[Review] I Am The Tiger

I Am The Tiger is the final installment to John Ajvide Lindqvist's 'locations' trilogy. The ‘locations’ trilogy consist of I Am Behind You -- a peculiar little tale about a group of Caravan campers who find themselves stranded in an endless field of grass -- and I Always Find You -- a hybrid of autobiography meets fiction.

The most perplexing thing about the previous two novels is that they ultimately left the reader with far more questions than answers. I will confess that I honestly had no clue what was happening come the end of I Am Behind You, while I Always Find You started to bring some of the pieces together but still left me with more questions than answers. Both of those novels were filled with riddles and unanswered questions but still thoroughly entertaining in their own right.

Most of the questions I had from the previous two books were finally answered. Although not all as there are still some lingering questions to be had. But for the most part, the puzzle pieces of the previous two novels finally come together in an immensely satisfying climax.

It tells the tale of Tommy T. A true crime investigative journalist whose star power is on the decline. But his deep dive into a series of mysterious suicides throughout Sweden just might be his ticket back to the top. Through his connections in the underworld, he learns of an elusive new Drug Kingpin on the rise known only as ‘X.’

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, Tommy’s ADD riddled 17 year old nephew Linus is getting in way over his head. Having found success in selling his ADHD medication to students since he was 13, Linus has built his own little empire of sorts. But opportunity presents itself as Linus finds himself with an offer to distribute a fresh batch of Cocaine. Desperate for a better life, Linus sets his aims a little higher at a cost.

But unbeknownst to both of them, there is a force of evil at play far greater than either of them could have possibly imagined.

I Am The Tiger marks a bit of a style departure for its author. While Lindqvist has been very well versed in writing horror, here he tackles the Nordic crime thriller. What results is a well crafted Nordic crime thriller that halfway meets the typical paranormal world of its Author. Yet in typical Lindqvist fashion, he has crafted another equally fascinating, sad and horrific tale of what happens when the ordinary comes into contact with the other.

Lindqvist writes with vivid detail. Mood and atmosphere has been a strong point of Lindqvist's writing for a long time and I Am The Tiger continues to highlight his gifts as a writer. There is an entire chapter in the book that is simply dedicated to presenting the cracked history of the suburb that Linus lives in that gives a great mental backdrop for what is to come. What was once a once promising and thriving community on the rise has been reduced to a wasteland for the poor and drug addled.

While I can’t profess to be up to date with drug lingo, some have noted that in the original Swedish text Lindqvist made up drug terms for lack of knowledge on the subject. Having read the English translation, I can’t say anything really stood out to me as glaringly troublesome in those terms.

What came through most for me is Linus’ desperate need to escape. His father - a former successful jockey - is now a paraplegic trapped in the confines of a wheelchair and unable to form a sentence after a tragic horse racing accident. His mother is overworked and underpaid. Social security benefits help the family manage to survive another day. Linus is a bright kid in general but is mostly unfocused due to his ADHD. He and his best friend Kassandra have a need in their hearts to escape this wasteland. But that need will unfortunately come at quite a cost.

I was absolutely captivated by the tale of Tommy T and his wayward nephew Linus. Especially the somewhat tragic tale of Linus and his sordid adventures into drug dealing. But even more horrifying is the eventual reveal of the elusive X and their role in all of this. Especially given some of the reveals and how they play into the prior two novels of this trilogy.

Although it is only a small part of a larger story, it still manages to stand well enough on its own two feet. At least more-so than the prior two installments of this trilogy. As entertaining as they were they were largely puzzling novels that felt more like an enigma at times. Thankfully I Am The Tiger brings it all home and makes the entire trilogy worthwhile. Yet, if you’ve never read either of the previous novels and came into it blind then I still think you would get an immensely satisfying tale that stands very well on its own two feet.

But if you take all three books together then it becomes clear that this is one large story that slowly takes its time to reveal its pieces. When put together the entire story is never anything but utterly captivating. Hell, I was impressed he even managed to sneak a Let the Right One In reference making this long-time fan very happy to see.

At 482 pages, I Am The Tiger is quite a gripping page turner of a Nordic crime thriller/horror.

All in all, this was a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that has often left me mystified and puzzled but always fascinated. Finally the pieces all came together and I have to say that for me, it was well worth the ride.

-Daniel M