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A Japanese Thriller: Kanae Minato’s Penance

2 Oct

The death of a child is always tragic, even more so if the child is murdered and their killer remains free for fifteen years with no clue as to who the killer might be and the only witnesses to the crime all claim that they can’t remember his face. In Kanae Minato’s Penance, these are the circumstances that befall four young girls when one of their friends is brutally murdered and her mother vows vengeance against the girls unless the killer is caught before the statute of limitations is up. 

Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the characters, Sae, Maki, Akiko, and Yuko and what each of them did the day of the murder and what life for each of them was like going forward. 

The connecting threads between the four and the murder of their friend all connect to each other in unique ways, each one of them having to face an aftermath for what happened the night of their friend’s murder. 

Minato’s prose are gripping, giving each character a unique voice while still keeping the mystery going as to who the killer could possibly be, with each character providing a unique clue until the final chapter with the girl’s mother, where all the puzzle pieces fit together and we are left with an ending that is both ambiguous and satisfying at the same time. It’s easy to see why Minato’s considered to be one of Japan’s most influential thriller and mystery novelists today. 

Penance is an excellent read that many mystery readers will enjoy and a great introduction to Kanae Minato’s work. 

Written by:
Lauren Lapinski
Library Assistant

Quirky Sci-Fi: Space Oddity and Molli & Max in the Future

25 Sep

Space Oddity
by Catherynne M. Valente
Space Oddity is the sequel to Catherynne M. Valente’s Science Fiction love letter to the Eurovision Music Competition, Space Opera, where humanities only hope in proving their worth and escaping alien annihilation was winning an intergalactic song competition. I had previously blogged about Space Opera, which like much of Valente’s work I found highly creative and enjoyable. This even more than the previous book reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and if you are a fan of Douglas Adam’s classic hilarious work than you may want to check this out. Some of the writing can be a bit dense since Valente has packed it with clever references and jokes; this can at times slow down the pace of the book a bit, but this is definitely a novel that focuses as much on the journey as the final destination. I loved how seemingly random facts and divergent story-lines all harmonized together at the end. If you enjoyed the space/music mashup than also check out Gail Carriger’s excellent Tinkered Starsong Series.

Molli & Max in the Future
Mostly when you think Science Fiction movie you expect space opera with epic starship battles or perhaps a dystopian future where people are desperate to survive; Molli & Max in the Future on the other hand is a sci-fi romcom about two people whose paths collide and diverge over the series of 12 years across several planets and dimensions. At one point Molli joins a cult with a tentacled alien demigod where she learns to do magic. Max, who is part fish person, on the other becomes a mechapilot for giant robot battles. Mollie is played by the talented Zosia Mamet, who I had enjoyed in her role in the HBO series Girls. Max is played by a charming Aristotle Athari, who brings comedic skills as a veteran of Saturday Night Live. The effects are a fun mix of practical effects with stylized backgrounds that give the film a fun, futuristic kitschy look on a budget. This is what I imagine Futurama or the Jettisons would be like as a live action series. The film is not rated, but I would recommend it for adult audiences due to some of the dialogue.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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