels that writing in another's style is somehow beneath him, and that his own efforts should be more than sufficient. They aren't. Even a brief reading of the Lagercrantz manuscript by a group familiar with Mr. Larsson's books could have provided sufficient feedback to avoid the most egregious of the errors. As published, however, this "Eye for an Eye" book is simply cringe-inducing. 3. Use a coherent plot. The storytelling is disjointed to the point of being deliberately confusing. At a point two thirds of the way through the book, the reader is still left wondering what the plot is supposed to be, whom the significant characters are, and why the book is worth finishing. David Lagercrantz - Either do justice to the original characters or create your own book series. Your treatment of Stieg Larsson's creations is demeaning not only to you but also to those of us who love Mr. Larsson's works. If you can't do better than "The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye," then please decline the option of continuing this series and let another author make their attempt. We readers deserve better.