Penance

by Kanae Minato, Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

When they were children, Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko were tricked into separating from their friend Emili by a mysterious stranger. Then the unthinkable occurs: Emili is found murdered hours later. Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko werent able to accurately describe the strangers appearance to the police after the Emilis body was discovered. Asako, Emilis mother, curses the surviving girls, vowing that they will pay for her daughters murder. Like Confessions, Kanae Minatos award-winning, internationally bestselling debut novel, Penance is a dark and voice-driven tale of revenge and psychological trauma that will leave listeners breathless.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Japan, Horror, Mystery Thriller, Japanese Literature

Audible Audio

First published June 11, 2009

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

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five ten year old friends go to, their school to play, only four will return alive. The mother of the girl who does not return, threatens the remaining girls, telling them that by the time the statute of limitations is expired on her daughter's murder, the remaining girls must either write a confession or perform an act of penance.

I read this author's novel Confession last year and found it intriguing, and really loved the insidious nature of evil it depicted . This premise sounded equally intriguing and it did start well, with the same creepy overtone but this is where the similarities ended. These novels are told in an very dispassionate voice, which adds to tension the scenarios provoke, and this one also duplicated that tone. Yet, the stories told by each girl were at times repetitious which is to be expected because many of the details of the murders were the same, but the stories about their lives after the crime and threat, went on too long, at least in my opinion. There were unusual revelations, surprising reveals but in the end found this at times very good and at times boring. So a very mixed read for me, but still a very different type of story.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Japanese have a reputation for perfectionism. They are unimpressed by Maxim-de-Paris, mostly. They outdraw Disney in animation. They have their own idea of what makes a movie great. They also have a strong work ethic and do not value the maudlin. Yet despite their aura of otherworldliness, they produce flawed works of art.

The Japanese, however well meaning, produce authors of unequal merit. I DNFed Out by Natsuo Kirino, for it was not dear to my book reading brain cells. Same went for Battle Royale. But Penance... this is a quite good book. Penance is about horror, loss of innocence, and the pressures of society.

The thing that appeased me most of all is the claustrophobic and boxed in device of cause and effect. Determinism is an ill used word, but it applies here. There are no coincidences in Penance. This will be welcomed news to readers of all types of fiction. Coincidences in fiction is a non seasonal species that takes root in all types of clay and soil.

The author of Penance, Kanae Minato, has written the type of book that feels it has eked the best out of its author, and inspiration, that flighty one, will be thinned in upcoming works. That remains to be seen. But this book is a great story where the amateur detective is one of 5 students. From these 5, one is the victim of murder. The remaining 4 grow up and from them, one solves the mystery of the crime.

The book has a lot of deceptive characters whose presence don't feel contrived, or forced. This literary honesty is very tricky to achieve. In fact, it is the main reason why I gave a fourth star to the book review. But I can understand if many don't like this book.

The pacing might feel off to the reader who reads Harlan Coben, Gillian Flynn, or Louise Penny. But I found the pages fly by. Perhaps the reader might feel the POV of the characters too limited in the knowledge they supply. I found the POV very engaging. The major caveat I would give to people who will read this book is that they need to have patience in the first 50 pages.

I found Penance rewarding me with a loving embrace, and a soft, knowing, winking experience. Like I said before, there is a kind of horror in this book. That's all I can posit here. The horror is cruel and unfair. But speaking only for myself, I can say that it is countered by the type of stock of humanity that is found only in Japan. Centering only on myself, I give 4 stars to books that I wouldn't mind revisiting. Fellow reader, your move.

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having loved Confessions I was eager to get my hands on Penance by the same author but unfortunately I felt Penance just didn't cut the mustard and left me feeling a little disappointed.

Set in Japan Four women, haunted by a childhood trauma. What really happened that day--and what followed, for each of them, in the years after?

I love how this author writes and she packs so much in such a short novel, terrific character development but because the story is told from five of the characters viewpoints I found it extremely repetitive and at times confusing. I love the darkness in her stories and while Penance has that element running though it I thinkConfessions was much more engrossing and intriguing.
I look forward to reading more by this author in the future and highly recommend Confessions if you looking for a good dark mystery set in Japan.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this completely bizarre and unlikely story of friendship, guilt, unintended consequences and revenge. I ate it up in one breathless afternoon. It is surreal and more than a bit disturbing. The author, according to Wikipedia, "has been described in Japan as "the queen of iyamisu." Iyamisu (eww mystery) is a subgenre of mystery fiction which deals with grisly episodes and the dark side of human nature. Readers blurt out "eww" when they are reading iyamisu novels."

Well, okay, I get that. There were a few "eww" moments here (warning - there are a more than a few perverted scenarios here, some involving children, although they are not dwelt on or overly graphic). What I liked was the writing, the character driven plot, and the inventive way the author pulls her story and characters together. I see Minato's writing criticized in some reviews, but I believe this novel was written in a very detached and simplistic style for a reason and is all the more affecting because of it. Like the beautiful and arresting cover, it is STARK.

I can't recommend this because I suspect the "eww" factor is going to be too much to overcome for many readers - but I thought it was remarkable.

[Repellent Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Durante la tarde de un caluroso día de verano, cinco niñas juegan en el recinto del colegio al que acuden. De pronto un extraño hombre aparece y les pide ayuda, necesita que una de ellas le acompañe al interior del colegio, y la elegida se marcha con él. Horas después, cuando las niñas quieren reunirse con su amiga, se encuentran con esta en el suelo de los cuartos de baño. Está muerta, y el hombre ha desaparecido.

Muchos años después Maki, Sae, Akiko y Yuka son cuatro mujeres atormentadas por el asesinato de Emily. La culpabilidad de que ninguna recuerde el rostro del hombre que la asesinó, incluso ahora muchos años después cuando está apunto de prescribir el crimen, se suma a esa especie de envidia inocente e infantil que siempre le tuvieron a su amiga. Emily no había crecido en el pueblo, su origen es una rica familia proviniente de Tokio, y esto le dificultaba encajar en el pequeño pueblo donde todos sabes de todos y los cuchicheos van y vienen.

Definitivamente Kanae Minato se ha convertido en mi autora favorita de thriller, es simplemente espectacular. Y no solo porque sabe mantenerte en vilo durante toda la novela, si no porque lo hace con una fórmula muy personal y distintiva. Al igual que con "Confessions", en "Penance", la historia se nos presenta a través de largos monólogos de los principales personajes que se van dando en los diferentes capítulos que conforman la novela. Ya me pareció complicado de hacer en "Confessions", porque mantener la tensión con esta forma se me hacía una cosa muy complicada, pero es que con "Penance" lo vuelve a conseguir. Ambos dos igual de espectaculares.

Me flipa toda la carga de crítica social que he encontrado en estas dos novelas de Kanae Minato, si en "Confessions" la crítica estaba más centrada en el bullying y la delincuencia juvenil, y lo mal preparada que está la sociedad para castigar al menor criminal, sino que lejos de hacerlo, lo protege, en esta otra obra vamos a ver como la crítica recae en los adultos, y como de desprotegidos pueden estar los niños con respecto a ellos. No solo tocando el tema desde el punto de vista de desconocidos asesinos, si no mostrando que la peor de las violencias puede ser ejercida dentro del mismo hogar por padres, madres o hermanos.

Y es que lo que más me gusta de Kanae, no es que sepa construir un thriller original y atípico y que resulte super adictivo, si no que lo mezcla perfectamente con esa carga social que tanto me gusta encontrar en los libros. En este caso, lejos de conocer el culpable del asesinato, me ha resultado incluso más interesante saber de la vida de estas cuatro mujeres traumatizadas desde jóvenes, y como un trauma, sumado a unos horribles y poco empáticos familiares puede afectar a la vida de una persona. Kanae Minato es un autora para descubrir, e incluso para releer. Ojalá publicaran alguna cosa más de ella, ya sea en español o en inglés, porque necesito en mi vida toda su obra (que es bastante extensa, de hecho), y por ahora solo tenemos estas dos. Haceros un favor y leer a esta señora.

[Brandon Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her daughter’s brutal murder, a mother threatens the four friends that remain: if they do not identify the killer before the statute of limitations runs out, she promises she will take her vengeance out on them.

What follows is the remaining four friends POV’s as they deal with the aftershock of what happened in their childhood, how the shadow of their friends death looms over their lives, and how they each go about penance.

Structure wise this played out very similarly to Confessions by the same author, so if you enjoyed that, I think you’ll really like this (although I will say this was not quite as twisty nor as “fun”/wild as Confessions was).

The third friends POV is the only one that seemed to drag on a bit (the pregnancy one), and if not for that this would definitely be a 5 ⭐️ read, but overall I thought this was pretty intense at times, and kind of dark + upsetting revisiting the crime and getting each girls perspective.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved “Confessions,” by Japanese author, Kanae Minato, so I was delighted to be given her latest novel, which has appeared in translation, for review. This is not a typical ‘crime’ novel, so I suppose my best description of it would be ‘literary crime;’ although in Japan, Minato is known as, “the queen of iyamisu,” (literally, a ‘eww’ mystery – where readers blurt out, “Eww” while reading her books. I am not sure I agree with this, but certainly much of the substance of this novel lies beneath the surface and it is a dark and disturbing plot.

The novel revolves around a group of friends in a small, rural town. The town is known for its fresh and clean air, which results in a company which makes precision instruments moving there; much to the consternation of the workforce, who come largely from Tokyo. While they bemoan the lack of ‘cram’ schools and good shops, and the locals view them as exotic and unusual, one of the newcomers, Emily, makes friends with a group of local girls – Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko. One day the five schoolgirls are playing when they are approached by a man and, some hours later, Emily is found murdered.

It is worth pointing out that, at the time of this book, there was a statute of limitations during which criminals could be charged and so there is fifteen years to find the murderer. Emily’s mother informs the girls that they have a choice – they must either discover who the murderer is or she will expect a penance from them… As the statute of limitations draws near, we are introduced to the girls as women and discover what implications those childhood events had on their lives.

I found this a beguiling, beautifully written novel. As we hear what has happened to Sae, Maki, Akiko, Yuko and Emily’s mother, secrets are unearthed and tragedies unfold. The author allows the characters to speak to us directly and so we learn a lot about Japanese culture, expectations and behaviour along the way. It was interesting to see how rural Japanese communities are viewed by those in the big cities and of the way that so many newcomers in the town allowed the crime to be committed – respect for adults, combined with no longer expecting to know everyone in a rural community, allowed a stranger to commit a crime virtually unchallenged.

However, this novel is not really about the crime; although central to the storyline, this is far more about the aftermath of events and of how the words of Emily’s mother resonates through the girls lives. I am a great admirer of Kanae Minato’s writing and I hope more of her books appear in translation soon. A wonderful read and this would be a great book group choice, with so much to discuss. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, to review.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kanae Minato is back with another bone-chilling psychological thriller that will keep the reader guessing as they process the various angles of a similar event. When four young girls in a town along the Japanese countryside accept a new girl into their group the dynamic changes drastically. Emily brings a Tokyo flavour to their playing and the entire school class turns to her for guidance. While the girls are playing one day, a stranger approaches them and asks Emily to help him. Not sensing any danger, no one raises a red flag and it is only hours later, when Emily’s body is found in the boys’ change room, that these four girls begin to wonder what might have happened. Thus begins the panic, as no one can quite remember how to describe this man. Emily’s distraught mother vows vengeance if the girls do not come forward with information to find Emily’s killer, a pall that seems to hover over these four. As the story unfolds, all four girls are now women, telling their perspective of events and some of the fallout in their own lives since the killing. While each has a similar theme, there are strong differences, as well as the way in which this ‘curse’ works its way into their adult lives. Most haunting of all is that, at the time of the murder, Japan had a fifteen year statute of limitations on the crime, which is now only days away. Chilling in its delivery, Minato offers the reader a glimpse into how the innocence of youth can be negated with one wrong choice. Recommended for those who love something a little eerie and can handle a translated piece.

I discovered Kanae Minato and her debut novel this past summer, which had me highly curious. I could not put my finger on it at the time, but her multi-perspective narrative and quaint way of presenting the Japanese customs left me wanting to read more, yet not fully comfortable. In this piece, Minato returns with another story that uses four protagonists as they recount their own views on the murder of young Emily. Minato weaves together both a strong backstory and interesting character developments of all four girls/women, including the acts that might seemingly be part of the curse for not coming forward sooner. The reader is forced to parse fact from fiction while living through these events to get to the final truth. In a piece that flows so well and yet has moments of being quite dense, Minato lures the reader in and will not let go until everything is resolved, at least to her own liking. The writing style is unique and its translation into English has me wondering if it is the linguistic change that gives it the sing-song innocence or whether this is the traditional style of Japanese fiction work. I suppose I will have to investigate more, hoping other Japanese authors have themes similar to those found here.

Kudos, Madam Minato, for another great novel that had me unsure where things were going. I like this sort of blind ride, as it is a dose of something completely different.

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/...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kanae Minato is SO IMPRESSIVE. Seriously, she is insanely talented and I feel like she deserves to be one of the big names in writing, she's that good. She expertly weaves these stories about despicable and/or lost characters that are shocking, compelling and explosive. I have read two of her books that have been translated - this one & Confessions and they are both awesome. In fact, they're so awesome that I've been pushing her books onto anyone who will give me the time of day! I recommended her two books to my sister, who isn't the biggest reader and she read them both in the space of like 2 days which is unheard of!

This book isn't as strong as Confessions. It's a little bit predictable but it still has so many twists and turns that it's insane. And the thing about Minato is her twists don't feel forced, it doesn't feel like she is manipulating the reader or adding twists in just for shock value, it feels so natural and that is so hard to do. The story itself is wild. It's a crazy ride from start to finish.

The way she tells the story is also done really well. She breaks her story into different POV's and each person sees things and remembers things differently. Also as the book progresses, you get more and more information so you end up getting a look at a story that is very three-dimensional and complex because the characters each offer something different in their POV and so you're seeing it from all sides of the story. Minato also does it so that even though the characters may be telling the same story, I never felt like she was repeating herself just to make it longer.

The writing was good. Minato's writing style is very addictive and she writes in the second person which is quite unusual but she uses letters to tell the story. It does take a small bit of time to get into that style but once you adjust, you're hooked. I thought this book was well-written and the pacing was perfect.

I would 100% recommend this! I would also read more by Minato!

*I don't want to give anything away but if you have any serious triggers, you might want to look up trigger warnings before you decide to read this.

[Mohadese · Rating 3 out of 5]

▪︎درباره کتاب:
تاوان بررسی داستان یک تجاوز و یک قتل پس از پانزده سال است.

▪︎چیزی که فکر می‌کردم:
یک رمان معمایی جنایی خفن و خوندن فصل اول هم مهر تایید زد رو فکرم.

▪︎چیزی که تجربه کردم:
فصل دو حوصله سربر بود کمی و فصل سه رو واقعا به زور خوندم تا برسم به آخراش که کمی جالب شد.

کتاب شش بخش داره که ۵ بخش اول به هر یک از بچه‌هایی اختصاص داره روز واقعه در محل حضور داشتند.
این‌که اون لحظه چه شکی بهشون وارد شده و این‌که نوع برخورد والدین و اطرافیان‌شون با اونها باعث شده چه راهی رو در پیش بگیرند.

داستان روان و خوش‌خوانی بود، داستان اول ایده جذابی داشت به‌طوری که گفتم ادبیات جنایی ژاپن رو دست نداره! اما فصل‌های بعدش گاهی برای من حوصله سربر می‌شد.

راستی! تو کتاب به فرهنگ‌ها و سنت‌های ژاپن هم اشاره شده بود که به نظر من دوست داشتنیه.


▪︎ چیزی که یاد گرفتم:
برخورد صحیح با مقوله‌ی "تجاوز" باید آموزش داده شه، به جای این‌که یک تابو باشه و پنهان بشه. اون فرد بچه یا بزرگسال باید بدونه چی کار باید کنه. باید خودش و دیگران بدونن اون متهم نیست و یه قربانیه (:
‌

▪︎ترجمه و نحوه نگارش:
ترجمه که خوب و روان بود.
اما نحوه نگارش هم جالب بود، هم معمولی.
جالب بود که هر فصل به یکی از شاهدها اختصاص داشت اما پایانش خیلی معمولی بود و اصلا شبیه یه رمان جنایی نبود.
گره داستان خیلی سطحی باز شد،
نشانه‌گذاری‌های نویسنده رو دوست داشتم اما پرداخت کلی و گره‌گشایی نهایی رو اصلا.

▪︎به کیا پیشنهاد می‌کنم:
شاید پدر و مادرها چون نکات تربیتی خوبی داشت،
چیزهایی که به عنوان یک بزرگسال ممکنه به چشم ما نیاد اما چنان تاثیری روی آینده بچه‌ها داشته باشه که اون‌ها رو از لحاظ روحی و روانی نابود کنه

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a weird book for sure in a way that feels so perfectly consistent with what I know about Japanese literature (something I’d studied in college as part of one of my majors). It is also something I have difficulty explaining, but the story (the impact of the original murder) is a representation of the culture that also feels so true to the broader Confucian and Buddhist culture of East Asia. As sad as it is, there’s a beauty and a sadness o this culture of honor and personal accountability.

[Arghavan-紫荆 · Rating 3 out of 5]

الان که دارم برمیگردم و کتابهایی که از ادبیات ژاپن خوندم رو مرور می‌کنم، همشون -حتی در ژانرهای مختلف- شبیه به هم و متفاوت از ادبیات کشورهای دیگه‌ن.

عقده‌های پیچیده و ترسناک جنسی، جنایت‌های وحشتناک، تنهایی بسیار عمیق، تراماهای پنهان و حل نشده، آرزوهای دست‌نیافته کودکی که تمام آینده‌ی افراد رو تغییر میدن، عدم توانایی افراد برای ارتباط با همدیگه، احترام پرستش‌وار به عقیده‌های سنتی حتی مخرب، کریپی و دارک بودن بی اندازه... . آه ادبیات سیاه و جذاب ژاپن.

این کتاب هم مستثنی نبود. بیشتر روانشناسی و سایکولوژیکال تریلر بود تا جنایی. اگر به عنوان یه داستان جنایی بهش نگاه کنیم ضعف‌هایی داشت و یسری پایه‌های داستان لنگ میزدن ولی از دید روانشناسی شخصیت‌ها و تاثیرات یه واقعه روی روان و رفتار آدم‌ها، واقعا دقیق و خوب بود.

[Victor Almeida · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[La loca de los libros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si hay algo que me gusta es leer sobre otras culturas, aprender sobre su visión de la vida, una vida tan diferente a la nuestra, sobre todo en relación a su férreo sistema de educación.

En esta ocasión, Kanae Minato nos trae una novela similar a "Confesiones" en cuanto a como está estructurada y en cuanto que vuelve a poner, una vez más, el foco en los hijos, la educación y los traumas que un acontecimiento del pasado nos deja a modo de secuelas una vez somos adultos. 
Y de como ese trauma y la culpa puede dirigir las vidas de las cuatro protagonistas de esta historia.

Sae, Maki, Akiko y Yuka, irán desgranando sus recuerdos sobre la muerte traumática que sufrió una de sus amigas cuando un extraño la convenció para separarse del grupo con el pretexto de precisar su ayuda para arreglar el aparato de aire acondicionado del vestuario, mientras, el resto de amigas siguió jugando a pasarse la pelota hasta que se percataron de la ausencia extremadamente larga de su amiga.
A partir de aquí ya se imaginan el escenario con el que se encontraron estas jóvenes con tan solo 10 años.
Por si el trauma en sí no fuera suficiente, la madre de la niña asesinada se pone en contacto con ellas pasados tres años para amenazarlas diciéndoles que hagan lo que sea para encontrar al asesino antes de que el crimen prescriba o de lo contrario deberán cumplir una penitencia.
Transcurridos quince años el crimen sigue sin resolverse.

¿Lograrán satisfacer el deseo de venganza de la madre o por el contrario cumplirán esa temida penitencia?

A pesar del genial retrato que hace de cada uno de los personajes, su vida y circunstancias que los hacen comportarse de una determinada manera, en esta ocasión no me ha tenido tan en vilo como en su anterior novela, aquí se toma su tiempo para relatarnos los hechos en forma de confesión, dejando clara la visión de cada una de las testigos de la tragedia que marcó sus vidas, poniendo el foco en las secuelas de ese hecho más que en el asesinato en sí.
Pero sí me ha gustado como trata algunos temas interesantes en la cultura japonesa; como el papel de la mujer en el matrimonio, las diferencias sociales entre los que viven en zonas rurales y en ciudad, poniendo especial interés en la maternidad y cómo afrontamos los problemas en los que se meten nuestros hijos.

En definitiva, es una buena novela para debatir y reflexionar, tocando también temas delicados como el suicidio, aunque se me ha hecho demasiado reflexiva en algunos tramos y las conexiones de las protagonistas con el suceso final me han parecido forzadas, detonando en un final que no me ha parecido sorprendente sino como digo forzado y plagado de casualidades, aún así, es una lectura que recomiendo.

✏«No debes pensar que todos los hombres somos iguales. Porque se nos dan cosas diferentes desde que nacemos. Los pobres no deben pretender ser ricos. Un tonto no debe pretender ser un erudito. Una persona pobre debe encontrar la felicidad en la frugalidad, y una persona tonta hace lo mejor que puede dentro de sus limitaciones. Si buscas algo por encima de tu posición, eso solo te conducirá a la desgracia. El cielo nos está observando con atención a todos y te castigará si ansías algo que no te corresponde». 

📖 Próxima lectura:
"Las hermanas de Montmorts - Jérôme Loubry.

https://m.facebook.com/LaLocadelosLib... 💜 💀

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Minato's Confessions so Penance was a must buy. However, it ended up being a bit disappointing.
The writing was excellent as I expected but the story of revenge felt too similar to Confessions without being anything new or interesting. I grew bored about half way through. And by the end I just wanted it to be over.

[Coos Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

En esta novela coral nos encontramos con un grupo de chicas que, de la noche a la mañana, pasan por una situación de lo más espantosa, y que marcará el resto de sus vidas. Cada una de ellas intentará lidiar con el trauma y el dolor, pero principalmente, cumplir su penitencia por "haberse visto involucradas" en el suceso. No puedo dar mucho detalle, pero realmente es una novela que te invita a reflexionar sobre un millón de cosas, y que, por supuesto, cuesta mucho abordar por los temas tan delicados que trata.

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

audio: 5 stars
plot: 5 stars

Ms. Minato I would like to crawl inside your brain just for a little bit plz🙄

Having read Confessions by her, which was incredible, I knew I had to read this one, and I was not disappointed!
In my opinion, this was a masterpiece. The way this one horrible event shaped these 4 girls' lives was just... wow and the way she wove everything together was masterful. This was also a great look into the Japanese culture, especially how girls are perceived and treated in their community.

The ending and reveal made me sick💀

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
This is a sharp, twisted thriller that plays with themes surrounding femininity. I love stories that address ideas of female darkness. The first few chapters were absolutely brilliant. However, the narrative shifts in the later chapters were jarring and pulled me out of the story. This book had so many elements I loved, but the execution did not quite deliver for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Innocence, trauma, blame, guilt, grudges, grief, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...penance. Five children are playing, one is lured away, only four return home to their families. This novel focuses on the four little girls left behind, and of course the angry, grieving mother of the deceased. Why didn't the sicko pick you instead? Why don't you know more about what happened? Why hasn't the perp been caught yet? It's all your fault!

OMG, the premise of this novel is so emotionally complex. The reader watches these four girls grow up into women and sees how this trauma has impacted them throughout each of their unique perspectives. Not only the trauma of losing a childhood friend to ill-intent though, but also the trauma of being threatened by the mother: Catch the killer or perform an act of penance. Simple, impulsive words. What the mother doesn't see in her hate and rage and grief though is these girls' acts of penance are as natural as breathing. Life with unresolved trauma just doesn't relent.

It's easy to sell this book. I mean, I've almost talked myself into a re-read. But the reading experience for me didn't meet its amazing potential. With all of these dynamics going on, the powerful 5-star impact was more like a 3. There was a quietness amidst all of these written dynamics and emotions that prevented everything from being fully palpable in my opinion. I empathized but didn't 100% feel. However, if this plotline interests you or if you have historically enjoyed Ms. Minato's work, it is definitely worth checking out.

Note: I listened to Penance via audiobook and it was well-done. A huge distraction though was the lack of identifying who's perspective was being read. I would figure it out after a minute but still. Not sure if this was also an issue when reading off the page but thought it was worth mentioning.

My favorite quote:
"When you love a person, you don't need someone else's permission to be with them."

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Confessions from this author and loved it, a one sitting read and Penance was another one sitting read. It was strange and dark, occasionally heart breaking and beautifully done. Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel I was immediately hooked in to this tale of a group of children caught up in the horrific murder of one of their friends, a sinister threat from the girls mother and how that affected them growing up..

Penance is less a murder mystery and more a character drama – the murder, and the mothers emotionally charged “threat” setting off a chain of life events for the 4 girls and indeed for the mother herself. Each girl tells her tale, about that day and about their lives after, all of them in one way or another end up paying that “Penance” that was demanded of them at a young and impressionable age. Kenae Minato really delves into personality here, taking us on a twisted, atmospheric journey through the lives of these characters, whose realities differ so much but all are tied into a seemingly unbreakable bond to that one event.

The cultural aspects are equally involving, as I read I got a real sense of both the differences and the similarities between life in Japan and life here – there are different expectations, different society rules and hierarchy, but people are people everywhere. Grief, love, trauma, those things have no borders and I was struck by how beautifully the author managed to portray the feelings, the passion, the core heart of everyone we meet within the pages.

Utterly riveting, everything in Penance hovers underneath the surface, the decisions made, the actions taken, all informed by the past at differing levels. The plotting is taut and extraordinarily clever, its not until you come to the end of Penance and look back at it that you understand fully the complete tragedy. Because Penance is a tragedy, almost Shakespearean in nature, I devoured every word of it with a shivery intensity.

Absolutely Highly Recommended.

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms Minato... you really have perfected your craft

Penance is about five girls who are all together playing, and one of them gets lured away by a stranger. Police are speaking to the remaining four girls, but none of them can say what the stranger looked like even though they all got a good look at him. The mother of the girl who was taken is so outraged with the lack of help from the girls, that she vows to get her revenge on all of them if they don't speak up before the statue of imitations (15 years) runs out.
We then follow chapters from the remaining girls who are now 25 years old on how life has been for them since.
With her sensational book Confessions. Minato knows how to steal your attention and keep you turning the pages for more information right to the very last page. Penance is definitely more of a character driven book with not a lot of emphasis on a plot. I was shocked at the reveal and felt heavy with the ending.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Until 2010, Japan had a fifteen-year statute of limitations on the crime of murder...


What a unique, dark and disturbing read. I breezed through this! I was expecting a creepy, thriller sort of read based on the premise of the book. However, it dealt more with complex relationships between girls and women after a traumatic event. I did find some things hard to believe, though and struggled with certain plot heavy scenes. But taken as a light, easy read....it was pretty entertaining.

[EMMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

واقعا كتاب عجيبي بود،اصن نميدونم چي بايد بنويسم

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three years after the murder you called the four of us, now thirteen years old, to your place and told us something unbelievable. Girls that age, even if they're living completely ordinary lives, are full of doubt and anxieties about their identity, but you called us all murderers. And told us we must either find the man who murdered Emily or else perform an act of penance.

This tips so close to melodrama that it's only the quiet muted voices and the attention to the details of daily life in Japan which hold it back. Minato's prose is clear and deceptively simple as she creates a series of 1st person narratives that all spring from the horrific rape and murder of a ten year old girl. The four female school friends who were with Emily that day are, understandably, traumatised - but their lives play out in different ways, albeit ones that replay, in different keys, their early experience with death.

There are interesting strands concerned with gender, femininity, agency and social conceptions of what makes a 'good' woman - but it's sometimes the men who are the sites of psychic complications that we only access via the women who tell their stories.

With a story hanging off a crime novel skeleton, this is gripping reading for sure - but perhaps a little too neat in the end than I'd have liked.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kanae Minato is just not for me. We don’t meet in the story—something doesn’t click. I loved the beginning and the end of this story—the middle was a struggle. It’s the same with Confessions, I can’t get past my lack of investment in the beginning. It’s ok, I know I don’t have to love all the books :)
This is on hoopla and I liked it better than Confessions

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kanae Minato has done it again. I adored her first novel Confessions and I found this one equally absorbing. She can genuinely spin a tale like no other. Highly recommended!

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short, fast-paced novel explores the lives of four young women who are forever altered by a tragedy in their youth. When Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuka are ten years old, their friend Emily is assaulted and murdered by a man posing as an employee of their school. The murderer is never identified. When the girls are thirteen, Emily's mother Asako invites them to tea and gives them a choice: they must either find Emily's killer within the next fifteen years (before the statute of limitations on murder runs out); spend their lives performing penance for their inability to save her; or suffer Asako's revenge.

Unsurprisingly, this cruel ultimatum has an enduring impact on the children. Each girl blames herself for Emily's death, and through separate first-person narratives – each addressed to Asako – we find out what becomes of them in those fifteen years. Sae believes herself to be 'defective' and refuses to grow up. Maki, tormented by what she sees as her cowardice on the day of the murder, devotes her life to teaching, hoping she will be able to protect her students from any similar threat. Akiko becomes a recluse, spending time with nobody apart from her beloved brother Koji and his stepdaughter Wakaka. Yuka develops an obsession with the police, and begins shoplifting so they'll pay attention to her. Finally, we hear from Asako herself.

Penance has strong momentum and is initially intriguing; this is particularly true of the creepy first chapter. However, it runs out of steam somewhere in the final third, and Asako's 'explanation' is a little convoluted and not very satisfying. I liked this book, and it was an easy read, but I don't think it will stick in my memory for long.

I received an advance review copy of Penance from the publisher through NetGalley.

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[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kanae Minato se ha convertido para mí en una autora a seguir muy de cerca. «Confesiones» fue un libro que me pareció brutal y que subió al pódium de mis thrillers favoritos. «Penitencia» es la segunda novela publicada en castellano de la autora (crucemos dedos para que nos traigan toda su obra).

En «Penitencia» seguimos a un grupo de mujeres unidas por el asesinato de una compañera de juego cuando eran pequeñas. Quince años después nos van a ir contando su historia, cómo fue ese día que marcó sus vidas y las implicaciones que tuvo.

Este libro sigue la misma estructura que «Confesiones»: cada capítulo nos muestra el punto de vista de cada una de las protagonistas, de manera que se va completando el rompecabezas inicial. No sólo se parece en la estructura, sino también, de alguna forma (muy sutil), en la propia historia y en el personaje que hace de nexo entre los capítulos.

Es por este motivo que no me ha resultado tan novedoso ni tan original como «Confesiones», lo que ha enturbiado un poquito mi experiencia lectora. Sin embargo, esto no implica que no me haya parecido otro libro bestial, lo he disfrutado muchísimo. Por eso, mi consejo es que dejéis espacio entre la lectura de ambos libros (yo los he leído con un mes de diferencia) si creéis que os puede pasar como a mí.

Dejando esto a un lado, «Penitencia» es una novela tremendamente adictiva en la que la tensión va en aumento en todo momento, es imposible soltar el libro. Está repleta de giros y cada vez se vuelve más turbia y oscura, es realmente perturbadora. Vuelvo a destacar lo increíblemente buena narradora que es esta autora y lo bien que desarrolla a sus personajes.

Os lo recomiendo muchísimo, tanto este como «Confesiones». Vais a descubrir thrillers diferentes, tremendamente adictivos e inquietantes, os sorprenderán.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

assaulted and dead. The killer is never found. The girls are unable to describe him or even consistently identify the color of his clothes. The bereaved mother demands that the remaining four girls find the killer or perform an act of penance lest they suffer her revenge. 15 years later we get the story of each of these girls.

The set up is simple enough and from there we get a collection of connected short stories told from the perspective of the remaining 4 girls. Some have the looming creepiness of a Stephen King short while others play out like a Korean revenge drama.

I found the different narrative voices to be a little too passively similar and the unfortunate coincidences of each of the girls situation, only tangentially tied to the initial act, beggared belief. But within the confines of the genre it worked well and there were several moments where Minato earns her title of the queen of iyamisu (or ewww mysteries).

[Donya · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستانی معمایی درمورد پدوفیلی و تجاوز

نویسنده به زیبایی به پردازش شخصیت‌ها پرداخته و نشان داده که چطوری تجاوز میتونه زندگی نه‌تنها خانواده‌ی قربانی بلکه تمام اطرافیان‌قربانی رو هم تحت تاثیر قرار بده و سرنوشت آنها رو به طور کل عوض کنه.

روند داستان اصلا کند و خسته‌کننده نبود اما هیجانی هم نبود.
یک داستان آرام و خوشخوان و البته غم‌انگیز