A review by ezcousins
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I absolutely loved this book! It had me on the edge of my seat, the pacing kept me interested the whole way through, most of the characters felt very real to me. My only issue is the portrayal of the only named adult female character. She was relatively two dimensional and I didn't like the way she was initially described. It felt very cliché and sexualised. Other than that though I thought the book was fantastically written and translated and the plot was very unique and refreshing. I also found the imagery vivid without being overpowering and flowery, which is fantastic but not necessary in all cases. Finally, I loved the ending. It wasn't too predictable but it also wasn't too outlandish, and it allowed room for the sequel to feel natural without leaving too much open ended. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings