A review by mynatea
River's Edge by Kyōko Okazaki

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I’m not really a reader who looks deep for life changing meanings within books, that’s what high school me did and it was exhausting. This book is one of those (Probably).

With that being said, this is one of those books where you’re going to think has no meaning to it. There’s no linear storyline, there is no resolve. This book, the people in it, their individual experiences and thoughts just exist. 

Young adults discovering a dead body which they treat as something very personal to them and more, while others see it, acknowledge it, question it, and move on. Do I know why they are so attached to dead bodies? No. Will I ever understand? Probably not. There’s more to each persons life than seeing a dead body but the dead body brought them together in a way I won’t get. And that’s fine. 

It’s not the book for everyone. It isn’t really one for me either, but I can appreciate it.