Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Out by Natsuo Kirino

43 reviews

darkmattersoybean's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Death, and Blood

charly_22x's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Rape, Torture, Stalking, and Misogyny

lilly_koonce's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Fatphobia, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture

rinnavv's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

alexjhenry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Stalking, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Murder

evaskov's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

really loved the way this book slowly builds to this extreme boiling point in the ending. it takes its time to get there but it truly is like the analogy of the frog and boiling water. the tension rises so slowly that you don’t even notice a change until you think back to where it started. 

for various reasons i didn’t appreciate the very very ending. like the last 10 pages basically. Masakos development takes a turn for the worst and I didn’t like a lot of the implications behind it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Stalking, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Body horror, Misogyny, and Body shaming

Moderate: Alcohol, Excrement, and Alcoholism

shosh's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Murder

jan_coco_day's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

When I read Japanese literature, I somehow only pick the most quaint, cozy stories...or the most fucked up shit I've ever seen. This book is the latter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Torture, Blood, Physical abuse, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexism

cabrerajackey's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Torture, Stalking, Rape, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Trafficking

marajoy's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

what impressed me most about this book was how kirino intensified the effect of the fear & horror & gruesomeness of the book's events by portraying it in such a way that those feelings & disturbances transfer themselves into the reader. for example, i was at work putting packaged meat into plastic shopping bags and felt sick because of how vividly masako's experience of chopping up & bagging the bodies was described. because of the comparisons kirino makes, the disturbances of the novel will linger with readers as they do normal things like grocery shop or come home from work or take out the trash. i think that projection she creates is amazing.
unfortunately, i do agree with the people who said the last 100 pages of the book were totally unnecessary. they felt like a separate story and too drawn out. kazuo's characterization was offputting and often times questionable, but i do think his creepiness enhanced the effect of masako comparing his embrace to satake's when both men intended to assault her anyway. i feel like the critique clearly advanced through jumonji's character was almost too obvious and not weaved in well enough. satake just freaked me out and i'm so glad

masako killed him instead of the reverse like i feared.

i didn't understand the point of masako being intrigued by satake's plots to rape & torture her. without satake's revenge plot and the last 100 pages, this could've been excellent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gore, Stalking, Rape, and Murder