Real World

This is one of those books that has been on my shelves for seemingly ever, or at least since before I joined GR 8 years ago. I was looking for a book set in Asia, and came across Real World by Natsuo Kirino, about five teens in Tokyo who are unhappy about their lives.

I don’t know if the translation is to blame, I read it in Dutch, but I had a very hard time liking this book. Each chapter is from a different POV as four teenage girls come into contact with with another teen, who has just murdered is mother. All are discontent about various aspects of their lives.

I didn’t like it. If anything, I thought the ending was quite strong and redeemed the story a little bit. Which is why I settled for 2 stars. I wouldn’t pick up another Kirino book soon I think, but I’m glad I got to read one of the oldest books of the TBR.

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I read this for Snakes and Ladders square 22. Set in Asia. This is set in Tokyo, Japan, so I got to roll two dice.

This means I land on a Snake and are quite literally back where I started: at square 1.