Xing

I am thoroughly pleased with The Boy with the Painful Tattoo. It's been years since I've read the last book, so it was a pleasure to get reacquainted with Christopher's mental musings and antisocial behavior.

Unlike the previous books, which focuses much on the mystery, this addition places much focus on the relationship between Christopher and J.X. Having just moved in together, Christopher starts having doubts. Not about whether he loves J.X. or not (that is pretty obvious), but whether or not they can make it. He also struggles with making this new house a place he can call home, which isn't aided by the fact of a dead body in a box that was supposed to contain his china.

That's not to say that the mystery takes a back burner. It just felt like the mystery was an accessory or a means for Christopher to further explore his relationship, or come to some much needed conclusions. You would think that after two books, there wouldn't be too much left to learn about this couple, but TBWTPT certainly proves that wrong. And even still, after finishing the book, I feel like their story isn't complete.

I hope there will be more to this series, because I feel like there is much to still explore with both Christopher and J.X.!