Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Old Woman with the Knife

Overall, this was an intriguing fast paced read and one I would generally recommend. We follow an ageing sixty-five year old assassin - or ‘disease control operative’ - Hornclaw who lives with her rescue dog Deadweight and approaching the end of her working life. But it’s difficult for an assassin because in some ways killing is like her fix but clearly the boss and a fellow operative Bullfight want her to retire. Hornclaw was very skilled in her prime but makes a slip up causing her to seek medical treatment which leads her to (dare I say adorable, I don’t know what it was but he just was the cutest ever I can’t) Dr Kang and his family. As the story develops it comes to light someone is trying to sabotage her hits and possibly out to get her too… but who? And why? There are also flashback-like parts to Hornclaw’s past as well as other characters too.

I think the story was good and has an engaging plot, I wasn’t exactly gripped compared to some thriller-type books I’ve read before but still intrigued. It’s quick and fast paced and listening to the audiobook was a good way to take the story in I’d say too. I did like how Byeong-mo makes commentary on how Korean society views the elderly/ageing population with particular remarks about the workforce and retirement. Bullfight’s character loves to wind up Hornclaw and this is a little entertaining but does get repetitive and jarring after a while and you just want to be like ‘OMFG just shut up already’ but Yhh. Most of the plot and events were alright, some bits were quite unrealistic though in all honestly but on the whole things fitted in place well. I personally didn’t like the ending as it seemed there were a few loose ends that I would have preferred been tied up. The narration was again okay but I dunno I found her voice a little annoying but that’s just me and nothing to do with the story.

Side note: I think (but am not certain) that there was a non-binary/gender nonconforming character in ‘Worry Fixer’ as I believe the only pronoun used is ‘they’ so yh, this was a great addition to see.

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headinthepages's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

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redroseses's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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agirlnamedellie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Found the beginning half of the book to be quite slow but the second half really picked up in pace and plot. I liked that book was focused on an older women at the point in her life where she wants to retire. I felt like her backstory was really well told and established. This made you understand how she ended up in her job and the decisions she makes. I did really feel for her at times. I enjoyed reading about the relationship she had with her dog. The last few chapters felt like you were watching an action film!

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ruthjenkins's review against another edition

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dark reflective

4.0

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ka_cam's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book’s preside reads like a thriller when the book itself reads more like a character study- I think this set up coming in left me more bored than I otherwise would be. There’s some thriller/action elements but a lot of it is Hornclaw reflecting on her life and working through the last tasks of her career, and how they weave into her past assassinations and entanglements. I’d have liked it to commit more to examining hornclaw, I found the background on her some of the most compelling sections.

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jukietoss's review

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely loved this quirky, literary mystery/thriller. The translation was gorgeous, with a beautiful rhythm and cadence in its writing. The pacing of the book was so well-executed, and I was pulled in by the story and characters. I appreciated that we had a primary protagonist whom I found compelling and complex but also had omniscience into other characters in a way that advanced the plot and added texture to the story.

This was a book about so many things, and I love how they were all woven together--it was a story of aging, of society's treatment and expectations of the elderly, of the parts of us that soften and long for connection even when we've tried to train ourselves out of that. It's a story of discipline, of revenge, of skill/mastery and of a gradual diminution of mastery as our bodies and minds progress. It's a story of relationships despite one's best efforts to avoid them.

This book was beautiful, compelling, and full of heart in really unusual ways. I really enjoyed not knowing where we were headed and just giving in to the ride. The whole thing kept me surprised and drawn in.

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