Review: The Snowman

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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Full disclosure: This is my first Nesbø book, and I've read that this book stands on its own. So no, I haven't read any of its predecessors on the Harry Hole series.

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I genuinely tried to really love this book simply because many of my fellow readers sang praises to it. But it was a difficult tread from start to finish. Maybe I expected too much. For a 500-page crime/thriller, it lacked the suspense I was expecting. It only became remotely exciting towards the last part--when the confrontation happened. The only other thing I loved about this is how Nesbø built the character of the serial killer--thorough and definite. In the end, there is absolutely no doubt surrounding the killer's insanity.

Review: Confessions

Confessions by Kanae Minato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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[WARNING: Contains strong language]

Let me just come right out and say it: holy...shit. That was so good! It was pretty horrific, but it was beyond good. The few people (hi Mom! hi boyfriend! hahaha) who follow my reviews know that I love reading gore and crime, so it might not come as surprise that I loved Confessions. The book does not lack troubled characters. In fact, all characters are troubled and each backstory justified it. They did not seem ridiculous at all. Some novels tend to overplay just to make the characters seem interesting, but Confessions had no problem with that. Or maybe I'm being biased. After all, I have been forever in awe with how Japanese writers excel at storytelling, especially when it involves mysteries and really fucked-up characters.

Minato wrote it in a prose so blunt and no-holds-barred. The story was made rich by how it was narrated. Each individual narrating it delivered his and her own unique dark and twisted voice. Despite the narrative revolving mostly around one scene with switching perspectives, the retelling by each character never became dull. The story took a lot of turns--it was quite a whirlwind to follow. And that ending, I looked up from the last page with a "Well...fuck!"

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