A review by baielleebooks
The Plotters by Un-su Kim
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A shadow ball of dark witticisms, compelling characters and gritty action. Reseng was a genuinely lovable protagonist (which is an accoldate I realise I haven't given to many protagonists I've read in books recently lmao!) His social negativity is not try-hardy nor grandstanding, but instead provides a spiky theoretical slant into his psyche and provides a genuinely interesting entrypoint into understanding what drives him to do what he does.
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The Plotters is marvellous in exposing the contemptuousness of its network of assasins, for a supposedly neutral face is always revealed for its duplicity. The gender politics is also a point of interest; the underestimation of women in "the business" is poked at critically, and characters like Mito come through boldly, humourously and poignantly. It is also my firm personal belief that Sumin should've twatted Reseng for how much he bagged her crossed eyes, lmao.
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Critically speaking, there were ocassions where the timing in paragraph or chapter transitions somewhat caught me off-guard, and I didn't always have an ironclad focus in the chainlinking of particular events in the novel.
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Overall, The Plotters is strong in its prose, its characters harmonise with each other marvelously in a kind of deliciously dark and fucked-up choir, and the equilibrium had in the literary credence provided to both psyche and plot was remarkable.
-
The Plotters is marvellous in exposing the contemptuousness of its network of assasins, for a supposedly neutral face is always revealed for its duplicity. The gender politics is also a point of interest; the underestimation of women in "the business" is poked at critically, and characters like Mito come through boldly, humourously and poignantly. It is also my firm personal belief that Sumin should've twatted Reseng for how much he bagged her crossed eyes, lmao.
-
Critically speaking, there were ocassions where the timing in paragraph or chapter transitions somewhat caught me off-guard, and I didn't always have an ironclad focus in the chainlinking of particular events in the novel.
-
Overall, The Plotters is strong in its prose, its characters harmonise with each other marvelously in a kind of deliciously dark and fucked-up choir, and the equilibrium had in the literary credence provided to both psyche and plot was remarkable.