Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the mystery and the inclusion of charts and graphs and such. I love those kinds of things in a book. I found the mystery compelling and the explanation reasonable. Everything makes perfect sense when you consider the time period the crime was committed in and japanese culture.
Certain things i feel were not given the gravity they should have been given and forgiveness where none was deserved, but it was nothing to make me hate the book.
Certain things i feel were not given the gravity they should have been given and forgiveness where none was deserved, but it was nothing to make me hate the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
The book was originally written in 1981. This English translation is from 2004.
It is a locked room mystery and the reader is given all the clues to solve it.
As a logic puzzle, it might be entertaining.
As an enjoyable fiction book, it did NOT work for me.
The murders in the book took place in 1936 and the detection story is happening in 1979.
Because the book is designed as a puzzle, the writing is sometimes very wooden.
It is a locked room mystery and the reader is given all the clues to solve it.
As a logic puzzle, it might be entertaining.
As an enjoyable fiction book, it did NOT work for me.
The murders in the book took place in 1936 and the detection story is happening in 1979.
Because the book is designed as a puzzle, the writing is sometimes very wooden.
"Well, do you think Takegoshi went to visit Yasukawa in Kyoto?" Kiyoshi asked me in a low voice.
"No, I think that he probably died without meeting him."
"Boy, his note certainly answers a few questions, doesn't it? Talk about something falling into our lap. And we're the only ones to know this stuff!"
"Yes, it's amazing! I'm so lucky to know you!" (p145)
I also had difficulty getting through the misogyny in the book. Astrology used in the book also really annoyed me. The author interjects when the reader has all the clues to solve the mystery. In this way it reminded me of the Encyclopedia Brown books I read as a child.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Rape, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's just mind-blowing...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Blood
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very gripping and unique. Kept me throughly engaged with the story and with solving the mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
mysterious
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder
Minor: Misogyny
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Saya pribadi merasa sangat menikmati perjalanan dalam buku The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (Pembunuhan Zodiak Tokyo). Soji Shimada berhasil menyajikan sebuah cerita penuh intrik yang memaksa pembaca untuk terus berpikir: siapa sebenarnya pelaku, bagaimana metode pembunuhannya, dan apa alasan di balik kejahatan yang begitu keji ini? Kebetulan saya membaca versi terjemahan bahasa Indonesia oleh Barokah Ruziati, dan sejak awal, saya sudah merasa tertantang oleh banyaknya karakter yang diperkenalkan. Saya harus sering merujuk ke catatan nama-nama tokoh untuk memastikan tidak kehilangan arah dalam mengikuti alur cerita yang rumit namun tetap memikat.
Novel ini memang padat dengan berbagai informasi dan detail yang menuntut perhatian penuh dari pembaca. Saya merasa, untuk bisa menikmati kisah ini dengan baik, kita harus benar-benar menyimak setiap petunjuk dan dialog yang ada. Namun, saya juga merasa sedikit frustrasi pada bagian di mana Kiyoshi Mitarai dan Kazumi Ishioka mulai melakukan penyelidikan mereka. Terkadang, mereka tampak seperti berputar-putar di tempat tanpa kemajuan yang berarti. Saya sempat bertanya-tanya, apakah ini adalah cara Soji Shimada untuk mempermainkan kesabaran pembaca, atau mungkin untuk menambah kedalaman pada karakter dan dinamika mereka?
Mungkin penulis sengaja menghadirkan ketidaksabaran ini untuk menciptakan rasa cemas dan mendalam, untuk membuat kita merasa seolah-olah kita sendiri terjebak di tengah teka-teki yang belum terpecahkan ini. Ketika saya membaca lebih lanjut, saya menyadari bahwa setiap percakapan dan tindakan, seberapa pun tampaknya membingungkan atau bertele-tele, sebenarnya mengandung petunjuk-petunjuk tersembunyi.
Menjelang akhir cerita, rasa penasaran saya kembali membara. Ketegangan yang terus meningkat membuat saya tidak sabar menantikan kejutan apa yang akan diungkap. Tanpa adanya bocoran atau petunjuk sebelumnya, saya benar-benar terkejut ketika akhirnya mengetahui rahasia besar yang tersembunyi di balik misteri ini. Penulis, Soji Shimada, menunjukkan kecerdikan luar biasa dengan menghadirkan kejutan yang tak terduga sebagai kunci utama dalam keseluruhan cerita. Kejutan ini benar-benar menyentak dan memberikan dimensi baru yang menyegarkan bagi keseluruhan narasi. Saya merasa bahwa penulis telah berhasil menciptakan akhir yang memuaskan sekaligus menggugah pikiran, yang tentunya meninggalkan kesan mendalam bagi saya sebagai pembaca.
Saya sangat merekomendasikan The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (Pembunuhan Zodiak Tokyo) karya Soji Shimada kepada siapa saja yang menyukai teka-teki pembunuhan yang kompleks dan menantang. Meskipun ada bagian-bagian yang terasa bertele-tele, terutama dalam narasi Kiyoshi Mitarai dan Kazumi Ishioka, ketelitian dan kesabaran pembaca akan terbayar dengan pengalaman membaca yang memuaskan dan penuh kejutan. Dengan memperhatikan setiap detail dan tetap fokus, pembaca akan dapat menghargai betapa briliannya plot cerita ini dan bagaimana setiap elemen saling terkait untuk membentuk gambaran yang utuh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
wow what a ride. i like this book more than the crooked house one. it's crazier, crazier motive, and crazier murders.
should know that it's about revenge from how the bodies were mutilated
should know that it's about revenge from how the bodies were mutilated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder