3.5 stars rounded up to 4, though it requires some careful thought as I give it that rating, so be aware as you read this review I'm not 100% on my rating this time!
Off to the beginning stats:
POV: third person limited
POV Characters: initially just Seven and Natsuo and eventually a couple others get added in
Verb tense: past
Triggers: This is important - do not skip by. mentions of ch1ld tr@ff1ck1ing, s*xual ass@ult, r@pe, physical abuse, s*xual abuse, su1c1de (attempted & actual), and maybe more I missed
Spice: definitely spicy with a few scenes laid out and unfortunately attempted scenes as well
If you missed the triggers above, please go reread them. Why? Because those triggers are why I'm not entirely certain how I want to rate this book. I'm giving it 3.5 stars for now and going ahead and writing this review to share my thoughts as it's fresh on my mind.
The story of Blue Se7en initially drew me in because the premise seemed like something out of a Japanese drama, and as a lover of all things Asian dramas, I snapped this book up sight unseen and enjoyed the chance to indulge in a drama-in-novel-form. What I didn't realize going in was this wasn't my usual campy, goofy, silly romantic drama. It does have those vibes, but that is not the whole story AT ALL.
If you want a love story filled with tension and danger, this is actually a book for you. Seven's character fascinates me because she starts off as so disconnected from everyone around her and constantly keeps the door locked to her bedroom for unknown reasons. She's secretive and antsy and isolated from the people around her in a very clear way. Natsuo, on the other hand, is a J-pop idol living the biggest, most visible life with thousands of raving fans who would love nothing more than to get their hands on him. The two couldn't be more opposite, and yet when they come together, their shared childhood experience has twined them so closely together they fall for one another almost instantly.
This book deals with some heavy topics (again, see triggers), so you'll likely want a light read to follow it up. Or a nice, lighthearted drama to watch after. (Might I suggest Hana Yori Dango, Hana Kimi, Cinderella and the Four Knights, Coffee Prince, or Romantic Princess?) I think this book hands most of these topics in a straightforward manner without glorifying any of them, especially the more sensitive ones. The author notes in her intro to the book all the triggers and makes sure it's clear they're handled with an intent to not glorify them or use them gratuitously.
I'm very curious where Seven's and Natsuo's relationship will go from here. The ending was left on a less than satisfactory note for my personal tastes; though others might disagree. It did, however, complete the story arc, which was good or else I might have been very upset.
There's clearly room for more of their story to be shared, so I hope we'll get to read more from this fast-paced, J-drama styled, unusual premise of a story!