A review by anemosise
Ring by Kōji Suzuki

dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

i think i enjoyed the plot concept more than I enjoyed actually engaging with this book. the pacing towards the midpoint slowed down a bit too much for my liking, and the unprompted misogyny and transphobic themes really threw me off. the main two characters also being bad people (a rapist and a friend of a rapist) made it really hard to connect with the story as well. i wouldnt mind the two main characters being bad people if it felt like the narrative framed them in a negative manor, but i didnt feel they were at all. i know this is a translated story from 90s japan, but I felt the story would have benefited for a better exploration of its female characters. regardless of all my negative thoughts on the novel, i genuinely enjoyed the explorative mystery element of this novel. the way the it played out was very natural and enjoyable to discover along with the characters. also I know it's a series but the ending happened a lot faster than I was expecting
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