The first book of a six-long series, "ソロモンの偽証: 第I部 事件 上巻" introduces the readers to the mystery: did the student really kill himself?, what about the bully?, and that shady student that tries to twist reality to fill her own purposes? The array of characters that Miyuki Miyabe has created is fascinating, and all seem to have nasty secrets in their closet, making the more than 500-pages-long book actually quite easy to read. However, it is also a little bit head-scratching that, after those more than 500 pages, little has been made clear, and that five more books are coming in the series. Let's see how things develop.
The best: the mystery is compelling
The worst: it suffers from uneven pacing; too many characters mean that things can be a little bit difficult to follow sometimes
Alternatives: Miyabe's own "Brave Story" even if very different, is quite similar in its depiction of the youth.