You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
The cover and the description made the book appear interesting but honestly the book was extremely boring. It was just conversations between classmates at night with some events/interactions between the day. In the end, the message was to accept and be yourself in the - I don't want to say dumbest but that's the only word i can think of - way where it's like "I may be a bad person sometimes but it's okay and I slept soundly that night for the first night in a while" which implied that he didn't turn into his monstrous form out of acceptance for who he is.
I can't seem to catch onto anything rip
4 stars. I absolutely flew through this book. The premise was interesting and I was hooked from the beginning.
I really connected to the main character and the author did a fantastic job at showcasing this sense of anxiety and this need to fit in, even if it means erasing parts of yourself. Adachi is constantly thinking about other peoples reactions and how to get the right reaction out of them. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum there's Yano, a girl who lives as herself even though it causes her a great deal of trouble. She's weird and mature and brave and I absolutely adore her. I really enjoyed watching the two characters interact and watching their relationship develop.
The story didn't feel very original (though there is the argument that originality doesn't exist), it was almost like I'd seen countless versions of this story before. That is not to say it is a bad thing but it was a thought in the back of my mind nearly the whole time I was reading (I was very much reminded of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which is also one of my favourite books and probably the reason why I liked this one so much).
The writing was very simple at times. It felt almost like it was just there to get the details out and that was that. I don't know what goes into translating a book and I don't know how stories are written in Japan so I can't say for sure whether it was through translating the book itself or whether it has something to do with how the author wrote the story to begin with.
Still I really enjoyed this book, the pacing was great and the characters were interesting. It seemed like it was the book that I needed to read right now.
I really connected to the main character and the author did a fantastic job at showcasing this sense of anxiety and this need to fit in, even if it means erasing parts of yourself. Adachi is constantly thinking about other peoples reactions and how to get the right reaction out of them. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum there's Yano, a girl who lives as herself even though it causes her a great deal of trouble. She's weird and mature and brave and I absolutely adore her. I really enjoyed watching the two characters interact and watching their relationship develop.
The story didn't feel very original (though there is the argument that originality doesn't exist), it was almost like I'd seen countless versions of this story before. That is not to say it is a bad thing but it was a thought in the back of my mind nearly the whole time I was reading (I was very much reminded of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which is also one of my favourite books and probably the reason why I liked this one so much).
The writing was very simple at times. It felt almost like it was just there to get the details out and that was that. I don't know what goes into translating a book and I don't know how stories are written in Japan so I can't say for sure whether it was through translating the book itself or whether it has something to do with how the author wrote the story to begin with.
Still I really enjoyed this book, the pacing was great and the characters were interesting. It seemed like it was the book that I needed to read right now.
An interesting read focusing heavily on bullying and the implications of those actions. The story focuses on two characters (Adachi and Yano). Yano is considered to be the abomination of the classroom due to her actions. Adachi on the other hand just tries to fit in even if that means ignoring the bullying or partaking in the act itself. Similar to other work from Sumino, the story has a meaning behind it which I won't spoil but I will say this book was a much needed read for me after reading Sumino's most recent work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of her previous work or someone who wants a meaningful story. While I enjoyed reading the story I wish there was just one more chapter to give a brighter ending but alas I'm still happy with it
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost perfect, I don't know why I don't rate this book 5 stars. I'll think about it.
A Fun Light Book to Read at Night
This is a fun book and I actually really enjoy it.
It reads like a manga light novel which I think makes it really engaging and really fun and I like the first-person narrative throughout the book
It is a fairly predictable book and not extremely action-packed but I still think it is interesting enough and fun.
It also has a lot of relationship and interaction to it and lots of thoughts of what the monster really is and is it a metaphor
Would recommend!
3.9/5
This is a fun book and I actually really enjoy it.
It reads like a manga light novel which I think makes it really engaging and really fun and I like the first-person narrative throughout the book
It is a fairly predictable book and not extremely action-packed but I still think it is interesting enough and fun.
It also has a lot of relationship and interaction to it and lots of thoughts of what the monster really is and is it a metaphor
Would recommend!
3.9/5
"Wondrous things are only wondrous when you still wonder about them. Mysteries should remain mysteries. Monsters were born shrouded in mystery, and they would vanish just the same."
TW: Bullying
This was a unique story that dealt with the sensitive topic of bullying. It discussed how people resort to bullying even if they don't want to in the first place and how humans typically bully another person just because we think they are" weird" or "different".
The metaphor of the monster in this story was also genius. It shows us how we put on masks and embrace different personas whenever we are in denial or are pressured to become different from our true selves because we are afraid to become ostracized. It will make you think about whether a person with ill intent underneath in broad daylight is much scarier than a monster who lurks at night.
"Not even a monster has the power to take back words that have already flown from its mouth."
TW: Bullying
This was a unique story that dealt with the sensitive topic of bullying. It discussed how people resort to bullying even if they don't want to in the first place and how humans typically bully another person just because we think they are" weird" or "different".
The metaphor of the monster in this story was also genius. It shows us how we put on masks and embrace different personas whenever we are in denial or are pressured to become different from our true selves because we are afraid to become ostracized. It will make you think about whether a person with ill intent underneath in broad daylight is much scarier than a monster who lurks at night.
"Not even a monster has the power to take back words that have already flown from its mouth."
Probably between 3 and 4 stars but I found this thoroughly entertaining and devoured it (much like the monster did to that cabinet)
I couldn’t stand the unanswered questions this book left me with, even if it’s supposed to be a nod to all that “a mystery is good because it’s mystery” they were going on about but STILL why did midorikawa think Sakai was a bad guy I NEED to know.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this and found it whimsical and fun and at times, even poignant.
I couldn’t stand the unanswered questions this book left me with, even if it’s supposed to be a nod to all that “a mystery is good because it’s mystery” they were going on about but STILL why did midorikawa think Sakai was a bad guy I NEED to know.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this and found it whimsical and fun and at times, even poignant.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The idea sounded great, but the whole story felt stretched, some plots left unexplained. On a more personal note - I just hate children protagonists.