Goth - Otsuichi - Book Review

                     I have a fascination for Japanese writers especially the mystery genre and love exploring Japanese writers and books. After Keigo Higashino and Kanae Minato in previous years; this year I came across a new name 'Otsuichi'. So; why not try it out?!

                    Two high school students - a girl and a boy are obsessed with serial killers. They have a morbid fascination with knowing the mind of serial killers and how the crimes are committed. The girl Morino does not relate to people and she is totally unaware of her surroundings living in her own world. The boy whose name is not disclosed throughout most of the story acts like a normal kid in front of others. But inside, he is twisted and has a fascination for killing and death.  When there is a new serial killer on the loose who is killing girls; they start following the path taken by the killer. They chance upon a journal allegedly maintained by the killer and visit the places of crime to relive the feeling. Likewise, they chance upon many similar cases and research together to know more about the crimes and try to experience the feel as well. What follows becomes the crux of the story?

                    I really liked the concept of the story. The story may be twisted and dark for normal readers, but; having a fascination for such twisted tales, I did enjoy the read. The book looked like a set of incoherent short stories at first. But reading on, we realize that all are cleverly interconnected and not stand-alone. Twists follow each of the stories and they are certain to thrill. The author delves deep into the dark crevices of the human mind through the main characters and how much darkness one's mind can descend to. Inducing the shock factor is another positive of the author. There are people who have a fascination for death and things sinister. There can be different reasons as to why they have such an inclination but in some cases, there are no such reasons. Such people are pure evil. The lead boy character is rather chilling. With these characters, the author is able to bring all these angles into paper. There is ample graphic violence that some people might find hard and disturbing to read through. The story is more on the psychological aspect than thrill which makes it quite an interesting angle. You cannot expect much suspense element in most of them. I had told that the stories are interconnected brilliantly. But there are places that do confuse us; as to where that particular chapter is starting or to whom it is referring to or who is speaking to us. This perspective shift might be a deliberate approach by the writer. The backstories of Minato and the girl with the dog were great backdrops. I loved the way the chapter on the girl and the dog ended and it quite shocked me. I am not quite sure why the writer named the book 'Goth'. Except for the goth dress and makeup, there is no relation between the book and the title. The author also mentions this in the afterword of the book.

                    For people who like to read stories that seep into the psychological factor rather than the normal thrill, this is a good book. But definitely not for those who can't digest violence.