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A review by chelsealouise
Penance by Kanae Minato
5.0
5/5 Stars: 'Penance' is an Adult-based, Asian Thriller-Mystery by Kanae Minato and translated by Philip Gabriel.
Four women - Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko - are haunted by childhood trauma, after the unsuspected murder of close-friend, Emily. Minato constructs a dark space for the novel to reside; how murder, though devastating for the immediate family of the deceased, can also impact a large plethora of individuals who feel the repercussions. Drastically impacting their lives in deep psychological, and emotional ways. the novel explores this territory, crafting a novel that simultaneously pinpoints the brutality of the crime narrative, and the mental exploration of the varying four-perspectives of the women, forced to grow-up haunted by childhood trauma. There are heavy themes of Rape, Mental Health and Murder, discussed on severe levels', therefore, significant caution is recommended if sensitive to the referenced topics. The story explores the differing narratives of those central in the murder; each woman is deeply affected, incomparable to the last. Their suffering became a magnifying glass for faults in their personalities, leading to various problems including: infidelity, depression, and even murder. The perspectives look at the effect, a decade and a half of trauma can do. Demonstrating the severe implications on their current social-situations. Emily's death was psychologically scarring, and unresolved; therefore, Asako, Mother of Emily, blames the women for the death of her daughter. As a result, death, consequences, pain, and insecurities that were not addressed emerge as the four elements of cohesion that bring the women together and make their separate narratives successful for the overall novel. Minato manages to centralise diverse voice in unique manners; the women each have their own philosophies that emerge throughout their individualised explanations of that day in August. They vary, showing how the past plays an immense role in their concurrent actions. Penance demonstrates how powerful words are, the effect it has on a child's mental stability; losing a friend is tough, especially when accused of being the root cause of that loss. Minato manages to navigate the space between the criminal act and psychological impact, comfortably, forming a clear and concise connection between both. After reading both 'Confessions' and 'Penance' by Minato; she is highlighted as an all-time favourite author of mine. Ultimately, Penance is beyond the simple murder mystery, but the crushing exploration of culpability, growth, pain, and the many layers of chaos in the already complicated transition from childhood into adulthood - magnificent.
Four women - Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko - are haunted by childhood trauma, after the unsuspected murder of close-friend, Emily. Minato constructs a dark space for the novel to reside; how murder, though devastating for the immediate family of the deceased, can also impact a large plethora of individuals who feel the repercussions. Drastically impacting their lives in deep psychological, and emotional ways. the novel explores this territory, crafting a novel that simultaneously pinpoints the brutality of the crime narrative, and the mental exploration of the varying four-perspectives of the women, forced to grow-up haunted by childhood trauma. There are heavy themes of Rape, Mental Health and Murder, discussed on severe levels', therefore, significant caution is recommended if sensitive to the referenced topics. The story explores the differing narratives of those central in the murder; each woman is deeply affected, incomparable to the last. Their suffering became a magnifying glass for faults in their personalities, leading to various problems including: infidelity, depression, and even murder. The perspectives look at the effect, a decade and a half of trauma can do. Demonstrating the severe implications on their current social-situations. Emily's death was psychologically scarring, and unresolved; therefore, Asako, Mother of Emily, blames the women for the death of her daughter. As a result, death, consequences, pain, and insecurities that were not addressed emerge as the four elements of cohesion that bring the women together and make their separate narratives successful for the overall novel. Minato manages to centralise diverse voice in unique manners; the women each have their own philosophies that emerge throughout their individualised explanations of that day in August. They vary, showing how the past plays an immense role in their concurrent actions. Penance demonstrates how powerful words are, the effect it has on a child's mental stability; losing a friend is tough, especially when accused of being the root cause of that loss. Minato manages to navigate the space between the criminal act and psychological impact, comfortably, forming a clear and concise connection between both. After reading both 'Confessions' and 'Penance' by Minato; she is highlighted as an all-time favourite author of mine. Ultimately, Penance is beyond the simple murder mystery, but the crushing exploration of culpability, growth, pain, and the many layers of chaos in the already complicated transition from childhood into adulthood - magnificent.