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mobtownshank's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kaceyjoy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Definitely read all the trigger warnings.
I enjoyed a lot of this book, especially the first half, though it does start out slow. I read about 70% of the book in only a couple days, but it took a week to slog through the first section.
The ending really didn't fulfill my expectations though. And in a way that not only ruins the book for me, but also will keep me from seeking it this author again. Honestly, it might just be the last 30 or so pages that ruin the entire book for me. There's a bit of ick throughout, but not enough that I'd DNF.
Fatness as a sign of weakness/lack of character
Graphic descriptions of multiple tapes
Rape apologist
Multiple POV, with many scenes repeated nearly verbatim from the multiple POVs - including a rape
While this book does show how poorly women were treated in Japan, and there were a lot of compelling parts with a lot of promise, overall it did not deliver for me. If you'd told me this was written by a man, I'd believe you.
I enjoyed a lot of this book, especially the first half, though it does start out slow. I read about 70% of the book in only a couple days, but it took a week to slog through the first section.
The ending really didn't fulfill my expectations though. And in a way that not only ruins the book for me, but also will keep me from seeking it this author again. Honestly, it might just be the last 30 or so pages that ruin the entire book for me. There's a bit of ick throughout, but not enough that I'd DNF.
Fatness as a sign of weakness/lack of character
Graphic descriptions of multiple tapes
Rape apologist
Multiple POV, with many scenes repeated nearly verbatim from the multiple POVs - including a rape
While this book does show how poorly women were treated in Japan, and there were a lot of compelling parts with a lot of promise, overall it did not deliver for me. If you'd told me this was written by a man, I'd believe you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia
Minor: Blood and Body shaming
miacgriffin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
4.0
I did enjoy this but I found it predictable due to having every characters point of view and I don't think the end made much sense. Still I liked it enough to give it 4 stars so can't have been that bad.
congressbaby143's review against another edition
4.0
I would have given it 5 stars for how much it played with my emotions over the days I was reading it but that ending pained me. And by “pained” I mean to say annoyed, agitated, irritated at the way this book took that turn with Masako identifying with Satake’s feelings. Fuck that.
You know how there are vlogs now in the BookTube community talking about book red flags? I’d definitely check in on the guys who identify with the complexity, the emotion of Satake because it’s not that deep, bro. It’s misogyny.
You know how there are vlogs now in the BookTube community talking about book red flags? I’d definitely check in on the guys who identify with the complexity, the emotion of Satake because it’s not that deep, bro. It’s misogyny.
jeansbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_jb_'s review against another edition
2.0
Ich hätte 3 oder 3.5 Sterne gegeben, wenn dieses gottlos beschissene Ende nicht gewesen wäre. Einfach mal 20 Seiten puren Rape-Fetisch hinrotzen…for what???
trin's review against another edition
1.0
Maaaaaaaaybe this has some interesting stuff to say about how ill-treated women are in Japanese society, but it boggles my mind that it's considered a feminist classic when it contains multiple scenes of graphic rape and, worse, rape apologia. (Also fatness as a sign of moral weakness -- fun!)
On a technical level, there are multiple characters and plotlines that go nowhere, and that thing I hate in a multi-POV book where the same scenes are recounted from multiple perspectives, including long stretches of dialogue repeated verbatim.
I guess I can see how readers in 1997 (Japanese version)/2003 (English translation) might have been impressed by a female author writing such a cold, brutal book -- one that's pacey and has whispers of a ~message~. But this is a mess -- a gross, unpleasant mess -- and I don't think it holds up. At all.
On a technical level, there are multiple characters and plotlines that go nowhere, and that thing I hate in a multi-POV book where the same scenes are recounted from multiple perspectives, including long stretches of dialogue repeated verbatim.
I guess I can see how readers in 1997 (Japanese version)/2003 (English translation) might have been impressed by a female author writing such a cold, brutal book -- one that's pacey and has whispers of a ~message~. But this is a mess -- a gross, unpleasant mess -- and I don't think it holds up. At all.
askingcrowd708's review against another edition
4.0
Niby zwykły thriller o zbrodni ale jednak inny. Ma mocno rozbudowane wątki socjologiczne, które porusza na wiele sposobów. Jednocześnie ta warstwa poruszająca tematy społeczne jest nienachalna i nie traktuje czytelnika jak idioty. Jak zacznie się czytać to trudno przerwać.
Chyba najlepszy thriller z wątkiem zbrodni jaki ostatnio czytałam.
Chyba najlepszy thriller z wątkiem zbrodni jaki ostatnio czytałam.