Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, the author and everyone else who allowed me an ARC copy of this to read.
What would you do if you knew the world would end in 6 months time? Our FMC decides the time is now or never to pass her driving test (for reasons that we are unaware of until the end of the book). Driving lessons soon turn into murder investigations however, when a body is found in the boot of the learner vehicle.
I think its important to point out for people that are unaware, that this is a book translated from its original publication language. As such the book is full of Japanese names (of people, places etc) I did find some of the pronunciations difficult and I would have liked to have had some sort of reference in the book to help with the correct way of saying them, however this didnt detract from the book in anyway.
The books begins quite light hearted, despite the end of the world subject matter, however we are quickly brought back to earth with descriptions of suicide (trigger warning) which continues throughout the story.
The story is a bit of a slower burn, with the tension building as you get deeper into the mystery. I definitely found the last third of the book more gripping as the pieces all start coming together. The first part I felt is more focused on character building the found family group of strangers that all get pulled into the mystery of the murders.
Overall I enjoyed the story, I found the book easy to read and it did keep me interested. I would have preferred there to be more chapters (the whole book is only 5 chapters) as this would have helped me when it was time to stop reading. As it was I sometimes had to go back a few paragraphs to get back into the flow of what was happening.
Without spoilers, I enjoyed the ending, not only the big reveal but also the last few pages and the ending of the story as a whole.
I have rated the book 3 stars and I would recommend to other readers who enjoy both an end of the world story and/or a murder mystery.
"The last bestseller in the world had been a suicide manual."
As an asteroid hurtles inexorably toward Earth, Haru remains in her small hometown, near enough to the projected impact point to assume death will be instantaneous. While those around her flee, panic, or fall to suicide, Haru attends driving lessons. When a mutilated corpse is placed in the driving school's car, Haru and her ex-cop driving instructor have only two months to see that justice is done.
If you're planning on reading MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Akane Araki, I suggest you block out a whole evening because you won't want to put it down. I devoured it. Although the general premise of one character standing for law and order in the face of utter chaos brought on by the end of the world is not new or unique in itself, this felt like a fresh take on the trope.
The translation was effortless. If I didn't know, I'd assume this book had originally been written in English by someone intimately familiar with Japanese culture. There's none of the stilted turns of phrase that sometimes hamper translated works. The crime itself, and the resulting social fallout, are tightly intertwined with Japanese cultural norms. If you enjoy reading books that offer insight to worldviews not often represented in Western thrillers, then you'll enjoy this.
Don't let the speculative/apocalyptic aspect fool you into thinking this has nothing to say that is relevant to today; MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD is a pacy crime novel that poses surprisingly poignant questions about the human experience. 4.5 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher , the translator Jesse Kirkwood, and Akane Araki for the ARC.
What would you do if the world was about to end in a few months? Panic? Run? Do stuff on your bucket list? Haru decided to do her driving lessons until the end even if she can't get her license anymore. Her driving instructor is an ex-cop, and they keep getting more friends along the way. They also get to investigate murders and look for missing people. Not in that order though.
Just like a driving lesson, the tension of the plot is slow, leaving you unguarded like the roads you keep on driving on everyday. We meet characters, some likeable, some not so much. The book shows how fickle human nature can be sometimes, how strong people can be, how human connections can be made, how the moral compass can be in such times.
The characters Haru meets on the journey to find the murderer are different from each other, but at the same time desperate to live. It's heartbreaking to see how their hopes and dreams have a timeline, how each of their lives have a deadline, no matter what. And how they all decide to live that life knowing what's about to come.
Thank you for translating this book, where at the end of the world, people of different ages and lives meet and form a friendship with one goal in mind: find a killer in a lawless world.
As much of a mystery freak as I am, I think the mystery aspect is the least notable thing about this book. Not that there's not some impressive deductions in the end, but the question of who was going around killing people when the world is just about to end didn't really matter that much for me. I was much more enthralled by the depiction of said world, and how people react and change to what will be their inevitable doom, be it engaging in the mundanities of life such as the protagonist trying to get her driver's license, or desperately trying to survive for as long as they can in any way possible. The characters were definitely the highlight of the book for me, my favourite is the detective-character Isagawa, the narrator's driving instructor, who is awesome lmao, and I really liked the interactions between her and the narrator Haru. There's some more people who join the party of investigators later, but to say too much about that would be spoilers, I think. But in short, very highly recommended.
Murder at the end of the world is a wonderfully translated work of Japanese fiction.
It tells the story of Haru, a young woman who decides to refresh her driving skills before an asteroid will hit the earth. However what she doesn’t plan for is the discovery of a murdered body.
This was a very intriguing story. Not only questioning what you would do if you know the world is coming to an end, but also how would you behave if you find a terrible crime has been committed, in what is now essentially a lawless society. Akane Araki explores this wonderfully in the characters we see throughout the novel.
I loved the translation by Jesse Kirkwood, the prose flows wonderfully.
Haru at times is a flawed character, which I did find frustrating, however it adds to the realism of her.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and also anyone who likes post apocalyptic stories, it blends the two themes together well.
This was good. Different from other Japanese Lit. book I've read so far, I found the pace a bit quicker (not a problem, just an observation).
The plot was interesting as it had many twists and turns. Haru's character was very interesting, and it was fun to read how she developed throughout the book.
The book has some hard themes, so be mindful before picking it up.
It kind of reads like the characters are on an adventure but you know it's ending anyway (end of the world and all that).
Pick it up if you like: - horror/suspense (not so much horror but some gore/blood) - interesting cast of diverse characters - dark & funny humor (it's the end of the world after all)
Thank you to Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo via Netgalley for the eARC. This review is my own and I'm leaving it voluntarily.
There have been several books published recently focusing on what happens in the last few months before an asteroid hits the Earth. While previously published in Japanese, Murder at the End of the World is now available in English, and is another addition to the books of life before an asteroid. I think the mystery was well-constructed in this book, but I did feel like I was being told a lot of what was happening and what characters were feeling throughout the book, which made the pace feel a lot slower. The writing also felt a little formal in some places, but mostly the writing flowed smoothly throughout the book and helped progress the plot. Rating: 3.25/5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This recently translated Japanese end of the world murder mystery was an enjoyable read. The story follows two main characters in the preceding time before the world will end: one a driving instructor and the other trying once again to pass her driver's license test. There's a beautiful mix of every day events and trying to hold on to humanity mixed with much larger events and concepts about people as as a whole. I cannot specify too much as it would give away a lot but overall I really enjoyed the cast of characters and the journey that they go on. The murder mystery is interesting and decent but I think the surrounding events were even more important and enjoyable.
3.75, rounded up.
Thank you to Steerforth & Pushkin, Akane Araki, and Netgalley for this eARC. The above contains my own honest thoughts and opinions.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Akane Araki for the ARC.
It took me a few chapters to properly get interested in this, but after that I really enjoyed it.
I loved the setting, and I loved the idea of solving a murder whilst waiting for the end of the world. After those first few chapters, I flew through it. The pacing was good, the mystery was interesting and it was full of lively characters.
I'd definitely read more by this author in future!
Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It was also incredibly graphic and contains quite a lot of death and gore. If you aren't bothered by that then it's a pretty good book. The ending was a little abrupt but the end of the world would be as well so it fits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I enjoyed the storyline but I wasn't a huge fan of the translation/ the writing itself. For me, most of the emotional beats fell flat but I enjoyed the characters. Often times, interactions felt clunky and awkward.
Short, quick novel about two women waiting for a comet to come and destroy the world, the driving lessons one is giving the other, and the murder spree they end up having to solve. Reflective, darkly hilarious, and a really well written denouement. Due out in August, recommended.