Reviews

The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda

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dlberglund's review

4.0

This puzzling mystery is pieced together from different perspectives and narrations across time, and doesn't ultimately end as neatly as an American mystery reader might expect. Over a dozen people are all killed via a tortuous poisoning at a prestigious family's birthday party. Someone is eventually charged/blamed, after they have committed suicide, but the case didn't feel resolved to those connected. As readers, we are given nudges toward the person that others think is responsible, and some possible red herrings, but do we ever really know what happened? The longer I think about it, the more I feel satisfied by what I'm given, with a few details that still leave me scratching my head.
Riku Onda gives us every indication that she wants to leave the book open-ended and inconclusive, so she's done her job successfully.
As is often the case, I wonder how much the translation decisions impact the English-speaking readers. Were there puns or turns of phrase that would resonate more in the Japanese language?

clivestaples's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mina's review

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I'm still sitting with this book and trying to process it -- I think I've just accepted the fact I will probably have to reread it again. I hope they adapt this into a movie one day, so I can get more discussion on what everyone thinks of the ending.

The experience of reading this book is very different from anything I've ever read before. It's atmospheric and gently balances the feeling of being intimately connected with the characters, as well as the feeling of being a distant observer.

It focuses on the "why," more than the "who" and explores the real consequences of crime. Each chapter is a testimony from someone periphery to the case, and we see how it has traumatically affected them long-term. It also implores you to consider criminal actions in a more humanistically complex way rather than just as a means to an end.

tiffanyg's review

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No

4.0

tacochelle's review

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4.0

It's hard to call this a thriller because there's a sense of helplessness? acceptance? of the past events, that the truth will change nothing. Regardless, there is a murder, and there is a mystery that is solved by the end. And I liked the ending we got. It really gets in the mind of each person related to the event, getting their truths about the murders and Hisako, and slowly narrowing down to the ones who know best what happened and why. The narrative relies on describing the sounds and smells, especially at the time of the murders, since Hisako is blind. These are the biggest clues, less so any visible sign, because in the end, the police could find none. It gradually forces outsiders trying to solve the murders to "see" the world as she does, if they really want the answer. I like that choice, it makes for very beautiful writing.