Scan barcode
machen27's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's curious to me that this is described in it's "blurb" as a magnum opus, a book about cults and those who fall into them. Perhaps I'm missing cultural context or I didn't read it thoroughly enough, yet I can't shake the feeling that if this is the pinnacle of Nakamura's work, I am not interested in reading his other works. It very much is a story that happens to the protagonists, filled with disjointed flashbacks and dumps of pseudoscientific philosophical nonsense, I found it hard to care about the characters or what happens to them. I think that this is somewhat intentional on Nakamura's part, the plot of the story reflecting the experience of falling into a cult, and I credit the author that. I also struggled with the choice to include gratuitous amounts of sexual content, of which there is much, both consensual and non-consensual. It felt unnecessarily and frankly unrealistic, though I'll admit I have no factual basis for that sense. As for how the book ends, I found the escalation to an international crisis including conspiracies to engineer this crisis juxtaposed with the idea of it all being done for no reason completely unearned, especially with the protagonist having a seemingly peaceful ending . Ultimately I think the book failed to grab me because I have no interest in the main subjects of cults, and found that there was little real mystery here, just confusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Gun violence
sspaghettiboness's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
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
4.75
It took me about 70 pages to get in, but once I was immersed, what a phenomenal book. At times difficult to follow, but overall a fantastic read that touches on so many persistent societal problems.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Trafficking, Death, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, and Rape
m4rtt4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
cult x, more like cult sex. textbook case of #menwritingwomen, also the absence of consent made me very uncomfortable at times.
i loved the metaphysical lectures, wish the book had stayed that way to the very end. after them the book took an even stranger turn... did i understand anything? no. do i care? also no. am i disturbed? absolutely.
i loved the metaphysical lectures, wish the book had stayed that way to the very end. after them the book took an even stranger turn... did i understand anything? no. do i care? also no. am i disturbed? absolutely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
snuggleslut's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence
saltydough's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
To be frank, this book was not for me. I started it because I wanted to try something new, but it quickly became a slog. The biggest problem was that I hated all of the characters. I thought they were all terrible people with no redeeming qualities, which made it hard to root for any one of them in particular. Though there was some action that some might find enjoyable, the story often got bogged down in extended side tangents about characters' backgrounds and psychological trauma. Much of the story was really quite repulsive, and some passages were difficult to read. The only part I enjoyed even a little bit were some of the deeper philosophical themes that were discussed, mostly drawn from Buddhism. But honestly, reading straight-up Buddhist theology would probably be more enjoyable than this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Violence, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
More...