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twilightfan420's review
dark
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
This is the fastest Ive read a book in a while; it was so easy to devour. I loved how the murder mystery was central, but not singular to the plot. I found that the character development created more personal mysteries in a way and I felt like I was unraveling a whole pictured as I read further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Police brutality
kcelena's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Bullying, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Eating disorder, Police brutality, and Child death
helenamarijke's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Classism, Kidnapping, Death, and Grief
Minor: Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
elskabee's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I don't think it was until the very end of this short book that I got what I was truly reading about. Don't let the synopsis misguide, this is primarily literary fiction and is about grief and tragedy rather than crime and mystery. For a book so focused on death and loss, it's ultimately bittersweetly hopeful with its emphasis on human connection and continuing to move forward in life.
The complexities of the crime aspect are fascinating at first but quickly become a backdrop to brief but powerful insights into the lives of the character's touched by the tragic death.
The complexities of the crime aspect are fascinating at first but quickly become a backdrop to brief but powerful insights into the lives of the character's touched by the tragic death.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Eating disorder
Minor: Kidnapping
bookishcori's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I honestly don’t know what happened in this but I think I loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
minxtte's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Misogyny
readingthroughinfinity's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a short novella about the murder of an 18-year-old girl, Kim Hae-on, told from the perspectives of three girls who knew her: her sister and two classmates. I enjoyed the way the three perspectives gave vastly different viewpoints, with each unreliable narrator revealing their differing opinions of events leading up to Hae-on's death and Hae-on herself. I also thought the portrayal of grief was an interesting one, with Hae-on's sister Da-on trying to become more physically like her after her death.
Unfortunately I found this a little too short to pack a punch and I think the audiobook detracted from my enjoyment of it, as it didn't give much of a sense of the passage of time. (There also seemed to be a male voice narrating one of the female POVs, which was a little confusing as it made me think that Han Manu was one of the main narrators, which he's not.)
Content warnings for descriptions of graphic violence, grief, discussions of surgical procedures.
Unfortunately I found this a little too short to pack a punch and I think the audiobook detracted from my enjoyment of it, as it didn't give much of a sense of the passage of time. (There also seemed to be a male voice narrating one of the female POVs, which was a little confusing as it made me think that Han Manu was one of the main narrators, which he's not.)
Content warnings for descriptions of graphic violence, grief, discussions of surgical procedures.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Murder, and Grief
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
librocrone's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The prose and writing is very interesting and beautiful - the translator did an excellent job. However, I think the distance from the characters and the ambiguity of what actually happened made it difficult for me to connect with. The most interesting chapters were the ones where we were actually in relevant people's heads. I liked the chapters from the sister the most. I would say you can put together what happened, but it's never really *expressed* directly, and I suppose I was hoping for a more concrete conclusion. It was fine, but it won't stick with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Murder