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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
fast-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As predicted, I could NOT put this book down! Even though the big mystery of who-dun-it is absent, that didn't damped the fact that this book was spine-tingling and page-turning nevertheless. Though I do feel that journals used as plot-devices are a bit cheap, in this story with these characters it made sense, though the pacing of how the big mystery of this boom unraveled was not as smooth as it maybe could have been. But I wouldn't go down a star for that purely because the entire book takes place within 3 days. The pace totally made sense with this in mind.
I think others who read this may be put off by the deep psychological profile and dive into the main character's inner psyche, but I found it truly fascinating and unique to most other mysteries I've read where the suspect is somehow taken aback by their own actions. This narrative was really refreshing and even though I don't think you're supposed to sympathetize with the main character, I totally did.
What could have been a simple rush of action and explanation was surprising developed and carefully thought out. I really appreciate the style and POV the author chose. Though I don't think her very very careful pacing would suit some readers I definitely loved how deep, detailed, and steady the threads of the story became apparent to the reader.
I should also mention with a thrill that the city I'm living in Korea, Mokpo, was mentioned quite a few times and makes me wonder if the author is from Jeollanamdo!
I think others who read this may be put off by the deep psychological profile and dive into the main character's inner psyche, but I found it truly fascinating and unique to most other mysteries I've read where the suspect is somehow taken aback by their own actions. This narrative was really refreshing and even though I don't think you're supposed to sympathetize with the main character, I totally did.
What could have been a simple rush of action and explanation was surprising developed and carefully thought out. I really appreciate the style and POV the author chose. Though I don't think her very very careful pacing would suit some readers I definitely loved how deep, detailed, and steady the threads of the story became apparent to the reader.
I should also mention with a thrill that the city I'm living in Korea, Mokpo, was mentioned quite a few times and makes me wonder if the author is from Jeollanamdo!
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"But I realized who I was. I was his mother. He was my child. That’s a fact that can’t be erased no matter what. I felt paralyzed with feelings and tried for weeks to push everything away."
A spiralling and intriguing story, and one that had made me question everything that I've read from the very beginning. Its notably interesting to read from the POV of an unreliable narrator, let alone, them being a psychopath. Whilst we know who the killer is, the process of knowing the why's and the process of it all, is what had made this story for me so so so bloody good. I was engrossed. I was fully invested. The turmoil, his anger and the narrator's frustrations was written so well - it was as though we were there with Yu-Jin, through every step of him tracing back his memories.
Its vile. Its horrifying. Its a take on human nature and a mother's love.
I don't even want to spoil the book too much, but I love how, I read the last 100 pages with the audiobook, and it brought me to another height of anxiety and fear. The narrators had done such a wonderful job in portraying the emotions of the characters, and good lord was it intense. Please give the audiobook a go to! It elevated my experience to a whole new level.
And whilst its intense and made me lowkey going WTF - its also heartbreaking at a certain level.
(view spoiler) The relationship of a mother and a child - is it something that can be severed easily? I feel that, that's one of the winning points of this book. Its in the way it showed a new level of complexity with the relationship between mother and son.
Overall, it was definitely such a great read for me. I freaking loved it. To me - its a novel that will keep you on edge, and will let you in the ins of the minds of the darkest side of a human. Sinister and vile, I enjoyed this tremendously!
Personal Ratings: 4.5🌟
dark
slow-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
Holy frick, this was good...
I had never expected Yu-jin to end up killing Hae-jin or his aunt (or his mother, for that matter).
I knew for sure that he’d frame him, but gunning the car into the ocean where he knew Hae-jin would die? Unexpected.
I wonder what would’ve happened if Hae-jin had stopped for that police car. Would he have immediately turned in Yu-jin? Was the officer just doing a routine stop since it was so late at night to be going to the observatory? We’ll never know.
Ultimately, I had begun the book thinking that either Yu-jin had DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) or was facing amnesia from the traumatic experience of seeing someone else murder his mother. It was an unexpected twist to learn that he had psychopathy instead, and that the medicine he was on was meant to subdue any urges he may have to cause harm to others (which is what I assume from the short description of his medication being that it can be used to treat mood disorders, even if psychopathy isn’t NECESSARILY a mood disorder to me).
I’m also still a bit unsure of whether his father jumped after Yu-min or Yu-jin pushed or tripped him, but I would say he caused his death regardless.
All in all, a thrilling book. A story that’s had me engrossed in a way I haven’t felt in a long time.
I had never expected Yu-jin to end up killing Hae-jin or his aunt (or his mother, for that matter).
I knew for sure that he’d frame him, but gunning the car into the ocean where he knew Hae-jin would die? Unexpected.
I wonder what would’ve happened if Hae-jin had stopped for that police car. Would he have immediately turned in Yu-jin? Was the officer just doing a routine stop since it was so late at night to be going to the observatory? We’ll never know.
Ultimately, I had begun the book thinking that either Yu-jin had DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) or was facing amnesia from the traumatic experience of seeing someone else murder his mother. It was an unexpected twist to learn that he had psychopathy instead, and that the medicine he was on was meant to subdue any urges he may have to cause harm to others (which is what I assume from the short description of his medication being that it can be used to treat mood disorders, even if psychopathy isn’t NECESSARILY a mood disorder to me).
I’m also still a bit unsure of whether his father jumped after Yu-min or Yu-jin pushed or tripped him, but I would say he caused his death regardless.
All in all, a thrilling book. A story that’s had me engrossed in a way I haven’t felt in a long time.