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growintogardens's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.25
Well written and interesting. The mix of character development and plot was solid, and I had conflicting feelings for the main characters throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
serendipity421's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Self harm and Alcohol
lilifane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow. I'm kind of speechless.
Loved this, easy 5 stars, my ideal type of mystery-thriller.
I was skeptical during the first half because it was kind of slow, and I was convinced I knew where it was going. There is no action in the book btw, it's just police investigations, interviewing suspects, checking alibis. Which I love, but it might not appeal to everyone. I also didn't care for the characters that much at first and was rather removed from the story. But I loved the premise and I had a theory early on so I was intrigued enough to keep reading. And although the plot was slow/quiet, the reading went by very quickly. This is a very readable book.
What made it a 5 star was the last 50 pages or so. I went through all kinds of emotions then. I suddenly was attached to the characters and felt a lot of feelings. And then the author got me in the end. Ah, I was on the right path, but I didn't think about it enough. (This is not a whodunit, by the way, it's more like a howdunit.)
Now I want to read more in this series (especially since I'm now emotionally attached to the detectives) but... why aren't the first books translated yet?!?!? I mean, I guess you can read them out of order, which I will probably do... but my completionist brain is suffering.
Loved this, easy 5 stars, my ideal type of mystery-thriller.
I was skeptical during the first half because it was kind of slow, and I was convinced I knew where it was going. There is no action in the book btw, it's just police investigations, interviewing suspects, checking alibis. Which I love, but it might not appeal to everyone. I also didn't care for the characters that much at first and was rather removed from the story. But I loved the premise and I had a theory early on so I was intrigued enough to keep reading. And although the plot was slow/quiet, the reading went by very quickly. This is a very readable book.
What made it a 5 star was the last 50 pages or so. I went through all kinds of emotions then. I suddenly was attached to the characters and felt a lot of feelings. And then the author got me in the end. Ah, I was on the right path, but I didn't think about it enough. (This is not a whodunit, by the way, it's more like a howdunit.)
Now I want to read more in this series (especially since I'm now emotionally attached to the detectives) but... why aren't the first books translated yet?!?!? I mean, I guess you can read them out of order, which I will probably do... but my completionist brain is suffering.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Violence
goodgraces's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
atalea's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Stalking
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide attempt
afi_whatafireads's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Head? Empty...
Brain? Still processing shit..
Emotions? ✨Emotional Damage✨
This book. THIS FREAKING BOOK. It blew my mind. It took on the depths of human's emotions and spinned it into a tale that just seemed so freaking simple, but is just so MINDBLOWINGLY BRILLIANT. Everything was brilliant about this. The writing, the emotion, the plot progression, the way the story evolved. It really teaches us to not take something from the face value. There's more to things than just the surface. You have to dig deeper to really know something.
Brain? Still processing shit..
Emotions? ✨Emotional Damage✨
This book. THIS FREAKING BOOK. It blew my mind. It took on the depths of human's emotions and spinned it into a tale that just seemed so freaking simple, but is just so MINDBLOWINGLY BRILLIANT. Everything was brilliant about this. The writing, the emotion, the plot progression, the way the story evolved. It really teaches us to not take something from the face value. There's more to things than just the surface. You have to dig deeper to really know something.
"Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's saviour."
This book had was so unique but so very, well-written. The intricateness of the writing, the way Keigo relates life and the characters and just how very unique this book was. Imagine already knowing WHO the killer is and what had happened during the time of murder, but how Keigo spinned the story into the perspective of the murderer, the detectives as well as the POV of a bystander. The more I think about it, the more I feel that Keigo Higashino is not only a genius in curating a story, he leads the readers into thinking that something is as what it seemed, when it's not. The way everything pieced together at the end, the way the emotional inflict that the characters had done, every line and word is meaningful in his writing.
"When an amateur attempts to conceal something, the more complex he makes his camouflage, the deeper the grave he digs for himself. But not so a genius. The genius does something far simpler, yet something no normal person would even dream of, the last thing a normal person would think of doing. And from this simplicity, immense complexity is created."
This line alone, this line alone had shown the overall gist of the story. How the plot seemed so simple, and yet, you still feel why the police still can't convict the murderer. The things that Keigo had laid out, the base of the story, felt and looked so simple, but it was more than that. The surface ran deep like looking at the base of the ocean, not knowing what you'll find.
I also like how I can actually relate to the things that the characters were doing. Its one thing to read about rampage murderers, but its an entirely different thing to read about a calculative and smart murderer. The way Keigo leads the readers into accepting the perspective that he wrote but, the clues lies between the lies of the stories. If only another perspective was shone through, everything will make sense.
This is a story that is unlike any other, but had caught me from the very first chapter. It blew my mind and paired with a straightforward writing but with complex monologues showcasing the intricacy of human's feelings, its a book that will really make you go back to the cover, stare at it for a few minutes and cry. A crime thriller that may be one of the best I've read so far in my life. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
jourdanicus's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This one is definitely a bit out of my wheelhouse but I'm glad to have read it. I heard it recommended on the Currently Reading podcast and was sold by their presentation of it. The first two chapters caught my attention immediately, but I did feel like most of the middle of the book dragged. Maybe that was just me (or maybe a translation issue?) because I've heard another reader say the first two chapters were actually harder for them to get through and then they loved the rest of the book. The twist(s) at the end were worth the price of admission in my opinion. The plot was paced well enough that I was almost able to put the pieces together myself by the end, which I love in a mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
bethanyann97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Alcoholism
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