What do you think?
Rate this book
Kai
The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s CARRIE, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world.
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
366 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2016
5 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
Derek Vasconi
15 books29 followersDerek Vasconi was raised in Sharon, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh, PA. He didn't stay there for very long, as after graduating from high school, he co-founded the metal band, From A Second Story Window, and went on tour for most of his early 20's. In 2006, Derek made the decision to move on from the band and pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development, which he achieved, at Penn State University. After doing this, he went to Japan to live on and off for the next five years, and life has never been the same for him since.
Derek has accomplished a myriad of things in his life, including founding a traditional, independent book publishing company, creating an iphone app (eMobo, which brought the Japanese cell phone novels, or "keitai shousetsu," to the Western world), and now, has pursued writing himself. His first book, KAI, showcases Derek's passion for both Japan and horror, as he blends them seamlessly in an unforgettable and jaw-dropping debut book about one girl from Hiroshima who wants to destroy the world.
Additionally, Derek is currently working on several more horror novels, and when he's not writing, he spends his time hopelessly devoted to all things otaku, listening to JPOP music, and hanging out with his little daughter and pet cat, Gachapin, who hates all humanity.
Derek has accomplished a myriad of things in his life, including founding a traditional, independent book publishing company, creating an iphone app (eMobo, which brought the Japanese cell phone novels, or "keitai shousetsu," to the Western world), and now, has pursued writing himself. His first book, KAI, showcases Derek's passion for both Japan and horror, as he blends them seamlessly in an unforgettable and jaw-dropping debut book about one girl from Hiroshima who wants to destroy the world.
Additionally, Derek is currently working on several more horror novels, and when he's not writing, he spends his time hopelessly devoted to all things otaku, listening to JPOP music, and hanging out with his little daughter and pet cat, Gachapin, who hates all humanity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 21, 2016
Review pending...
August 15, 2018
Nope. I think there were a lot of materials here, some good ideas...and a terrible execution.
The majority of the book is setting up the characters. That's it. I kept waiting for the cohesive moment and it didn't happen; stuff started happening (at the very, very end) but it was totally disjointed and jarring.
My main complaint is Satsuki. I liked Seul Bi and felt for her, but Satsuki was way beyond me. I felt for her at first but the truth is she's an unlikeable, selfish brat. I did not feel compassion for her after she started throwing fits. I get grief but her breakdown was so disproportionate, and it definitely does NOT justify the end. The tragedy, while heartbreaking, wasn't "big" enough for Satsuki's reaction.
Also the summary is useless, it's not the story at all. It's basically half Satsuki's life, half Seul Bi's life, then suddenly at the end there's an incoherent shitstorm aaaaand the end. I get what the author was trying to do but this was not cohesive.
The majority of the book is setting up the characters. That's it. I kept waiting for the cohesive moment and it didn't happen; stuff started happening (at the very, very end) but it was totally disjointed and jarring.
My main complaint is Satsuki. I liked Seul Bi and felt for her, but Satsuki was way beyond me. I felt for her at first but the truth is she's an unlikeable, selfish brat. I did not feel compassion for her after she started throwing fits. I get grief but her breakdown was so disproportionate, and it definitely does NOT justify the end. The tragedy, while heartbreaking, wasn't "big" enough for Satsuki's reaction.
Also the summary is useless, it's not the story at all. It's basically half Satsuki's life, half Seul Bi's life, then suddenly at the end there's an incoherent shitstorm aaaaand the end. I get what the author was trying to do but this was not cohesive.
November 13, 2015
KAI is a thrilling novel which, like Frankenstein’s monster, represents a hybrid of influences: the Gothic West, the mystical East, the alluring power of life, and the crippling despair of death. Written with all the pungent terror of a traditional Japanese horror story, KAI delves into the gory tendons and fiber that connect aspirational mankind to his animal past. Duplicity and bipolarity are the reigning themes in this masterful novel, and the influence of Poe – whether intentionally or unconsciously – thunders powerfully alongside the more impressionistic elements of J-Horror. Like Roderick Usher, the main character finds herself inextricably wed to a distant double by supernatural forces bent on death and destruction. I will let the author, the visionary Derek Vasconi, describe its baroque plot in his own words:
The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s Carrie, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world.
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
It is rare that such intricacies of plot, richness of symbolism, and powerful characters converge in the Gothic novel. Too often the form is diluted by clichéd tropes, trite plots, and predictable development – all leading up to a drawn out and disappointing climax. In KAI there is no leading up. The story is pregnant with horror, rushing with gore, and thick with spiritual and bodily terror. All throughout its dusky plotline we feel the presence of tragedy brooding in the background, and the psychological intensity of this effect is not to be understated.
I would most heartily recommend KAI to fans of J-Horror – a tradition born from Japanese folklore and legends, which are far more gruesome and terrifying than the supernatural tradition in the United States and Britain. In this sense, J-Horror shares a kinship with German horror (think Hoffmann or the Grimm Brothers). The hallmark of excellent J-Horror is a strident emphasis on psychological terror and a steady but quick-building crescendo of tension and suspense. These grisly tales of supernatural cruelty are populated by the yurei – a shadowy spirit – the terrifying onryo – a vengeful wraith – and the kai – an alluring but sinister apparition. Collectively, these tales of spirits and poltergeists are referred to as Kaidan: spook stories. KAI is an excellent example of the modern Kaidan, and fans of J-Horror cinema (Ringu, The Audition, Suicide Club, Ju-On, Infection, and Carved are among my own personal favorites) and literature (Nursery Tales, Tales of Moonlight and Rain, The Story of Okiku, Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya, Hoichi the Earless, etc.), will rapidly take to this spiritually and physically disturbing narrative of chaos and terror. Vasconi is powerful in his craft, understands the use of the tropes, and executes them with startling potency.
Those who are unfamiliar with the genre may need to take it a little slower, and the author has generously compiled a glossary in the back to explain Japanese terms and concepts which may confuse un-intitiated readers of J-Horror. In either case, the psychological impression of this grueling novel needs no translation: it is powerful, potent, and impactful. Read if you dare, but read it all the same.
The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s Carrie, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world.
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
It is rare that such intricacies of plot, richness of symbolism, and powerful characters converge in the Gothic novel. Too often the form is diluted by clichéd tropes, trite plots, and predictable development – all leading up to a drawn out and disappointing climax. In KAI there is no leading up. The story is pregnant with horror, rushing with gore, and thick with spiritual and bodily terror. All throughout its dusky plotline we feel the presence of tragedy brooding in the background, and the psychological intensity of this effect is not to be understated.
I would most heartily recommend KAI to fans of J-Horror – a tradition born from Japanese folklore and legends, which are far more gruesome and terrifying than the supernatural tradition in the United States and Britain. In this sense, J-Horror shares a kinship with German horror (think Hoffmann or the Grimm Brothers). The hallmark of excellent J-Horror is a strident emphasis on psychological terror and a steady but quick-building crescendo of tension and suspense. These grisly tales of supernatural cruelty are populated by the yurei – a shadowy spirit – the terrifying onryo – a vengeful wraith – and the kai – an alluring but sinister apparition. Collectively, these tales of spirits and poltergeists are referred to as Kaidan: spook stories. KAI is an excellent example of the modern Kaidan, and fans of J-Horror cinema (Ringu, The Audition, Suicide Club, Ju-On, Infection, and Carved are among my own personal favorites) and literature (Nursery Tales, Tales of Moonlight and Rain, The Story of Okiku, Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya, Hoichi the Earless, etc.), will rapidly take to this spiritually and physically disturbing narrative of chaos and terror. Vasconi is powerful in his craft, understands the use of the tropes, and executes them with startling potency.
Those who are unfamiliar with the genre may need to take it a little slower, and the author has generously compiled a glossary in the back to explain Japanese terms and concepts which may confuse un-intitiated readers of J-Horror. In either case, the psychological impression of this grueling novel needs no translation: it is powerful, potent, and impactful. Read if you dare, but read it all the same.
December 4, 2015
I received a copy of Kai through the Goodreads Giveaway program. This does not in any way affect my review of the novel.
David Vasconi's Kai was a hell of a ride.
The horror doesn't really get going until about halfway through the novel, but once it does it doesn't let up! There are so many twists and turns and perfectly horrifying imagery that I was quite glued to the book. The mystery of Seul Bi and Satsuki's connection was not answered until almost the very end, but it did not disappoint the buildup that went into the reveal.
Thoroughly satisfied with this addition to the horror genre.
David Vasconi's Kai was a hell of a ride.
The horror doesn't really get going until about halfway through the novel, but once it does it doesn't let up! There are so many twists and turns and perfectly horrifying imagery that I was quite glued to the book. The mystery of Seul Bi and Satsuki's connection was not answered until almost the very end, but it did not disappoint the buildup that went into the reveal.
Thoroughly satisfied with this addition to the horror genre.
December 30, 2015
(We received a copy of Kai from the author, Derek Vasconi, in return for an honest review.)
Derek Vasconi’s Japanese-inspired horror novel Kai was a delight to read. The author’s intricate plot gives the reader a slow build to its simmering climax and his attention to detail shows a true love of Japanese culture. He’s woven a tale of two disparate girls, Seul-Bi, an orphaned Korean girl in Chicago and Satsuki, a despondent teenager in Hiroshima. His imagery is vivid and he pulls no punches. Fans of Japanese horror would do well to give Kai a chance.
Derek Vasconi’s Japanese-inspired horror novel Kai was a delight to read. The author’s intricate plot gives the reader a slow build to its simmering climax and his attention to detail shows a true love of Japanese culture. He’s woven a tale of two disparate girls, Seul-Bi, an orphaned Korean girl in Chicago and Satsuki, a despondent teenager in Hiroshima. His imagery is vivid and he pulls no punches. Fans of Japanese horror would do well to give Kai a chance.
March 19, 2017
Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (03/17)
As a fan of Dean Koontz, and Stephen King since my early teens, I was happy to review “Kai” by Derek Vasconi, which I found to be a unique Japanese horror novel, as its complex storyline adds to the uniqueness of its genre. The story follows two young women. Satsuki is a high school teen-aged girl in Hiroshima, Japan, who is waiting for her mother to deliver her new baby sister. Seul Bi is a 22-year-old Korean woman who had been adopted by Americans that died tragically, leaving her an orphan once again. Seul Bi, raised as a teenager by her aunt, now lived by herself in Evanston, Illinois, working in a private mental hospital for adolescents with behavioral disorders, a hospital founded by her Northwestern University Academic advisor, Dr. Daniel Nathan. Both girls live tormented, separate lives on opposite sides of the world, yet they were somehow connected. Is Satsuki bottling up her anger as she locks herself away from the world? Why is tragedy following Seul Bi? Is she just destined to suffer? It all comes clear as nightmares develop into reality!
Vasconi produced an ambitious first horror novel, and did an awesome job. “Kai’s” complex storyline and multifaceted characters blend with Japanese culture in a well-written psychological thriller. The author’s setting and action descriptions are impeccable. Although the story is slow in the beginning as the readers are acquainted with the main characters, it did help the fact that the author presents each main character in their own lives in separate chapters. In other words, the reader will have alternate visits into each parallel life.
Vasconi’s style is as complex as his storyline. He used many Japanese words, which he explains through notations. I appreciated the use of the foreign language as it takes the reader into the culture; however, the notations took my attention out of the story. I think that the author should have included somehow the meaning of such words within the text, to avoid that. The pace also felt a little off, going from slow to high speed without any transition, making the ending seem a little rushed. I also think that even though Vasconi’s style seemed more narrative than what I am used to, (and which I would usually criticize as too much telling and too little showing), it somehow worked beautifully in “Kai.”
Overall, I truly enjoyed “Kai” by Derek Vasconi as an intriguing psychological horror, which felt like it should have niche of its own! I recommend it as a great 4.5-Star must read to all horror fans, as well as psychological thriller lovers. A few scenes are disturbing and will linger in the readers’ minds even after putting the book down–if they even manage to put it down! I look forward to seeing what Derek Vasconi comes up with next.
As a fan of Dean Koontz, and Stephen King since my early teens, I was happy to review “Kai” by Derek Vasconi, which I found to be a unique Japanese horror novel, as its complex storyline adds to the uniqueness of its genre. The story follows two young women. Satsuki is a high school teen-aged girl in Hiroshima, Japan, who is waiting for her mother to deliver her new baby sister. Seul Bi is a 22-year-old Korean woman who had been adopted by Americans that died tragically, leaving her an orphan once again. Seul Bi, raised as a teenager by her aunt, now lived by herself in Evanston, Illinois, working in a private mental hospital for adolescents with behavioral disorders, a hospital founded by her Northwestern University Academic advisor, Dr. Daniel Nathan. Both girls live tormented, separate lives on opposite sides of the world, yet they were somehow connected. Is Satsuki bottling up her anger as she locks herself away from the world? Why is tragedy following Seul Bi? Is she just destined to suffer? It all comes clear as nightmares develop into reality!
Vasconi produced an ambitious first horror novel, and did an awesome job. “Kai’s” complex storyline and multifaceted characters blend with Japanese culture in a well-written psychological thriller. The author’s setting and action descriptions are impeccable. Although the story is slow in the beginning as the readers are acquainted with the main characters, it did help the fact that the author presents each main character in their own lives in separate chapters. In other words, the reader will have alternate visits into each parallel life.
Vasconi’s style is as complex as his storyline. He used many Japanese words, which he explains through notations. I appreciated the use of the foreign language as it takes the reader into the culture; however, the notations took my attention out of the story. I think that the author should have included somehow the meaning of such words within the text, to avoid that. The pace also felt a little off, going from slow to high speed without any transition, making the ending seem a little rushed. I also think that even though Vasconi’s style seemed more narrative than what I am used to, (and which I would usually criticize as too much telling and too little showing), it somehow worked beautifully in “Kai.”
Overall, I truly enjoyed “Kai” by Derek Vasconi as an intriguing psychological horror, which felt like it should have niche of its own! I recommend it as a great 4.5-Star must read to all horror fans, as well as psychological thriller lovers. A few scenes are disturbing and will linger in the readers’ minds even after putting the book down–if they even manage to put it down! I look forward to seeing what Derek Vasconi comes up with next.
November 13, 2015
KAI is a thrilling novel which, like Frankenstein’s monster, represents a hybrid of influences: the Gothic West, the mystical East, the alluring power of life, and the crippling despair of death. Written with all the pungent terror of a traditional Japanese horror story, KAI delves into the gory tendons and fiber that connect aspirational mankind to his animal past. Duplicity and bipolarity are the reigning themes in this masterful novel, and the influence of Poe – whether intentionally or unconsciously – thunders powerfully alongside the more impressionistic elements of J-Horror. Like Roderick Usher, the main character finds herself inextricably wed to a distant double by supernatural forces bent on death and destruction. I will let the author, the visionary Derek Vasconi, describe its baroque plot in his own words:
The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s Carrie, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world.
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
It is rare that such intricacies of plot, richness of symbolism, and powerful characters converge in the Gothic novel. Too often the form is diluted by clichéd tropes, trite plots, and predictable development – all leading up to a drawn out and disappointing climax. In KAI there is no leading up. The story is pregnant with horror, rushing with gore, and thick with spiritual and bodily terror. All throughout its dusky plotline we feel the presence of tragedy brooding in the background, and the psychological intensity of this effect is not to be understated.
I would most heartily recommend KAI to fans of J-Horror – a tradition born from Japanese folklore and legends, which are far more gruesome and terrifying than the supernatural tradition in the United States and Britain. In this sense, J-Horror shares a kinship with German horror (think Hoffmann or the Grimm Brothers). The hallmark of excellent J-Horror is a strident emphasis on psychological terror and a steady but quick-building crescendo of tension and suspense. These grisly tales of supernatural cruelty are populated by the yurei – a shadowy spirit – the terrifying onryo – a vengeful wraith – and the kai – an alluring but sinister apparition. Collectively, these tales of spirits and poltergeists are referred to as Kaidan: spook stories. KAI is an excellent example of the modern Kaidan, and fans of J-Horror cinema (Ringu, The Audition, Suicide Club, Ju-On, Infection, and Carved are among my own personal favorites) and literature (Nursery Tales, Tales of Moonlight and Rain, The Story of Okiku, Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya, Hoichi the Earless, etc.), will rapidly take to this spiritually and physically disturbing narrative of chaos and terror. Vasconi is powerful in his craft, understands the use of the tropes, and executes them with startling potency.
Those who are unfamiliar with the genre may need to take it a little slower, and the author has generously compiled a glossary in the back to explain Japanese terms and concepts which may confuse un-intitiated readers of J-Horror. In either case, the psychological impression of this grueling novel needs no translation: it is powerful, potent, and impactful. Read if you dare, but read it all the same.
The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s Carrie, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world.
Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well.
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?
It is rare that such intricacies of plot, richness of symbolism, and powerful characters converge in the Gothic novel. Too often the form is diluted by clichéd tropes, trite plots, and predictable development – all leading up to a drawn out and disappointing climax. In KAI there is no leading up. The story is pregnant with horror, rushing with gore, and thick with spiritual and bodily terror. All throughout its dusky plotline we feel the presence of tragedy brooding in the background, and the psychological intensity of this effect is not to be understated.
I would most heartily recommend KAI to fans of J-Horror – a tradition born from Japanese folklore and legends, which are far more gruesome and terrifying than the supernatural tradition in the United States and Britain. In this sense, J-Horror shares a kinship with German horror (think Hoffmann or the Grimm Brothers). The hallmark of excellent J-Horror is a strident emphasis on psychological terror and a steady but quick-building crescendo of tension and suspense. These grisly tales of supernatural cruelty are populated by the yurei – a shadowy spirit – the terrifying onryo – a vengeful wraith – and the kai – an alluring but sinister apparition. Collectively, these tales of spirits and poltergeists are referred to as Kaidan: spook stories. KAI is an excellent example of the modern Kaidan, and fans of J-Horror cinema (Ringu, The Audition, Suicide Club, Ju-On, Infection, and Carved are among my own personal favorites) and literature (Nursery Tales, Tales of Moonlight and Rain, The Story of Okiku, Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya, Hoichi the Earless, etc.), will rapidly take to this spiritually and physically disturbing narrative of chaos and terror. Vasconi is powerful in his craft, understands the use of the tropes, and executes them with startling potency.
Those who are unfamiliar with the genre may need to take it a little slower, and the author has generously compiled a glossary in the back to explain Japanese terms and concepts which may confuse un-intitiated readers of J-Horror. In either case, the psychological impression of this grueling novel needs no translation: it is powerful, potent, and impactful. Read if you dare, but read it all the same.
November 8, 2015
The book begins with the Satsuki, a young teen girl in Japan who is dealing with all the usual angst, isolation, and emotional distress of being at a new school. We are brought into her world, with vivid detail really bringing her alive: her mother is pregnant, her father is distant and often absent, she has few friends, but withdraws into her own world of video games and anime. The second story follows the life of Seul Bi, a Korean girl adopted by American parents. She is dealing with her own emotional issues of loss and loneliness brought on by a childhood tragedy. We find Seul Bi as an adult working at a mental health institution, painting in her spare time, and hanging out with her aunt, cousin and her cousin's boyfriend. The book alternates between the two as they live out their lives, giving a few hints here and there that something is not quite right and that their lives might be somehow entangled in a bizarre and inexplicable way.
One of the great joys of this book lies in the shock factor, as you are kept guessing both what will happen to these two characters, whether there is some connection between them, and what that could possibly be. I won't give away too much, because there were a number of great moments that you really need to experience for yourself. I will say that this book is not for people who want things tied up neatly. If you are willing to put a little effort in to join the dots there are plenty of parts that will have you stopping and thinking "hang on... is that?... then she?... but they...?" and scratching your head for some kind of solution, as well as some genuinely chilling moments. The first half of the book builds suspense, with an eerie sense that everything is not as it seems. The horror comes subtly at first, then in a violent flood. Without giving too much away, things start to get pretty messed up pretty quickly later on. I have just finished it and my head is still spinning trying to work it all out.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. Firstly, the writing is very engaging. Dense with detail that really brings alive the Japan and America of the story. The characters are well-written too, and their relationships are believable. It is very hard to write from the perspective of a teenage girl, father and mother and pull them all off, but I thought the author did that here, giving them all a distinctive voice. The story is very original, I can almost guarantee you will not have read anything quite like this. I don't read too much straight up horror, so the only thing I could really compare this to would be films or television shows. If you are a fan of David Lynch, the Twilight Zone, and have a strong stomach for quite gruesome, surreal horror, then you will have a great time with this.
One of the great joys of this book lies in the shock factor, as you are kept guessing both what will happen to these two characters, whether there is some connection between them, and what that could possibly be. I won't give away too much, because there were a number of great moments that you really need to experience for yourself. I will say that this book is not for people who want things tied up neatly. If you are willing to put a little effort in to join the dots there are plenty of parts that will have you stopping and thinking "hang on... is that?... then she?... but they...?" and scratching your head for some kind of solution, as well as some genuinely chilling moments. The first half of the book builds suspense, with an eerie sense that everything is not as it seems. The horror comes subtly at first, then in a violent flood. Without giving too much away, things start to get pretty messed up pretty quickly later on. I have just finished it and my head is still spinning trying to work it all out.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. Firstly, the writing is very engaging. Dense with detail that really brings alive the Japan and America of the story. The characters are well-written too, and their relationships are believable. It is very hard to write from the perspective of a teenage girl, father and mother and pull them all off, but I thought the author did that here, giving them all a distinctive voice. The story is very original, I can almost guarantee you will not have read anything quite like this. I don't read too much straight up horror, so the only thing I could really compare this to would be films or television shows. If you are a fan of David Lynch, the Twilight Zone, and have a strong stomach for quite gruesome, surreal horror, then you will have a great time with this.
November 2, 2016
The main thing to know about this book is that it is a beautifully crafted tale rich with cultural details and a story that focuses on characters who’s identities go beyond complex. These people feel real.
On one side of the story, in Japan, you have Satsuki who is isolated and quiet with no real drive beyond her manga, Nintendo DS and trying to fly under everyone’s radar. Her struggle to cope with life is painful, but one than any of us who’ve survived middle school will completely understand. No one notices you if you’re the quiet one. You’re old enough that your parents start to give you less attention, and even if you do manage to have made friends, you still tend to feel like a a leaf adrift in a sea of purposelessness.
On the other side of the world, near Chicago, there’s Seul Bi- who is struggling to cope with day-to-day life and her crippling depression. She loses herself in work and an obsessive drive to draw dismembered arms. She can’t sleep because of the visions in her mind of what happened to her parents. She’s wandering through a twilight world that starts to swirl with hallucinations because her mind won’t rest. Her struggle with her identity as a Korean girl adopted by an american family feels real. And really spoke to me as a 20-something who is always asking that same question; “Who am I?” Her questioning is heightened by the tragic deaths of her adopted parents when she was about 12. And I just feel so connected and invested in Seul Bi’s journey.
This story starts off grounded in a rich and dark reality, building up the characters and taking it’s time to paint the world around them in vivid details. But about a third of the way through the book a shift takes place and the bizarre things that horror fans like us love start to happen. But they are too interesting to get too far into. I want to spoil as little of this book as possible for you.
The Language
Poetic at times in a way that brings the story out of the world around you and elevates it to something else entirely. With this writing style I wouldn’t exactly call this book a story, I’d call it an experience. One unlike anything I’ve ever read before. And one that I hope Derek continues to bring to the world.
Scenes of exquisite horror
Part of why the language is so important to this book is because of the scenes that Stephen King fans will feel right at home in. There’s one scene in particular that took a nightmare and escalated it to existential horror. You’ll know the scene when you read it. I was repulsed by the graphic imagery, yet pushed almost to tears because of what the dream meant.
Buy a physical copy, read it, share it, and then repeat. This is an amazing book that horror fans everywhere should take the time to read.
On one side of the story, in Japan, you have Satsuki who is isolated and quiet with no real drive beyond her manga, Nintendo DS and trying to fly under everyone’s radar. Her struggle to cope with life is painful, but one than any of us who’ve survived middle school will completely understand. No one notices you if you’re the quiet one. You’re old enough that your parents start to give you less attention, and even if you do manage to have made friends, you still tend to feel like a a leaf adrift in a sea of purposelessness.
On the other side of the world, near Chicago, there’s Seul Bi- who is struggling to cope with day-to-day life and her crippling depression. She loses herself in work and an obsessive drive to draw dismembered arms. She can’t sleep because of the visions in her mind of what happened to her parents. She’s wandering through a twilight world that starts to swirl with hallucinations because her mind won’t rest. Her struggle with her identity as a Korean girl adopted by an american family feels real. And really spoke to me as a 20-something who is always asking that same question; “Who am I?” Her questioning is heightened by the tragic deaths of her adopted parents when she was about 12. And I just feel so connected and invested in Seul Bi’s journey.
This story starts off grounded in a rich and dark reality, building up the characters and taking it’s time to paint the world around them in vivid details. But about a third of the way through the book a shift takes place and the bizarre things that horror fans like us love start to happen. But they are too interesting to get too far into. I want to spoil as little of this book as possible for you.
The Language
Poetic at times in a way that brings the story out of the world around you and elevates it to something else entirely. With this writing style I wouldn’t exactly call this book a story, I’d call it an experience. One unlike anything I’ve ever read before. And one that I hope Derek continues to bring to the world.
Scenes of exquisite horror
Part of why the language is so important to this book is because of the scenes that Stephen King fans will feel right at home in. There’s one scene in particular that took a nightmare and escalated it to existential horror. You’ll know the scene when you read it. I was repulsed by the graphic imagery, yet pushed almost to tears because of what the dream meant.
Buy a physical copy, read it, share it, and then repeat. This is an amazing book that horror fans everywhere should take the time to read.
September 13, 2016
This book is utterly brilliant. I am in awe of how crazy the story becomes after the first part of the book sets you up in a way I didn't see coming. When I went back and re-read some parts after finishing the book, I realized that almost every single thing the two main characters in the book experience somehow relates to one another. It must have taken the author forever to create that kind of crazy balance of plot points converging together like they did.
Even more to the point, the ending was truly horrific and sad, and I kind of got the impression that this was not just the story I was reading, but several different deeper stories. Allegories, if you will. This book is obviously about how people react to tragedy in the most terrifying of ways, but it also is about the idea of creativity being a destructive force that is ambiguous at best with its outcomes. There's a reason why this book is set in Hiroshima, as that city perfectly encapsulates the idea of creativity being used as destruction and for a greater (?) or not so great means to and end.
I could go on, but really, I don't want to spoil anything. It's a good book with a deep, deep story and great character development. This would also make an excellent movie too. I hope to see it happen someday!
Even more to the point, the ending was truly horrific and sad, and I kind of got the impression that this was not just the story I was reading, but several different deeper stories. Allegories, if you will. This book is obviously about how people react to tragedy in the most terrifying of ways, but it also is about the idea of creativity being a destructive force that is ambiguous at best with its outcomes. There's a reason why this book is set in Hiroshima, as that city perfectly encapsulates the idea of creativity being used as destruction and for a greater (?) or not so great means to and end.
I could go on, but really, I don't want to spoil anything. It's a good book with a deep, deep story and great character development. This would also make an excellent movie too. I hope to see it happen someday!
October 14, 2015
The story of KAI alternates between the lives of Seul-Bi, an orphaned Korean young woman living in Chicago and high school student Satsuki in Hiroshima. While Seul-Bi struggles to move on from her adopted parents’ death and care for her patients in a psychiatric hospital, Satsuki withdraws to her room after a tragic incident and vows revenge on the world. What connects these two very different people living on opposite sides of the world? Well, the answer certainly doesn’t jump out at your on the first page… and it wouldn’t be a very good story if it did!
At the same time, the ‘horror’ element of KAI doesn’t really come to the surface until around halfway through the story, which is very effective because it knocks you completely off guard when it finally does. The second half is certainly more gruesome and horrific but there is the question of what links Seul-Bi and Satsuki running through it the whole time. This story is as much a mystery as a horror novel, and it will still keep you wondering when you’ve reached the end!
Read my full review here: http://sophiesjapanblog.com/2015/10/0...
At the same time, the ‘horror’ element of KAI doesn’t really come to the surface until around halfway through the story, which is very effective because it knocks you completely off guard when it finally does. The second half is certainly more gruesome and horrific but there is the question of what links Seul-Bi and Satsuki running through it the whole time. This story is as much a mystery as a horror novel, and it will still keep you wondering when you’ve reached the end!
Read my full review here: http://sophiesjapanblog.com/2015/10/0...
August 20, 2016
I received my copy of Kai in exchange for an unbiased review from Librarything.
Kai is the story of two young women who live on opposite ends of the world, and yet, you can tell that they are somehow connected. The story is what I would consider a mind bender, and often has you turning the next page because you just have to know where it's going next. The book keeps you guessing and on your toes, which is good in most cases, although it had me confused some of the time as well. The author uses a great deal of description in this novel, and I found it brilliantly written, although some of the more gory scenes might churn your stomach, if you aren't a fan of gore. My favorite thing about the book was how much life the author managed to breathe into the characters; They were interesting and likable, and not simply the main characters, also some of the side characters.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of mind bender stories with strong lead female characters. A very enjoyable read.
Kai is the story of two young women who live on opposite ends of the world, and yet, you can tell that they are somehow connected. The story is what I would consider a mind bender, and often has you turning the next page because you just have to know where it's going next. The book keeps you guessing and on your toes, which is good in most cases, although it had me confused some of the time as well. The author uses a great deal of description in this novel, and I found it brilliantly written, although some of the more gory scenes might churn your stomach, if you aren't a fan of gore. My favorite thing about the book was how much life the author managed to breathe into the characters; They were interesting and likable, and not simply the main characters, also some of the side characters.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of mind bender stories with strong lead female characters. A very enjoyable read.
August 5, 2016
4.5/5.
What a story. I had no idea what it was about when I downloaded it, I chose it completely on the picture. And I'm really glad I did.
This story is very much based in reality for the most, and the only reason I dropped half a star was the move into make believe. It's really hard to get right, and it's a little bit disjointed in this story but the story really makes up for it.
The horror takes a long time to kick in, it's very much a slice of life story for a good 100 pages so horror buffs might not enjoy it as much. But if you enjoy a good story, about people to go along with your horror then I've highly recommend it.
My boyfriend pointed out that he thought that having random Japanese words interspersed in the story, which required you to read the footnotes for the translation took you out of the story a little, but I liked seeing the words, and finding out what they mean.
Highly recommended.
What a story. I had no idea what it was about when I downloaded it, I chose it completely on the picture. And I'm really glad I did.
This story is very much based in reality for the most, and the only reason I dropped half a star was the move into make believe. It's really hard to get right, and it's a little bit disjointed in this story but the story really makes up for it.
The horror takes a long time to kick in, it's very much a slice of life story for a good 100 pages so horror buffs might not enjoy it as much. But if you enjoy a good story, about people to go along with your horror then I've highly recommend it.
My boyfriend pointed out that he thought that having random Japanese words interspersed in the story, which required you to read the footnotes for the translation took you out of the story a little, but I liked seeing the words, and finding out what they mean.
Highly recommended.
February 4, 2017
Okay, I liked KAI. The way the author describes every scene, uhm very hair-raising. Can't read when I'm alone! If you are following this blog, you know that I only read when everyone is out of the house/sleeping. Reading KAI, well, had to do it when kids are in the house. Too many distractions I know but I really need them with me lol.
KAI is really good but is complex. Just the kind of story that you should closely follow or you'll be confused. I'm thinking maybe it's the alternating stories of the main characters (Seul Bi and Satsuki), and the rhyming Japanese names.
All in all, it was a good book. I enjoyed reading KAI, added to my re-read list.
**originally posted at www.bookinglyyours.blogspot.com
KAI is really good but is complex. Just the kind of story that you should closely follow or you'll be confused. I'm thinking maybe it's the alternating stories of the main characters (Seul Bi and Satsuki), and the rhyming Japanese names.
All in all, it was a good book. I enjoyed reading KAI, added to my re-read list.
**originally posted at www.bookinglyyours.blogspot.com
March 23, 2016
Okay uhm...this was probably the strangest book I've ever read.
I still have absolutely no clue what this was about tbh but I found it interesting and even page-turning at some point! I wouldn't call it a horror story but there where fur sure some scenes which where quite disturbing and (if you have such a good imagination as I do) pretty horrifying.
What I didn't like was how the author created the dialogues; it felt like they weren't thought through and seemed to be a little "childish". However, for it being my first J-Horror it was a pleasant read!
I still have absolutely no clue what this was about tbh but I found it interesting and even page-turning at some point! I wouldn't call it a horror story but there where fur sure some scenes which where quite disturbing and (if you have such a good imagination as I do) pretty horrifying.
What I didn't like was how the author created the dialogues; it felt like they weren't thought through and seemed to be a little "childish". However, for it being my first J-Horror it was a pleasant read!
Read
June 15, 2016Review available on IndieReader.
June 29, 2016
weird vibes
July 11, 2016
Eerily good. Very intense read, but a lot of it I really needed to use my thinking cap.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews