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purplepierogi's review against another edition
3.0
I read this mostly on a real train, which is fun! but unfortunately, the novel itself was less than thrilling. I was vaguely rooting for (and rooting deeply against) certain characters, but it was always like.... okay, now what? I fell asleep reading it more than once. other reviewers have compared this to a kind of Japanese-Tarantino, and I guess that might just not be my bag.
annabelleclare_'s review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pinxsol's review against another edition
4.0
The last 150 pages made me very upset. I am sad fr
On a more serious note, reading this book is a similar experience to watching an anime. All of the characters have this one weird quirk that makes them special, and that one quirk is basically all that there is to them. I mean, this book has a psycho villain kid, it doesn't get more anime than that.
That said, the book is more plot driven since it's a thriller, and the characters are one dimensional on purpose, to set the tone for the book. Their cartoonishness does not detract from them in any way, and I actually, which was a bit of a surprise for me, got very attached to some of them. Some of those quirks were very charming.
I have to say though, at the end it kind of felt like the author wrote himself into a corner, and was desperately trying to get out of it. I did not enjoy that, it felt kind of all over the place, there were a bunch of new characters introduced into the plot, and most of the characters that we spent hundreds of pages connecting with went out of the picture. It felt a bit pointless.
Spoiler
Especially because Tangerine and Lemon were my favorite characters.On a more serious note, reading this book is a similar experience to watching an anime. All of the characters have this one weird quirk that makes them special, and that one quirk is basically all that there is to them. I mean, this book has a psycho villain kid, it doesn't get more anime than that.
That said, the book is more plot driven since it's a thriller, and the characters are one dimensional on purpose, to set the tone for the book. Their cartoonishness does not detract from them in any way, and I actually, which was a bit of a surprise for me, got very attached to some of them. Some of those quirks were very charming.
I have to say though, at the end it kind of felt like the author wrote himself into a corner, and was desperately trying to get out of it. I did not enjoy that, it felt kind of all over the place, there were a bunch of new characters introduced into the plot, and most of the characters that we spent hundreds of pages connecting with went out of the picture. It felt a bit pointless.
valeria_anedda's review against another edition
3.0
Sono giunta a questo libro dopo aver visto il film Bullet Train uscito l'anno scorso al cinema. Avevo adorato il film, trovandolo intelligente e irriverente ma anche grottesco e pieno di nonsense.
Il film è stato molto fedele al libro e infatti ho ritrovato i sette killer sul treno lanciato a trecento all'ora, dialoghi ironici e divertenti, una valigetta piena di soldi e i riferimenti al Trenino Thomas.
Non ricordo di aver mai letto un libro di un autore giapponese e probabilmente, se non avessi amato il film, non sarei riuscita ad apprezzare i vari personaggi, che sembrano usciti da un manga perché sono molto caricaturali e maldestri e fanno scelte illogiche.
La trama è movimentata e ricca di colpi di scena, ma non è molto scorrevole e a tratti pesante - soprattutto in alcuni dialoghi o pensieri dei protagonisti.
Il film è stato molto fedele al libro e infatti ho ritrovato i sette killer sul treno lanciato a trecento all'ora, dialoghi ironici e divertenti, una valigetta piena di soldi e i riferimenti al Trenino Thomas.
Non ricordo di aver mai letto un libro di un autore giapponese e probabilmente, se non avessi amato il film, non sarei riuscita ad apprezzare i vari personaggi, che sembrano usciti da un manga perché sono molto caricaturali e maldestri e fanno scelte illogiche.
La trama è movimentata e ricca di colpi di scena, ma non è molto scorrevole e a tratti pesante - soprattutto in alcuni dialoghi o pensieri dei protagonisti.
that_little_drop_of_poison's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
dsaiz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
filipagarcia's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
hortongr's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing. I committed myself to reading the book before watching the movie and I am so so so glad I did. This book had been on my radar for some time before the movie was announced, so I had been wanting to read it, but my fear of spoilers was what really pushed me to pick it up. it definitely took me some time to then actually get around to reading it though... but oh well.
I am SO glad I finally decided to read it because WOW what a wonderfully hilarious thriller. The pacing was incredible. The depth of the characters was wonderful. I'm a sucker for small details returning in unexpected ways AND for ridiculous bits that reappear over and over again and this book had each of those things in spades. The premise is ridiculous, the characters are ridiculous, and I was completely on board for it all (pun very much intended).
I am SO glad I finally decided to read it because WOW what a wonderfully hilarious thriller. The pacing was incredible. The depth of the characters was wonderful. I'm a sucker for small details returning in unexpected ways AND for ridiculous bits that reappear over and over again and this book had each of those things in spades. The premise is ridiculous, the characters are ridiculous, and I was completely on board for it all (pun very much intended).
lyx_al's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is the first time I ever said it, but the movie is better.
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