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sunzreads's review against another edition
4.0
The social issues touched in this novel adds another dimension to the story. F H Batacan worked in the Philippine intelligence community for ten years witnessed the inept system of the Philippine government in providing security and justice to Filipino citizens especially the poor ones living in slum areas. This angers her that's why she wrote the book. But then, she didn’t show the reaction of the community where the victims live. She factored out the gossip culture. In the prologue, the body of a victim was found in the landfill by a boy and he told the other priest who oversees the parish in the community. A throng of people gathered around the site. For sure, the news about the murder would spread like fire, parents would be scared for their kids, schools would be alarmed, and the local politicians would know right away. I want to know how these factors affect the serial killer’s plan and the priests’ investigation. In spite of this, it's still a good read.
bookishxintrovert's review against another edition
4.0
tw: murder, child death, grief, violence, gore, sexual assault
“I worry that all this secrecy, all this unwillingness to change, to evolve—to listen to reason—is eroding all that we stand for. Endangering everything that we have vowed to protect and defend.”
It was a superior read. This my first time reading a crime/thriller book that was set in the Philippines. Although, it wasn’t the first fiction book I read containing socio-political commentaries but regardless, I was pleased with the amount of shades thrown and facts that were expressed in the book. Apart from that, I am impressed with how the story progressed and the way the crime investigations were handled by the main characters. It was brilliant.
Moreover, I liked that it explored and demonstrated the poverty here in the Philippines, especially the daily experiences of the Filipinos who actually live in the slums. I even became more immersed by how it tackled controversial issues such as the country’s broken justice system, child labor, irresponsible law enforcers, sexual abuse, marital rape, martial law, mental health and some priests being sexual offenders.
It also emphasized how the justice system often doesn’t favor the poor, and this can be seen as to how law enforcers deal with solving criminal cases involving impoverished victims in the book. Their cases were either ignored, discarded and forgotten. Furthermore, I also found the suggestion about the possibility of a serial killer in the Philippines very fascinating.
As an Atenean, I thought that the main characters are admirable. As Jesuit priests, the main characters were able to uphold the Ignatian values—their love and duty for the country and their commitment to justice especially for the marginalized. Their pursuit of justice and how they are not easily intimidated by influential and affluent people were commendable. They will be good role models for the youth and the religious leaders.
Overall, the writing style was engrossing, the book is relevant even in today's times due to its socio-political references, it is socially empowering as it encourages its readers to be a catalyst for change, to stand for the oppressed and to pursue justice despite the odds. It ended strongly even when the ending wasn’t what I really expected. It wasn’t ideal but I definitely understood why it ended like that and the message that the author was trying to deliver to her readers. Basically, its bottom line was—you can’t save everyone.
Nonetheless, the book is very inspiring, evolving and enlightening. For these reasons, I really think that this should be read by my fellow Filipino readers at least once in their life.
edward_v's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
janica_aira's review against another edition
4.0
"That's the nature of any kind of rot. If you don't stop it, it keeps going. It will keep going until it destroys the very organism that feeds it."
There were many thoughts going through my mind while reading this book. The author was able to highlight the problems that the Philippines has been facing since time immemorial (kind of) - about the corruption in the Philippine government and its unreliable judiciary system.
The author actually wrote this book in 1996 because of anger about the
eliz_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
meowsie_20's review against another edition
5.0
kaetorns's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
summersquash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25