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whatsallyreadnext's Reviews (719)
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Who doesn't love reading books about books?! I brought this read along with me on my holiday to Japan, and I'm so glad that I did because I absolutely devoured it within a few days! I feel like the characters, particularly Ayako and Kyo, will stay with me forever.
Flo is an American translator living in Tokyo who feels completely stuck in a rut with her work going nowhere, and her long-term relationship has broken down. Randomly, she comes across a Japanese book accidentally left on the Tokyo subway by another passenger. The book completely draws her in a reader and inspires her to work on translating its entirety.
This mysterious book, over the course of a year, follows Ayako, a head-strong and resilient woman living in rural Japan, who reluctantly takes in her grandson, Kyo. As Flo begins to realise the similarities between herself and the characters of the book, it compels her to search for the book's author and embark on a journey that will change her life forever.
I really enjoyed reading about settings that I explored on my Japan holiday, such as Tokyo and Hiroshima. It certainly made me feel like I was immersed in the book!
I liked the structure of the novel and how it flicked between Flo's story and Ayako and Kyo's narrative. I particularly enjoyed reading about Ayako and Kyo, and it would definitely be a book I would have picked up in a bookshop if it was a real book!
The characterisation was brilliant, I felt like we were brought along on the journey of the characters' development, and I loved reading about the relationship between Ayako and Kyo. Ayako, in particular, wasn't entirely likeable with her strict behaviour towards Kyo, but by the end, I had really warmed to her.
There was a lot to unpack in this novel, in terms of themes and metaphors. I really loved it and would recommend it, particularly if you're a fan of Japan already!
Flo is an American translator living in Tokyo who feels completely stuck in a rut with her work going nowhere, and her long-term relationship has broken down. Randomly, she comes across a Japanese book accidentally left on the Tokyo subway by another passenger. The book completely draws her in a reader and inspires her to work on translating its entirety.
This mysterious book, over the course of a year, follows Ayako, a head-strong and resilient woman living in rural Japan, who reluctantly takes in her grandson, Kyo. As Flo begins to realise the similarities between herself and the characters of the book, it compels her to search for the book's author and embark on a journey that will change her life forever.
I really enjoyed reading about settings that I explored on my Japan holiday, such as Tokyo and Hiroshima. It certainly made me feel like I was immersed in the book!
I liked the structure of the novel and how it flicked between Flo's story and Ayako and Kyo's narrative. I particularly enjoyed reading about Ayako and Kyo, and it would definitely be a book I would have picked up in a bookshop if it was a real book!
The characterisation was brilliant, I felt like we were brought along on the journey of the characters' development, and I loved reading about the relationship between Ayako and Kyo. Ayako, in particular, wasn't entirely likeable with her strict behaviour towards Kyo, but by the end, I had really warmed to her.
There was a lot to unpack in this novel, in terms of themes and metaphors. I really loved it and would recommend it, particularly if you're a fan of Japan already!
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was only earlier this year that I read my first Japanese crime thriller (The Noh Mask Murder by Akimitsu Takagi) and after loving The Devotion of Suspect X, I can't believe that it had taken me this long to start reading this genre! The Devotion of Suspect X had been on my TBR for a while, but after being spurred on by people raving about the book whenever I featured it on here, I decided to take it with me to read during my Japan holiday back in May!
Yasuko is leading a quiet life in Tokyo as a single mother to her daughter whilst working in a bento shop. That is until the day that her ex-husband manages to track her down, and then, nothing in her life is the same again.
Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police finds himself enlisting the help of a friend whilst investigating the most unusual crime, where nothing quite makes sense.
I'm deliberately being brief here when describing the book as I don't want to give anything away! This seemed like no other crime thriller I'd read before, as you find out the crime within the beginning pages and what happened, so you knew more than most of the characters. Also, I loved the characterisation, seeing the characters evolve and the psychology around the choices they made. There will certainly be some twists and turns that you won't expect!
I absolutely sped through this one and read it within a few days (which is fast compared to my usual standards of reading one book every week)! I already have the next book in the series (Salvation of a Saint), as well as Journey Under the Midnight Sun (standalone) on my TBR, and I can't wait to read them. It turns out that Higashino has quite a back catalogue of books, which I'm looking forward to delving into!
Yasuko is leading a quiet life in Tokyo as a single mother to her daughter whilst working in a bento shop. That is until the day that her ex-husband manages to track her down, and then, nothing in her life is the same again.
Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police finds himself enlisting the help of a friend whilst investigating the most unusual crime, where nothing quite makes sense.
I'm deliberately being brief here when describing the book as I don't want to give anything away! This seemed like no other crime thriller I'd read before, as you find out the crime within the beginning pages and what happened, so you knew more than most of the characters. Also, I loved the characterisation, seeing the characters evolve and the psychology around the choices they made. There will certainly be some twists and turns that you won't expect!
I absolutely sped through this one and read it within a few days (which is fast compared to my usual standards of reading one book every week)! I already have the next book in the series (Salvation of a Saint), as well as Journey Under the Midnight Sun (standalone) on my TBR, and I can't wait to read them. It turns out that Higashino has quite a back catalogue of books, which I'm looking forward to delving into!
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
sad
medium-paced