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evergreensandbookishthings's review
3.0
The premise of this story, a woman who kills a fellow student at 12 years old tries to move on from her past, was JUICY stuff. Though, major swaths of time were skipped over, which gave me a bit of whiplash and I wish I had gotten to know Rio and the other main characters better. It's not often that I say this, but this book could have been a good 50 pages longer! I was totally sucked in by her moral dilemma of whether the ends justify the means, and whether people can fundamentally change over time. I also enjoyed the peek into Japanese culture and being able to identify with Rio as a runner. I look forward to future work from Kelly Luce, for certain.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)
booknerdnative's review
4.0
Synopsis
This is the story of a young woman who holds a terrible childhood secret. This secret comes to haunt her in her adult life, and on a new continent. You follow Rio, as she goes home to her hometown in Japan, and uncovers secrets, and tries to come to terms with her past.
Thoughts // Review
I didn’t want to give much more of a synopsis than I did, because I have heard a lot of complaints about this book centered around people’s expectations. This book is definitely not your typical thriller; it’s not really a thriller at all. There are very ominous and mysterious aspects of the story that keep you turning each page, but this is definitely more literary than thriller (and even a character study of sorts).
I really loved how much research was put into this novel. I could tell that Kelly Luce spent time making sure that her story was authentic and believable. I loved feeling totally immersed in Japanese culture, and I really enjoyed Rio’s time in Japan, as she explores her past, and uncovers old history.
The writing style was simple and direct (but GOOD), and I think this helped the story feel true with the delivery of its themes and messages.
This book deals with some really hard topics, in terms of how we deal with being bullied, how we feel when we lose a loved one, and how we hide who we are from those we are closest to. This book goes back and forth from Rio’s past, to present, and in the past sections, you see that Rio was mercilessly bullied for her mixed-race ancestry, and she is dubbed “hafu,” by her school peers who refuse to accept her as one of their own.
I did have one complaint of the story, making this book not quite a 5 star read for me. I felt that all of the men in the book were almost paper cutouts of bad guys. I found the biggest offender of male sterotyping was Rio’s husband, Sal. He felt like he was pulled out of your corniest rom-com film. He was always attentive to Rio, even when she was being secretive, and he seemed way too okay with the fact that she keeps in totally in the dark about her past. He only questions what Rio allows him to question, in regards to her former life in Japan. When he does get filled in on the secrets she hasn’t told him, he acts a little upset, but eventually he just accepts the reality of his new life. He is a character that definitely seems written through the filter of a female writer. No one is this good; no one is this understanding. This was the only aspect of the book that didn’t really make sense and didn’t seem realistic to me.
That being said, I also liked how the book ended, and I felt that the length of this book was pretty perfect. The author said just enough throughout the novel to make the story interesting and thorough, but she didn’t drag out the story and tell you anything that was unnecessary. The book felt like it had purpose, and its purpose was fulfilled, in my opinion.
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
This is the story of a young woman who holds a terrible childhood secret. This secret comes to haunt her in her adult life, and on a new continent. You follow Rio, as she goes home to her hometown in Japan, and uncovers secrets, and tries to come to terms with her past.
Thoughts // Review
I didn’t want to give much more of a synopsis than I did, because I have heard a lot of complaints about this book centered around people’s expectations. This book is definitely not your typical thriller; it’s not really a thriller at all. There are very ominous and mysterious aspects of the story that keep you turning each page, but this is definitely more literary than thriller (and even a character study of sorts).
I really loved how much research was put into this novel. I could tell that Kelly Luce spent time making sure that her story was authentic and believable. I loved feeling totally immersed in Japanese culture, and I really enjoyed Rio’s time in Japan, as she explores her past, and uncovers old history.
The writing style was simple and direct (but GOOD), and I think this helped the story feel true with the delivery of its themes and messages.
This book deals with some really hard topics, in terms of how we deal with being bullied, how we feel when we lose a loved one, and how we hide who we are from those we are closest to. This book goes back and forth from Rio’s past, to present, and in the past sections, you see that Rio was mercilessly bullied for her mixed-race ancestry, and she is dubbed “hafu,” by her school peers who refuse to accept her as one of their own.
I did have one complaint of the story, making this book not quite a 5 star read for me. I felt that all of the men in the book were almost paper cutouts of bad guys. I found the biggest offender of male sterotyping was Rio’s husband, Sal. He felt like he was pulled out of your corniest rom-com film. He was always attentive to Rio, even when she was being secretive, and he seemed way too okay with the fact that she keeps in totally in the dark about her past. He only questions what Rio allows him to question, in regards to her former life in Japan. When he does get filled in on the secrets she hasn’t told him, he acts a little upset, but eventually he just accepts the reality of his new life. He is a character that definitely seems written through the filter of a female writer. No one is this good; no one is this understanding. This was the only aspect of the book that didn’t really make sense and didn’t seem realistic to me.
That being said, I also liked how the book ended, and I felt that the length of this book was pretty perfect. The author said just enough throughout the novel to make the story interesting and thorough, but she didn’t drag out the story and tell you anything that was unnecessary. The book felt like it had purpose, and its purpose was fulfilled, in my opinion.
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
katmom2u's review
4.0
A culturally interesting story. Well written. The characters are interesting. I enjoyed the journey.
casimiera's review against another edition
4.0
PopSugar 2020 reading prompt: A book with a three-word title
jackobotts's review
4.0
Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. Complex character histories, grappling with tragedy, loss, recovery. Luce explores the theme of identity: how does one’s past define (& control) an individual? Can you truly shut out your past and ignore who you once were?
erinlovescats's review
4.0
Very interesting. It was a heartbreaking story but I'm so glad I read it.
bookish_sabrina's review
3.0
Really strong beginning, but I found the plot to kind of fall apart in the latter half. Also, while I appreciated the use of Japanese language and culture, and there were many things that demonstrated a rich knowledge of both, some of the inaccuracies about Boulder, Colorado were a bit irksome. For instance, there is a line that states that almost no Japanese people are on CU's campus (my alma mater, where I majored in Japanese, by the way), which is emphatically not true. CU Boulder has a renowned Japanese program, as well as many Japanese exchange students. That was one of the things that felt sloppy about this novel.
That being said, there were some great passages, and I thought the symbolism and motifs were interesting and unique, if not a little heavy-handed. This novel is extremely readable and compelling, but could have been tightened up in a few spots.
That being said, there were some great passages, and I thought the symbolism and motifs were interesting and unique, if not a little heavy-handed. This novel is extremely readable and compelling, but could have been tightened up in a few spots.
rach_simone's review
4.0
Riveting from start to finish. I really cared about the characters, which is a testament to Kelly Luce's writing. I wanted more. I want to know what happens after the book ends, but am still satisfied (for now) with all of the reveals and twists and turns.
aina's review
3.0
This was quite a slow read, to be honest, but it didn't bother me that much knowing the tone of the story itself. A pilgrimage story of a woman whose dark past comes resurfacing after her father's death, it's a dark book exploring the theme of one's identity. However, the execution was pretty weak it failed to make the story a strong, moving one.
Her writing style has this distinct feel of Japanese to it. Well-written in the aspect of the Japan setting, the culture reference, and the pilgrimage journey. Character wise, it's hard for me to connect with the main character, Rio Akitani. She felt distant. Like there were layers of her that we didn't get to see. I wish the author could "show" rather then "tell" about this "black organ", elaborate on how it felt to the MC and how it affected her. I'd like to see her dealing with it as well.
I also wish to see some parts of the story getting delved into deeper. Some scenes felt like there's going to be a big revelation to it, but then the plot moved on and we were left with lots to desire from that particular scene. There's no solid closure to the ending. Some issues did get resolved, but we couldn't see if it did any change to the MC mentally or spiritually. Maybe that's what the author intended, to pose a question that leads back to the theme of identity and if people can change or stay the same throughout their life, no matter what happened.
Overall, it's an okay read for me. I did have a hard time with the rating, but eventually decided to settle down with 3 stars. If you're interested in women's fiction with slow, considerable pace and don't pay too much attention to the character development, you might want to give this a try.
CW: bullying, fat shaming, racism, suicide mention, child-on-child violence
Her writing style has this distinct feel of Japanese to it. Well-written in the aspect of the Japan setting, the culture reference, and the pilgrimage journey. Character wise, it's hard for me to connect with the main character, Rio Akitani. She felt distant. Like there were layers of her that we didn't get to see. I wish the author could "show" rather then "tell" about this "black organ", elaborate on how it felt to the MC and how it affected her. I'd like to see her dealing with it as well.
I also wish to see some parts of the story getting delved into deeper. Some scenes felt like there's going to be a big revelation to it, but then the plot moved on and we were left with lots to desire from that particular scene. There's no solid closure to the ending. Some issues did get resolved, but we couldn't see if it did any change to the MC mentally or spiritually. Maybe that's what the author intended, to pose a question that leads back to the theme of identity and if people can change or stay the same throughout their life, no matter what happened.
Overall, it's an okay read for me. I did have a hard time with the rating, but eventually decided to settle down with 3 stars. If you're interested in women's fiction with slow, considerable pace and don't pay too much attention to the character development, you might want to give this a try.
CW: bullying, fat shaming, racism, suicide mention, child-on-child violence
slowdown_dylettante's review
3.0
The first chapter of this book was incredibly compelling and I only wish that the rest of the book had had at least some of that pull. The 12 year old Chizuru, overweight, hafu and an outsider in her home country Japan is immediately relateable and sympathetic, even as she commits a horrible crime. As she deals with the repercussions of it, I found myself tearing up, even just 20 pages in.
Spending time with the adult Rio in her new persona and live, however, is not as enjoyable. As a character, I found her incredibly difficult to connect with, as did most of the other characters she interacted with. She acted very selfishly and was incredibly oblivious to even the most obvious needs of others. That is a character flaw I can live with if it serves a larger purpose - perhaps if it had a clearer connection to her childhood life or her disconnect to the culture of Japan. Instead, it just felt incidental. Danny, her former teacher, was also hard to understand. It's clear she was coping with her own mortality and life choices, but her actions throughout seemed childish even for a teacher in her 20s, let alone for a woman in late middle age. Both women just felt a little clunky.
I did very much enjoy spending time in the Japan of this novel. I know very little about the country and I felt the day-to-day, subtle struggles, as well as the beauty of the Obon festival and the pilgrimage. Could definitely be 4 stars if the characters were crafted a bit more carefully.
Spending time with the adult Rio in her new persona and live, however, is not as enjoyable. As a character, I found her incredibly difficult to connect with, as did most of the other characters she interacted with. She acted very selfishly and was incredibly oblivious to even the most obvious needs of others. That is a character flaw I can live with if it serves a larger purpose - perhaps if it had a clearer connection to her childhood life or her disconnect to the culture of Japan. Instead, it just felt incidental. Danny, her former teacher, was also hard to understand. It's clear she was coping with her own mortality and life choices, but her actions throughout seemed childish even for a teacher in her 20s, let alone for a woman in late middle age. Both women just felt a little clunky.
I did very much enjoy spending time in the Japan of this novel. I know very little about the country and I felt the day-to-day, subtle struggles, as well as the beauty of the Obon festival and the pilgrimage. Could definitely be 4 stars if the characters were crafted a bit more carefully.