A review by mimosaeyes
死亡万花筒 Kaleidoscope of Death by 西子绪

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I binge-read this after binge-watching its short-lived adaptation. There's something quite addictive about the story, and the characters are very loveable. In the book version, I love how shameless and playful Ruan Nanzhu is, and how steady and indulgent Lin Qiushi is. I'm also very fond of the supporting cast. I cried over the human characters who died (this is not a spoiler, it's a warning to you) and I cooed over the animal characters, Chestnut and Toast.

I also laughed at the comedic beats, and curled up with my back to a nice, solid wall at the horror and suspense. There's a whole spectrum of emotions this book is capable of eliciting in you, and I was fully along for the ride. Relative to the show, the extra doors and darker lore are both welcome. While the solutions are sometimes not as emotionally satisfying, that plays into the overall morality of this world, which is one that works well for the story.

There is a twist that I was braced for since I watched the show first, but I must say that I wasn't expecting it to come so late - in the first extra! I'm still in two minds about it. It recontextualises the whole story and the dynamic between the main couple in a clever way, but there's barely any time given for the reader to process the implications. I felt like I needed to re-read the book again immediately to do so. Yet I also realised that wouldn't bring me full circle emotionally. I guess maybe that's part of the author's intention. A little miffed about the lack of full resolution, though.