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Liked It “I really enjoy the story telling of ever character's life history. The ending was very ironic: the hater became what she hated the most. Are we all basically bitches? |
Didn’t Like It “Dark ... Does not allow you to close the book with a happy feeling” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I really enjoy the story telling of ever character's life history. The ending was very ironic: the hater became what she hated the most. Are we all basically bitches?
Dila wrote this review Sunday, May 29, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I must say, Natsuo Kirino has her way to make me felt unsympathy to her main character.”“Dark ... Does not allow you to close the book with a happy feeling”
AdaMei wrote this review Thursday, March 17, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Quite lengthy but I like the writing style.”
nuala is decaffeinated wrote this review Wednesday, December 1, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Disappointing. I saw reviews indicating the book was "psychologically complex." Nope. The characters were small and empty. I would like to find books that match what this book promised to be. If anyone has come across Dostoevsky meets Tokyo Decadence, please let me know. This ain't it.”
Stella Moon wrote this review Wednesday, November 24, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very different. A look into another culture. A murder mystery”
Carol W wrote this review Thursday, October 14, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Amazing amazing book. Thank you Sarah for giving this to me. Seems like I owe you quite a bit to fuel my reading habit :)
Shu L wrote this review Monday, July 26, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book is translated from the Japanese, so it sort of makes me question whether it's as good as the Japanese version, or even better. Either way, I enjoyed this so much I brought it with me to college, and I've read it a few times over since. I thought it was very interesting since I HATED the main character, and yet she managed to depict jealousy in a way that can hit very close to home, even if a little extreme. In many ways, I thought it also portrayed a typical Asian culture very well. I lent it to a friend, Jumoke, and she said to me, 'If it was turned into a film, no one can play Yuriko.' I know what she means, because Yuriko is this unearthly beautiful creature, and no human actress could possibly not disappoint.
I only 'favourite' books that I read over and again, which is why there is a difference between the 5-stars and the 5-stars-plus-favourite. Needless to say, if I were beside you right now, I'd make you get it and read it cover to cover.”
“This was the first Kirino book that I read, and although I eagerly clamoured for more, it wasn't because this book was an all out success. I was extremely engaged in the text, and drawn to the characters that were depicted, but there's an overriding darkness to Kirino's writing which can unsettle the reader.
Sal wrote this review Monday, July 26, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It's difficult to know which character to barrack for, or who to sympathise with - which makes for an interesting read, but it can be somewhat wearing. This is particularly the case when the viewpoint shifts between characters and what you thought was right rapidly descends into being an outright fabrication.
Overall, I felt that the book really failed to live up to the high standards it offered initially. The start of the book was engrossing, but the end rather petered out, and I found the conclusion entirely unsatisfying and unbelievable.
I'm glad I read it, as I thought the text for the first half of the book was phenomenal; however, I was left with a sense of, "Why did I bother to read that?"”
“Had high hopes for this one as I really enjoyed 'Out' but personally didn't find the storyline as gripping or the ending as satisfying. Bit of a disappointment, but not a bad novel to be honest. I do wonder if having different translators makes a difference, as the writing style felt different to 'Out', not neccesarily worse, just different. Still, I'll keep an eye out for more of Natsuo's work in future.”
Yum Y wrote this review Saturday, July 3, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
