B00kM00k

If you are a reader that enjoys plot-driven books, this probably isn't for you. However, if you are a reader that enjoys subtle depictions of tense human dynamics and connections -- set against a cold, dreary backdrop -- then you will probably like Vladivostok. The ending ties everything up in a realistic and, for lack of a better term, human way that is worth mentioning; and it will probably stick with me for a long time. My one issue with the novel would be the writing style (though I have yet to read the story in its original language so I can't say for sure if has the same effect). The author's choice of short, quick sentences does wonders for the first half of the story, clearly depicting the rising tension of a group of people whose trust in each other could mean life or death. However, in the second half, it doesn't really facilitate the growing connection between the characters I feel the author was trying to convey; oftentimes detaching the reader from the community the troupe was cultivating out of forced proximity. Of course, if Elisa Shua Dusapin smacked me over the head with my own copy of the book to tell me that was the whole point, then I would completely understand.