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j_squaredd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder
tiemzahra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
In 1960s, 17 people died of cyanide poisoning in Aosawa house party, leaving the blind daughter, Hisako as the only survivor. The police was convinced that Hisako was the culprit, despite her very young age when the tragedy happened, even by the author of the bestselling book of the murder who was Hisako’s childhood friend. The mystery was narrated through testimonies of different people; family members, witnesses, neighbours, investigators, and Hisako herself.
This book is cryptic, and the mystery is fascinating, but I think this book is strictly not for me due to the ambiguous ending. I also needed an exceptional focus to read this book, and by the end of reading this, I was exhausted. It’s another thing that this book has a confusing ending, it’s another when the whole process left me baffling. As I own a physical copy, I feel obligated to finish reading, but any other situation, I probably have DNF-ed it.
This book suits readers who love mysterious and dark fiction with different approach in thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Mental illness
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide
sp0ka's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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? No
3.0
I don’t think this is a particularly good translation and I bet it reads better in the original language.
The book needing a significant amount of magically acquired knowledge to conclude was kind of disappointing. It felt like the author had a lot of good ideas that just weren’t fully developed.
The writing does read well for the most part despite translation nitpicks, and I enjoyed it up until the last 20 pages or so.
The book needing a significant amount of magically acquired knowledge to conclude was kind of disappointing. It felt like the author had a lot of good ideas that just weren’t fully developed.
The writing does read well for the most part despite translation nitpicks, and I enjoyed it up until the last 20 pages or so.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
nish_'s review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Very VERY slow read. Not super interesting in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
fionac326's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
nisha_nee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a Japanese murder mystery that takes the unconventional route from formulaic mysteries as the writing style that greatly contributed to the poetic style of the story was told in a way the reader is aware of another person in the room. There were still some unexplained events happening and the ending is open-ended, vague, and is up to the reader's interpretation. If you like a solid murder mystery with a murderer, motive, and explanation how they did it, then this book is not for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
georgiarose710's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is not a whodunnit, despite the subject matter. This is the tale of three children who witness the aftermath of the mass murder of a prestigious and rich family via a case of poisoned fizzy juice- the sole survivor being the inhabitants blind daughter. No one ever confessed, and the case went cold.
This book dives into the aftermath for all who were affected, the three siblings who stumbled upon the scene and who had been there last, the daughter who was left alive, the newspapers, journalists, and public. It’s never explicitly stated who committed the murders (though it’s heavily implied) but it goes to show that a tragedy affects not only the people closest, but a whole community. This is a very sad novel, but one that I enjoyed reading.
This book dives into the aftermath for all who were affected, the three siblings who stumbled upon the scene and who had been there last, the daughter who was left alive, the newspapers, journalists, and public. It’s never explicitly stated who committed the murders (though it’s heavily implied) but it goes to show that a tragedy affects not only the people closest, but a whole community. This is a very sad novel, but one that I enjoyed reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Murder
mackenzi's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Murder
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child death and Suicide
The main mystery of the book is how 17 people are killed by poisoning. Several of these people are children; it does not describe or dwell on the deaths, though because the main thrust of the book is the investigation (and the investigation of the investigation) that follows, some witnesses do comment on this a few times in through the story. There is a very brief mention of a child character hating a particular room. We don't know what happened in the room or to the child, just that the child had been forced there at some point in the past, and harbored bad feelings about it afterwards.