lschlego's review
4.0
I read some of Shimada for my Master’s degree, so I thought I would pick this more recent novel up. Japan is notorious for suicide, and I found this book to be an interesting look into the life of a man who has given himself a week to live. There are people who take advantage of him and others who make his last week blissful. It was painful to look into the life of someone who is determined to die. I found it odd that I was not overly sad about his decision. I was more thinking about how he might not have wanted to die if he were married or had children or had had better luck in life. I usually think of suicide as being committed by someone who loses all hope and makes a rash decision to end their life. But this character had planned his demise, determined for the day to be the following Friday. I own Shimada’s “Dream Messenger”, as well, and am eager to read that one soon as I enjoyed his writing style.
kelly_booklist's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
purplemuskogee's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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