zeddee's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like that it was written in a style that is very much "telling". Sometimes it even borders on the comical. For example, there was a scene where two characters are about to bonk and the narration segues into how the guy's cock was longer than the girl's hand if she were holding it like a runner passing a baton?! Maybe it sounds better in Japanese?
Only thing that kept me going was the mystery aspect of the book but I unfortunately did not like the reveal at the end.
Only thing that kept me going was the mystery aspect of the book but I unfortunately did not like the reveal at the end.
jonathansoren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Cancer
lamusadelils's review against another edition
2.0
Empezó relativamente interesante y creepy, luego se puso clichetero y al final meh
shelving's review against another edition
3.0
(2.9): when a fiction book ends on 4 pages of bibliography, you can surmise that it's tonally going to read like a literature review. nonetheless, i've stopped trying to read koji suzuki's book for a full immersion in fictional worlds (oftentimes, his characters are repetitive, more archetype than person) but in his drawing together of fascinating historical and scientific concepts. in many ways, his book then reads more like horror for your rational scientist than anything else—when pi starts to yield a variant set of numbers, a pattern even, what happens to all the mathematical formulae contingent on its irrationality? if the world as we know it can be described in numbers, what happens when the numbers start telling a different story?
deanjean_reads's review against another edition
4.0
The blend of quantum physics and biology was compelling enough for me to finish it in two sittings, although the part where Saeko confronts "Seiji Fujimura" towards the end of the book wasn't handled very well (Er, how did she discern an entire conversation between her dad and Kato Fujimura by being in the living room without being THERE at the scene, unless she also possessed psychic qualities like the deceased character Shigeko??) Now, if only theoretical physics was not so swamped with tedious formulas in real life for me to actually delve into, as an actual study topic. I'm sure my Physics teacher would have applauded me for the effort - cough, cough.
cora273's review against another edition
1.0
This book was quite boring in some parts, weird in other parts, a bit slow and the end was just kind of bizarre. The description of the book sounds great - it's about a huge earthquake in California. Well, that doesn't really come up until towards the end and then it's only a few pages or so. There is a lot of math and science in the book which was a little too descriptive and rambling at times, but even so that would have been if the rest of the book was better and made up for it. There are some bad words but not really too many, there is only one really descriptive sex scene that definitely did not need to be there and stood out because it was so different from the rest of the book. It was like an X rated scene in the middle of a PG rated movie. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend this book - it wasn't good.
arielkirst's review against another edition
3.0
I started reading this book because it came up in a search about earthquakes. This is definitely not about earthquakes.
But it was very interesting. I almost felt that I was too dumb to truly understand this book, because it deals with math and physics and all that stuff I failed at in school.
But the premise was very interesting. I didn't care so much about the characters, but the plot was interesting and weird enough to keep me going through the whole thing.
But it was very interesting. I almost felt that I was too dumb to truly understand this book, because it deals with math and physics and all that stuff I failed at in school.
But the premise was very interesting. I didn't care so much about the characters, but the plot was interesting and weird enough to keep me going through the whole thing.
shelves's review against another edition
3.0
(2.9): when a fiction book ends on 4 pages of bibliography, you can surmise that it's tonally going to read like a literature review. nonetheless, i've stopped trying to read koji suzuki's book for a full immersion in fictional worlds (oftentimes, his characters are repetitive, more archetype than person) but in his drawing together of fascinating historical and scientific concepts. in many ways, his book then reads more like horror for your rational scientist than anything else—when pi starts to yield a variant set of numbers, a pattern even, what happens to all the mathematical formulae contingent on its irrationality? if the world as we know it can be described in numbers, what happens when the numbers start telling a different story?
hyzie's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up because I loved the Ring movie (both the Japanese and the American versions) and I cannot seem to track down a Kindle copy of the novel. I thought I would give something else he had written a try.
I'm really glad I did.
This was pretty fantastic. It read a bit like Junji Ito and Michael Crichton smashed together--creepy Japanese horror stuff coupled with science-y explanations for kind of zany events that feel like they could actually happen, almost. It was loads of fun, but dark and well-written.
I liked the characters, although one in particular gets a revelation partway through that makes me like him quite a bit less than I previously had. Our main character, Saeko, is intensely curious about almost everything, which is a trait I always love in characters because it means I'm not sitting there reading wondering why they aren't asking questions. Questions are asked, and almost everything is even answered! The mysteries involved are intriguing and the solutions were unexpected.
It's hard to say much about this without spoiling stuff better left unexplained, I feel, so I'm just going to finish with a high recommendation for this if anything I said sounds like it is up your alley and I'm going to go see if I can dig up anything else by him, because this was a hell of a ride.