I received this as a Goodreads giveaway. I hate giving bad reviews, but I really did not like this book. There isn't a plot, per se. The whole story is written in exposition, even the dialogue, with so many ideas/opinions being expounded on that it becomes impossible to determine what the book is actually supposed to be about. Luck (good and bad), Bali, cats, love (or lust), ethics, and more, are some of the themes. There was little to no character development and by the end, I didn't even care what happened to anyone. I read a lot of books by foreign authors and I cut translated books a lot of slack, but even with that extra leniency, this book had few redeeming characteristics. Maybe it's a translation thing, but I think it's probably that the storytelling didn't work for me and the translation couldn't salvage it.

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Although I liked Mahir's journey, something about the writing style was a little off, or clunky-- maybe it is the translation? His story, of facing the past and starting again, is universal. Unfortunately, when I was reading these heartbreaking things he was going through, I didn't really feel them. I didn't get teary or anything-- I stayed a bit removed, instead of being pulled into the emotions of the story.

Peter's story didn't resonate at all-- he caused his own problems. The only one I felt sad for there was the cat.

I think that maybe if I was able to read this in the original language I would rate it higher.