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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
this book literally made me stare at my wall and rethink my whole existence after reading it. it's so twisted and the plot twist was amaaazingg. such a mindfuck, even though i had to take a few moments in between chapters to process wtf just happened.
2021 Popsugar reading challenge: A locked room mystery.
I like locked room mysteries, but I'm often not very into mystery novels that are as detached as this one felt. In some ways that still held true. I didn't love love it, and I felt like this book had a weird attitude towards women. And I still don't think this kind of take on a mystery will ever be my thing.
Still, this was honestly a pretty fun read. And when I took a step back and looked what it set out to to do, I think it did a pretty great job. I was able to guess a pretty big part of the solution, even though most of the smaller details eluded me, so I was proud of that. This mystery is sort of ludicrous but it also played fair.
And, actually, okay okay.
All in all a fun way to wile away a few evenings. And now I'm off to google this to see if I missed anything. I understood just enough of the historical references (my favorite being a shoutout to the maybe legendary? maybe real? shaman empress Himiko of ancient Japan) that I could tell I was probably missing out on some major themes. If that proves to be the case I might update this review.
I like locked room mysteries, but I'm often not very into mystery novels that are as detached as this one felt. In some ways that still held true. I didn't love love it, and I felt like this book had a weird attitude towards women.
Spoiler
The female killer saying that women often think about themselves in terms of how they are a sum of body parts... that's honestly not wrong, per se. Cultures all over the world kind of encourage this. In a different kind of book this could have been a full-fledged theme. I'm not knocking off a star because it didn't do that. This just ... isn't that kind of book. But I couldn't help but think about it. And it was just sort of annoying it dangled there as an objective truth that wasn't complicated by the narrative in any way.Still, this was honestly a pretty fun read. And when I took a step back and looked what it set out to to do, I think it did a pretty great job. I was able to guess a pretty big part of the solution, even though most of the smaller details eluded me, so I was proud of that. This mystery is sort of ludicrous but it also played fair.
And, actually, okay okay
Spoiler
I love, actually, that the beginning chapter is so disgusting, and it makes it seem like the murderer will be some mastermind of arcana and esoteric knowledge and that all the elaborate details of the murder Meant Something. That whole stereotype of the super smart and meticulous serial. When, actually, it was a fairly bog standard case of resentment within a family, and all the things that seemed like they Meant Something were actually so the relevant body parts would rot faster. I love it when the banality of evil takes center stage. So maybe I did like this book a lot?All in all a fun way to wile away a few evenings. And now I'm off to google this to see if I missed anything. I understood just enough of the historical references (my favorite being a shoutout to the maybe legendary? maybe real? shaman empress Himiko of ancient Japan) that I could tell I was probably missing out on some major themes. If that proves to be the case I might update this review.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Continuing my TBR project:
This is one the oldest selection on my TBR list - Originally added September 19, 2015.
I’m usually all in for a Japanese crime novel but this was just not for me — too much astrology — and nothing like the American Zodiac Killer. I don’t know what I was expecting.
This is one the oldest selection on my TBR list - Originally added September 19, 2015.
I’m usually all in for a Japanese crime novel but this was just not for me — too much astrology — and nothing like the American Zodiac Killer. I don’t know what I was expecting.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting murder mystery. Points where the narrator speaks to the reader directly saying that we have all the clues to the murder now and could work it out…tense