Confessions

by Kanae Minato, Stephen Snyder (Translator)

When Yuko Moriguchi’s four-year-old daughter died in the middle school where she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident.

It’s the last day of term, and Yuko’s last day at work. She tells her students that she has resigned because of what happened – but not for the reasons they think.

Her daughter didn’t die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two people in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach…

But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko’s last lecture is only the start of the story. In this bestselling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Horror, Mystery Thriller, Japan, Audiobook

234 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2008

About the author

Kanae MINATO (湊 かなえ, born 1973) is a Japanese writer of crime fiction and thriller.

She started writing in her thirties. Her first novel Confessions (告白, Kokuhaku) became a bestseller and won the Japanese Booksellers Award. The movie Confession directed by Tetsuya Nakashima was nominated to 2011 Academy Award.

She has been described in Japan as "the queen of iyamisu"(eww mystery), a subgenre of mystery fiction which deals with grisly episodes and the dark side of human nature.

Reviews

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

my jaw is on the fucking floor

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept was interesting, the teacher's character was so raw and ruthless (as she should!).
My only complaint is that the retelling of the same story became less interesting after five times...

Still worth a shot if you enjoy murder-mysteries and want to try something different!

Review: https://youtu.be/k4xf-JGQihQ

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is delivered in a stark and barebones prose, but the story itself is surprisingly convoluted and intricate.

the first chapter is told in the form of a lecture as a teacher addresses her class with what appears to be a series of anecdotal non sequiturs about the new milk program at school, the announcement of her impending retirement, the illness of a "famous" teacher at another school, the recent death of her four-year-old daughter manami, etc etc. but slowly, subtly, her lecture becomes a tightening noose as these seemingly unconnected stories take on a chilling import as she ultimately accuses two students in the classroom; shūya and naoki, of causing manami's death, and then very casually drops the bombshell of the horrifying revenge she has already set in motion. her detached offhandedness makes this final lecture incredibly shocking, and when the teasingly meandering narrative starts to firm up and show its true shape, it's just like BOOM



class is dismissed.

the second chapter threw me for a loop at first. new voice, new tone - who's this then? turns out, this chapter is told from the POV of a girl in the class, mizuki - the class president, who witnesses and reports on the aftermath of the teacher's revenge-plot-admission and the way it affects the two accused boys and how the revelation that they are murderers causes the other children to treat them. short answer: badly.

from there the chapter-voice is handed off to each of accused two boys in turn, and a chapter from naoki's sister, and then it circles back again to shūya and naoki, and with each chapter, we learn more and more about the repercussions, as well as more about the motivations leading up to the girl's murder and the truth of her death as each narrative answers a few more questions, unmasks lies, exposes intent, and fills in the gaps as the individual perspectives begin to interlock in these perfect spokes, and the story comes to an explosive conclusion with a final chapter from the teacher - one last act of vengeance, one more gotcha, and the last word is emphatically had.

i liked it, although i found it dragging sometimes, despite how unadorned the prose is. sometime i felt it was taking too long to get to the conclusion, and would have worked better at a faster pace considering the genre. i did really enjoy the structure - a sort of nest of confessions, with an increasingly paranoid tone, and i appreciated the way that the motivations for seemingly inexcusable actions are revealed and you begin to be able to sympathize and understand the characters a little better, but then we're off into another viewpoint and all the good intentions or misguided reasons have already been tainted and transformed into new violent acts and it's just too late for anyone to be saved.

bleak. deadly. destructive.

come to my blog!

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!!!! Wow, what a totally crazy and unique thriller. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this! So surprising and has so many good plot twists.

Here’s the reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/IqiMeVjpQfA

[Sydney Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

…I have no words

[bruna (coming back) · Rating 2 out of 5]

★ 1.75 stars

this book has an intriguing and compelling premise, but much to my disappointment, the author offers a weak and tedious execution.

i expected much more than what was given here. i really did think i was going to experience a brilliant and unique thriller filled with great twists and turns that would blow my mind, but i guess i couldn’t have been more wrong. deep sigh. i can’t help but feel extremely frustrated.

the first chapter was super interesting and it made me believe that the following chapters would be just as interesting — but what i got instead was the absolute opposite of that. the story’s development was such a bore and it was basically impossible for me to get fully invested in what was happening. well, to be fair, i didn’t even know what was happening most of the time (nor did i care) so let’s start there.

i was not a fan of the narrative style. like at all. it was often confusing and very repetitive. throughout the whole book you basically read the same story but retold from six different perspectives that bring bits of new information here and there. i personally couldn’t find those bits of new information exciting or slightly shocking. unpredictable? perhaps so; but not great or anything that would make me go like “oh wow! that’s insane!” i genuinely couldn’t care less.

i couldn’t care less about other aspects of this book, either. the pacing was way too slow and dragging for my liking, the chapters were super long, the characters weren’t likeable to me and i couldn’t connect with any of them, and the writing (or maybe the translation?) seemed... off. didn’t like it.

Confessions could’ve been a lot better and it’s a shame that it wasn’t. as i said, the premise was intriguing, but it was poorly executed my eyes. just not the book for me.

. ݁ ˖ 𓂃 ⟡ 𓂃 . ݁ ˖ 𓂃 ⟡ 𓂃 . ݁ ˖ 𓂃 ⟡ 𓂃 . ݁ ˖ 𓂃 . ݁ ˖ 𓂃 . ݁ ˖

๋ · ˚ 🖇️ ⊹ ⌇ pre-read. ⋆
⤿ started on october 10, 2024.

if you saw me starting another book... no you didn’t! (it’s my mood reader self guys, please bear with me). i woke up today craving a thriller and this one seemed interesting enough! i’m very excited to read it, hopefully it’s a good one. 🖤

[Katie Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading for the book club immediately

[jessica yeung · Rating 2 out of 5]

well, the narrative style of this is one i immediately didnt connect with. which is such a shame because i love a good old fashion revenge story.

with thrillers, i enjoy the suspense, trying to solve the mystery. but the entire thriller component is divulged in the first chapter, aka the first confession. which is how this book is organised - each chapter is a different confession from someone who is connected to the main event (the teacher whose daughter was killed, the students who killed her, a classmate, and a sister). each POV retells the same event, but provides different insight as to why the murder happened and the fallout of everything afterwards.

on paper, this sounds fine. but the confessions are written in a way where the reader is the recipient of the confession, being addressed directly. its just a lot of telling and not any showing (since the confessions happen after everything). as someone who prefers dialogue and following a story as it actually happens, this kind of narrative just did not work for me.

even though the execution wasnt my favourite, i did actually enjoy the essence of the story. i thought the motives were interesting and the effects of the characters actions intriguing. i just wish it had been told in 3rd person with a more traditional linear narration. oh well. :/

↠ 2.5 stars

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25/5
Jeden z lepszych tajfunów!

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before anything else there is also a movie version of this book which I prefer more because that movie is literally art.

I finished watching it as soon as I completed the book. I am still screaming.

⤵Detailed review

4 stars

"I think we regular people may have forgotten a basic truth—we don’t really have the right to judge anyone else.”

This book of Kanae Minato is inspired by AGATHA CHRISTIE and that's it I was sold. But when I completed the book I understood in what aspects she was inspired by her. Like instead of in terms of who did it? It was more like who took the revenge? It was slow and 'let audience solve' it type of book.


Let's dive into the detailed review ( in gun points )

Plot

“That's all I really wanted," he said. "Just somebody to notice me.”

- As the name says, this book is a series of confessions at the centre of which lies the death of a child at the hands of two schoolboys. The victim is their homeroom teacher's daughter and the book starts with her confession. So we know who was killed, how and when. It's just the matter of why?

Writing

-The author was very successful in setting up an eerie atmosphere. Actually it’s on the verge from being eerie to creepy. All thanks to our amazing author for writing this book so brilliantly.

Narration

- told from POV of six unreliable narrators three mothers and three teenagers. I love how different people can make a event sound different and how different can parenting be and what it can mean for different parents. While on other hand the teen narrators made me realize that how badly these kids want to be noticed, they have there own ideals and ideologies and interesting ways to get noticed.
Can't blame them honestly I was mildly like Kitahara in my teens.

All the narrations were intriguing and interesting in there own way.

the only issue was the repetitive events and repetitive naaration which was okay at first but then I really started to get bored reading about them again and again.

Values

- the book discussed various themes like - role of teachers in society, intense bullying, minor criminals and law aganist them.

Ending

- that ending was like a game changer. I was like wtf and wow at the same time. That revenge plan was like WOW.

This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but I still enjoyed it. If you are looking for an addicting and concise thought provoking psychological thriller. This is definitely it..

“The world you live in is much bigger than that. If the place in which you find yourself is too painful, I say you should be free to seek another, less painful place of refuge. There is no shame in seeking a safe place. I want you to believe that somewhere in this wide world there is a place for you, a safe haven.”

[Mª Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un thriller que me habían recomendado por activa y por pasiva. Me ha reconciliado con la literatura negra japonesa. Impresionante.

Dice la sinopsis:
El último día de clase, la profesora Yuko Moriguchi anuncia a sus alumnos que deja la escuela. Todos saben el motivo: no han pasado más que unos días desde que su hija de cuatro años apareció ahogada en la piscina del colegio, en apariencia por accidente. Sin embargo, Yuko sabe que la verdad es muy distinta: la mataron dos alumnos de esa misma clase.
Y a ella no le interesa buscar justicia. En realidad, prefiere venganza.
De esta última lección de Yuko nadie saldrá sin cicatrices; al fin y al cabo, todo el mundo tiene algo que confesar.

¿Qué me ha gustado del libro?

La trama. No estamos ante el típico thriller, que, tras un asesinato, verse sobre descubrir al culpable. Aquí la premisa es otra. Dos alumnos de trece años de la clase en la Yuko Moriguchi es tutora han asesinado a su hija de cuatro. Desde el principio sabemos quiénes son y las motivaciones que les atribuye Moriguchi. La venganza es el eje central sobre el que se construye el libro. Una venganza inicial que desencadena consecuencias que van más allá de lo previsto hasta desembocar en un final, que no vi venir, y que solo puedo calificar de impactante.

El primer capítulo, que es brillante. Cuando comencé su lectura tuve la impresión de que se iba a ir un poco por las ramas. Imposible equivocarse más. Cuando lo terminé tenía la boca abierta cual buzón de correos. Menudo comienzo.

La estructura. Se articula en torno a seis capítulos narrados en primera persona por los personajes principales. Cada capítulo con título alusivo a quién lo va a protagonizar. El primero y el último corresponden a la misma persona. Esos seis capítulos nos presentan las distintas caras del mismo poliedro. Vamos a conocer la perspectiva y motivaciones de la madre de la víctima, de los asesinos, de sus familiares y de sus compañeros de clase. Un mosaico muy completo que se superpone en el tiempo.

El ritmo no es frenético, pero sí ágil. Los giros están bien colocados tensión e intriga van de menos a más. Nada sobra en este libro; cada detalle, cada cosa que presenta tiene su razón de ser. Está hilado de forma muy fina. Todo tiene relación y explicación, y todo encaja.

Lo que tiene de análisis sociológico de las distintas dinámicas, familiares, escolares y legales en Japón. En este aspecto es una novela bastante oscura. En determinados momentos me ha puesto los pelos de punta. Los modelos de familia ideal, las expectativas con respecto a los hijos, los padres que no quieren ver, las exigencias escolares, la figura sobredimensionada del tutor docente, las conductas disfuncionales de muchos adolescentes, el bulling, la Ley del Menor japonesa, la redención y el duelo son algunos de los aspectos que se tratan en este libro. No deja títere con cabeza. Me ha gustado especialmente, apreciar en su justeza las diferencias con respecto a nuestro modelo social. Algunas de estas diferencias son para bien, otras no tanto.

Los personajes, todos ellos bien trazados. Las distintas visiones que nos va aportando de ellos tanto en los capítulos que protagonizan como en los que no.

El final tan brillante como el comienzo. Impactante y lapidario.

En conclusión. Un thriller muy bien hilado, que me ha sorprendido mucho. Pasa a estar entre las mejores lecturas de lo que llevo de año. Kanae Minato se convierte para mí en una autora a seguir. Muy recomendable.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genius.

One of those true crime reads that would keep you hooked even though you seem to know everything what happened.

First, do not pick up this book thinking it as a who-done-it kind of murder mystery thriller.

As is for most of Japanese thrillers, I find this book going along the same path of revealing the murderer to the reader in the first place as if it's the most important thing to do for such books in order to enjoy them.

And rightfully so, we are hooked even though we know there's nothing much to drill in the following pages so as to solve who did the murder.

But then the best parts of such books are the explanations or the scenarios the plot explains why or how the culprits turned out the way they are.

Read this book so as to psychoanalyze the the characters. And I would say this is one book in the same genre of thrillers which comes as best after Keigo Higashino's ones.

The different POVs are interesting and distinctive from one to another. The highlight of the book.

Some parts are quite disturbing. Warnings for self-harm, harm to others amounting to crime and extreme neglect.

But then after everything happened, you have to ask yourself what happened and who actually did it. You won't believe the twist that's coming.

One of the best reads of 2021.

[zocharett Kolińska · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

[Talkincloud]

Pierwsza rzecz, która przychodzi na myśl po skończeniu lektury, to coś niecenzuralnego – jeśli wiecie, co mam na myśli – więc daruję sobie wielkie, soczyste „K****”. Ilość zwrotów akcji jest zatrważająca i niemal zmusza do skubania skórek czy obgryzania paznokci. Dla osób, które lubią opowieści lawirujące na granicy szaleństwa i balansujące na cienkiej linii moralności, będzie to prawdziwa uczta. Z kolei tym, którzy nie przepadają za delikatną groteską, stanowczo odradzam tę lekturę – choć warto zastanowić się, czy rzeczywiście można uznać tę historię za „przesadzoną”, jak twierdzą niektórzy w swoich opiniach.

Osobiście uważam, że zarówno literackie postacie, jak i jednostki w prawdziwym życiu, wtłoczone przypadkiem (lub nie) w odpowiednie środowisko, są zdolne do popełnienia tak amoralnych czynów, nawet jeśli są nieletnie. Tutaj naturalnie pojawia się skojarzenie z Zimbardo i jego „Efektem Lucyfera”. Jedynie momentami gryzły mnie sposoby przedstawiania różnych perspektyw – zdarzało się, że narracja w dość szczegółowy i wygodny sposób dostarczała nam informacji, które akurat były kluczowe. Niemniej, to przywilej pisarza – bawić się strukturą opowieści wedle własnego uznania. Wybaczam te uproszczenia, bo napięcie rosło ze strony na stronę.

Najważniejsze kwestie:

- Uczniowie i środowisko: Bohaterowie, ukształtowani przez swoje środowisko rodzinne, wykształcają silne poczucie władzy i bezkarności. Wykorzystują inteligencję, by manipulować innymi, a jeden z nich poddaje się presji drugiego, co prowadzi do czynu niewybaczalnego.

- Dehumanizacja ofiary: Nauczycielka i jej córka stają się dla sprawców jedynie celem, eksperymentem. Manami nie jest już postrzegana jako dziecko, lecz jako element gry.

- Anonimowość i brak konsekwencji: Autorka świetnie przedstawia "system ochrony" nieletnich przestępców. Morderca odczuwa satysfakcję, wiedząc, że jego czyny nie zostaną sprawiedliwie ocenione (do czasu). Brak odpowiedzialności prowadzi do eskalacji okrucieństwa, co odnosi się również do systemu szkolnego, gdzie destrukcyjne zachowania stają się czymś powszechnym.

- Dzieci i zło: Powieść ukazuje, że dzieci – stereotypowo postrzegane jako niewinne – mogą być zdolne do okrucieństwa, jeśli są odpowiednio motywowane (np. przez pragnienie władzy, brak empatii czy traumatyczne doświadczenia). Minato doskonale ilustruje ten mechanizm poprzez pośrednie odwołanie do wspomnianego „Efektu Lucyfera”.

Jednak, warto podkreślić, żaden z bohaterów nie jest tutaj jednoznacznie dobry ani zły. Powieść stawia pytania o psychologiczne podstawy zemsty i jej konsekwencje. Pogrywa z moralnością na każdym poziomie, co sprawia, że ta opowieść o zbrodni i karze intryguje i wciąga. Można zastanawiać się, czy okrutne działania uczniów wynikają z ich natury, czy są produktem systemu i wychowania. Czy nauczycielka ma prawo do takiej formy odwetu? Książka dotyka również krytyki społecznej, zwracając uwagę na nierówności i zaniedbania, co dodaje jej głębi i znaczenia.

Warto!

[Pam Gonçalves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uma premissa muito interessante que acabou sendo frustrada pela abordagem bastante preconceituosa e estereotipada do HIV.

Não recomendo.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needing a quick book to fill my time before ending a holiday, I turned to Kanae Minato’s debut thriller that spins a murderous tale from many perspectives. Yuko Moriguchi has chosen to retire from teaching after her young daughter drowned in a pool. As a single mother, the death hit hard and Moriguchi faces her students one final time to deliver an end of year lecture. During this final address, she admits that the death of her daughter was no accident and that two students are responsible, choosing not to reveal them to the class. She has taken it upon herself to exact a form of revenge, even after the police deemed the death an accident. What follows is a telling of the events through the eyes of many, each with their own truths and revelations. The students, parents, and Moriguchi herself are touched by these perspectives, which enrich the revenge and leave everyone a little more vulnerable to the truth. A wonderfully crafted story that keeps the reader’s attention throughout. Those who love a thriller with many hidden revelations will enjoy this and need not worry about the translation, as it keeps a seamless narrative.

While this book is apparently an international sensation, I had not heard about it. I am glad I scrolled through my local library and found it, which has fit nicely into the end of my holiday reading period. Minato does well in presenting this piece, which allows the reader to see the story (particularly the crime) through the eyes of many characters, thereby offering motives and enriching the greater story. Yuko Moriguchi is an interesting character, given the first opportunity to tell her version of events. The reader is likely locked into this truth through the long opening chapter and their beliefs are only then shaped by subsequent characters, all of whom twist events slightly to their favour while peppering the narrative with new facts. The various perspectives are strong and depict the differences in age, mentality, and ability of those given the narrative reins, which can force a reader to relax their preconceived notions. The story is not like anything I have read before, both because of its Japanese-influenced references and individualised approach to the subject matter. This is unlike many thrillers, English and translated alike, that I have read, proving both refreshing and mind-cramping. I was impressed to see the story develop as it did and am interested to read Minato’s second piece, which seems to be receiving the same type of praise.

Kudos, Madam Minato, for such a thought-provoking novel. Full of the criminal element and personal angst, I can see why you received such literary praise.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Alex.andthebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jakie to było dobre

[Magdalena Miękińska (getbooky) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliantly constructed, but pointless. I'm disappointed given the volume of buzz and strong recommendations for this novel. Still, Confessions is original and offers a sterling and surprising ending.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I think we regular people may have forgotten a basic truth—we don’t really have the right to judge anyone else.”

The blurb of this book is so inciting and alluring, you just can't ignore it. You have to read the book, after all how many stories you have read about teachers killing their own students? I am sure there aren't that many. I started reading this as soon as I read that blurb and immediately got sucked into this weird tale.

Story consists of six different narratives, all linked to the murderer or people who knew the murderer. So all the six different people brought something unique with their storytelling. Some told how they knew the murderer and how these events effected them. And then there were those two twisted students who were at the center of all this. Every confession hit me differently, some made me angry, some sad, and others made me want to strangle someone.

It was dark, and gives one lot to think on. After Malice and this, I know I will be reading more Japanese thriller in coming days.

[Blaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, I think I’ve finally had my fill of revenge now. And with luck, I’ve at last started you out on the road to your own recovery.

Each chapter of Confessions is told by a different character, identified as The Saint, The Martyr, The Benevolent One, The Seeker, The Believer, and The Evangelist. Each character is very well-defined, and tells their portion of the story, building upon what has already been revealed. By the end of the novel, the reader will fully understand the whole story.

And what a story it is! Confessions is about crime and criminal justice, sensationalism, judging others and the moral ambiguity of vigilante justice. It’s about the complex relationships—and the blind spots—between parents, teachers, and their children/students.

Most of all, though, Confessions is an extraordinary story about revenge. I loved every twist and turn. On at least two occasions, my jaw literally dropped when I realized what was about to happen. Confessions is deliciously dark, downright evil in places, with a brilliant ending. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. A must read.

[Helga Martiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I couldn’t sleep last night, so in lieu of counting sheep I composed a cute little review of the book in my head. But now, three coffees down and one in the making, I am unable to put it in black and white. I will try to at least convolutedly brain-dump whatever comes to mind, because this book deserves more than a mere rating.

Happiness is as fragile and fleeting as a bubble of soap.

The book consists of a series of monologues and perspectives.
The style of writing is definitely Japanese, by which I mean it is bleak, seemingly slow, at times opaque and restrained, frustratingly ambiguous and has abrupt endings.
Those who have read Japanese writers would know what I mean. Because of these characteristics, readers either love Japanese prose or hate it.

Back to the story: It begins with a teacher’s confession to her students about her daughter’s death and the revenge she has set in motion for the culprits who caused her death.
Then we have three different perspectives describing the chain of events that led to the death and its aftermath.

In my opinion, and I may be wrong, this is more than a psychological thriller or a revenge story. It is about the way parents deal with their children, the children’s upbringing, parental over-expectations and the ambitions and aspirations that may push the children down the wrong road.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

THIS BOOK! This is a book I would recommend to everyone! The twists and the turns were incredible. Nearly every twist and turn knocked me off my feet and that is SO rare as I predict so many twists in thrillers and mystery books. This book should really have the success of books like Gone Girl & The Girl on the Train because it's just so awesome! I'm not going to say anything to give the story itself away because I don't want to ruin it.

Story - 4.5 Stars.
Writing - 4 Stars.
Execution - 5 Stars.

This book was almost perfect. Things dropped off a teeny bit in the middle of the story but the ending completely made up for it. It just was so thought out and everything fit together so well too. I would 100000% recommend this and I would definitely read something else by Kanae Minato. She's definitely not your run of the mill author, she's insanely talented and a natural writer and storyteller.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wuuu, relectura con mi club. Mantengo la nota de la primera lectura y no agrego mucho más porque este es de esos libros que se disfrutan sin saber nada de ellos. Es un libro ideal para discutir con sus clubes o su compañero de lecturas favorito.

4.5 estrellas.
¡Maravilloso! Llegué a este libro sin saber mucho sobre él y creo que quizá por eso lo disfruté tanto. Un cruel asesinato y la venganza que éste inspira provocan un efecto bola de nieve en el que las cosas se van torciendo y poniendo peores cada segundo.

Las diferentes perspectivas desde las que está narrada la historia nos permiten ver el antes, durante y después a través de los ojos de los involucrados. Minato hace un maravilloso trabajo enseñándole al lector que no hay blanco y negro, más bien, diversos tonos de gris. Me encantó, creo que esta historia se va a quedar conmigo un buen rato.

Le doy 4.5 estrellas porque le faltó un poco de chispa para envolverme por completo, quizá haya sido la traducción. Muy recomendable.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutamente anonadado. Una vez que lo empecé resultó casi imposible querer soltarlo.

«Lo había subestimado. Una rata acorralada morderá a un gato. Y de hecho, cuanto más idiotas son los que están acorralados, más actos inimaginables son capaces de cometer.»

Una novela coral de tan sólo seis capítulos que se lee en un santiamén. Por medio de distintos puntos de vistas se va desenrollando toda una trama sobre la inmoralidad, la venganza, la justicia, la ética y la moral, la hipocresía del ser humano y de temas que van desde figuras paternas ausentes y figuras maternas muy metidas en el meollo del asunto, la ley de protección de menores y con una mirada muy crítica sobre el comportamiento social, la humanidad y la responsabilidad individual y colectiva.

Confesiones es un diálogo abierto de varias personajes sobre el mismo hecho: el curioso "accidente" de la hija de la profesora Moriguchi y los implicados en tal funesta circunstancia que llevó a la muerte de la pequeña. Una historia que va de confesiones duras y sinceras, sobre juicios cara a cara, justicia tomada por mano propia, castigos crueles, muchísima hipocresía y actos monstruosos bajo el tapete por personajes que están poseídos por ansias de venganza sin fin. Una historia que te muestra que nada es lo que parece y que es mejor no llevarse por las apariencias o las primeras impresiones, quien parece el monstruo esconde mucho más por debajo, y el que parece inofensivo guarda por dentro un peligro andante.

De hecho, en un principio me estaba decepcionando tener que encontrarme con que había motivos para que los personajes hicieran un acto tan bestial, pero luego, me encantó precisamente que mostrara la inmoralidad de los pequeños y como no les importaban sus actos siempre y cuando esto representa seguir con sus planes, los cuales tienen un motivo de peso según su visión. Lo cierto es que mientras que para uno de ellos es una simple travesura que se convierte más pronto que tarde en el móvil de un verdadero asesinato; para el otro si que es un asesinato en un principio por su propia búsqueda de apoyo emocional. Al final solo quedará la culpabilidad del primero e irónicamente el absoluto fracaso del otro.

El final es buenísimo y también malísimo a niveles insospechados. Es una espiral de odio y venganza que me encanta como concepto pero la ejecución es patética por el puñado de deus ex machina que se aprecian, convirtiéndolo en un desenlace sublime y a la vez muy telenovelesco, que se agarra con pinzas. Para mí está claro que fue espectacular pero muy a la par decepcionante a nivel narrativo. Sin embargo, es una novela corta, que se lee del tirón gracias al manejo de la información a cuentagotas de la psicología de su personajes y por la intriga que supone el desvelar los recovecos de la mentalidad de tres de sus personajes a fondo y cabalidad. Es una novela turbia, adictiva y muy punzante la mayor parte del tiempo.

[Iloveplacebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un muy buen libro sobre un crimen (el asesinato de una niña), en donde no solo se nos muestra el crimen, también la venganza de la madre, las consecuencias de ello, cómo se ideo el asesinato y la venganza, por qué, y cómo de diferente es la sociedad japonesa a la nuestra.

Me ha gustado mucho ver la historia desde la perspectiva de todos los implicados; así podemos ver la motivación de cada uno, y los motivos que les llevaron a la situación final.


El libro está compuesto por 6 capítulos, cada uno de ellos desde la perspectiva de uno de los protagonistas (hay 2 capítulos protagonizados por la misma persona).

El abandono, el querer reconocimiento, el querer encajar, el ideal de familia, el dolor, la pérdida, el fanatismo o la obsesión, la venganza, y más, son los temas que veremos en esta novela.


Un libro interesante -no solo por el crimen, también por lo social- y que engancha.

Esta fue la primera novela de la autora, y creo que no pudo tener mejor inicio de carrera.
Muy recomendable.

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Her pupils murdered her daughter, she will have her revenge.........................
That was as much as I need to know about this novel in order for it to engage my interest.

Firstly I would never have come across this book if it wasn't for a friend here on Good reads who's review encouraged me to read this wonderful novel.

I really enjoyed this story of revenge by Japanese writer Kanae Minato and found myself intrigued by the happenings in this Japanese school.
I listened to this book and the chapters are narrated in alternating voices and I enjoyed the narrator very much.

This is a dark and disturbing novel that had lots of unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader interested. The writing is simplistic and yet the author manages to captivate her readers with an imaginative and entertaining plot. I love complex and dislikable characters, so be warned this book is not for readers who are looking for loveable characters.
For a short novel this one really packs a punch and I will recommend this one to many of my friends.

I think readers who enjoyed like Defending Jacob may enjoy this one.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’m in the minority here, but I really enjoyed this book. Japanese courtesan and writer Murasaki Shikibu is credited as writing the first novel in history, and it was a psychological novel that launched a cult favorite around The Tale of Genji that still thrives and is taught all over the world today. I feel like Japanese are still the best at this genre, and I love that this book's subgenre within the psychological novel category is called iyamisu in Japanese which literally translates to “ew mystery.” This book was far more satisfying than my most recent Stephen King (It). Books like this make me feel better because I know I’ll never reach the depths of darkness written here, no matter how upset I get. I feel safer, and that’s the greatness of writers like Minato. Too bad only two of her books are available at my libraries in English translations.

[La loca de los libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me estreno con la literatura nipona con este apasionante thriller.
Donde el debate sobre la ley del menor, la violencia, la venganza y la capacidad de redimirse, se unen en un complejo cóctel de emociones.

Ya solo la portada anima a leerlo y aunque en un principio me costó un poco habituarme a la forma de narrar, enseguida me vi envuelta en esta historia.
Comenzamos la narración con la voz de la profesora de instituto Yuko Moriguchi, la cual ha perdido a su pequeña Manami de cuatro años en lo que parece ser un trágico accidente.
A modo de despedida de sus alumnos seremos testigos de acusaciones que nos dejarán sin aliento en más de una ocasión. Y es que Moriguchi tiene razones de sobra para pensar que la muerte de su hija no fue accidental.
Ante la impotencia de saber que son menores y de que la ley no actuará en consecuencia, decide tomarse la justicia por su mano.

Cada capítulo en primera persona se abre con un personaje diferente y aunque en ocasiones sentí que se repetía sobre lo mismo, eso me ayudó a no perderme ningún detalle, veremos cambios muy sutiles que poco a poco nos harán abrir los ojos y ver lo que se encuentra tras cada uno de ellos. Porque aquí todos tienen algo importante que confesar...

Además del propio asesinato, la autora trata muchos temas de interés de una cultura que parece muy distinta pero que realmente tiene muchos puntos en común a la nuestra; como la relación entre las madres trabajadoras y sus hijos o el bullying dentro del sistema educativo y como lo afrontan los docentes y familiares.
Me ha gustado mucho aprender cosas de este país que desconocía, como la edad a la que los jóvenes entran en la mayoría de edad (20 años), la ofrenda monetaria que hacen a las familias en caso de un fallecimiento o los turnos que realizan entre los propios alumnos para entre todos mantener las aulas limpias.
Me parece perfecto y es una manera de que los jóvenes valoren y respeten más la labor de los mayores.

🔝👌 Dividida en seis partes a las que dan voz los distintos personajes clave de esta historia, nos mantendrá en vilo con sus constantes giros y su gran capacidad para sorprendernos.
Y qué decir de ese final, a mi me ha dejado impactada, sublime y desgarrador. De los que te dejan con la boca abierta.
Desde luego que no volveré a ver una clase de instituto con los mismos ojos, da miedo pensar lo que se esconde tras algunas de esas cabezas.

¿Te atreves a averiguar lo que se esconde tras esta singular venganza? 👀

📖 Próxima lectura:
"Ojo por ojo" - David Joy.

📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teacher gives a last lecture to her students at the end of the school term and drops a bombshell that leaves everyone reeling. What follows is a story of revenge and the butterfly effect, wherein one small action has a ripple effect that changes, and ruins, countless lives.

This was my first foray into Japanese mysteries and it certainly won’t be my last.

I highly recommend the audio version of this if you can find it. It’s a very well-spent 6 ½ hours of your time. Each chapter is essentially a monologue: be it a lecture, a letter, a diary, a confession, etc and so the format of listening works especially well here. (At the time of this review, it was available as an audiobook on Hoopla for me)

As a note, this book delves into very dark subject matter. Do not think that because it’s about middle school students this is anything resembling YA, or that things aren’t going to get really twisted. It *starts* with the death of a 4 year old child, so just prepare yourself going in.