Scan barcode
jackiedreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
1.75
I love Keigo Higashino but I hated this book, and not because it was too dark. The device of telling the story of the main characters through side characters was an interesting idea, but it also meant new characters were introduced up until literally the very end, dozens of random, flat, disposable characters with dropped side plots coming and going with no rhyme or reason.
I was also absolutely unable to suspend disbelief in any way thatchildren committed a series of unsolvable murders in such a perfect and calculated way or that they kept killing people in Yukiho's way for TWENTY YEARS and no one ever caught on except for one "obsessive" cop. Give me a break. I would have been less disappointed if the whole book had been a dream, it's the only thing that would make any sense whatsoever.
I admire the ambition of this book and the creativity through which he tried to tell it, but that's about it. It was a rare Higashino flop that I am shocked I even finished.
I was also absolutely unable to suspend disbelief in any way that
I admire the ambition of this book and the creativity through which he tried to tell it, but that's about it. It was a rare Higashino flop that I am shocked I even finished.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Kidnapping
hoppyread's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ll start by saying, if you’re looking for a mystery where the joy comes from trying to solve it yourself, this isn’t the one for you. I don’t think the point of it is to figure out what happened as much as it is an exploration of how far the criminals are willing to go and why.
I read this one so quickly despite the length, and was genuinely interested in knowing what happened next. The writing and translation read very smoothly.
Story-wise, I was surprised that we were given basically the crimes and circumstances from the characters involved rather than following the detective as he tried to solve them. I don’t read many mystery books, so I wouldn’t know if this is typical. I was expecting a lot more of the detective, but I didn’t mind following the many side characters instead. It felt very easy to meet each new character because Higashino introduces them in such a natural way with enough information to keep them feeling unique and realistic. Sometimes with many character perspectives it gets confusing, but here it wasn’t. I also appreciated how we never got the perpetrator’s perspectives, only those of the outsiders.
I should have read content warnings, though, because I was very disturbed by the sexual violence, personally.
Overall, I found the story very compelling. I could recommend this to people as long as they check the content warnings. I’m definitely interested in checking out some of Higashino’s other books.
I read this one so quickly despite the length, and was genuinely interested in knowing what happened next. The writing and translation read very smoothly.
Story-wise, I was surprised that we were given basically the crimes and circumstances from the characters involved rather than following the detective as he tried to solve them. I don’t read many mystery books, so I wouldn’t know if this is typical. I was expecting a lot more of the detective, but I didn’t mind following the many side characters instead. It felt very easy to meet each new character because Higashino introduces them in such a natural way with enough information to keep them feeling unique and realistic. Sometimes with many character perspectives it gets confusing, but here it wasn’t. I also appreciated how we never got the perpetrator’s perspectives, only those of the outsiders.
I should have read content warnings, though, because I was very disturbed by the sexual violence, personally.
Overall, I found the story very compelling. I could recommend this to people as long as they check the content warnings. I’m definitely interested in checking out some of Higashino’s other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, Trafficking, Abortion, Suicide, Stalking, Pedophilia, and Death
elevatot's review against another edition
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.)
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?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Abortion, Car accident, Miscarriage, Blood, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
More...