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The Only Child
An eerie and absorbing novel following a criminal psychologist who has discovered shocking and possibly dangerous connections between a serial killer and her stepdaughter.
Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Yi Byeongdo, who has refused to speak to anyone until now, asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity.
That same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely.
At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Hayeong looks at her the same way Yi Byeongdo does when he recounts the abuse he experienced as a child; Hayeong’s serene expression masks a temper that she can’t control. Plus, the story she tells about her grandparents’ death, and her mother’s before that, deeply troubles Seonkyeong. So much so that Yi Byeongdo picks up on it and starts giving her advice.
Written with exquisite precision and persistent creepiness, The Only Child is psychological suspense at its very best.
Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Yi Byeongdo, who has refused to speak to anyone until now, asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity.
That same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely.
At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Hayeong looks at her the same way Yi Byeongdo does when he recounts the abuse he experienced as a child; Hayeong’s serene expression masks a temper that she can’t control. Plus, the story she tells about her grandparents’ death, and her mother’s before that, deeply troubles Seonkyeong. So much so that Yi Byeongdo picks up on it and starts giving her advice.
Written with exquisite precision and persistent creepiness, The Only Child is psychological suspense at its very best.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2010
270 people are currently reading
6871 people want to read
About the author
Mi-Ae Seo
6 books70 followersBorn in Punggi, North Gyeonsang Province, South Korea, Mi-ae Seo is a Korean writer and dramatist. After majoring in Korean literature at university, she debuted as a novelist in 1994 when her short story “30 Ways to Kill Your Husband” won the Annual Spring Literary Contest. She writes thriller books, TV scripts, and screenplays. Seo’s screenwriting credits include the animation film “My Beautiful Girl, Mari” (Grand Prix Winner at the 26th Annecy International Animated Film Festival), “Temptation of Eve—Kiss”, and “Temptation of Eve--Technique of Her Own”. Her novel “Happy Killers” was adapted into a film titled “Hello, Murderer”. In addition, she wrote the scripts for the TV series “Never on Sunday”, “Into the Storm”, “Detective Q”, “30 Ways to Kill Your Husband”, and “Hello, Murderer”. In 2009, she won the Korean Detective Literature Award (Grand Prize) for "The Doll’s Garden”. Her 2010 novel “The Only Child” has been translated into multiple languages and introduced in sixteen countries around the world. Her most recent novel “Every Secret Has a Name” (the sequel to “The Only Child”) has been published in Korea and France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 632 reviews
March 4, 2020
I became a fan of Asian crime fiction since discovering the likes of Kanae Minato and Natsuo Kirino so I was very excited to be granted an ARC of The Only Child.
"I shouldn't have gone in, even if the locks were open. But curiosity got the better of me and I went inside. And I realized.
That I had opened the door to hell."
A criminal psychologist, Seonkyeong, has been asked to interview the notorious serial killer, Yi Byeongdo, per his request. He has never willingly spoken to anyone before and it's even more curious as to why he chose Seonkyeong to speak to. They have never met before. Something about this case ignites her curiosity and she is determined to find out what it is he has to say.
"Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head..."
Meanwhile, her husbands 11 year old daughter from a previous relationship has come to live with them under mysterious circumstances. It appears that her grand parents that were caring for her died in a house fire in which Hayeong escapes. Since her husband is a doctor he spends very little time at home leaving the responsibility of caring for Hayeong squarely on Seonkyeong's shoulders. As the days go by and as she spends more time in the company of Hayeong she is noticing the child exhibits disturbing behaviors.
The author seems to be exploring nature vs. nurture and whether our past childhood abuses shape the human that we turn out to be or are we born that way.
This was a decent read but was a bit predictable. Don't expect shocking twists that come out of nowhere. It's all very straightforward storytelling. I have to admit that I didn't buy part of the ending (Yi Byeongdo) while the other part I enjoyed very much (Hayeong) which makes this so hard to rate. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"I shouldn't have gone in, even if the locks were open. But curiosity got the better of me and I went inside. And I realized.
That I had opened the door to hell."
A criminal psychologist, Seonkyeong, has been asked to interview the notorious serial killer, Yi Byeongdo, per his request. He has never willingly spoken to anyone before and it's even more curious as to why he chose Seonkyeong to speak to. They have never met before. Something about this case ignites her curiosity and she is determined to find out what it is he has to say.
"Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head..."
Meanwhile, her husbands 11 year old daughter from a previous relationship has come to live with them under mysterious circumstances. It appears that her grand parents that were caring for her died in a house fire in which Hayeong escapes. Since her husband is a doctor he spends very little time at home leaving the responsibility of caring for Hayeong squarely on Seonkyeong's shoulders. As the days go by and as she spends more time in the company of Hayeong she is noticing the child exhibits disturbing behaviors.
The author seems to be exploring nature vs. nurture and whether our past childhood abuses shape the human that we turn out to be or are we born that way.
This was a decent read but was a bit predictable. Don't expect shocking twists that come out of nowhere. It's all very straightforward storytelling. I have to admit that I didn't buy part of the ending (Yi Byeongdo) while the other part I enjoyed very much (Hayeong) which makes this so hard to rate. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
dnf
March 18, 2020Dnf at page 45 in the ARC.
Maybe this is just because I’m reading an advanced version but the writing in this book is awful. It’s repetitive and unfeeling and just not a fun time to read. Words are overused and descriptions go on for ages, repeating the same details over and over.
There are so many things that seem absurd even within the first 4 chapters?? Like... a man being told at the scene of a crime that his parents-in-law are dead without any investigation or bothering to confirm their identities OR a course on criminal psychology only talking about serial killers in their last class of the semester??
I’m not sure if this is an issue with the book itself or just a shoddy translation but I can’t stand reading any further.
Maybe this is just because I’m reading an advanced version but the writing in this book is awful. It’s repetitive and unfeeling and just not a fun time to read. Words are overused and descriptions go on for ages, repeating the same details over and over.
There are so many things that seem absurd even within the first 4 chapters?? Like... a man being told at the scene of a crime that his parents-in-law are dead without any investigation or bothering to confirm their identities OR a course on criminal psychology only talking about serial killers in their last class of the semester??
I’m not sure if this is an issue with the book itself or just a shoddy translation but I can’t stand reading any further.
June 10, 2020
1/5
Metus laiko studijavusi kriminologiją drąsiai galiu sakyti – gal profesija ir neperspektyvi, gal kiekvienam ir reikia aiškinti, kad tai niekaip nesusiję su CSI Majamis/Niujorkas/Filadelfija/Telšiai, bet po velnių, bent jau esu profesionali trilerių skaitovė. O tai ir džiaugsmas ir didžiausias skausmas vienu metu. Džiaugsmas tuomet, kai būna akivaizdu, kad rašytojas atliko namų darbus – kaip tai padarė Gillian Flynn, Stefanas Ahnhemas, A.J.Finn ir kiti mažiau žinomi, tačiau tingumo neprispausti autoriai. Didelis liūdesys tuomet, kai pasijauti šviesmečiais protingesnis už tą, kuris knygą parašė. Ir kad ir kaip pagal prigimtį žmogiška yra norėti jaustis pranašesniu už esantį galios pozicijoje, skaitant knygą jausti, kad autorius dėl tavęs nepasistengė net pagūglinti, yra tiesiog liūdna. Taip liūdna buvo skaitant „Labanakt, mama“. Taip liūdna rašyti šią apžvalgą ir žinoti, kad negaliu pagirti absoliučiai nieko, prie ko prisilietė ne leidėjai, o autorė Seo Mi Ae.
Nors knyga žavi gilinimosi į vaiko, kriminalinės psichologijos specialistės ir mirties bausmės laukiančio serijinio žudiko psichologiją pažadu, visi šie aspektai romane pateikti skubotai, neapgalvotai ir galiausiai tiesiog tingiai. Manęs neįtikino niekas – nei kriminalinės psichologės elgesys su mažu, tačiau problematišku vaiku (raskit specialistą, kuris iš šokiruoto, mamos ir senelių netekusio vaiko atimtų meškiuką, maldauju), nei serijinio žudiko pasąmonės srautas, kuris po pirmojo skyriaus ima tiesiog kartotis ir palieka įspūdį, kad autorė apart kelių kertinių „šokiruojančių“ detalių daugiau nieko nepajėgė sugalvoti, nei bylas tiriantys policininkai, kurie pažeidžia visus įmanomus elgesio su nukentėjusiais ir jų artimaisiais kodeksus, taisykles ir reikalavimus, nei pati mažoji Hajongė, kuri tikriausiai turėtų gąsdinti ir kelti šiurpą, tačiau tiesiog palieka mane abejingą. O būtent tai skaitant knygas ir baisiausia – žinoti, kad bet kuris veikėjas bet kurią akimirką gali palysti po autobuso ratais ir tu tik gūžtelėjęs perverstum puslapį.
„Labanakt, mama“ labiau priminė ne romaną, o klišių rinkinį – gausu užuominų į Hanibalą Lekterį ir „Avinėlių tylėjimą“, gausu stereotipinių veiklų (kriminalinės psichologijos ekspertė studentams per paskaitą rodo nuotraukas iš baisiausių nusikaltimų – aha, aha), su realybe prasilenkiančių pamąstymų apie serijinio žudiko „kilmę“ ir prigimtį, tačiau iš tiesų nieko, kas galėtų pasitarnauti kaip knygos pamatas – jokio autorės įdirbio, jokių, bent minimalių, bent pradinuko lygio nusikaltėlio psichologijos aiškinimo žinių, kurias šiais laikais turi bene kas penktas akylesnis nuolatinis trilerių gerbėjas. Romanas tingus, nuspėjamas, ištęstas, nekeliantis jokių emocijų, atrodantis itin varganai žmogui, kuris jau skaitė didžiąją daugumą to, ką kokybiško gali pasiūlyti leidyklos šiuolaikinių trilerių kontekste. O blogiausia tai, kad ir parašytas jis gana apgailėtinai – vietoje sakinių dažnai autorė naudoja tiesiog... klaustukus. Ir šauktukus. Ir daugtaškius. Arba tokius išminties perlus kaip „Jis chi chi chi nusijuokė“. Na, o aš cha cha cha sakau, kad nerekomenduočiau net priešui.
Metus laiko studijavusi kriminologiją drąsiai galiu sakyti – gal profesija ir neperspektyvi, gal kiekvienam ir reikia aiškinti, kad tai niekaip nesusiję su CSI Majamis/Niujorkas/Filadelfija/Telšiai, bet po velnių, bent jau esu profesionali trilerių skaitovė. O tai ir džiaugsmas ir didžiausias skausmas vienu metu. Džiaugsmas tuomet, kai būna akivaizdu, kad rašytojas atliko namų darbus – kaip tai padarė Gillian Flynn, Stefanas Ahnhemas, A.J.Finn ir kiti mažiau žinomi, tačiau tingumo neprispausti autoriai. Didelis liūdesys tuomet, kai pasijauti šviesmečiais protingesnis už tą, kuris knygą parašė. Ir kad ir kaip pagal prigimtį žmogiška yra norėti jaustis pranašesniu už esantį galios pozicijoje, skaitant knygą jausti, kad autorius dėl tavęs nepasistengė net pagūglinti, yra tiesiog liūdna. Taip liūdna buvo skaitant „Labanakt, mama“. Taip liūdna rašyti šią apžvalgą ir žinoti, kad negaliu pagirti absoliučiai nieko, prie ko prisilietė ne leidėjai, o autorė Seo Mi Ae.
Nors knyga žavi gilinimosi į vaiko, kriminalinės psichologijos specialistės ir mirties bausmės laukiančio serijinio žudiko psichologiją pažadu, visi šie aspektai romane pateikti skubotai, neapgalvotai ir galiausiai tiesiog tingiai. Manęs neįtikino niekas – nei kriminalinės psichologės elgesys su mažu, tačiau problematišku vaiku (raskit specialistą, kuris iš šokiruoto, mamos ir senelių netekusio vaiko atimtų meškiuką, maldauju), nei serijinio žudiko pasąmonės srautas, kuris po pirmojo skyriaus ima tiesiog kartotis ir palieka įspūdį, kad autorė apart kelių kertinių „šokiruojančių“ detalių daugiau nieko nepajėgė sugalvoti, nei bylas tiriantys policininkai, kurie pažeidžia visus įmanomus elgesio su nukentėjusiais ir jų artimaisiais kodeksus, taisykles ir reikalavimus, nei pati mažoji Hajongė, kuri tikriausiai turėtų gąsdinti ir kelti šiurpą, tačiau tiesiog palieka mane abejingą. O būtent tai skaitant knygas ir baisiausia – žinoti, kad bet kuris veikėjas bet kurią akimirką gali palysti po autobuso ratais ir tu tik gūžtelėjęs perverstum puslapį.
„Labanakt, mama“ labiau priminė ne romaną, o klišių rinkinį – gausu užuominų į Hanibalą Lekterį ir „Avinėlių tylėjimą“, gausu stereotipinių veiklų (kriminalinės psichologijos ekspertė studentams per paskaitą rodo nuotraukas iš baisiausių nusikaltimų – aha, aha), su realybe prasilenkiančių pamąstymų apie serijinio žudiko „kilmę“ ir prigimtį, tačiau iš tiesų nieko, kas galėtų pasitarnauti kaip knygos pamatas – jokio autorės įdirbio, jokių, bent minimalių, bent pradinuko lygio nusikaltėlio psichologijos aiškinimo žinių, kurias šiais laikais turi bene kas penktas akylesnis nuolatinis trilerių gerbėjas. Romanas tingus, nuspėjamas, ištęstas, nekeliantis jokių emocijų, atrodantis itin varganai žmogui, kuris jau skaitė didžiąją daugumą to, ką kokybiško gali pasiūlyti leidyklos šiuolaikinių trilerių kontekste. O blogiausia tai, kad ir parašytas jis gana apgailėtinai – vietoje sakinių dažnai autorė naudoja tiesiog... klaustukus. Ir šauktukus. Ir daugtaškius. Arba tokius išminties perlus kaip „Jis chi chi chi nusijuokė“. Na, o aš cha cha cha sakau, kad nerekomenduočiau net priešui.
February 10, 2020
The Only Child is a translation of a Korean thriller featuring a criminal psychologist Seongkyeong who suddenly gets a phone call that a serial killer who has kept quiet for years suddenly wants to talk, but only to her.
The same day this inexperienced criminal psychologist interviews Yi Byeongdo, she is surprised to find that her husband has brought his daughter from a previous marriage to live with them after her grandparents die after a fire that Hayeong was the lone survivor of.
As the story progresses and Syongkyeong interviews Yi Byeongdo more, she starts to see parallels between her 11 year old stepdaughter and the serial killer. Is it possible that young Hayeong has the traits to one day become a serial killer herself?
This slow burn thriller is more character driven than plot driven and at times it doesnt flow too well, I'm guessing that's from the translation though. Once you get used to the rhythm of the translation, it didn't really bother me too much though. Overall, the story was enjoyable and the exposure to Korean culture was interesting. If you like slow burn suspense or character driven novels, this one is worth a look.
My thanks to HarperCollins, author Mi-ae Seo, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
The same day this inexperienced criminal psychologist interviews Yi Byeongdo, she is surprised to find that her husband has brought his daughter from a previous marriage to live with them after her grandparents die after a fire that Hayeong was the lone survivor of.
As the story progresses and Syongkyeong interviews Yi Byeongdo more, she starts to see parallels between her 11 year old stepdaughter and the serial killer. Is it possible that young Hayeong has the traits to one day become a serial killer herself?
This slow burn thriller is more character driven than plot driven and at times it doesnt flow too well, I'm guessing that's from the translation though. Once you get used to the rhythm of the translation, it didn't really bother me too much though. Overall, the story was enjoyable and the exposure to Korean culture was interesting. If you like slow burn suspense or character driven novels, this one is worth a look.
My thanks to HarperCollins, author Mi-ae Seo, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 22, 2020
Eleven year old Hayeong is found uninjured after a fire kills her grandparents with whom she had been living since the death of her mother. Hayeong is collected by her indifferent father Jaeseong, a busy surgeon. Jaeseong has recently married Seonkyeong, a criminal psychologist who seems woefully unqualified for her job.
This book had the interesting idea of comparing the stories of an adult serial killer with that of a child who shared a similarly abusive background. Unfortunately, I found the writing choppy, flat and colorless, which was possibly caused by the translation but I have no way of knowing that. The characters were also flat and colorless. There was no obvious connection between Jaeseong and Seonkyeong. I had no idea why they were married. Since Seonkyeong was tasked with interviewing an imprisoned serial killer, the book kept drawing comparisons to “The Silence of the Lambs”. I don’t think that it is wise for authors to draw attention to better books. It was obvious where this story was headed, except for the very end at which one character acted so stupidly that it could not have been predicted. This book was just ok for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This book had the interesting idea of comparing the stories of an adult serial killer with that of a child who shared a similarly abusive background. Unfortunately, I found the writing choppy, flat and colorless, which was possibly caused by the translation but I have no way of knowing that. The characters were also flat and colorless. There was no obvious connection between Jaeseong and Seonkyeong. I had no idea why they were married. Since Seonkyeong was tasked with interviewing an imprisoned serial killer, the book kept drawing comparisons to “The Silence of the Lambs”. I don’t think that it is wise for authors to draw attention to better books. It was obvious where this story was headed, except for the very end at which one character acted so stupidly that it could not have been predicted. This book was just ok for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 15, 2021
Seon-gyeong es una psicóloga criminal que va a recibir una de las más grandes propuestas que ha recibido a lo largo de su carrera. Lee Byeong-do es uno de los grandes asesinos en serie que ha asolado el país en los últimos años, y que pese a haber reconocido trece crímenes, la policía sospecha que en realidad fueron muchos más. El asesino se niega a hablar durante las interrogaciones, retrayéndose en un silencio hermético. Cuando todo parece indicar que nunca se sabrá nada sobre sus otros asesinatos, o sobre las razones que lo llevaron a ello, Byeong-do solicitará entrevistarse con Seon-yeong. Mientras esto ocurre, un extraño incendio tiene lugar en otra parte de la ciudad.
Pese a que soy un admirador fanático del thriller coreano, ya que me parece único y siempre original, "Hija única" se me ha quedado algo cortito. La novela tiene varios peros como, por ejemplo, que creo que desaprovecha parte de la trama. La autora desperdicia la figura de un asesino en serie que se presenta muy interesante, con peculiaridades tan distintivas como las de Hannibal Lecter, por decir alguno, y luego lo relega a un segundo plano. El personaje de la niña también es muy interesante, pero tampoco termina de explorarse a fondo. Luego otro punto en contra es que la historia tiene poco misterio, no porque no haya una intriga por descubrir, sino porque se hace muy evidente desde el principio como han sucedido todos los hechos. Prácticamente desde el inicio puedes sumar dos y dos, y saber todo lo que ha pasado. Y en ese sentido, muy pocas sorpresas hay.
La parte buena son, sin duda, todas esas reflexiones acerca de la naturaleza humana, sobre como un ser humano se convierte en un monstruo y si hay indicios que puedan predecir que una persona acabará siendo un asesino. Una mala infancia, una familia cruel, un accidente traumático o el rechazo de tus compañeros de clase, siempre se han presentando como motivos que pueden llevar a una persona a cometer los más horribles crímenes, y en las páginas de esta novela se reflexiona mucho sobre ello. Y se señala a la sociedad en sí, como gran culpable de empujar a estar personas a ello. Y es algo, en lo que estoy de acuerdo. La sociedad aparta y discrimina al que se sale de la media, presiona una y otra vez a ese individuo y lo abandona. Pone a calentar el fuego y espera hasta que hierva. La reflexión es genial y muy acertada.
También me parece un libro muy entretenido, que se disfruta, pese a no ser especialmente sorpresivo, pero que te mantiene enganchado hasta que acaba. Como fan de los Beatles, el detallito de incluir una de sus canciones como parte de la trama me ganó, no os voy a engañar. El final me ha dejado un sentimiento agridulce, me ha gustado porque me ha parecido que podía ser rompedor y suelta un mensaje claro y directo, pero por otra parte lo he visto super acelerado y brusco. Me hubiera gustado que se tomara más calma para contarlo.
En definitiva, no está mal, lo recomiendo para quien quiera leer un thriller sencillo en cuanto a trama, pero con unas reflexiones muy interesantes, y sabiendo que no es, ni mucho menos, una historia redonda. Es la primera obra de Mi-ae Seo, así que en el futuro espero que no pierda ese toque de explorar la piscología de los personajes y la sociedad que los corrompe, pero que mejore en cuanto a giros.
Pese a que soy un admirador fanático del thriller coreano, ya que me parece único y siempre original, "Hija única" se me ha quedado algo cortito. La novela tiene varios peros como, por ejemplo, que creo que desaprovecha parte de la trama. La autora desperdicia la figura de un asesino en serie que se presenta muy interesante, con peculiaridades tan distintivas como las de Hannibal Lecter, por decir alguno, y luego lo relega a un segundo plano. El personaje de la niña también es muy interesante, pero tampoco termina de explorarse a fondo. Luego otro punto en contra es que la historia tiene poco misterio, no porque no haya una intriga por descubrir, sino porque se hace muy evidente desde el principio como han sucedido todos los hechos. Prácticamente desde el inicio puedes sumar dos y dos, y saber todo lo que ha pasado. Y en ese sentido, muy pocas sorpresas hay.
La parte buena son, sin duda, todas esas reflexiones acerca de la naturaleza humana, sobre como un ser humano se convierte en un monstruo y si hay indicios que puedan predecir que una persona acabará siendo un asesino. Una mala infancia, una familia cruel, un accidente traumático o el rechazo de tus compañeros de clase, siempre se han presentando como motivos que pueden llevar a una persona a cometer los más horribles crímenes, y en las páginas de esta novela se reflexiona mucho sobre ello. Y se señala a la sociedad en sí, como gran culpable de empujar a estar personas a ello. Y es algo, en lo que estoy de acuerdo. La sociedad aparta y discrimina al que se sale de la media, presiona una y otra vez a ese individuo y lo abandona. Pone a calentar el fuego y espera hasta que hierva. La reflexión es genial y muy acertada.
También me parece un libro muy entretenido, que se disfruta, pese a no ser especialmente sorpresivo, pero que te mantiene enganchado hasta que acaba. Como fan de los Beatles, el detallito de incluir una de sus canciones como parte de la trama me ganó, no os voy a engañar. El final me ha dejado un sentimiento agridulce, me ha gustado porque me ha parecido que podía ser rompedor y suelta un mensaje claro y directo, pero por otra parte lo he visto super acelerado y brusco. Me hubiera gustado que se tomara más calma para contarlo.
En definitiva, no está mal, lo recomiendo para quien quiera leer un thriller sencillo en cuanto a trama, pero con unas reflexiones muy interesantes, y sabiendo que no es, ni mucho menos, una historia redonda. Es la primera obra de Mi-ae Seo, así que en el futuro espero que no pierda ese toque de explorar la piscología de los personajes y la sociedad que los corrompe, pero que mejore en cuanto a giros.
March 22, 2020
Captivating.
I'm starting to see a trend in Asian thrillers... I'm not entirely sure if it's the way it's written, or more to do with the translation- but just like in Confessions (by Kanae Minato) this book reminded me of some straight up (fascinating) storytelling. They're both blunt, not highly emotional, & at times pretty miserable.. But i found myself enthralled, i loved it! It feels fresh after so many thrillers that spend so much time leading up to that twist or reveal, at times getting drawn out or repetitive.. Sometimes, even while enjoying those books I'll check in or look ahead just to see how long i have left, whereas this book was over before i knew it! No "fluff." I wasnt bored for a second- & what more can you really ask for?😊
I do want to mention the audio. The beginning was a little confusing, i think it was partly because i went in blind & though there were multiple narrators- there were no titles to the chapters. (Though i think if you read the description that may be a bit clearer.) Going in blind i didn't know who or what perspectives to expect, & it was just random different people each chapter. So an FYI, without growing frustrated & searching for the book cover😂, it would've completely cleared itself up by chapter 8. All in all, the narrator was a bit bland (again, maybe a translation thing?) but the story was so interesting, i still really enjoyed it.
I'm starting to see a trend in Asian thrillers... I'm not entirely sure if it's the way it's written, or more to do with the translation- but just like in Confessions (by Kanae Minato) this book reminded me of some straight up (fascinating) storytelling. They're both blunt, not highly emotional, & at times pretty miserable.. But i found myself enthralled, i loved it! It feels fresh after so many thrillers that spend so much time leading up to that twist or reveal, at times getting drawn out or repetitive.. Sometimes, even while enjoying those books I'll check in or look ahead just to see how long i have left, whereas this book was over before i knew it! No "fluff." I wasnt bored for a second- & what more can you really ask for?😊
I do want to mention the audio. The beginning was a little confusing, i think it was partly because i went in blind & though there were multiple narrators- there were no titles to the chapters. (Though i think if you read the description that may be a bit clearer.) Going in blind i didn't know who or what perspectives to expect, & it was just random different people each chapter. So an FYI, without growing frustrated & searching for the book cover😂, it would've completely cleared itself up by chapter 8. All in all, the narrator was a bit bland (again, maybe a translation thing?) but the story was so interesting, i still really enjoyed it.
May 17, 2021
3.5 stars. This was eerie and a bit unsettling as promised but didn't think it quite lived up to the hype the blurb made it up to be. Think the book had a lot of promise and I would definitely try more from this author. Not sure if she has written more or if it's her first book. But I'd like to try other ones anyway because I saw a lot of potential in this
September 11, 2023
This started out kinda slow hence why I dnfed it for so long. It was good! Wasn’t really expecting the ending in its full but I’m not super shocked or surprised
October 22, 2019
Yi Byeongdo is a serial killer sitting on death row. He hasn’t said much to anyone about the murders he’s committed and the police are anxious to learn just how many murders there were. Unexpectedly, Yi Byeongdo has asked to be interviewed by a criminal psychologist by the name of Seonkyeong. Seonkyeong has no idea why Yi Byeongdo has singled her out as she does not know him.
Seonkyeong has just been surprised by her husband with the arrival of his eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Hayeong. There has been a fire and Hayeong’s grandparents with whom she was living have died. Seonkyeong is anxious to help Hayeong feel at home but soon starts to feel out of her depth. Seonkyeong starts to see quite a few similarities in the histories of both Yi Byeongdo and Hayeong.
I must say that I was disappointed with this one. I have enjoyed the writing of other Korean authors and apparently Mi-ae Seo is a bestselling thriller author and screenwriter in Korea. I just could not get into this story and found it to be written in quite a lackluster way. There were moments when I thought, OK, here we go, but then nothing much happened. For being a criminal psychologist, Seonkyeong’s thinking and decisions were disconcerting. She should have known better in so many instances and that leant the book a feeling of unreality. There were quite a few unbelievable incidents in the book. While the author did a good job of weaving the separate storylines together, all I could think at the ending of the book was “You have to be kidding”.
Hopefully this book will find an audience that will love it but it’s not one that I can honestly recommend, even though it did have its moments.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Seonkyeong has just been surprised by her husband with the arrival of his eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Hayeong. There has been a fire and Hayeong’s grandparents with whom she was living have died. Seonkyeong is anxious to help Hayeong feel at home but soon starts to feel out of her depth. Seonkyeong starts to see quite a few similarities in the histories of both Yi Byeongdo and Hayeong.
I must say that I was disappointed with this one. I have enjoyed the writing of other Korean authors and apparently Mi-ae Seo is a bestselling thriller author and screenwriter in Korea. I just could not get into this story and found it to be written in quite a lackluster way. There were moments when I thought, OK, here we go, but then nothing much happened. For being a criminal psychologist, Seonkyeong’s thinking and decisions were disconcerting. She should have known better in so many instances and that leant the book a feeling of unreality. There were quite a few unbelievable incidents in the book. While the author did a good job of weaving the separate storylines together, all I could think at the ending of the book was “You have to be kidding”.
Hopefully this book will find an audience that will love it but it’s not one that I can honestly recommend, even though it did have its moments.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
August 9, 2021
Link video review trên youtube https://youtu.be/OZPHi-_KQwg
4.75 / 5
Hay vỡi 👏
4.75 / 5
Hay vỡi 👏
October 29, 2019
For fans of TV’s Mindhunter, Mi-Ae Seo’s novel THE ONLY CHILD feels like true crime but is a tour de force of twisty fiction with a shocking ending you won’t be able to stop thinking about.
A criminal psychologist is sent to plumb the mind of an enigmatic serial killer, while at the same time unearthing the terrifying past of the stepdaughter who has just come to live with her. Family secrets abound in this fine novel of psychological suspense.
A criminal psychologist is sent to plumb the mind of an enigmatic serial killer, while at the same time unearthing the terrifying past of the stepdaughter who has just come to live with her. Family secrets abound in this fine novel of psychological suspense.
January 8, 2020
"내가 비밀 한 가지 말해줄까요?"
"Do you want me to tell you a secret?"
The Only Child has been translated by Jung Yewon from 서 미애 (Mi-ae So)'s Korean language original 잘 자요 엄마.
Seonkyeong (선경) is a criminal psychiatrist, who went on a course at the FBI and was thereafter nicknamed Clarice Starling by her students. And in a case of life imitating art, as the novel opens, an infamous serial killer, Yi Byeongdo (이병도), one she has never met, says he will speak about his crimes, but only to her. And it transpires that she reminds him of someone significant in his past.
Yi Byeongdo's first murder was of his abusive mother:
'“What’s the oldest memory in your head?”
That is the first thing I ask when I meet people. Somehow, it seems that the first memory in someone’s head determines his destiny or personality. And it seems that you can tell what kind of person he is based on the memory.
The oldest memory I’ve ever heard of was from a man who remembered getting a bowl of seaweed soup on his first birthday. It being his first birthday, it had been exactly a year since he was born into the world. I asked him how he remembered that, and he said that as soon as he got the bowl, he threw up in it. That’s why he never forgot. I had a drink from time to time with this man who never had seaweed soup after that, and I think his habit of throwing up formed on that day.
If such a nauseating memory was my first memory, I would want to throw up, too. Still, his is better than mine.
Once in a while, I picture myself doing something. I’m lying in a comfortable chair, and tracing my memory as the hypnotist tells me to. As you go back in time, you remember your childhood days, even your mother’s womb, they say. Some people see their past lives. I don’t want to find out about my past life, of course. I don’t even believe in such things.
What I’d like to know is what my mom looked like when I came out through darkness into the world. I want to know what kind of look she had on her face at that moment.
Why?
I think it’s because my mom told me that she hated me before I was even born. She said she didn’t look at me after I came out.'
And the first question he, turning the tables in a conscious echo of Hannibal Lecter, even quoting his words, asks Seonkyeong, during their interview, is about her first memory.
The Beatles song Maxwell's Silver Hammer, a song his mother hummed while abusing him, plays a key role in triggering his murders:
'Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head. . . '
which again links to an infamous real-life case in Korea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo_You...).
'Music had been a major issue after the Yu Yeongcheol murders as well. Yu Yeongcheol said that he had the theme song of the movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise playing while he was in the bathroom taking care of the bodies of the women he had killed. It was unknown whether the song had inspired him, or he had listened to the music simply because he liked it.'
On the same day as she first meets him, her husband's daughter, Hayeong (하영), from his first marriage, comes to live with them. A deeply disturbed child, Hayeong had been living with her maternal grandparents but the previous night they had died in a fire. Except the investigators suspects that this was murder rather than an accident, and there is one possible but shocking suspect.
The stage is then set for something of a Damian meets Hannibal Lecter situation, with a trace of Psycho thrown in, with Seonkyeong caught in the middle.
This isn’t my usual reading fare so I am not best qualified to benchmark this as a psychological thriller.
But a note on the translation, which has received mixed comments from other reviewers. Content-wise this isn’t a particularly Korean book, the setting and characters are relatively generic, but opinions seem to vary on how naturally it reads in English.
This is the 6th translation by Jung Yewon I have read, having previously completed Vaseline Buddha by Jung Young-moon, One Hundred Shadows by by Hwang Jungeun and from the Dalkey Archive Library of Korean Literature Mannequin by Ch'oe Yun, No One Writes Back by Eun-Jin Jang, and parts of A Most Ambiguous Sunday and Other Stories by Jung Young-moon. She has also translated another Jung Young-moon book, Seven Samurai Swept Away in a River.
She is one of my favourite Korean-English translators and I have previously commented that her work has a style which I find intriguing but difficult to describe: she both renders the books into excellent English but retains a translated/Korean feel to the phrasing. This works particularly well for the authors above since there isn’t really an equivalent voice in English of say Jung Young-moon’s distinctively style.
And I have previously contrasted her with another favourite, Sora Kim-Russell, from whom I have read 10 Korean-English translations. I am an equal fan of her work but compared to Jung her translations tend to be towards the reads-naturally-in-English end of the spectrum, which perhaps makes her more suited to thrillers, such as her translations of The Plotters by Un-su Kim, and The Hole by by Hye-Young Pyun, (although her rendition of Bae Suah’s powerful, unique and highly literary, Nowhere to be Found, was stunning.)
And a translation peeve of mine: book titles being changed unnecessarily. Here the Korean title 잘 자요 엄마 could be rendered literally as Sleep Well, Mum/Mother or (less literally) Good Night, Mother - which indeed are the words that closet the novel. The French version manages Bonne nuit maman (albeit the Spanish Hija única mirrors the English).
Overall 2.5 stars. As a fan of literary fiction and Korean culture this is not a type of novel I would read other than in Korean translation, and it was rather less Korean in setting that I had hoped.
"Do you want me to tell you a secret?"
The Only Child has been translated by Jung Yewon from 서 미애 (Mi-ae So)'s Korean language original 잘 자요 엄마.
Seonkyeong (선경) is a criminal psychiatrist, who went on a course at the FBI and was thereafter nicknamed Clarice Starling by her students. And in a case of life imitating art, as the novel opens, an infamous serial killer, Yi Byeongdo (이병도), one she has never met, says he will speak about his crimes, but only to her. And it transpires that she reminds him of someone significant in his past.
Yi Byeongdo's first murder was of his abusive mother:
'“What’s the oldest memory in your head?”
That is the first thing I ask when I meet people. Somehow, it seems that the first memory in someone’s head determines his destiny or personality. And it seems that you can tell what kind of person he is based on the memory.
The oldest memory I’ve ever heard of was from a man who remembered getting a bowl of seaweed soup on his first birthday. It being his first birthday, it had been exactly a year since he was born into the world. I asked him how he remembered that, and he said that as soon as he got the bowl, he threw up in it. That’s why he never forgot. I had a drink from time to time with this man who never had seaweed soup after that, and I think his habit of throwing up formed on that day.
If such a nauseating memory was my first memory, I would want to throw up, too. Still, his is better than mine.
Once in a while, I picture myself doing something. I’m lying in a comfortable chair, and tracing my memory as the hypnotist tells me to. As you go back in time, you remember your childhood days, even your mother’s womb, they say. Some people see their past lives. I don’t want to find out about my past life, of course. I don’t even believe in such things.
What I’d like to know is what my mom looked like when I came out through darkness into the world. I want to know what kind of look she had on her face at that moment.
Why?
I think it’s because my mom told me that she hated me before I was even born. She said she didn’t look at me after I came out.'
And the first question he, turning the tables in a conscious echo of Hannibal Lecter, even quoting his words, asks Seonkyeong, during their interview, is about her first memory.
The Beatles song Maxwell's Silver Hammer, a song his mother hummed while abusing him, plays a key role in triggering his murders:
'Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head. . . '
which again links to an infamous real-life case in Korea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo_You...).
'Music had been a major issue after the Yu Yeongcheol murders as well. Yu Yeongcheol said that he had the theme song of the movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise playing while he was in the bathroom taking care of the bodies of the women he had killed. It was unknown whether the song had inspired him, or he had listened to the music simply because he liked it.'
On the same day as she first meets him, her husband's daughter, Hayeong (하영), from his first marriage, comes to live with them. A deeply disturbed child, Hayeong had been living with her maternal grandparents but the previous night they had died in a fire. Except the investigators suspects that this was murder rather than an accident, and there is one possible but shocking suspect.
The stage is then set for something of a Damian meets Hannibal Lecter situation, with a trace of Psycho thrown in, with Seonkyeong caught in the middle.
This isn’t my usual reading fare so I am not best qualified to benchmark this as a psychological thriller.
But a note on the translation, which has received mixed comments from other reviewers. Content-wise this isn’t a particularly Korean book, the setting and characters are relatively generic, but opinions seem to vary on how naturally it reads in English.
This is the 6th translation by Jung Yewon I have read, having previously completed Vaseline Buddha by Jung Young-moon, One Hundred Shadows by by Hwang Jungeun and from the Dalkey Archive Library of Korean Literature Mannequin by Ch'oe Yun, No One Writes Back by Eun-Jin Jang, and parts of A Most Ambiguous Sunday and Other Stories by Jung Young-moon. She has also translated another Jung Young-moon book, Seven Samurai Swept Away in a River.
She is one of my favourite Korean-English translators and I have previously commented that her work has a style which I find intriguing but difficult to describe: she both renders the books into excellent English but retains a translated/Korean feel to the phrasing. This works particularly well for the authors above since there isn’t really an equivalent voice in English of say Jung Young-moon’s distinctively style.
And I have previously contrasted her with another favourite, Sora Kim-Russell, from whom I have read 10 Korean-English translations. I am an equal fan of her work but compared to Jung her translations tend to be towards the reads-naturally-in-English end of the spectrum, which perhaps makes her more suited to thrillers, such as her translations of The Plotters by Un-su Kim, and The Hole by by Hye-Young Pyun, (although her rendition of Bae Suah’s powerful, unique and highly literary, Nowhere to be Found, was stunning.)
And a translation peeve of mine: book titles being changed unnecessarily. Here the Korean title 잘 자요 엄마 could be rendered literally as Sleep Well, Mum/Mother or (less literally) Good Night, Mother - which indeed are the words that closet the novel. The French version manages Bonne nuit maman (albeit the Spanish Hija única mirrors the English).
Overall 2.5 stars. As a fan of literary fiction and Korean culture this is not a type of novel I would read other than in Korean translation, and it was rather less Korean in setting that I had hoped.
June 9, 2020
Skaityti trilerius mėgstu lygiai taip pat kaip ir romanus. Visuomet labai smagu pasinerti į šiurpinančias istorijas ir skaitant vis spėlioti, kas iš tiesų nutiko.. O šis trileris vienos korėjiečių autorės, kuri yra tituluojama trilerių karaliene. Smalsumas nugalėjo ir aš pasinėriau į naują istoriją.
I Biongdas kalėjime laukdamas mirties bausmės nusprendžia, jog nori savo istoriją papasakoti vienai iš kriminalinės psichlogijos specialisčių. Ši moteris - vardu Songiongė. Ją be galo nustebina toks vyro prašymas, nes ji tikra, jog jie nėra pažįstami. Vedina darbinio smalsumo Songiongė mielai klausosi žudiko pasakojimo. Moteris vis bando suvokti.. Serijiniu žudiku yra tampama ar gimstama?
Netikėtai Songiongės gyvenimas pasikeičia 360 laipsnių kampu. Į jos namus atsikrausto gyventi jos vyro dukra iš pirmos santuokos. Mergaitė gaisro metu neteko senelių, o motina jau seniai mirusi.. Kuo toliau, tuo labiau Songiongę kankina negera nuojauta. Ima atrodyti, jog ji ir I Biondas turi šį tą bendro..
Šis trileris buvo kiek kitoks, nei manao iki šiol skaityti trileriai. Bet tikrai ne ką prastesnis. Jame veiksmo tikrai nerasite daug, čia viskas vyksta lėtai.. Bet užtikrintai. Kūrinyje galima labai lengvai pajausti tvyrančią įtampą. Net nepajauti kaip įsitempi ir pats, nes nenutuoki ko galima tikėtis..
Šiame kūrinyje autorė daugiau į viską žvelgia iš psichologinės pusės. Ji gilinasi į tai, kas lemia, jog tampama tokiu žmogumi.. Ar tokiu jau yra gimstama? O gal tam turi įtakos aplinka? Noras jaustis mylimam? To pačio svarbiausio žmogaus gyvenime.. Mamos.
Jeigu mėgstate ramesnius labiau pasikapstančius giliau trilerius čiupkite ir šį. Tikiu, jog kaip ir aš liksite maloniai nustebinti.
I Biongdas kalėjime laukdamas mirties bausmės nusprendžia, jog nori savo istoriją papasakoti vienai iš kriminalinės psichlogijos specialisčių. Ši moteris - vardu Songiongė. Ją be galo nustebina toks vyro prašymas, nes ji tikra, jog jie nėra pažįstami. Vedina darbinio smalsumo Songiongė mielai klausosi žudiko pasakojimo. Moteris vis bando suvokti.. Serijiniu žudiku yra tampama ar gimstama?
Netikėtai Songiongės gyvenimas pasikeičia 360 laipsnių kampu. Į jos namus atsikrausto gyventi jos vyro dukra iš pirmos santuokos. Mergaitė gaisro metu neteko senelių, o motina jau seniai mirusi.. Kuo toliau, tuo labiau Songiongę kankina negera nuojauta. Ima atrodyti, jog ji ir I Biondas turi šį tą bendro..
Šis trileris buvo kiek kitoks, nei manao iki šiol skaityti trileriai. Bet tikrai ne ką prastesnis. Jame veiksmo tikrai nerasite daug, čia viskas vyksta lėtai.. Bet užtikrintai. Kūrinyje galima labai lengvai pajausti tvyrančią įtampą. Net nepajauti kaip įsitempi ir pats, nes nenutuoki ko galima tikėtis..
Šiame kūrinyje autorė daugiau į viską žvelgia iš psichologinės pusės. Ji gilinasi į tai, kas lemia, jog tampama tokiu žmogumi.. Ar tokiu jau yra gimstama? O gal tam turi įtakos aplinka? Noras jaustis mylimam? To pačio svarbiausio žmogaus gyvenime.. Mamos.
Jeigu mėgstate ramesnius labiau pasikapstančius giliau trilerius čiupkite ir šį. Tikiu, jog kaip ir aš liksite maloniai nustebinti.
May 5, 2020
This is a slowburn suspense novel, with low grade creep factor, that doesn’t feel written for shock value but rather is an exploration of nature vs nurture. Seonkyeong is a recently married young criminal psychologist who finds her work and home life upended in different ways: an imprisoned serial killer suddenly decides he wants to talk, but only to Seonkyeong–this is why the book has comps to Silence Of The Lambs, which is the only similarity since tone and violence are all very different from each other. As she starts meeting with the serial killer, her home life suddenly changes when her husband’s young daughter, who she didn’t know of, has to come live with them. It seems that after the young girl’s mother died, and her grandparents took her in, her grandparents also died…
Readers follow as Seonkyeong tries to understand why the serial killer chose her, why her husband never mentioned a child, and questionable behavior from her stepdaughter. This is a great pick for fans of Kanae Minato and I really wish more crime novels would be translated. I love seeing the difference in society, investigation methods, laws, and even just the difference in what may be considered shocking or dark. (TW suicide mention/ child abuse/ animal cruelty)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
____________________
(9/2019)
At the center of a venn diagram with Natsuo Kirino, Kanae Minato, Silence of the Lambs, and The Bad Child is Mi-ae Seo’s upcoming novel The Only Child! I read it in two sittings and it made me angry that more crime novels aren’t translated. It asks the question of nurture vs nature when a dark criminal mind meets a kind, optimistic, criminal psychologist. (TW child abuse/ animal cruelty/ past suicide)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
Readers follow as Seonkyeong tries to understand why the serial killer chose her, why her husband never mentioned a child, and questionable behavior from her stepdaughter. This is a great pick for fans of Kanae Minato and I really wish more crime novels would be translated. I love seeing the difference in society, investigation methods, laws, and even just the difference in what may be considered shocking or dark. (TW suicide mention/ child abuse/ animal cruelty)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
____________________
(9/2019)
At the center of a venn diagram with Natsuo Kirino, Kanae Minato, Silence of the Lambs, and The Bad Child is Mi-ae Seo’s upcoming novel The Only Child! I read it in two sittings and it made me angry that more crime novels aren’t translated. It asks the question of nurture vs nature when a dark criminal mind meets a kind, optimistic, criminal psychologist. (TW child abuse/ animal cruelty/ past suicide)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
February 13, 2020
2.5 stars!
GUYS, I’m honestly so sad that I didn’t enjoy this book. I’d seen a ton of mixed reviews before going into it (which usually makes me more excited going into a book) but it really just didn’t work for me! THE ONLY CHILD follows a criminal psychologist who discovers a shocking and possibly dangerous connection between a serial killer and her husbands daughter.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
– I did really enjoy the fact the book dealt with a serial killer. That was something that was really interesting reading about but the author did not go into enough depth for me personally and I felt some things were left unanswered.
– I still can’t decide whether I liked the fact it had a slight Silence of The Lambs vibe?!
– Despite the fact I didn’t love this, I did find it quick to read and would definitely recommend trying to binge read it in 1/2 sittings if you’re gonna read it!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
– I honestly really struggled with the translation. It’s not something I usually notice, but this one I felt like something was missing in the translation. I also felt that some sentences/paragraphs were WAY too overly worded and could easily be condensed.
– I thought overall it was very predictable. I can’t remember there being anything twist wise that I found surprising and for me the ending just didn’t do it for me.
– I also struggled with the fact this one is classified as a ‘thriller’ or even a ‘mystery’ because it definitely didn’t feel like one for me. It felt more domestic. I honestly wouldn’t know how to classify it
– I never felt invested in the story or any of the characters really
Overall, I personally wouldn’t go out my way to recommend this one to you guys. It just didn’t hit the mark for me; however, that doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyed by you! So if you are planning on reading this one, I hope you find it more enjoyable than me!
Huge thank you to One World Publications for sending me a gifted copy of The Only Child in exchange for an honest review.
GUYS, I’m honestly so sad that I didn’t enjoy this book. I’d seen a ton of mixed reviews before going into it (which usually makes me more excited going into a book) but it really just didn’t work for me! THE ONLY CHILD follows a criminal psychologist who discovers a shocking and possibly dangerous connection between a serial killer and her husbands daughter.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
– I did really enjoy the fact the book dealt with a serial killer. That was something that was really interesting reading about but the author did not go into enough depth for me personally and I felt some things were left unanswered.
– I still can’t decide whether I liked the fact it had a slight Silence of The Lambs vibe?!
– Despite the fact I didn’t love this, I did find it quick to read and would definitely recommend trying to binge read it in 1/2 sittings if you’re gonna read it!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
– I honestly really struggled with the translation. It’s not something I usually notice, but this one I felt like something was missing in the translation. I also felt that some sentences/paragraphs were WAY too overly worded and could easily be condensed.
– I thought overall it was very predictable. I can’t remember there being anything twist wise that I found surprising and for me the ending just didn’t do it for me.
– I also struggled with the fact this one is classified as a ‘thriller’ or even a ‘mystery’ because it definitely didn’t feel like one for me. It felt more domestic. I honestly wouldn’t know how to classify it
– I never felt invested in the story or any of the characters really
Overall, I personally wouldn’t go out my way to recommend this one to you guys. It just didn’t hit the mark for me; however, that doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyed by you! So if you are planning on reading this one, I hope you find it more enjoyable than me!
Huge thank you to One World Publications for sending me a gifted copy of The Only Child in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2020
This creeped me out so much! Finally a five-star read this year.
August 24, 2020
Mijn eerste kennismaking met deze auteur...en wow!
Spanning van de eerste tot de laatste bladzijde, met een heel verrassend einde.
Spanning van de eerste tot de laatste bladzijde, met een heel verrassend einde.
March 10, 2020
Seonkyeong, a criminal psychologist, has received an unexpected phone call. It seems serial killer, Yi Byeongdo, known for a series of gruesome murders that shocked the world, would like to be interviewed. He feels that the time has finally come for him to share his story and the only person he is willing to tell is Seonkyeong. Out of curiosity she agrees to meet.
On that same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door. Her grandparents have passed away after dying in a house fire that Hayeong narrowly escaped. As Seonkyeong works to make Hayeong feel at home she starts to discover that the young girl is prone to strange behavior. Seonkyeong starts to see worrisome similarities between the serial killer and her stepdaughter, but is it all in her imagination?
The minute I read the premise for THE ONLY CHILD I knew that I wanted this book in my reading lineup. I absolutely love stories that focus on criminal psychologists, serial killers, and children, so when they’ve all been mixed together it sounds like the perfect combination. As publication day got closer and closer I started to see a series of mixed reviews for this book, which made me hesitate to pick it up. Most of the reviews pointed to the pace of the story and lack of action as a source of their dislike, so I opted to consume this book via audio in an attempt to mitigate that issue. The result? I absolutely loved this story!
The book opens with the introduction to two events, Seonkyeong meeting with serial killer, Yi Byeongdo, and Hayeong losing her grandparents. At first I had no idea where the author was planning to connect these two timelines together, but after about 100 or so pages I started to find my groove between the two and their merger. Once the storylines joined into one, with Seonkyeong walking the reader through her daily life they started to make more sense. I think unfortunately that this delay in connection will scare off a few readers, but I do think pushing through in this book is worth it.
The pacing, which I mentioned earlier, is certainly slower than most books being published in the crime fiction genre these days. I think it’s important to point out that this is a translated work by a Korean author. Two years ago I read THE GOOD SON by You-Jeong Jeong and noticed that this book was much slower in pace and much like THE ONLY CHILD, instead of thrills, the author wrote more in the style of a character study.
If you’re curious about THE ONLY CHILD, but want to use some caution on if you’ll love this one, I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. Greta Jung truly brings the characters and story to life through her narration. I also highly recommend starting this book with the mindset that this is not a thriller and a suspenseful character study.
A huge thank you to Ecco Books for sending me a free copy of this book!
On that same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door. Her grandparents have passed away after dying in a house fire that Hayeong narrowly escaped. As Seonkyeong works to make Hayeong feel at home she starts to discover that the young girl is prone to strange behavior. Seonkyeong starts to see worrisome similarities between the serial killer and her stepdaughter, but is it all in her imagination?
The minute I read the premise for THE ONLY CHILD I knew that I wanted this book in my reading lineup. I absolutely love stories that focus on criminal psychologists, serial killers, and children, so when they’ve all been mixed together it sounds like the perfect combination. As publication day got closer and closer I started to see a series of mixed reviews for this book, which made me hesitate to pick it up. Most of the reviews pointed to the pace of the story and lack of action as a source of their dislike, so I opted to consume this book via audio in an attempt to mitigate that issue. The result? I absolutely loved this story!
The book opens with the introduction to two events, Seonkyeong meeting with serial killer, Yi Byeongdo, and Hayeong losing her grandparents. At first I had no idea where the author was planning to connect these two timelines together, but after about 100 or so pages I started to find my groove between the two and their merger. Once the storylines joined into one, with Seonkyeong walking the reader through her daily life they started to make more sense. I think unfortunately that this delay in connection will scare off a few readers, but I do think pushing through in this book is worth it.
The pacing, which I mentioned earlier, is certainly slower than most books being published in the crime fiction genre these days. I think it’s important to point out that this is a translated work by a Korean author. Two years ago I read THE GOOD SON by You-Jeong Jeong and noticed that this book was much slower in pace and much like THE ONLY CHILD, instead of thrills, the author wrote more in the style of a character study.
If you’re curious about THE ONLY CHILD, but want to use some caution on if you’ll love this one, I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. Greta Jung truly brings the characters and story to life through her narration. I also highly recommend starting this book with the mindset that this is not a thriller and a suspenseful character study.
A huge thank you to Ecco Books for sending me a free copy of this book!
January 29, 2020
Oh boy! This was not a good book...
Firstly, the writing wasn't very good. I don't know if that's because it wasn't written well or because this is a Korean translation and the translation was poor
Secondly, its essentially just a Korean version of silence of the lambs. It even referred to silence of the lambs on mutiple occasions. I didn't really see the point in it
I saw the ending coming too. I was expecting some big twist but it was very obvious where the book was going.
There was also some major loopholes and things towards the end which didn't really make sense and weren't discussed later on. Some things just didn't add up...
Although it was nice to follow a forensic psychologist, none of the characters were particularly interested nor did I really care for them at all really
Thankfully it was relatively short. There were parts when I was really bored and couldn't care less.
Overall, this was a very disappointing read
TW: Animal cruelty, murder and suicide
Firstly, the writing wasn't very good. I don't know if that's because it wasn't written well or because this is a Korean translation and the translation was poor
Secondly, its essentially just a Korean version of silence of the lambs. It even referred to silence of the lambs on mutiple occasions. I didn't really see the point in it
I saw the ending coming too. I was expecting some big twist but it was very obvious where the book was going.
There was also some major loopholes and things towards the end which didn't really make sense and weren't discussed later on. Some things just didn't add up...
Although it was nice to follow a forensic psychologist, none of the characters were particularly interested nor did I really care for them at all really
Thankfully it was relatively short. There were parts when I was really bored and couldn't care less.
Overall, this was a very disappointing read
TW: Animal cruelty, murder and suicide
June 17, 2020
The Only Child by Mi-Ae So is a tragic psychological thriller that follows Yi Seonkyeong, a criminal psychologist whose life became complicated when she was tasked to interview a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world. On the same day, Seonkyeong’s husband came home with his daughter from a previous marriage after her grandparents have died under questionable circumstances.
I liked the premise and I especially liked the central question that was posed about serial killers: what make serial killers who they are? It tapped into the whole nature vs nurture stuff. The book started with a pulse beating, almost poetic suspense that made me feel like this is going to be a good read but unfortunately I started to lose interest at 30% of the book because of several issues (repetitive, plot holes, characterisation).
The novel could have been good but the storytelling (or translation?) felt disjointed which made it very heavy going. What makes the reading felt even more like a chore was the fact that the characters had no personality and depth. I also get that the author tried to connect the key behaviours and traits of the serial killer to the stepdaughter but I honestly think that it was unnecessary and the story of the serial killer definitely went nowhere.
The plot twist, while not shocking, was still surprising enough. It was tragic and devastating which made me close the book with a heavy heart. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast-paced domestic thriller read and a read on psychological effects of childhood trauma. Thank you Times Reads for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available at all good bookstores around you. Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
I liked the premise and I especially liked the central question that was posed about serial killers: what make serial killers who they are? It tapped into the whole nature vs nurture stuff. The book started with a pulse beating, almost poetic suspense that made me feel like this is going to be a good read but unfortunately I started to lose interest at 30% of the book because of several issues (repetitive, plot holes, characterisation).
The novel could have been good but the storytelling (or translation?) felt disjointed which made it very heavy going. What makes the reading felt even more like a chore was the fact that the characters had no personality and depth. I also get that the author tried to connect the key behaviours and traits of the serial killer to the stepdaughter but I honestly think that it was unnecessary and the story of the serial killer definitely went nowhere.
The plot twist, while not shocking, was still surprising enough. It was tragic and devastating which made me close the book with a heavy heart. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast-paced domestic thriller read and a read on psychological effects of childhood trauma. Thank you Times Reads for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available at all good bookstores around you. Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
September 28, 2020
Ja... Was soll ich sagen... Es zog sich... Es war seltsam und am Ende stand ich mit offenem Mund da...
July 11, 2020
3.5
"El primer recuerdo que tengo desde mi nacimiento es aquel pataleo por el dolor agudo que sentía, debajo de la almohada con la que... me aplastaba"
"Si no hubiera sido por esa canción, si no hubiera escuchado esa canción, estaría todavía en esa casa podando manzanos..."
¿Un asesino nace o se hace?
Es la primera pregunta que nos expone este libro, excelente enunciado y que a pesar de abordarlo en el sentido correcto me faltó más, más profundidad, quizás.
Resulta que tiene una trama muy interesante que realmente me gustó mucho, el problema surge con los personajes, no me convencieron y me pareció que estaban en contextos muy superficiales, a excepción de los dos más impactantes y en los cuales se centra en gran parte la historia, la niña y el asesino encarcelado.
Por otra parte, maneja muy bien la tensión, ya que a pesar de ser extremadamente predecible, genera mucho suspenso durante la historia, desarrollándose una atmósfera muy inquietante, sobre todo, alrededor de uno de los personajes principales, quien es frio, distante, fascinante y escalofriante.
Es un thriller bueno, sin duda, atrapa y genera muchos sentimientos en su lectura, pero a mi parecer se pudieron abordar mucho más los temas en torno a la trama y sobre todo el de los primeros recuerdos o aquellos que nuestro cerebro bloquea.
Esto no quiere decir que no lo recomiende, al contrario, es un buen libro, con un tema inquietante y que siempre está en la palestra, aborda un problema psicológico latente y que durante todo el libro nos mantiene expectantes, se genera gran suspenso en las escenas, lo que permite sumergirse en la lectura con unos temas fuertes y envolventes que nos harán estremecer en especial en la segunda parte del libro.
Es una historia que va de menos a más y eso es muy favorable, ya que aumenta la intriga/curiosidad por lo que sucederá en cada momento, ya que, como mencioné, a pesar de ser muy predecible, está muy bien desarrollado y trabajado el suspenso, lo que sorprende y hace que la lectura se disfrute enormemente.
"El primer recuerdo que tengo desde mi nacimiento es aquel pataleo por el dolor agudo que sentía, debajo de la almohada con la que... me aplastaba"
"Si no hubiera sido por esa canción, si no hubiera escuchado esa canción, estaría todavía en esa casa podando manzanos..."
¿Un asesino nace o se hace?
Es la primera pregunta que nos expone este libro, excelente enunciado y que a pesar de abordarlo en el sentido correcto me faltó más, más profundidad, quizás.
Resulta que tiene una trama muy interesante que realmente me gustó mucho, el problema surge con los personajes, no me convencieron y me pareció que estaban en contextos muy superficiales, a excepción de los dos más impactantes y en los cuales se centra en gran parte la historia, la niña y el asesino encarcelado.
Por otra parte, maneja muy bien la tensión, ya que a pesar de ser extremadamente predecible, genera mucho suspenso durante la historia, desarrollándose una atmósfera muy inquietante, sobre todo, alrededor de uno de los personajes principales, quien es frio, distante, fascinante y escalofriante.
Es un thriller bueno, sin duda, atrapa y genera muchos sentimientos en su lectura, pero a mi parecer se pudieron abordar mucho más los temas en torno a la trama y sobre todo el de los primeros recuerdos o aquellos que nuestro cerebro bloquea.
Esto no quiere decir que no lo recomiende, al contrario, es un buen libro, con un tema inquietante y que siempre está en la palestra, aborda un problema psicológico latente y que durante todo el libro nos mantiene expectantes, se genera gran suspenso en las escenas, lo que permite sumergirse en la lectura con unos temas fuertes y envolventes que nos harán estremecer en especial en la segunda parte del libro.
Es una historia que va de menos a más y eso es muy favorable, ya que aumenta la intriga/curiosidad por lo que sucederá en cada momento, ya que, como mencioné, a pesar de ser muy predecible, está muy bien desarrollado y trabajado el suspenso, lo que sorprende y hace que la lectura se disfrute enormemente.
November 1, 2021
Bonne nuit maman (The Only Child in English) reminded me of Criminals Minds so much. Like the TV show, we follow a criminal psychologist, here a young woman named Lee Seon-gyeong (Seonkyeong in the English translation), as well as the criminal. Lee Byeong-do (Yi Byeongdo) is a notorious serial killer and through the chapters written from his point of view, we get to see why he killed so many women.
The pacing was fast, which I guess is because the book is short. Once I picked up the book, I couldn’t stop reading, each chapter makes the reader want to read more and ultimately, makes it want to know how the book is going to end. I did see some plot points coming, but I didn’t except the revelation that took place in the last two pages of the book.
In France, the book is marketed as the “Korean Silence of the Lamb”, I didn’t read the book nor saw the movie, I wouldn’t be able to say if it’s true or not. However, it is reference that Seon-gyeong is like Claire Starling and is nicknamed that way by her students.
The pacing was fast, which I guess is because the book is short. Once I picked up the book, I couldn’t stop reading, each chapter makes the reader want to read more and ultimately, makes it want to know how the book is going to end. I did see some plot points coming, but I didn’t except the revelation that took place in the last two pages of the book.
In France, the book is marketed as the “Korean Silence of the Lamb”, I didn’t read the book nor saw the movie, I wouldn’t be able to say if it’s true or not. However, it is reference that Seon-gyeong is like Claire Starling and is nicknamed that way by her students.
February 25, 2022
3,5 Sterne- Die Geschichte hatte zwar eine Sogwirkung auf mich und war spannend zu lesen, andererseits war sie aber auch ziemlich vorhersehbar. Das Ende hat mir besonders gut gefallen und war für mich sehr passend. Die Spekulationen, wie ein Mensch zu einem Psychopathen wird oder so geboren wird, fand ich nicht umbedingt neu aber trotzdem interessant. Vor allem der Aspekt, dass man einen Psychopathen nicht mittels einer Verhaltensankreuzkarte ermitteln kann, sondern dass das Ganze sehr vielschichtig ist, jeder Mensch individuell ist und nicht gleich, bloß weil er früher gern mit Feuer gespielt hat, ins Bett genässt hat und Fliegen gefangen hat, der geborene Psychopath ist.
February 13, 2021
เล่นกับอารมณ์คนอ่านโดยตลอด
มีช่วงที่ทำให้ลุ้นได้เรื่อยๆ
อ่านไปก็ได้แต่ลุ้นไปว่า
นางเอกของเรื่องจะถูกใครสักคนฆ่า ในสักฉากของเรื่อง
ปล. ตินิดเดียว ทั้งที่นางเอกเป็นผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านอาชญาวิทยา
แต่ทำตัวสุ่มเสี่ยงมาก มองโลกในแง่ดีมากกกก
ถ้าเป็นคนธรรมดาจะไม่อะไรเลย แต่นี่เป็นผู้ที่เรียนมาทางนี้โดยตรงไง
นอกจากนี้ นางยังไม่รู้วิธีเข้าหาเด็กบ้านแตกขั้นพื้นฐานด้วย
เอาตุ๊กตาตัวเดียวที่เด็กเหลืออยู่ไปซักได้ยังไง
อย่างที่บอก ถ้าเป็นคนธรรมดาจะไม่อะไรเลย
มีช่วงที่ทำให้ลุ้นได้เรื่อยๆ
อ่านไปก็ได้แต่ลุ้นไปว่า
นางเอกของเรื่องจะถูกใครสักคนฆ่า ในสักฉากของเรื่อง
ปล. ตินิดเดียว ทั้งที่นางเอกเป็นผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านอาชญาวิทยา
แต่ทำตัวสุ่มเสี่ยงมาก มองโลกในแง่ดีมากกกก
ถ้าเป็นคนธรรมดาจะไม่อะไรเลย แต่นี่เป็นผู้ที่เรียนมาทางนี้โดยตรงไง
นอกจากนี้ นางยังไม่รู้วิธีเข้าหาเด็กบ้านแตกขั้นพื้นฐานด้วย
เอาตุ๊กตาตัวเดียวที่เด็กเหลืออยู่ไปซักได้ยังไง
อย่างที่บอก ถ้าเป็นคนธรรมดาจะไม่อะไรเลย
March 25, 2021
RECOMENDADO.
A pesar de que ha sido un choque de culturas en cuanto a la demostración o expresión de afectos y/o sentimientos, la trama me ha parecido muy buena.
No tiene una acción trepidante, pero me ha mantenido pegada al libro, y si ya de paso lo comentas con amigas, mejor que mejor.
"Dijo que las heridas convierten a las personas en monstruos"
A pesar de que ha sido un choque de culturas en cuanto a la demostración o expresión de afectos y/o sentimientos, la trama me ha parecido muy buena.
No tiene una acción trepidante, pero me ha mantenido pegada al libro, y si ya de paso lo comentas con amigas, mejor que mejor.
"Dijo que las heridas convierten a las personas en monstruos"
April 19, 2021
Motif kẻ sát nhân và nhà tâm lý học tội phạm gặp nhau đã rất quen thuộc, và có lẽ nổi tiếng nhất qua Sự im lặng của bầy cừu. Vì vậy mà đọc tình tiết khởi đầu đó trong cuốn sách này mình cũng chỉ so sánh đến cuốn kia, mà chính tác giả cũng đề cập nhiều đến cuốn kia trong truyện. Làm sao mà mình không khỏi so sánh với Sự im lặng của bầy cừu?
Nhà tâm lý học tội phạm Sun Kyung được chính tên giết người hàng loạt yêu cầu đòi gặp mặt. Lẽ dĩ nhiên sẽ có những nghi vấn như là tại sao hắn biết Sun Kyung, và hắn sẽ tiết lộ thêm những gì. Rất tiếc là những giải đáp cho các thắc mắc đó rất thất vọng. Hoá ra chỉ vì thế mà kẻ giết người Lee mới muốn gặp Sun Kying? Và những gì hắn và Sun Kyung nói thì không cần phải đến một nhà tâm lý học mới có thể phân tích được. Hắn cũng không giúp cảnh sát điều tra thêm được gì qua những lần gặp mặt đó.
Điểm lớn nhất mà khiến câu chuyện sụp đổ chính là nhân vật Sun Kyung, người tự xưng là nhà tâm lý học tội phạm từng trải qua một khoá huấn luyện ngắn ngày của FBI. Nghe có vẻ siêu đẳng nhưng Sun Kyung cũng nói rõ là khoá học đó chỉ như một cách để quảng bá cho khoa Tâm lý học hành vi của FBI thôi. Đấy cũng chỉ một phần. Phần quan trọng nhất là Sun Kyung không giỏi như cô nghĩ. Mình không hiểu sao một nhà tâm lý học tội phạm có bằng cấp hẳn hoi như thế mà thể hiện ra khả năng phân tích tâm lý kém cỏi như vậy. Thậm chí Sun Kyung còn không nhận ra những điểm đáng báo động ở cách cư xử của con gái riêng của chồng là Ha Young. Nếu có nhận ra thì cũng chỉ hơi hoảng lên một chút rồi lại bỏ qua ngay. Đến cả những cuộc gặp mặt với Lee cô cũng không gợi ra được thêm thông tin nào có ích để hỗ trợ cảnh sát mà chỉ càng làm chính tên tù nhân và các nhân viên trại giam thêm lo lắng. Mà cô cũng dễ dàng bỏ cuộc nữa.
Cuộc hôn nhân của cô với chồng cũng rất hời hợt. Mình chẳng thể nào cảm nhận nổi một tình cảm nào giữa hai người. Lúc nào cũng thấy cáu bẳn nhau và hờ hững. Không có sự tương tác cảm xúc, không có một lời nói âu yếm hay hành động chứng minh hai người là vợ chồng.
Công nhận đoạn kết có 1 twist nhỏ rất sốc nhưng vì truyện kết thúc rồi nên twist đó cũng mất cả tầm quan trọng của nó.
Mình biết tác giả muốn kể chuyện về tên sát nhân Lee và chuyện về cô bé con để so sánh về hai con người từ đó rút ra kết luận là kẻ sát nhân được hình thành như thế nào. Tuy vậy thì cách xử lý truyện quá đơn điệu, tẻ nhạt. Nhân vật chính Sun Kyung không thể hiện ra được khả năng profiling của mình, bất lực với chuyện gia đình, tất cả đã nói lên truyện không đạt được hiệu ứng mà tác giả mong muốn ở mình.
Nhà tâm lý học tội phạm Sun Kyung được chính tên giết người hàng loạt yêu cầu đòi gặp mặt. Lẽ dĩ nhiên sẽ có những nghi vấn như là tại sao hắn biết Sun Kyung, và hắn sẽ tiết lộ thêm những gì. Rất tiếc là những giải đáp cho các thắc mắc đó rất thất vọng. Hoá ra chỉ vì thế mà kẻ giết người Lee mới muốn gặp Sun Kying? Và những gì hắn và Sun Kyung nói thì không cần phải đến một nhà tâm lý học mới có thể phân tích được. Hắn cũng không giúp cảnh sát điều tra thêm được gì qua những lần gặp mặt đó.
Điểm lớn nhất mà khiến câu chuyện sụp đổ chính là nhân vật Sun Kyung, người tự xưng là nhà tâm lý học tội phạm từng trải qua một khoá huấn luyện ngắn ngày của FBI. Nghe có vẻ siêu đẳng nhưng Sun Kyung cũng nói rõ là khoá học đó chỉ như một cách để quảng bá cho khoa Tâm lý học hành vi của FBI thôi. Đấy cũng chỉ một phần. Phần quan trọng nhất là Sun Kyung không giỏi như cô nghĩ. Mình không hiểu sao một nhà tâm lý học tội phạm có bằng cấp hẳn hoi như thế mà thể hiện ra khả năng phân tích tâm lý kém cỏi như vậy. Thậm chí Sun Kyung còn không nhận ra những điểm đáng báo động ở cách cư xử của con gái riêng của chồng là Ha Young. Nếu có nhận ra thì cũng chỉ hơi hoảng lên một chút rồi lại bỏ qua ngay. Đến cả những cuộc gặp mặt với Lee cô cũng không gợi ra được thêm thông tin nào có ích để hỗ trợ cảnh sát mà chỉ càng làm chính tên tù nhân và các nhân viên trại giam thêm lo lắng. Mà cô cũng dễ dàng bỏ cuộc nữa.
Cuộc hôn nhân của cô với chồng cũng rất hời hợt. Mình chẳng thể nào cảm nhận nổi một tình cảm nào giữa hai người. Lúc nào cũng thấy cáu bẳn nhau và hờ hững. Không có sự tương tác cảm xúc, không có một lời nói âu yếm hay hành động chứng minh hai người là vợ chồng.
Công nhận đoạn kết có 1 twist nhỏ rất sốc nhưng vì truyện kết thúc rồi nên twist đó cũng mất cả tầm quan trọng của nó.
Mình biết tác giả muốn kể chuyện về tên sát nhân Lee và chuyện về cô bé con để so sánh về hai con người từ đó rút ra kết luận là kẻ sát nhân được hình thành như thế nào. Tuy vậy thì cách xử lý truyện quá đơn điệu, tẻ nhạt. Nhân vật chính Sun Kyung không thể hiện ra được khả năng profiling của mình, bất lực với chuyện gia đình, tất cả đã nói lên truyện không đạt được hiệu ứng mà tác giả mong muốn ở mình.
June 11, 2020
Man šis psichologinis trileris patiko. Kas nori daug veiksmo, kur „šaudo“ ir „gaudo“, čia tikrai to nerasite. Tai kūrinys, kuris siekia įsibrauti į serijinių žudikų mintis, pažinti juos ir suvokti kaip jie mąsto, kaip susiformavo jų asmenybės. Tikrai matosi, kad rašytoja įdėjo daug darbo siekdama sukurti, kuo įtikimesnius žudikų portretus. Ir yra nemažai pasidomėjusi apie serijinius žudikus, nes šioje knygoje išgirsite nemažai pavardžių, tiek globaliai žinomų žudikų, tiek gerai žinomų Pietų Korėjoje. Nebus minimi tokie grandai kaip Tedas Bandis, tačiau net pabaigus knygą tikrai turėjau ką „pagooglinti“ ir pasiskaitinėti. Ir nors kartais atrodė, kad siužetas yra šiek tiek nuspėjamas, tačiau net ir tai nepagadino reikalo :)
February 17, 2020
If you think kids are little monsters in cherubim form, this is the book that might speak to you. The premise is simple. A criminal psychologist, Seonkyeong, is minding her own business when suddenly two events collide with her life: a convicted serial killer demands to speak with her, and her husband’s daughter from a previous marriage comes to live under her roof. Both individuals seem sinister but what harm can they do to Seonkyeong, really? One is behind bars, and the other is a traumatised eleven-year-old child who just escaped from a fire and lost her grandparents. Yi Byeongdo has killed dozens of women, but there is a mystery surrounding his motivations. He would not speak to anyone except Seonkyeong, which in itself is an unnerving mystery because the latter does not know him. How does Yi Byeongdo know her and what does he want to do with her? Hayeong is the petulant child who is possessive of her dirty teddy bear. She cannot tolerate Seonkyeong no matter how she tries to help her settle into her new home. There is one thing that the serial killer and the child have in common – they both had abusive mothers.
Domestic violence and violence towards animals (especially cats!) feature quite prominently in quite grisly detail in the book. There is drowning, stabbing, hitting, throwing. So, if you cannot bear to read scenes of such violence, brace yourself, or give this a miss. The language is choppy and flat in certain places. I am not sure if this is because of poor translation or it does read like this in original Korean. This is negligible, however, as I found myself swept into the plot quite quickly after the first draggy chapter. The point of view switches from 3rd person to 1st person, so for a while, I was guessing who the “I” was.
There is quite a bit of wondering to do as the first half of the book narrates the challenges Seonkyeong goes through with these two new people in her life, and the reader wonders how these separate incidents would tie together. It is only at the very end the connection is made clear, but disappointingly, it is rather weak, in my opinion. Perhaps I had high expectations! However, notwithstanding the weak link between Hayeong and Yi Byeongdo, the story does end neatly.
It would be a bit misleading to call this a thriller – it didn’t give me the thrill or excitement that other thrillers did. It is a page turner because it’s easy to breeze through, but not because it keeps you on tenterhooks wondering what’s going to happen next. If one is looking for a thriller to read, this would not be among the top of my recommendations. However, if you are looking for a quick read featuring domestic violence and creepy evil children, then OK.
Many thanks to Times Reads for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Domestic violence and violence towards animals (especially cats!) feature quite prominently in quite grisly detail in the book. There is drowning, stabbing, hitting, throwing. So, if you cannot bear to read scenes of such violence, brace yourself, or give this a miss. The language is choppy and flat in certain places. I am not sure if this is because of poor translation or it does read like this in original Korean. This is negligible, however, as I found myself swept into the plot quite quickly after the first draggy chapter. The point of view switches from 3rd person to 1st person, so for a while, I was guessing who the “I” was.
There is quite a bit of wondering to do as the first half of the book narrates the challenges Seonkyeong goes through with these two new people in her life, and the reader wonders how these separate incidents would tie together. It is only at the very end the connection is made clear, but disappointingly, it is rather weak, in my opinion. Perhaps I had high expectations! However, notwithstanding the weak link between Hayeong and Yi Byeongdo, the story does end neatly.
It would be a bit misleading to call this a thriller – it didn’t give me the thrill or excitement that other thrillers did. It is a page turner because it’s easy to breeze through, but not because it keeps you on tenterhooks wondering what’s going to happen next. If one is looking for a thriller to read, this would not be among the top of my recommendations. However, if you are looking for a quick read featuring domestic violence and creepy evil children, then OK.
Many thanks to Times Reads for this book in exchange for an honest review.
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