Frances
PLOT
Beginning with the structure, the novel is split into two halves. The first half is in the format of a letter from one of the teenagers, detailing his thoughts and what happened. The second half, however, is set years later and told from the perspective of a classmate, trying to piece together what happened and why.
With that being said, I didn't really feel like the story was fleshed out as much as I would like it to be. I think there needed to be a bit more exposure and details in order to make it worthwhile, as there were still a lot of questions left unanswered or vague. I also felt like at one point the story deviated too much into a classroom drama.
On the other hand, I can at least give it credit for being surreal and different. It's not a bad book by any means, and it's short enough to use it to fill a reading goal, but I do think it needed some more work. Like mentioned before though, it at least gets props for delving into the phenomenon of k-pop/j-pop super fans and how far they're willing to go for their favorite idols.
CHARACTERS
The characters were okay, but to be honest, none of them particularly stood out to me. There just wasn't really much to go off of, even though the book is primarily told through their internal monologue. I only wish we got to know more about Morishita (the killer) and what his thought process was like. I was curious to know why he did those things and what justified them in his mind. I was also curious about what the j-pop idol was going through and what her thoughts were on this whole crazy ordeal.
AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE
There were some instances of repetition and at least one minor inconsistency, but otherwise, the writing was alright. I do think the writing could have also used a bit more developing, but for what it is, it was still enjoyable. I did notice a lot of the sentences were short and sometimes abrupt, which I didn't personally have an issue with, but I can see how it might disrupt one's reading flow. Overall, there is potential here.
RATING
I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
PLOT
Beginning with the structure, the novel is split into two halves. The first half is in the format of a letter from one of the teenagers, detailing his thoughts and what happened. The second half, however, is set years later and told from the perspective of a classmate, trying to piece together what happened and why.
With that being said, I didn't really feel like the story was fleshed out as much as I would like it to be. I think there needed to be a bit more exposure and details in order to make it worthwhile, as there were still a lot of questions left unanswered or vague. I also felt like at one point the story deviated too much into a classroom drama.
On the other hand, I can at least give it credit for being surreal and different. It's not a bad book by any means, and it's short enough to use it to fill a reading goal, but I do think it needed some more work. Like mentioned before though, it at least gets props for delving into the phenomenon of k-pop/j-pop super fans and how far they're willing to go for their favorite idols.
CHARACTERS
The characters were okay, but to be honest, none of them particularly stood out to me. There just wasn't really much to go off of, even though the book is primarily told through their internal monologue. I only wish we got to know more about Morishita (the killer) and what his thought process was like. I was curious to know why he did those things and what justified them in his mind. I was also curious about what the j-pop idol was going through and what her thoughts were on this whole crazy ordeal.
AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE
There were some instances of repetition and at least one minor inconsistency, but otherwise, the writing was alright. I do think the writing could have also used a bit more developing, but for what it is, it was still enjoyable. I did notice a lot of the sentences were short and sometimes abrupt, which I didn't personally have an issue with, but I can see how it might disrupt one's reading flow. Overall, there is potential here.
RATING
I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.