My Never Ending List

I have to say that I really enjoyed this novel. Originally published in Japan, this novel has just recently been translated and now, I had the opportunity to read it. There were a few instances where the translation threw me but otherwise, I thought the story was intriguing and mysterious. I noticed with the flow of the story, there were times that I thought the novel seemed stiff and robotic, like a he-said, she-said, he-went, she-went scenario but it didn’t bother me that much. After looking at the reviews of this novel, I can see why some readers did not enjoy it or didn’t finish it, as it definitely was not a smooth, effortless read. It was around the half-way point in this novel that I realized I was hooked and I couldn’t put the novel down.

 

The story centers on a young family who have just recently purchased an apartment built next to a graveyard. This newer, high-rise complex was almost perfect for this family. They couldn’t believe the size and the price of their unit and they realized that the few issues they had with the unit could be overlooked. Moving into their apartment, they meet a few neighbors and began to settle into their 8th floor home but the view outside their living room window had me questioning what a “great deal” they actually got. A historical graveyard with a temple that would hold the services of the deceased and a crematorium which would occasionally blow dark, thick smoke from its chimney took center stage. Not an ideal view and not one that I could live with every day. Little bizarre instances start to affect the family but they are committed to their new beginning and they try to brush off the strange incidences. When other tenants began to move out, the story becomes more intense and those little instances begin to add up in their heads. With the elevator that had a mind of its own, the closed off basement, and the rumors surrounding their complex, the family begins to have second thoughts about the complex. It thought this novel was a fun, captivating read with supernatural elements that kept me questioning where this novel was headed.

 

Using this for my Supernatural square in Halloween Bingo 2017.  It could also be used for other squares on the bingo card, like Haunted Houses or Terrifying Women.