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A review by lolzoestrash
Confessions by Kanae Minato
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Great book. The first 3 chapters were the strongest by far. I really enjoyed all the different formats the lens of the story is told through (a classroom speech, a letter, diary entries, etc). Moriguchi Ito was my favorite perspective (the first chapter was absolutely jaw-dropping). There were heavy themes of revenge, motherhood, upbringing, and power, which were expertly injected into the story. The prose was very "simple", but this isn't a criticism whatsoever. This writing style really allowed the details-there were many of them-to shine. We are told things as fact, and then these facts get destroyed and challenged as new POVs are introduced. I just love how bold and unafraid this book was. I will 100% be seeking more of her work.
My only criticisms is that it felt a bit much to completely re-hash the events of the story so many times. Naoki & Shuya's POVs were necessary for the added details they included, but by the time we reached their POVs, we had heard many of the events in the story so many times that I found myself not wanting to re-hash them. The ending was brilliant, but I was starting to lose steam as the story went on.
I also felt like the format of Naoki's chapter could have been better. It seemed he was watching a "movie" (hallucination) of the events of his life on the prison wall without fully recognizing he was watching himself, but, I found myself thinking the POV should have better reflected that. The entire chapter was in First Person, but I think it could have been clever for Naoki to describe the scenes as if he was watching someone else (not himself). Just a minor thought.
Overall, very easy to read and very dark. Loved it! Easily recommended-especially if you hit a reading wall.
My only criticisms is that it felt a bit much to completely re-hash the events of the story so many times. Naoki & Shuya's POVs were necessary for the added details they included, but by the time we reached their POVs, we had heard many of the events in the story so many times that I found myself not wanting to re-hash them. The ending was brilliant, but I was starting to lose steam as the story went on.
I also felt like the format of Naoki's chapter could have been better. It seemed he was watching a "movie" (hallucination) of the events of his life on the prison wall without fully recognizing he was watching himself, but, I found myself thinking the POV should have better reflected that. The entire chapter was in First Person, but I think it could have been clever for Naoki to describe the scenes as if he was watching someone else (not himself). Just a minor thought.
Overall, very easy to read and very dark. Loved it! Easily recommended-especially if you hit a reading wall.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Murder