Reviews with content warning for Rape - Out

I wasn't really prepared for the brutality of some parts of the book but I still have to say that I enjoyed reading it. You can really feel with the characters of the story even if you kind of hate them. As so many others have already mentioned the ending was really a bit off but I still can figure where the author wanted to go there.

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mirrorofneptune's review

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dark tense medium-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

3.75

This was my first Natsuo Kirino book and I think it was a great introduction to her style. It's a dark and wild ride about a woman's first encounter with the so-called "violent underbelly of Japanese society," and where that encounter takes her (or, perhaps, where she takes herself). Masako was an engaging protagonist and the plot and pacing were nothing to scoff at either.

This is the first book I've read with a rape scene that I actually do think makes sense for the direction of the plot and the themes the author is trying to communicate, rather than the scene just being added for shock value/gratuitous violence/the author hates women. I thought the actual writing of it was well-handled and again it genuinely does add to the overarching themes of the book.

I think Kirino handles her subject matter with grace and I see that trend in the other works of hers I've read as well.

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lilly_koonce's review

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

All the characters in this book are terrible people, but despite this, I found the book engaging up until the end, which was bizarre. Also, I'd really like an explanation for why all the male characters we get are misogynistic, ageist (towards women specifically), and pedophiles who all somehow have a thing for 43-year-old Masako.
Tw: Murder, Rape, Sexual Assault, Pedophiles, dismemberment, etc)…

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sloshyoshy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book and stories it told. The characters were believable and well rounded, the tension was palpable and the author did a fine job of conveying the depressing atmosphere of working class Tokyo women.

The

rape in the climax

felt pornographic - like the author was deriving pleasure from it, and inviting you to do so too - and that made me a little uncomfortable.

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