ellekeene's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most simple, stirring and unsettling books I've ever read. I mean, I called the twist, but the writing was such a surprise and that ending had me shook. Loved it.
g_hammersmith's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book, because I saw that it had a movie. As I started reading this I was picturing everything in my head, and then I realized I had seen the movie already.
This book was really good, it reads from Lucy’s POV, and then it’s 3rd person.
I will only say that Lucy had a rough childhood, she turns 18 and moves to Japan and works as a translator. One of her friends who is a teacher, tells her about Lily who moved to Japan and knows nothing about it and that they should get acquainted..that’s when the story takes off…however it doesn’t. Prior to Lucy meeting Lily, she meets Teiji a mysterious photographer.
This book was really good, it reads from Lucy’s POV, and then it’s 3rd person.
I will only say that Lucy had a rough childhood, she turns 18 and moves to Japan and works as a translator. One of her friends who is a teacher, tells her about Lily who moved to Japan and knows nothing about it and that they should get acquainted..that’s when the story takes off…however it doesn’t. Prior to Lucy meeting Lily, she meets Teiji a mysterious photographer.
terahjay's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, and Vomit
sammirosewater's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
frtps's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was somehow mesmerised by the prose. So straighforward, and yet the narrator is fascinating: she loves silence, aloneness, and yet needs her friend and lover, and is delicate despite her apparent toughness. Perhaps ultimately she is traumatised. Tokyo, the real Tokyo, is so evocatively described, and having lived in Japan for almost a decade the setting was particularly meaningful for me.
Ultimately a beautiful character study. In the beginning I was a little put off by what felt like 'Japan name dropping', the list of expat reasons for being in Japan, the over-detailed descriptions of food; but in retrospect this was part of Lucy's persona, and as the book goes on and we get deeper into her psyche, these details fall away.
The occasional reference to herself not as 'I' but as 'Lucy' are absolutely not an issue, and I think reflect a certain dissociation due to her past.
The book is better than the film, which, while it tried, could not hope to convey the thoughts behind Lucy's wordlessness, and how much she felt for him and Lily. Even the fact that she and Teiji was missing from the film: like it or not, nudity conveys intimacy.
Ultimately a beautiful character study. In the beginning I was a little put off by what felt like 'Japan name dropping', the list of expat reasons for being in Japan, the over-detailed descriptions of food; but in retrospect this was part of Lucy's persona, and as the book goes on and we get deeper into her psyche, these details fall away.
The occasional reference to herself not as 'I' but as 'Lucy' are absolutely not an issue, and I think reflect a certain dissociation due to her past.
The book is better than the film, which, while it tried, could not hope to convey the thoughts behind Lucy's wordlessness, and how much she felt for him and Lily. Even the fact that she and Teiji
Spoiler
were immediately naked together and had sexjreichertjulie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
wxdam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
What a treat. I picked this up at Goodwill when the title caught my eye, never expecting to fall into this story as much as I did.
The concept of an "unreliable narrator" drove me nuts in high school English classes, the way it seemed so arbitrary and open for interpretation. If only I'd met Lucy back then. She's the main character in every sense of the term.
Lucy is so lost in her own story that she can't settle on first- or third-person narration, flipping back and forth between self and spectator as she tries to remember the consequential events of her life--as much for her benefit as for the police officers interrogating her about her friend's murder.
This story will bounce around in my head for a long time. I hope I never see the movie adaptation. I don't want anything to ruin this gem of a story in my memory.
The concept of an "unreliable narrator" drove me nuts in high school English classes, the way it seemed so arbitrary and open for interpretation. If only I'd met Lucy back then. She's the main character in every sense of the term.
Lucy is so lost in her own story that she can't settle on first- or third-person narration, flipping back and forth between self and spectator as she tries to remember the consequential events of her life--as much for her benefit as for the police officers interrogating her about her friend's murder.
This story will bounce around in my head for a long time. I hope I never see the movie adaptation. I don't want anything to ruin this gem of a story in my memory.
esmu's review against another edition
4.0
Surprised me a lot. It wasn't a crime/mystery as such.
I think it will grow on me.
I think it will grow on me.
graypandas's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol and Sexual content
Minor: Stalking and Suicide