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A review by syazahaniss
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Tried this because it was highly recommended but I don’t see the hype.
Maybe it’s because it’s a translation from Japanese to English, but I felt that the language seemed overly formal and a bit difficult to get into. Overall it makes the story sound more complex (chim) than I think it was supposed to be.
The characters were rather annoying too. Yasuko was giving major weak female vibes and just following Ishigami’s instructions without questioning them. Ishigami himself was a very suspicious character and one might empathise with him for doing what he did all in the name of love but personally, I didn’t feel any of the devotion for Yasuko the story claimed he had, enough to do what he did for her. Even Kusanagi felt like a very dumb police officer and the way they kept referring to Yukawa and Ishigami as “the geniuses” was quite annoying because frankly, no one is that smart.
The pacing of the story was confusing since “scene”-wise it jumped rather quickly to the point of them being a tad disjointed but during the scene, it was a bit draggy to me.
The plot twist was quite interesting and unique but it wasn’t that amazing to me, considering there were quite a few loopholes and confusing parts, especially nearer to the end. Like did the police still believe Ishigami was Yasuko’s stalker? What happened to the bodyguard story? And what happened to Misato? Did she really attempt suicide? Did she succeed? And lastly, what was that final scene where Ishigami was crying supposed to symbolise? Is Yasuko going to be charged with murder?
I think this book is too complicated for me. Maybe if I’m smarter I would be able to appreciate it better.
Maybe it’s because it’s a translation from Japanese to English, but I felt that the language seemed overly formal and a bit difficult to get into. Overall it makes the story sound more complex (chim) than I think it was supposed to be.
The characters were rather annoying too. Yasuko was giving major weak female vibes and just following Ishigami’s instructions without questioning them. Ishigami himself was a very suspicious character and one might empathise with him for doing what he did all in the name of love but personally, I didn’t feel any of the devotion for Yasuko the story claimed he had, enough to do what he did for her. Even Kusanagi felt like a very dumb police officer and the way they kept referring to Yukawa and Ishigami as “the geniuses” was quite annoying because frankly, no one is that smart.
The pacing of the story was confusing since “scene”-wise it jumped rather quickly to the point of them being a tad disjointed but during the scene, it was a bit draggy to me.
I think this book is too complicated for me. Maybe if I’m smarter I would be able to appreciate it better.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide attempt and Murder