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aaaaaash's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
lausbiana's review against another edition
5.0
la dicotomía entre adulto y adolescente,,, realmente vivimos en una sociedad (brb buscando más libros de esta escritora<3)
lexcellent's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
sea_pier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mohabbataien's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5
The ongoing theme of recognized alienation (the constant repetition of a "others can't understand me but I can't understand them fully either" mentality) that was woven through all the character POVs came to a crescendo with Terauchi. Her ability to understand fundamental truths about the people around her destroyed the perception that they alone could understand themselves.
With characters like Worm, Kirarin, and Yuzan, complicated emotions and struggles from their perspective became simple and easy-to-digest facts about the people they were from Terauchi's POV.
Despite her knowledge of others, she was truly the most alienated from the world. Her deep thinkings of abstractions -- a useful tool for her to understand the motivations and characters of others ultimately fails her when she calls the police on Worm (leading to Kirarin's death). While being able to observe the actions of others as a third-party witness provides insight, viewing oneself from the same lens leads to an alienation from oneself. Usually, when the self is divided it seeks to reduce itself back into a simpler form. The other characters in the book did many morally grey things, but their worldviews kept them whole. When a part of them doubted themselves, their belief that only they could understand themselves in this world kept them together.
Terauchi's ability to ponder on and accept the complexities of human nature (ex: accepting a person you don't trust and its impact on the psyche) becomes a disadvantage when she is unable to become one with her actions. She believes she did a wrong thing and this clashes with her worldview that centers around her being the impartial observer. She can't come to terms with herself because she has broken her own trust, and this stems from her relationship with her mother, who sowed these seeds of mistrust within her. Now with two clashing ideas of the world within her mind, and stuck with the inability to reduce or conjoin them, Terauchi takes her own life -- the inevitable and easy way out, according to herself.
After Terauchi's death, Toshi absorbs Terauchi's original objective worldview into herself. At the end, Toshi is able to do what Terauchi couldn't (though most likely Terauchi knew Toshi would be able to do this) and takes irreparable route of living with a facing-facts worldview in the face of events that are also irreparable.
The ongoing theme of recognized alienation (the constant repetition of a "others can't understand me but I can't understand them fully either" mentality) that was woven through all the character POVs came to a crescendo with Terauchi. Her ability to understand fundamental truths about the people around her destroyed the perception that they alone could understand themselves.
With characters like Worm, Kirarin, and Yuzan, complicated emotions and struggles from their perspective became simple and easy-to-digest facts about the people they were from Terauchi's POV.
Despite her knowledge of others, she was truly the most alienated from the world. Her deep thinkings of abstractions -- a useful tool for her to understand the motivations and characters of others ultimately fails her when she calls the police on Worm (leading to Kirarin's death). While being able to observe the actions of others as a third-party witness provides insight, viewing oneself from the same lens leads to an alienation from oneself. Usually, when the self is divided it seeks to reduce itself back into a simpler form. The other characters in the book did many morally grey things, but their worldviews kept them whole. When a part of them doubted themselves, their belief that only they could understand themselves in this world kept them together.
Terauchi's ability to ponder on and accept the complexities of human nature (ex: accepting a person you don't trust and its impact on the psyche) becomes a disadvantage when she is unable to become one with her actions. She believes she did a wrong thing and this clashes with her worldview that centers around her being the impartial observer. She can't come to terms with herself because she has broken her own trust, and this stems from her relationship with her mother, who sowed these seeds of mistrust within her. Now with two clashing ideas of the world within her mind, and stuck with the inability to reduce or conjoin them, Terauchi takes her own life -- the inevitable and easy way out, according to herself.
After Terauchi's death, Toshi absorbs Terauchi's original objective worldview into herself. At the end, Toshi is able to do what Terauchi couldn't (though most likely Terauchi knew Toshi would be able to do this) and takes irreparable route of living with a facing-facts worldview in the face of events that are also irreparable.
rise's review against another edition
2.0
This book made me speechless and nauseated at the same time.
Terlalu banyak kematian dan kebingungan. Juga kebodohan.
Terlalu banyak kematian dan kebingungan. Juga kebodohan.
emlibrary222's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
readersbutterfly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
far more riveting in its conclusion then grotesque, my most recent Kirino read. I really enjoyed the look at life from the chaos of a teenager who feels on the fringes of everything, including their friends, and the exploration into cause-and-effect. It was a devourable read, even if I felt no particular affinity for any one character. I do wish yuzan had been more wholly fleshed out as a character. Misgendering, transphobia, and lesbophobia are in this book, so do note this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship