Reviews

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

cassafrass2273's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

kelsieerenee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense

4.75

purecomedy's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

4.5

most of the time, i had a lot of fun reading this and i enjoyed the rewind-fast forward pacing.

the times where i struggled mainly involved the prince's pov. easily one of the most boring and annoying characters out there. like, wow, you're a 14-year-old with a god complex? eye roll.

fortunately, this was counterbalanced by characters (tangerine, nanao, lemon) whose monologues i could read forever. the last few pages of the novel made me cackle.

vic127's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

badseedgirl's review against another edition

4.0

Wow, what an action romp. If the movie is even half as good as the book, I will enjoy it for sure.

evanscat's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A

3.75

jackiepreston's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Pedophilia

Minor: Genocide

queensaru's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

tiffanielle's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.25

A well done action/dark comedy! This book was outside my normal reading genre, but I thought I would change things up. Plus, the premise sounded really interesting. We have five assassins on a high speed bullet train in Japan - three with the same mission and two with agendas of their own. And what a mix of appealing and amusing personalities among them that include a Thomas the Tank Engine lover, a sardonic teen, and a very unlucky, nothing ever goes right killer.

I appreciated the author's nuanced characters, the interspersed comedic dialogue throughout, the alternating chapters from the assassins, and the seamless translation from the original Japanese.

Originally a best seller in Japan, it was published there in September 2010. It represents book number 2 in a trilogy, but can be read as a stand alone novel. A movie adaptation was released in 2022 starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, and Sandra Bullock, among other recognizable faces.

Trigger warnings for: murder and violence

 

minaminabot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

3.0