Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Journey Under the Midnight Sun

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino

6 reviews

shannonlipp's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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sabstract's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

A really well written slow burn mystery if i do say so myself with an incredible intricate plot spanning over 20 years, everything and everyone was weaved together in such a mind blowing way. there were points that got me gasping in shock and disgust and it was just a really emotional and sad story.

Considering the book spans over 20 years do expect a large host of characters, many of them were unlikeable and gave me a sense of unease which was great in the context of a gritty mystery crime thriller novel. so do bear that in mind if it concerns you!

Most readers would probably have no trouble guessing the ‘who’ in the criminal case as it was definitely alluded to throughout the book and was not a total mystery but i think it’s worth reading especially if you enjoy understanding other aspects of criminal cases like the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’.

Would have given it a 5 if it wasn’t so long, got impatient and even bored at times as there were plot points that were just unnecessarily detailed and had no real bearing on the main storyline… it definitely took me much longer to get through the book than i expected but i thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless! definitely recommend if you are on a break or holiday and need a good long crime escape.
!! also heed the trigger warnings !!

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candiemarsh's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

Well, that was frustrating. It took me a longgg time to find my way around all the characters appearing in the span of 20 years for the conclusion to be as such. I do feel some feeling towards the main character but wow the amount of lives ruined?? Plot-wise it was really thought out and explained well. I'd recommend absolute focus and commitment to this book, which I was unable to provide at this time and may have somewhat hindered me to fully enjoy it.

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aisclaradm's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

A slow-moving, dense read, with some of the most fascinating characters I've ever read. A dozen different characters' stories intertwine, weaving a complex story that leaves hints and clues throughout the book. The ending is phenomenal, and the story is intensely dark.

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chrisljm's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is probably the best mystery (and Keigo Higashino) novel I’ve read so far.

Journey Under the Midnight Sun is told through multiple POVs and so you get to unveil the mystery alongside different characters. The interchanging POVs and large cast was a bit hard to keep up with, but the storytelling was incredible. Despite the story taking place over a span of 20 years, with Higashino taking you alongside the cultural and technological developments of 70/80s Japan, it never felt like a drag. Every event that happens plays a part in the overall story, and it felt so great seeing it all piece together. The story/characters are fucked up, but the end of every chapter had a way of enticing me to continue. The book was gripping from start to finish.

The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is that you can definitely tell the female characters are written by a man. And despite how much I enjoyed the story, I completely understand the criticisms of Higashino’s use of sexual assault as a plot point. And if I’m being honest, I was truly enjoying the book until I got to the sexual assault parts, where I then had to pause and accept the fact that this is where Higashino was now taking the story and overlook my issues with that in order to keep enjoying the book.

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elevatot's review

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

6/4/2021 - just finished the audiobook version read by David Shih.

Neglected to give this book a star rating because I haven't yet parsed through everything I want to process. That said, I'm inclined to give it at least 4.75/5 stars for enjoyment. Time will tell whether that rating will stand the tests of time, or I need to recalibrate my standards. (I've only just reentered the literary realm, the tropes of legal procedurals past, my sole guides.)

Audio - I hope he narrates all the Japanese novels I listen to. I feel like a snob, but I really appreciate his pronunciation of all the characters and places. If you're not too familiar with Japanese it might be a bit difficult to keep details straight via audio alone.

2022.09.09 - 4/5 for enjoyment
Is depicting the current state of things w/o negative consequences endorsing it? Is it enough to accurately characterize an issue w/o condemning it as such? Do victims need to be portrayed as more than victims?

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