feebeecamille's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very interesting book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The central plot is a murder mystery concerning a mass poisoning during the large birthday party of a prominent family in Japan in the 1970s. There are multiple narrators each adding their own memories to the slowly unfolding story. There is a dreamy surreal quality to the writing and the book is translated from Japanese so it reads somewhat perplexing. I enjoyed the many creepy motifs: extreme weather, a menacing house, claustrophobic rooms, talking flowers (?), precocious eerie children, unseen voices, an obsession with the third eye. All good stuff that pushed the story out of straight crime thriller and into horror territory. The characters were mostly slippery and unknowable, wrestling with some big issues - memory, the desire to be someone else, grief, revenge. And the last chapter, whew, opens up a whole new perspective on the book. I don't know if I completely understand this novel, but I very much had fun reading it.
kenziekuma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hannalliem's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
sabihayounus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
wrens's review against another edition
3.0
Very ambiguous, the style is very unique and something I wasn't sure about at first but came to enjoy. The ending feels a little disappointing, but I suppose if you're reading for aesthetic value, this book revels in its artsy imagery and vibes; could've been better, could've been worse, a lot of loose ends imo
conniption_fitz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
sunnnyy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rosemarykirk's review against another edition
5.0
Went into this with no expectations and absolutely loved it. Beautiful, interesting, original.
dlberglund's review against another edition
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?
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?