it's true that i started reading the Hannibal books because of the NBC tv show adaptation and i am definitely biased as i formed a deep attachment to mikkelsen's hannibal 😞🎀 (i'm just a girl guys) but i will forever be a hannibal rising defender, because i honestly think that this is a good understanding of Hannibal as a person and not just as a serial cannibalistic killer.
While i know this is probably the most hated book from the series and is hated by the author himself, i seriously enjoyed it.
yes, the writing is literally telling, not showing which is usually such a turn off, but honestly — probably because of how fixated i am — it didn't bother me one bit here.
I absolutely love Mischa and Hannibal's relationship to her. I am such a sucker for sibling tropes AND it's even more heartbreaking when it's angsty/no good ending in sight.
i feel so damaged of how he lost everyone, especially Mischa.
His relationship with Lady Murasaki is weird. 
anyway, the hannibal core scenes are great and not disgustingly gory, which i appreciate (and it makes sense, psychologically).

In conclusion, hannibal is just a teenage girl and i could make a three hour long video explaining every single detail, parallel, psychology and every niche thing in this book. muck. 🎀🎀.